Love Finds You in Camelot, Tennessee (12 page)

“Now that you mention it, I do see a common theme.” Steve paused. “What do you suppose they’re doing in there, anyway?”

“Who knows.” Charlie slapped him on the back. “Who can ever tell with women? They always go to the restroom together. Besides, you know what I always say, son: ‘Women. You can’t live with ’em…’”

“And you can’t live without ’em.” Steve chimed in for the last few words and then chuckled. For the first time in his life, he finally understood what it was like to not be able to live without a woman. The words to “If Ever I Would Leave You” flitted through his mind, bringing a smile.

The door to the ladies’ room swung wide and Eula Mae stepped through. Then Lucy Cramden, wearing a lime-green T-shirt about three sizes too small. Then Annabelle, eating a kolache that she pulled from her oversize purse. Then Blossom, fussing with her hair. Then Caroline, offering him a motherly smile. Then, finally, the woman he’d been waiting for.

Amy.

She looked his way and sighed.

“Our star is ready for her close-up, Mr. DeMille.” Eula Mae pushed Amy his way. Then she took Annabelle and Blossom by the arm and led them in the opposite direction. The crowd cleared and Steve found himself alone with the fair maiden. Well, the fair maiden with the look of terror on her face.

“So…” He stifled a grin. “Anything I need to know?”

“Just one thing.” She reached over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “If anyone ever accuses me of being faint of heart, defend me, okay?”

“Of course.”

“Honestly, this is the bravest thing I’ve ever done.”

“Braver than owning up to the fact that we’re more than friends?” He glanced around to make sure no one was looking and then kissed the tip of her nose.

Amy paled. “It’s just so terrifying to think that I’ll have to stand up on a stage and sing my heart out in front of hundreds—no, thousands—of people.”

“Let me understand this.” Steve crossed his arms and looked into her eyes. “You’re perfectly willing for
me
to stand up in front of thousands.”

“Well, that’s different. You’ve sung in church before.”

“But these will be total strangers who are paying to see the show.”

“Oh, Steve.” She rested her head against his shoulder. “What have I done? Seriously? This is going to turn out to be the dumbest idea I ever had.”

“Doubtful.”

When he grinned, she slugged him. “Thanks a lot.”

“Hey, now. I’m not saying it’s a dumb idea. Just the opposite, in fact. And you’ll do fine, Amy.”

“As actor or director?”

“Both.” His gaze narrowed. “Only one problem I can see.”

“What’s that?”

“When I kiss you, am I kissing Amy the director, Amy the actress, or Guinevere—the woman who’s going to eventually break Arthur’s heart?”

“Ugh.” She shook her head. “Let’s just say you’re kissing Amy, the girl who’s been nuts about you since the seventh grade.”

“Seventh grade, eh?” He chuckled. “That’s really saying something. I had acne and skinny legs in seventh grade.”

“You still have skinny legs,” she said. “But who’s looking?”

“Obviously
you
are.” He kissed her soundly then wrapped her in a loving embrace. As she lingered in his arms, his heart swelled with joy. Steve suddenly felt like the king of the world. And with Lady Guinevere in his arms, he felt sure he could conquer any foe.

All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.

W
ILLIAM
S
HAKESPEARE

Less than one week after auditions for the play, Steve rode to Knoxville with Amy’s father. He prayed they would make it to the building supply store by noon to make their purchases so that they could load up the truck and be back in Camelot in time for their first rehearsal at the Civic Center. The afternoon was sure to be chaotic.

From the passenger seat in Charlie Hart’s truck, Steve observed the cloudless sky. “It’s supposed to storm this afternoon, so I hope we make it back without any trouble.”

“We will.” Charlie quirked a brow and picked up the pace.

“Praying it passes over quickly,” Steve added. “With all the men coming on Saturday to start working on the new theater, we’ll need clear skies.”

“Yep.” Charlie nodded but kept his gaze on the road. “I’ve already checked the weather report for Saturday. It’s supposed to be clear with temperatures in the seventies. Should be perfect for a project like this.”

“I don’t imagine we’ll get a lot done that first day,” Steve said. “But I think we can get a start on the seating area first.”

Charlie’s words interrupted Steve’s thoughts. “Did that daughter of mine tell you what she’s thinking?”

“As far as the layout of the new theater?” Steve nodded. “Yes. She wants to take advantage of the hill behind the Civic Center. She apparently wants to pattern the design after some theater you took her to as a kid—in Texas.”

“Palo Duro Canyon.” Charlie braked as he approached a stop sign. “The amphitheater was cut out of the slope of a canyon, so there was basically no construction except the stone for the stage and some wood for seating. It was a clever idea. Very creative and very little cost involved.” He turned on his right signal and eased his way out onto the road.

“Right.” Steve nodded, giving the idea further thought. Made perfect sense to him. “I like the idea of using stone. It’s perfect for an outdoor environment. And with the Civic Center being right there, we won’t have to worry about bathrooms for the patrons. We’ve already got those.”

“Right.” Charlie nodded. “I think she wants us to build on some sort of awning behind the Civic Center, though. That way we could have a covered area where people could purchase sodas and snacks.”

“Good idea. Great way to bring in some extra money.”

“That’s my girl, filled with great ideas.” Charlie laughed and slapped his hand against the steering wheel. “Well, maybe not all of them are great, but you have to admit, they’re creative.”

“She is definitely creative,” Steve said. “I have to give her that. I just hope the people at the county office will go along with her plans. My gut says they’re going to have a couple of issues with what I sent them.”

“Hope not.” Charlie sighed. “That poor girl’s been through so much in her life already. If she has to jump one more hurdle…” He paused and shook his head. “Well, I suppose she’ll jump it, but I hate to see her struggle so much. Seems like nothing comes easy for her. Ever since her mother died…” Charlie grew silent, his gaze focused on the road.

“I understand,” Steve said. “And my heart goes out to her. That’s one of the reasons I usually go along with her ideas, even when they sound a little…”

“Far-fetched?”

“Yeah.” Steve chuckled. “I love that she’s always thinking out of the box. Wish I could be more like that sometimes. I’m also pretty impressed that she’s always interested in putting others first. Seems that way, anyway.”

“Oh, she’s in the habit of putting others first.” Charlie sighed. “She’s definitely like her mother in that respect. But we’ll have to keep an eye on her, Steve. You know how she is. If we’re not careful, this project is going to swallow her whole. We can’t let that happen.”

“Right.” Steve nodded. “I plan to keep an eye on her. And since I’m acting as the production director, I can always step in and help, if she needs it.”

“Thank you for that.” A pause followed, and then Charlie’s tone grew more serious. “I want to thank you for doing all this for my girl, Steve. It means the world to her.”

“For your girl?” Steve’s curiosity piqued. “What do you mean? I’m doing it for the whole town, not just Amy.”

“Aw, c’mon now. I know you’re not really keen on building a theater or putting on a play. You’re doing this to humor her. And I think I know why. I’ve got eyes, you know.” He gave Steve a knowing look.

“O–oh?”

“You’re sweet on her.” Charlie nodded. “And she’s sweet on you. A person would have to be blind not to see it.”

“Ah.” Steve forced back the grin that threatened to erupt. “So, you’ve figured us out, eh?”

“Yep. I’m just glad you two finally figured it out.”

“Took us awhile.”

“True, but it’s worth the wait. I’m a firm believer in love,” Charlie said. “I married my best friend thirty years ago, and I never regretted it. Not one day.”

“Well, you know how things ended for my parents,” Steve said. The pause that followed left him feeling a little weighted down.

“Yeah.” Charlie patted him on the arm. “I used to feel really bad about the fact that your dad didn’t stick around. But your mom did a great job of handling things on her own. And she found love in her later years, so all’s well that end’s well, right?”

“True.” Steve swallowed hard, as if he could somehow force away the negative images his father had left behind. “But I have to admit that watching the way my parents’ relationship played out has definitely kept me from being able to express myself. I guess that’s why it took me so long to finally let Amy know how I felt.”

“Oh, you’ve told her, have you?” Charlie grinned. “I was wondering why she’s been beaming for the past few days. Must have something to do with that.”

“Yes, well…” Steve thought about his response. He hadn’t exactly opened up and shared his heart with Amy, not in full. Sure, he’d told her that she had star quality. That she was center stage in his thoughts. And he’d kissed her. They were off to a good start. But getting to the crux of things—telling her that he’d fallen so hard he couldn’t think straight when she was around—well, he hadn’t done that yet. Hopefully soon.

“Don’t feel bad about the fact that you’re a little gun-shy,” Charlie said. “That’s nothing new in Camelot. The real king Arthur found it hard to express his feelings too. He hid out in the woods before marrying Guinevere, you know.”

“Yes, I was just telling Amy that story.” Steve paused, reflecting on Charlie’s words. “It’s funny, listening to you talk about Arthur like he was real. You don’t really think he existed, do you?”

“Of course I do. And just for the record, I think he needed to be a little more assertive with the woman he loved. That’s why he lost her to Lancelot, you know. Lack of assertiveness. A man needs to be ready to lay down his life for the woman he loves. But first he’s got to let her know that she’s adored.”

“The woman he loves?” Steve smiled as he contemplated the possibilities of that statement. “I do wonder sometimes what it would be like to marry a girl like Amy. Only problem is, we’re so different. Can you even imagine how chaotic it would be?”

“Nothing wrong with a little chaos.” Charlie grinned. “And just so you know, God made people different on purpose. The greater the contrast, the more brilliant the painting. I’d say there’s a lot of contrast between you and Amy. She sees it too. I’m sure of it. But I’m pretty sure she likes what she sees.”

“I know I do.” Steve did his best not to grin. Still, he did like what he saw when he looked at Amy—and all the more as time went on.

Charlie navigated a bend in the road, nearly veering off into a ravine as he paused to point to the east. “Speaking of liking what you see…” He went off into a story about the contrast of colors in Tennessee’s landscape and how great it was to live in Tennessee. “Either your heart connects with the beauty of Tennessee or it doesn’t,” Charlie said. “But I’ll tell you, it does something to this old heart of mine.”

“Amy’s the same way,” Steve said. “She’s always had a fascination with the changing of the seasons. Guess she got that from you.”

“Seasons.” Charlie sighed. “Been through a few of those in my own life.” He paused and appeared to be deep in thought. “You know, if you visit Tennessee just before the changing of the leaves, you feel cheated. Being there in the middle of it is like a gift—a second chance at life. A reprieve from the doctor after a bad diagnosis.” He slowed the vehicle as they approached a fork in the road. “If the seasons of my life have to change—and I know they do—I’d rather experience it here in Tennessee than anywhere else on earth.”

“Amen to that,” Steve said. “Amen to that.”

The ringing of the office phone startled Amy awake. Had she really fallen asleep at her desk again? That made the second time this morning. Still, who could blame her? She’d stayed up half the night coming up with additional plans for the build-out of the new amphitheater behind the Civic Center. She could hardly wait to share them with Steve later this afternoon. Then again, he might not be thrilled with her tweaks to his original plan. He and Dad were already on their way to town to get the supplies, after all. Well, she could always spring it on them later.