Page 61 of Bountiful
“Of course.Later!”
Audrey gave me another cheery wave, and I went home to find Benito on the couch with Nicole giggling on his chest. “No really,” he said to my baby girl. “When are you going to talk? Just one word. Ben. B-b-b-ben!”
Shehowled.
“You think this is funny? This is serious business. Your mamaishome.”
Nicole gave a little shriek and climbed offmytwin.
“You sent Mom home?” I asked, scoopingherup.
“She went to get herhairdone.”
“Nice of you tostepin.”
“If you want to be the favorite uncle, you have to put in the hours.” He sat up. “Hey—Audrey invited me to herwedding.”
“Yeah? That was nice of her.” I wasn’t going to tell him that Audrey kept extra invitations in her purse because we lived in a small town and she’d invited pretty much everyone. The wedding had begun as a modest affair at the Shipley orchard, and then had morphed into a huge party at the Shipley farm. Multiple tents. Catered barbecue. Two different groups playing live music. Audrey’s rich mother was footingthebill.
“She says you don’t haveadate.”
“Like that’s news?” Nicole started plucking at my T-shirt so I sat down beside my brother and lifted myshirt.
“I’ll go with you if you need one. But I’d offered to tend bar that night for Smitty so he could go to thewedding.”
“I don’t need a date to Audrey’s wedding.” I made the baby comfortable and sighed as she latched on. “Mom is babysitting for me, so I can’t stay late,anyway.”
“Okay,” my brother said slowly. “It’s justthat,well…”
“It’s weird for me to be in Griff’swedding?”
He grinned. “Not weird.Uncomfortable.”
I shook my head. “It’s okay. That was a long time ago. It’s not uncomfortable.” Not much, anyway. “Thanks, though. You might as welltendbar.”
“All right.” He stood up. “You think I can toss the bottles around like Tom Cruise inCocktail?”
“If that’s your goal in life, haveatit.”
He left, and just after the door clicked shut, my phone vibrated in my back pocket. I fetched it carefully so as not to disturb the nursing princess. She was drinking in slow, lazypulls.
Anothertext.
David: Don’t apologize. I realize I shouldn’t have assumedanything.
Zara: Not a big leap, though. Historically. And I could have disengaged without violence! Seriously, that was not cool and I’m sorry. If I saw you hit someone I would *not* think itwasokay.
David: Not a hockeyfan,then?
Zara: That’s different. I think.Isn’tit?
David: I’m not the kind of player who fights, generally. But I was just making a joke, Z. Let’s just move on. I’m truly sorry I assumedthings.
Zara: I’m truly sorry Ihityou.
David: Serious question. Am I coming on Sunday or not? It’s okay either way but Sunday is in 48 hours so I need someguidance.
What to do? I was anxious about the testosterone-fest that Sunday might be—my uncles and brothers, all staring him down. On the other hand, if Dave decided to play a part in his daughter’s life, the uncomfortable gathering would happen sooner or later. Kindergarten graduation, maybe. OrChristmas?
