Their Small-Town Love. Arlene James

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      Ivy remained at her sister’s side throughout the banquet. They’d had little time to talk as yet, but Ivy did not doubt that Rose was glad to see her, and for now that was enough. Ivy laughed at Ryan’s witty welcome and sat patiently through the less entertaining speeches that followed, accompanied by a plate of unremarkable food served by girls in short-skirted, green-and-yellow uniforms emblazoned with the white Eden lightning bolt. Ivy remembered well doing the same thing, serving tables for tips on reunion night to raise funds for the cheer squad, and she had come prepared with a generous donation.

      All in all her plan had thus far been even more successful than Ivy had hoped. Meeting Rose in a public place had been both more difficult and easier than Ivy had imagined. Rose had been shocked to see her, yes, but no more so than Ivy had been upon realizing that her sister was already the mother of two and expecting another child.

      Rose’s welcome had been all that Ivy could have asked for, warm, exuberant, even tearful, but the time and place of their reunion had relegated all but the simplest of exchanges to the future. Ivy sensed that Daniel might not be best pleased with her at the moment, but Ivy couldn’t blame him. Had she realized Rose’s physical condition beforehand, she would not have risked stressing her sister emotionally. That, too, however, was a subject for the future.

      While her attention and intent centered on Rose, many of Ivy’s old classmates had wandered by for a greeting and quick conversation. She’d been hugged and patted and smiled on. No one had surprised her as much as Ryan, though, and she silently thanked him for providing her with an easy out when Rose tentatively suggested that she join the family for Easter services the next day.

      Rose interrupted her musings with the whispered invitation, “Daniel and I wonder if you’d like to join us for Easter tomorrow?”

      “Oh sweetie, I’m sorry,” Ivy replied softly, “but I’ve already promised to go to the services at First Church with Ryan Jefford. Besides, I don’t think Dad would be very pleased.”

      Rather than press Ivy to reconsider, Rose’s tawny brown eyes were suddenly alight with speculation. She leaned close to whisper, “With Ryan? Really? He’s considered quite the catch around here, you know.”

      “We’re just old friends, Rose,” Ivy pointed out softly. “Mere acquaintances, really, but he invited me, and I said I would go.”

      Fortunately, before more could be said on the subject, the master of ceremonies, a retired former superintendent of Eden schools, announced that the highlight of the evening would commence. Each of the alumni present would stand and be recognized, in alphabetical order, while moderators read a list of his or her accomplishments. In this way, it was explained, they could all “catch up” with each other.

      Ivy cringed at the idea and even considered pleading exhaustion or headache in order to slip out before her turn came. In the end, however, she did neither, reminding herself that turning over a new leaf meant putting away cowardly and dishonest habits once and for all. Besides, how much could anyone in Eden, other than her family, really know about her life? When the moderator at last called her name, Ivy stood and inwardly gulped as a paragraph taken directly from her personal promotional Web site was read.

      “Ivy Villard has enjoyed a successful career in the highly competitive field of commercial radio. As half of the popular FireBrand Phillips and Ivy duo, she has logged thousands of on-air hours as an announcer, commentator and DJ, bringing her own special brand of humor, wit and organization to the new rock/talk format. As producer of the show, she has been instrumental in achieving the ratings that propelled it to the top of the heap. With the changing tastes of today’s marketplace, however, the time has come to break up the act and branch out in different directions. Look for Ivy, a graduate of Southeastern Oklahoma State University with a degree in communications, at the helm of her own show in a market near you very soon.”

      The moderator went on to list awards that the show had won. Fan Favorite, Industry Pick, Top Market, Best New Format…Ivy closed her ears and barely heard the applause that followed. She couldn’t help thinking that if the whole truth about Ivy Villard had been read, her reception would have been far less cordial. Clutching her sister’s hand, Ivy dropped back into her chair and waited for the evening to be over.