True believer - Nicholas Sparks [68]
At the same time, Lexie was always in the area talking to various people, and every now and then, their eyes would meet while both she and he were engaged in conversation with others. As if they were sharing a private joke, she would smile with raised eyebrows, her expression seeming to ask him, See what you’ve gotten yourself into?
Lexie, Jeremy reflected, wasn’t like any of the women he’d recently dated. She didn’t hide what she was thinking, she didn’t try to impress him, nor was she swayed by anything he’d accomplished in the past. Instead, she seemed to evaluate him as he was today, right now, without holding either the past or the future against him.
It was, he realized, one of the reasons he’d married Maria. It wasn’t simply the heady flush of emotions he’d felt when they first made love that had enthralled him—rather, it was the simple things that convinced him that she was the one. Her lack of pretense around others, the steely way she confronted him when he did something wrong, the patience with which she would listen to him as he paced around, struggling with a vexing problem. And though he and Lexie hadn’t shared any of the daily nitty-gritty of life, he couldn’t shake the thought that she’d be good at dealing with it, if that was what she wanted.
Jeremy realized she had a genuine affection for the people here, and she seemed to be truly interested in whatever it was they were saying. Her behavior suggested that she had no reason to rush or cut someone’s conversation short, and she had no inhibitions about laughing aloud when something amused her. Every now and then, she’d lean in to hug someone, and pulling back, she’d reach for the person’s hands and murmur something along the lines of “I’m so glad to see you again.” That she didn’t seem to think of herself as different, or even notice the fact that others obviously did, reminded Jeremy of an aunt who had always been the most popular person at holiday dinners, simply because she focused her attention so completely on others.
A few minutes later when he rose from the table to stretch his legs, Jeremy saw Lexie moving toward him, with just a trace of seduction in the gentle sway of her hips. And as he watched her, there was a moment, just a moment, when the scene seemed as if it weren’t happening now, but taking place in the future, just another little get-together in a long procession of get-togethers in a tiny southern town in the middle of nowhere.
Ten
As the evening drew to a close, Jeremy stood with Mayor Gherkin on the porch while Lexie and Doris stood off to the side.
“I sure do hope this evening met with your approval,” Mayor Gherkin said, “and that you were able to see for yourself what a wonderful opportunity you have when it comes to this story.”
“I did, thank you. But you didn’t have to go to all this trouble,” Jeremy protested.
“Nonsense,” Gherkin replied. “Why, it’s the least we can do. And besides, I wanted you to see what this town is capable of when it sets its mind to something. You can only imagine what we’d do for those television folks. Of course, you’ll get a little bit more of the town’s flavor this weekend, too. The small-town atmosphere, the feeling of traveling back in time as you walk through the homes. It’s like nothing you can imagine.”
“I have no doubt about that,” Jeremy said.
Gherkin smiled. “Well, listen, I have a few things to take care of inside. A mayor’s duty never ends, you know.”
“I understand,” he said. “And thanks for this, by the way,” Jeremy said, raising the key to the city.
“Oh, you’re very welcome. You deserve it.” He reached for Jeremy’s hand. “But don’t get any funny ideas. It’s not