still shy around Amiee, Cassie’s teenage daughter. That wouldn’t last long, though.
“I don’t want you two to get stuck with dresses you’ll never wear again,” Cassie had insisted. “So wear whatever you want and it’ll be fine.”
That worked great for me. I had a number of fancy gowns that would be suitable to wear as a bridesmaid. Jake had always made sure I had the best for the annual Commander’s Ball at the country club.
I’d decided to wear the midnight-blue one I’d worn the year before I got pregnant with Owen. I saw it in the back of my closet and tried it on for fun. I’d been surprised when it was a perfect fit again. The baby weight was gone. Guess that was what a long, drawn-out divorce will do for a woman.
Cassie turned to me with a regretful look. “Nichole, I think I made a big mistake.”
“Really. How so?”
“When you mentioned you hadn’t gotten the wedding invitation, I checked my address book. I think I might have mailed it to your old address in Lake Oswego.”
“Don’t worry. I know when the wedding is.” Jake hadn’t forwarded it on, which didn’t surprise me. He’d been short-tempered and nasty to me ever since he learned about Rocco.
Fifteen-year-old Amiee sat down next to me and pretended not to notice Owen. My toddler covered his eyes and then cautiously peeked over at his cousin. Amiee reached for his toy tow truck, which got an immediate reaction from Owen.
“Mine.”
“Oh, sorry,” Amiee said, pretending she didn’t know. “It’s such a cool truck, I thought I’d like to see how it runs.”
“I show you.” Owen sprang out of my lap as if he’d been sitting inside a jack-in-the-box. The two of them went into the kitchen, where the floor made it easier to scoot the truck around.
“You doing okay?” Karen asked. She’d been worried about me since the divorce, and our regular long-distance conversations weren’t enough to ease her mind. We were all busy, but Karen and Garth, her husband, had recently started their own business having to do with listing and selling commercial real estate and were busier than ever. Both Lily and Buddy had stayed in Spokane with their father for the weekend.
“Actually, I’m doing great.” And it was the truth. I enjoyed teaching, and having a regular income had done a lot to help my budget. I was scheduled to fill in until the first of the year. I got along well with the staff and had learned that a full-time position was opening up in the spring for a French teacher. I planned to apply for it, as I was fluent in the language, and felt I’d have a good chance of getting hired.
“Rocco’s coming to the wedding, right?” Cassie asked. “I’m anxious to meet him.”
“He said he would.” Which surprised and delighted me. I was eager for my sisters to meet Rocco. He was becoming an important part of my life. Although he had a rough and gruff exterior, he was thoughtful and smart and a good father. Owen loved him, and I found myself thinking about him more and more. We were very different people outwardly but we shared the same core values and beliefs.
Cassie, who sat on the carpet next to me, said, “After everything you said, I’m really looking forward to meeting him.”
I thought I should give my sisters fair warning. “He’s not your typical guy. He’s got tattoos and he’s big and tall.”
“But you like him.”
“I do.” I wasn’t going to downplay how attracted I was to Rocco. Yes, he was handsome, but not in the same way Jake was. Rocco oozed masculinity, whereas Jake was suave and urbane. No two men could be more different.
“Is it serious?” Karen asked me.
I needed time to think about my answer. We’d agreed not to date others and to give our relationship a chance to grow. I wasn’t sure if that meant we were serious. “Not yet. We’re still getting to know each other, but it could be serious at some point. We both have a lot of stuff to work through. Two of my college friends rebounded from divorces with fast second marriages that lasted less than a year. I don’t want to make that mistake.”
“Steve is bringing dinner over later,” Cassie said.
Amiee stuck her head out from the kitchen. “Is it KFC?”
“No,” Cassie answered, laughing.
“Darn,” Amiee muttered, and retreated back to the kitchen.
Karen, Cassie, and I spent the afternoon assembling wedding favors for the tabletops at the