Absolutely. Yes. He would make this right. Somehow. “Sure. Give me a sec with these.”
However, Lloyd grabbed Nate the moment they stepped onto Spider Camp’s beach and dragged him off into the rounds of backslaps and beers and toasts and the telling and retelling of the whole story. They gave him no chance to duck away with Kay, and the festivities got underway like a runaway roller coaster.
****
Not only was seriously talking seriously difficult, it was proving hard to schedule as well.
Nate caught Kay’s eye and shrugged in question.
Kay waved him off and picked up an overlooked sack of groceries. Later would be fine, when the novelty and excitement settled. She didn’t want to talk with an audience around anyway, and Nate needed to enjoy this moment of triumph with his friends—their friends. Olivia was smiling now. Their friends threw whole-hearted effort into celebrating Nate’s good news and cheering up Olivia.
She set the sack on the table and pulled out a package of steak. That needed to get into the cooler. Nate and she could talk tonight, before bed, when the day settled down.
“Kay, what’s going on?” JoAnn stepped between Kay and the first ice chest.
She sidestepped JoAnn and popped the lid on the yellow cooler. “What do you mean? I’m putting groceries away.”
“I mean you and Nate. Sweetie, you’ve been real quiet ever since he announced his news. Spill it. What’s going on?”
She looked away. “Nothing’s wrong. Nothing’s going on. I’m happy for him. Mother’s news just surprised me.” She emptied the sack.
JoAnn pinned Kay with a look. “You’re not having second thoughts about Nate?”
“Of course not.” Kay shut the cooler and looked away, clenching her hand around his ring. No second thoughts at all, she was already onto third, fourth, fifth…
“Kay, he’s the perfect guy for you. He loves you.”
“I know.” She pushed away the memory of Olivia’s mentioning how everyone told her R.J. was perfect for her. This was not the same.
“You said that like there’s a ‘but’ you wanted to add. Talk. Let me help.”
Kay sighed and shrugged. She should tell her. Think of it as warm-up practice for later. “Nate’s wonderful. I just never thought about getting married, never intended…and now, well…there’s just so much to think about. So much we don’t know about each other. He really caught me by surprise.”
JoAnn patted Kay’s shoulder. “It’s normal to feel overwhelmed at times. And both of you being total free spirits for so many years, changing gears from single to couple can’t be easy. You two need to sit down and talk to each other. You know Nate’s easy to talk to. And I think you’ll find it easier than you believe.” She smiled encouragingly. “As an old married lady, that’s my number-one advice to you. Talk to him. It works.”
“Lloyd listens?”
JoAnn’s laughter poured out. “Most of the time. But we talk.”
Kay twisted the plastic sack straps in her fingers. “Jo?” She pried her question out. “How did you know marrying Lloyd was the right thing to do? After, well, after…” Old habit, avoiding Reeves’s name.
“Because I love him and I chose to be happy. Yeah, marrying again was a risk, and trusting wasn’t easy, considering how badly I’d chosen before. I could have been fooled again.” She blinked away tears. “Yeesh, the munchkin is making me a watering pot. But Lloyd, I knew he was what I was missing. I’ve learned the hard way what love is and what it isn’t. He’s a good man and he proves himself every day, just by being.” She smiled sweetly and traced her fingertips in soothing strokes over the ripening curve of her belly where her and Lloyd’s child grew. For JoAnn the changes had been all for the good.
Still caressing her belly, JoAnn winked mischievously. “Now, does that mean he doesn’t make me insane some days? Does that mean we never butt heads? No, but we work through it. We make it work. And it’s love that makes us fix it. It’s love that gets us through the hurtful, crazy days. We’re happy. So, talk to Nate. He loves you.”
She gripped Kay’s shoulders and stared her straight in the eyes. “And Kay? Please take this as I mean it in the very nicest way, because I’ve known you forever, but your mother is a fricking selfish bitch and you need to stop letting her push your buttons. Trust Nate. Trust yourself. Starting today. Okay?”
Kay had no answer. She forced a smile. “Okay.”
JoAnn held her in place and shook her head. “Talk to him. I mean it.”
“Damn it, Jo, would you sit down and put your feet up?” Lloyd stomped over.
“We’ll talk.” Kay grabbed Lloyd’s diversion and edged back from JoAnn.
“Good.” JoAnn grabbed a bottle of water from the blue cooler. “Just getting water, hon. I swear, you’re worse than a broody hen. I’ve been sitting all day.”
“I would have gotten it for you.” He steered JoAnn over to her chair, grumbling under his breath the whole way until JoAnn had her feet up and he’d rearranged the shade.
As Kay busied herself along with Olivia and Margie setting out the chips, dips and other snacks, she worked on her mental list.
First, Nate needed to be clear she couldn’t just up and leave her job on a whim. Second, she had the shows lined up. Third, if he was going to be jaunting about the South Pole, he had to understand she didn’t want to be alone in a strange house in a strange state without a job and without friends.
Wait. Why was she thinking as if yes meant she had to move this instant? He hadn’t said that. A shudder of relief rippled through her. She was freaking out without relying on facts. He was going to be traveling for months. They’d lost the time they’d planned to spend together, but they could still work on talking.
This might all work.
****
Nate shot a glance over to Kay. She was laughing along with JoAnn, Olivia and Patti at one of Dave’s outrageous fish tales. The pinched look was gone, and she’d had a few light beers, so that had to be helping. Olivia looked to be holding up good so far, but JoAnn and Kay were keeping close.
Everyone had sunk their chairs into the shallows to beat the heat. The guys and he had shifted the canopies and a table out into the water, as well, so they all sat in the shade with the lake lapping around their legs, drinks in hand, and chips, pretzels, and dips passed around between talking, swimming, and prepping the food for supper.
Nate snagged Kay the next time she returned to her chair and tugged her into his lap.
She gave a surprised yelp and a giggle and relaxed into his arms.
“You want to talk now?”
She wrinkled her nose, thoughts flickering over her face. “It can wait until later. When we have peace and quiet. Which—” She waved her hand about at their chattering friends. “Is not happening for a while.”
“We can nip over to our camp.”
“No, this is fine. You deserve to celebrate with everyone. I’m just sorry you have to leave so fast.”
He ignored the sick turn to his stomach and kissed her. “Me too. Very much.”
Lloyd and Dave started up the grills. Dave ordered the ladies to kick back and have another drink and the men gathered, heads together, fussing over the steaks and arguing whether they had marinated long enough, and just who was in charge of cooking them.
Somehow, despite the long and friendly squabbling, the foil packs of vegetables got roasted, the steaks grilled, the salad made, and the table set. More beers opened. A soft, cheerful mix of music played in the background. The sun sank into a blazing sunset and vivid twilight. The citronella candles added their scent to the evening. Plates were loaded and handed around amidst happy chatter.
JoAnn tapped on an empty pickle jar with her knife. “Your attention please.”
Everyone looked expectantly to her, and the hubbub settled.
She raised her seltzer. “A toast to my friends, both old and new. I’m so glad you’re all here.”
“Hear, hear!” Mark said. “To good friends.”
Cans and cups were raised and clinked. “To good friends.”
Lloyd stood, going red in the face, but his eyes were fierce and his smile beaming. “I’ll make this quick, but I got to say it. Here’s to Jo, my lovely wife, who makes my life perfect, whether I like it or not.” He laughed. “I love you and our munchkin.” He raised his can. “And now to my buddy, Nate, and his awesome news, and to Kay, his even more awesome lovely lady. Congratulations, Nate and Kay!”
The chorus of congratulations and friendly razzing rang out again.
“Thanks, Lloyd.” Nate grinned and stood. He glanced at Kay and, at her smile, a storm of love and frustration churned over him, tangling his thoughts and tongue, and he blurted out the first thing that came to mind, “To quote F. Scott Fitzgerald, ‘I love her and that’s the beginning of everything.’” He raised his beer. “So, here’s to my beautiful Kay, the woman I love, and the beginning of the rest of our lives.” His voice cracked as emotion got the better of him. He pinned her with his gaze and, shoving down the swell of guilt, willed her to understand, to believe.
Cheers and clapping broke out. Kay blinked, looking ready to cry or laugh, or both, behind her smile.
Nate kissed her and sat back down.
JoAnn wiped away a happy tear. “You’re all making a hormonal woman cry. So, now, let’s eat. Munchkin and I are starving.”
They all happily set into polishing off the delicious meal.
“So, Kay, you and Nate made any progress on plans? Where, how and when and all that?” Pippa asked.
Nate closed his hand over Kay’s. “Naw, not yet. Whatever Kay wants is fine by me.”
Kay released a relieved breath. He squeezed her hand. They would work this out.
“Our Nate’ll look cute all dolled up in a tux. I’d pay to see that.” Patti leaned back in her chair and gave him an appraising look.
“Oh, yeah,” all the women said simultaneously.
Dave snorted and Scott just cackled with laughter. Lloyd, Mark, and Christopher broke into deep belly laughs.
Heat burned Nate’s face. He took a long draw on his beer and then pointed the can at his buddies. “Laugh it up, guys. I might be willing to see you all in baby pink cummerbunds and bowties. What do you think, Kay? Lloyd and Dave in pink? And white tuxes of course.” He laughed wickedly and drawled out his next words. “Remember ruffled shirts, Dave? Oh, yeah, those could happen.”
The giggles caught Kay, and she could only nod and fight not to snort out the mouthful of beer she’d just taken.
JoAnn winked. “Kay, how much would it take to make this happen? I can write you a check right now.”
“Over Nate’s dead body,” Lloyd fake-growled.
Margie smiled blissfully at Christopher. “We had a lovely wedding. Small, in Mom and Dad’s backyard.”
Christopher grinned and raised her hand to his lips for a kiss. “Your Aunt Ida’s cake was the best ever. And your dad’s barbeque.”
Margie beamed with pride. “There’s a good reason our family restaurant’s been voted best in the county since before I was born.” She blushed and straightened her shoulders. “I may not be able to skin a catfish, but I’m heck on wheels with a menu and seating plan.”
That stopped all the joking and jumpstarted all the reminiscing and showering Kay and Nate with wedding and honeymoon ideas.
Dave broke through the torrent, “Hey, we’re close enough, how about Vegas? Hit one of those Elvis chapels. Hell, we could drive up there tomorrow. Get the deed done. Party a little there, get back here for supper and party on. What better place to celebrate than the place you two first met? This very beach. What do you say?” Dave fixed Nate with dead serious eyes in his grinning face.
JoAnn flicked a pretzel at Dave. “Kay needs a dress, silly. We’d have to go shopping first. And find a salon. We are not rushing this.”
“So? No problemo. You gals hit the stores. We’ll hit a casino, maybe a barber and get that hamster shaved off Nate’s face for Kay. Next stop, Elvis and the deal’s done. Fun, no fuss, no muss.” He laughed in wicked good humor.
Rich high-fived Dave. “Excellent idea.”
The disbelieving look on Kay’s face was priceless. Nate burst out laughing and hurried to relieve her. “Hell, no, Dave. You know my mom. Could you imagine the grief I’d get?”
Honestly, he’d never focused on the how. Yeah, vague images of the church back home and highlights of his sister’s wedding had ebbed and flowed around his imagination, but he’d figured Kay and her friends would want to decide on the exact details, and he was good with that. And, no, a quickie hitching in Vegas had never been one of the daydreams.
The look on Kay’s face grew thoughtful.
His heart bumped with astonishment and hope.
She was actually considering it?
****
The whirlwind of memories and ideas set off the cool sinking in Kay’s gut again.
Was she the only woman in the world who had never dreamed about what she wanted for a wedding? Never imagined herself walking down an aisle in white or looking up at a man and believing in the “I do”?
Her sister had planned countless weddings for her Barbie and Ken dolls, devoured bridal magazines with Mother, and had grown up to have the picture-perfect marriage from hell.
Kay had explored the wildernesses of their various backyards with her Barbies and managed those expeditions just fine without Ken and stashed Dad’s old
National Geographics
,
Arizona Highways
, and
Field and Streams
under her bed.