and find a ball, Jennings reaches out and grabs my elbow. “Side bet between you and me.” His breath is hot against my ear.
“Deal,” I answer immediately.
“Whoever wins gets to pick our next date.” He nips my ear. “And that’s a date without the amazing chaperone we created.”
Just as I’m about to agree, Kevin comes back with a soda that will keep him up for days. I sigh and am about to admonish him when he speaks first. “Look, number one rule of this thing.” He flicks his finger back and forth between us. “Check the PDA. My tender eyes can only handle so much,” he announces haughtily, before he takes a slug of his drink. When he’s done, he slams it down to emphasize his point. And belches.
It’s then all three of us burst out laughing.
In the end I end up kicking Jennings’s ass at bowling. I gloat all the way to Subway.
And the next day when the three of us hike around Mendenhall, I put all of my studying to good use when I educate both my son and his father all about the glacier. Later, they tease me that I sounded the most knowledgeable about where the bathroom was.
I ignored them as I stomped back to the car to the male laughter following me.
God, they’re so alike.
I can’t say I don’t love it.
Kara
“He’s so different,” I muse.
Maris is leaning against the picnic table next to me as we observe Jennings, Brad, and Kevin teach Frisbee to Brad and Meadow’s kids.
Rainey comes up with Meadow and demands, “What did we miss?”
I laugh, because this reminds me of the good memories of my time here—of girlfriends and laughter. Things I never really had until I lived here because I never had anyone who cared enough about me to pull me from my books until Maris. “We were just admiring the view,” I say blandly.
“Impressive, isn’t it?” Maris remarks.
I shrug nonchalantly before giving up all pretense. “Why is it men get better-looking as they age?” I demand.
Maris snickers as Meadow chokes on the sip of beer she just swallowed. Rainey grins. “It’s supremely annoying, isn’t it? I mean, here we’re the ones who push out their kids, and they’re the ones who…Oh, God.” Her eyes widen.
“What?” I demand. Turning in the direction of Rainey’s gaze, I go stock-still.
“Sweet baby Jesus,” Meadow wheezes out.
“Need help finding your voice?” Maris taunts me.
But I can’t speak. Jennings has pulled his shirt off and is using it to wipe the sweat from his face. He’s laughing openly at something Brad yelled which I can’t hear. I doubt I’d be able to understand the words anyway, my every thought is so scrambled.
“You all right, Kara?” Rainey asks, concerned.
Just then, Kevin runs over to his father and tackles him, causing the Frisbee Brad flung carelessly in his direction to go sailing overhead. Jennings shouts, “Oh, so that’s how you want to play it, son?”
“Bring it on, old man!” Kevin laughs. Rolling over, he reaches down for his father’s hand to help him stand.
Jennings grabs him in a headlock and rubs his head with his knuckles until Kevin’s laughter rings out with his surrender. “I give! I give!” Spotting me, he cries out, “Mom, come save me!”
I may be rooted to the spot, but I force my lips to work. “You got yourself into this predicament, sweetheart. Only one way out that I can see.”
“How’s that?” Kevin calls plaintively.
“By admitting age, treachery, and deceit will always overcome youth, skill, and ability,” Jennings declares as he loosens his hold. Keeping an arm hooked over Kevin’s shoulder, he tosses a wink at me over his shoulder before leading Kevin back toward the other kids.
I’m still motionless as the other women come up to huddle next to me. “Are you all right?” Maris semi-repeats Rainey’s question.
Turning away from the sight of everything I’ve ever wanted, I shake my head even as I admit, “I don’t think I’m going to be the same ever again.”
Even as the perpetually strained expression lifts from Meadow’s face, Rainey squeals in delight, and Maris tips her head back toward the cerulean blue sky, lips moving. Her expression is pained and so beautiful it makes my heart hurt in that same way when we’re talking of our brothers. So, I gently prod, “What are you saying?”
But before she answers, she hauls me next into her arms for a powerful hug. “I’m thanking Jed for giving you this—the thing you’ve been missing for sixteen years.”