Page 7 of Third Time's the Charm

“You’re going?”

Cynthia laughed as she packed up her backpack. “Dad wouldn’t miss it. Therefore I will not miss it.”

I called in a takeout order to Fiddlers and locked up the office. Hanukkah ended two days ago, so my favorite Jewish deli was back open.

“I’ll walk with you. I’m not quite ready to be home and I have a feeling you won’t join me for an after work brew.”

“I will happily sit with you, as long as it’s a shady out of the way table where we can watch people without being seen.” As much as I wanted to get home, I also wanted to be a good friend.

“You’re sure?”

I threw my arm over her shoulder as we started down the shady path that led toward the town square. “I have no one else I’d rather hang with.”

“Until Ryker gets home. Then I’m old news.”

“You’re not nearly as sexy,” I teased.

She pushed me off, laughing. “Oh, I’mfarsexier. I’m just not your type. You prefer tall, dark, and rich.”

“Hey.” I wanted to argue. Ireallywanted to argue. But she was kind of right. Ryker and Jack had physical similarities. Both were tall, broad shouldered, and dark in features. And as of right now, both were definitely doing well with their bank accounts. But Jack and I got together in college, when he was nothing more than a jock hoping for a career in hockey.

Beyond the physical, there was absolutely nothing about Ryker and Jack that was similar in any way. Ryker was steady. Calm. A patient business man. I loved how I could count on him and how much he adored me.

What? Being adored is fantastic! I’m not even a little bit embarrassed to admit one of my favorite parts of being with Ryker is that I feel pampered and loved.

Jack on the other hand, is never calm. He’s never steady. Being with him was like living inside a thunderstorm. At first it was oh, so exciting, but after a few years all I wanted was a day with some normalcy. To walk around without wondering if I was about to be struck by lightning or blown away in a freak storm.

I’m not kidding. That’s how it felt being married to Jack. All excitement, all the time. It meant constantly being on my toes and ready to react to whatever new development appeared. It was exhausting and eventually I felt like I’d lost track of my own life.

As we walked I remembered the days before coaching took over. The days when we’d take a spur of the moment idea and turn it into reality. Like the last college game Jack ever played. We got a bottle of rum and sat on the roof of the apartment he shared with his best friend Riley. The three of us were inseparable for years. Riley was always dating someone, then someone else, while Jack and I were the solid center.

“What if…” my mind was whirling that night. Maybe it was the rum. “What if we hosted a giant, fun dinner for the whole team as a sendoff?”

It was crazy right? But Jack and Riley both thought it was a great idea. They asked what I would need to pull it off andbam!The next day Riley convinced a friend of his to lend us his barn, and Jack smooth-talked a local restaurant that catered to the team regularly. I crafted custom invitations.

Come one, come all,

for the black-tie dinner of your dreams.

7pm on Saturday the 1st

1 guest per person

Period costuming also accepted

Yeah, none of the guys came in costume, but everyone showed up in their finest. We transformed the barn into a ballroom with white tablecloth-covered tables and string lights, and real dishes and silverware. Every guest was offered a top hat or tiara. It turned into a grand night that lasted well into the early morning hours.

I remembered the way Jack stared at me that night. Like I was magic.

“I can’t come up with ideas like this, Berlin, but give me a list and I’ll always get the job done.” He ran his thumb over my lower lip and kissed me until I couldn’t breathe or stand.

It made me want to surprise him all the time. Sometimes we did silly little things like sneak into a neighbor’s pool when we knew they were on vacation, and sometimes we did big things like host a jungle-themed family dinner for Jack’s new coaching job.

But those were the good old days, and it had been a long time since my wild ideas even cracked a smile on that man’s face.

Harumph!

Cynthia and I snagged a shady table nestled up against some trees. It gave us a clear view of the entire main square and it’s shops and restaurants. Mistletoe Key was bustling! The sidewalks were packed and traffic was restricted to golf carts until after New Year, so people also walked in parts of the street, only moving after a friendly honk or two. Cynthia got a local lager while I stuck to water. I scanned the crowd.

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