Sallie whimpered and watched her sister leave the kitchen and head up to her studio. Then she sighed and put her plate up. She was going right over to the McCormick’s house, and she was going to have a conversation with Dunc about Amanda.
***
Dunc stared at Sallie. He had no clue how to handle her. She had come to his house, and he had opened the door. Now they were sitting in the living room while she wailed and couldn’t get any words out. He was supposed to be heading over to Amanda’s studio to get some work done, but Sallie had met him as he was leaving.
With a sigh, Dunc got up, retrieved a box of tissues from the top of a bookshelf, and sat next to Sallie, offering it to her. She accepted it and glanced up at him. Her face was blotchy, and her eyes were red. “You can’t do that to Amanda.” She managed to sob out.
“What? Do what to Amanda?” Dunc looked completely confused as he patted Sallie’s shoulder. “Huh, did I do something?”
“You cannot tell her you love her!” Sallie wailed.
“What? Why not?” Dunc was baffled. He shifted away from Sallie. Was she mad at him? What had he done? He turned away, rubbing his hands together anxiously. A heated shame spread through him. What had he done? Sallie had always been so sweet and kind to him. Now he felt awful. “Sallie. I love your sister. I really do.”
“You are not the right man for her.” Sallie frowned, wiping her eyes. “You need to let her go.”
“Why?” Dunc stared at Sallie, looking her in the eyes.
Sallie sobbed and looked at Dunc. His sadness and confusion seemed to wither away the spark in his bright blue eyes. She didn’t want to do this to him. He was a nice guy, and Sallie liked him, but he was going to break Amanda’s heart. It was unavoidable. If she could get him to break up with her now, then it wouldn’t hurt Amanda as much.
“Why?” Dunc repeated.
Sallie hadn’t thought this far ahead. “Because you’re going to break her heart? You can’t do that!”
Dunc was completely confused now. He scooted next to Sallie again and tentatively wrapped an arm over her shoulders. He mumbled something under his breath, and his eyes widened at the information he got back. He was checking to see if there was something wrong with her. Was she sick? This didn’t seem normal for her. “Sallie, please stop. I have no idea what I did to make you upset with me.” Managing a hysterical, crying woman was a completely new thing for Dunc. “Sallie, I love your sister. I want her in my life at her pace. I want to marry her and spend my life with her. I will never break her heart. I swear that’s not even possible.” Sallie continued sobbing. Dunc grumbled, patting her on the shoulder. He wasn’t sure how to fix this and get Sallie out of his house.
“Sallie. You have not given me any real reason for why you’re upset other than you care about your sister and don’t want me to hurt her.” Dunc sighed. “Am I not good enough for her? Is it something else? I know how I look. I know how people look at me. Is that how you see me? I know she can do better.” Dunc squeezed Sallie’s shoulder lightly. He muttered the same thing he had before to confirm what he had sensed the first time. There was a reason she was flipping out on him, and it wasn’t what she was saying.
“No. I don’t think that at all.” Sallie smiled up at Dunc through the tears. “You’re a good guy. I know that. Just not for my sister. I don’t want you to hurt her.”
“I would never hurt her, Sallie.” Dunc smiled and leaned over to hug Sallie and check a third time. Sallie more than happily accepted the hug, hugging him back and then stopping her tears. “I love your sister. You’re pretty great yourself. Coming over here to make sure I treat her right. Everything is going to be okay. You’re a great sister.” He laughed. “Someday, you’ll be a great mother too, I bet. Won’t that be amazing? Then you can make your sister and me babysit. It’ll be great.”
Sallie sniffled and smiled. She felt better. She still felt upset, but it had passed. “I am so sorry, Duncy. I must sound like a crazy person!”
“No.” He took her hand and patted it gently. “Why don’t you go into the kitchen and see what my mother has on the table. She’s been baking for days. Go eat something.”
“Thank you, Duncy!” Sallie bounced up and wiped her eyes. “I’m starving!”
“Mom, give Sallie whatever she wants!” Dunc smiled and called out to his mother.
“Sure thing! Come in here, Dear. I have pumpkin pie right out of the oven!” His mother called back.
“I’m sorry.” Sallie frowned for a moment. “I didn’t mean what I said. I think you’re wonderful. I’m just. I don’t know how I feel about it.”
“Go on.” Dunc was still smiling as he waved her off to the kitchen. She turned and bounced out of the room.
Dunc sighed and rubbed his eyes. That was interesting. Sallie was flipping out at him because she was a couple of weeks pregnant and most likely had no idea she was. This was not a secret he wanted to carry, but it would make it easier to handle her in the future. He would be
