Summer Plans and Other Disasters

by Karin Beery

“She’ll figure it out eventually.”

  “And you have to call the cops about the Jeep.”

  “I thought we’d moved on.”

  “We can’t. You’re being stupid.”

  “Mature.”

  “You suck at confrontation.”

  “You’re confronting me now, and I’m not avoiding it.”

  Jack snorted. “Yeah, I’m confronting you while you hide from Accounting Barbie and won’t turn in a criminal.”

  “I’m not hiding from anyone. There’s no need to hurt her feelings or get someone else into trouble.”

  “He hit your Jeep!”

  “Yeah, and it’ll cost him to get his fixed. My insurance will cover mine. It’s fine.”

  “You know, you’re confusing politeness with pushoverness.”

  “That’s not even a word.”

  “You know what I mean.” Jack jumped off the couch, his spoon and bowl clanging in his hand. “Maybe I’m rude sometimes, but at least I know when to step up to the plate.”

  Ryan’s pulse surged. “If I need to, I will.”

  “Whatever. Someday you’ll want something bad enough that you’ll break your stupid rules.”

  The jerk left before Ryan could respond. Not necessarily a bad thing, since Ryan didn’t know how to respond. Polite reason obviously didn’t work, so he reached across the couch and took back the remote. He had the news back on by the time Jack returned with another full bowl.

  “The game starts in ten.”

  “The news will be over by then.”

  Jack dropped onto the couch, laughing.

  “Now what?”

  “I’m glad you can stand up to someone. I just don’t know why it always has to be me.”

  For the second day in a row, Callie didn’t die. She didn’t even hurt herself. With Jack by her side, she survived another day on the job. Dinner with Kyle was the perfect way to celebrate her productivity.

  She stood in front of the mirror examining her outfit. It wasn’t quite right. Something about the cut of the shirt? She tugged at the hem, then the neckline. That didn’t work. Was it the skirt? Maybe she should just change. And what about her hair? Callie pushed her fingers through it, pulling it out, then up. Her stomach clenched. Nothing helped.

  Of all the days not to drop a hammer on her foot. Why couldn’t she have gotten hurt today? Then she’d have an excuse for her appearance or being late … or canceling. Nervous energy rolled in her stomach. Callie leaned against the wall and breathed. In through the nose, out through the mouth. She needed a few minutes at the piano to work off her nerves.

  Not that she had anything to be nervous about. It was just dinner with Kyle. Nothing she hadn’t done before.

  Although a night at home suddenly didn’t sound too bad either. She could watch some TV. With Ryan. Her nerves jumped, but in a different way. It wasn’t a way she wanted to think about while getting ready for dinner with Kyle.

  Someone knocked. “Cal?” Jack poked his head in through the open bedroom door.

  She looked at his reflection in the mirror. “Yeah?”

  “You good?”

  “I think so. Why?” She looked down at her clothes, then back at her brother. “Be honest. Is this a bad outfit? I don’t know if I should change the whole thing, or maybe just the shirt? Maybe I should reschedule.”

  Jack took a step back, eyes wide. “So, you’re not good then?”

  “I don’t know.” Callie tugged at the hem of her shirt. “I’m a little nervous, that’s all. Did you want something?”

  “There’s a couple of breadsticks left. Do you want one?”

  Callie stopped adjusting her clothes. “So, it’s not a bad outfit? Do you think I need a breadstick?”

  “Well … do you want one?”

  Did she? It was hard to tell if her clenching gut was hunger or nerves. A snack shouldn’t hurt though. She hoped. Maybe half a stick.

  Jack rolled his eyes and walked away. “If you ever decide, they’re in the kitchen.”

  She ran after him. “Sorry. I was thinking. Thanks for the offer.”

  Jack dropped into his arm chair and picked up a magazine. “You’re welcome.”

  She dropped onto the arm of the sofa. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “It’s Kyle, you know. I think I’m just expecting him to be mad, to let me have it. I would deserve it.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Callie watched Jack flip through a Sports Illustrated. His preoccupation didn’t deter her.

  “Do you think this is a good idea?”

  He flipped another page.

  She flicked the cover.

  Jack dropped the magazine on his lap. “I’m too tired for this, Cal. Just tell me what’s going on, because I won’t figure it out.”

  She leaned forward. “Do you think this is a good idea? Me going out with Kyle? I mean, every time I think about Traverse City, I think of Kyle. But we already ended this once. And I don’t think it was a coincidence that I felt like moving back here after I stopped seeing Mike. I just keep wondering if I made a mistake with Kyle. Why else would I be here? And what if I’m overthinking things again?”

  Jack smacked her knee with his magazine. “It’s just dinner, Cal. Don’t read into it. Enjoy it.”

  “What if—”

  “Cal.” He leaned toward her.

  She leaned a little closer, studying his face, searching every feature for some type of assurance. He smiled. “You’ve already made the plans. Just eat dinner and come home.”

  Eat and run. Callie nodded. “I can do that.” Her stomach growled.

  “And eat a breadstick.”

  “I can do that too.” She stood up. “No more overreacting. Or overthinking.” A car door slammed. She jumped. “Is it ever quiet out here?”

  “Only in the winter.” Jack opened his magazine. “You’ve got a long drive into town, Squirt. You might want to take two breadsticks.”

  “Good idea.” Callie picked a pillow off the couch and threw it at her brother. “And don’t call me Squirt.”

  Callie stood outside of the restaurant and prayed like a toddler—wild and with no clear direction. Maybe she shouldn’t have eaten that last breadstick. Now, her unsettled stomach clenched around a giant lump of processed dough. That would be enough to make her queasy on a good day.

  Ugh. Kyle always ran late. Maybe she had time to run to the store for some Tums. She checked her watch.

  “Sorry I’m late.”

  Callie’s heart dropped onto the doughy mass. Kyle stood in front of her, gorgeous in khaki pants and a crisp, blue button-down shirt. Way more casual than her. She smiled. “You’re not that late.” Not by his standards. By Kyle Standard Time, he was still ten minutes early.

  “But I’m still late, and I shouldn’t be. I’ve been doing better about being on time. I know how much that used to annoy you.” Kyle gave her half a grin then offered his arm. “Ready to eat?”

  “Of course.” She wrapped her hand around his biceps, letting him lead her into the restaurant. They got their table, ordered, and were nibbling on appetizers before Callie’s nerves started to settle down. Kyle’s words finally began to register.

  He popped a brie-smeared cracker into his mouth, then leaned back in his chair. “So, how long are you in town?”

  Callie licked a crumb from her lip. “Through August. School starts after Labor Day, so I need to be back before then.”

  Kyle nodded. He twirled a shiny butter knife between his fingers. “Still teaching downstate?”

  “Yeah.” Callie dropped her hands in her lap. She tapped out Rachmaninoff as she struggled to relax. “I’ve got a great gig at an elementary school. I get to teach instrumental classes to the older kids while my colleague does all of the singing wit
h the little kids.”

  “You don’t like singing kids?”

  Callie laughed. “Everyone likes singing kids but teaching them is something entirely different.”

  Kyle smiled at her. The waitress leaned in to refill her water glass. It was a good time to get to the point, but where to start? How’ve you been? How’s the family? Did you miss me? I think you’re the reason I’m back in town?

  Before she could decide on a topic, Kyle set down the knife. “Why’d you call me?”

  Her heart skipped. “Why?”

  “Yeah. I haven’t heard from you in almost three years. Why now?”

  The restaurant chatter echoed in Callie’s ears as she struggled to find the words. “Well …” The woman next to them complained about her husband’s spending habits. The couple behind her read the menu to each other, struggling over unusual words. And somewhere nearby, someone cackled loud enough to interrupt every other conversation in the room.

  Every conversation except hers. Kyle politely watched her, his hands clasped on the table.

  “Well … I wanted to see you.”

  A waiter carried something sizzling and savory past their table. Callie’s stomach moaned. She reached for another piece of goat cheese.

  Kyle’s fingers wrapped around hers. A shiver rippled up her arm.

  “Help me out,” he said, adjusting his gentle grip. “You left with no real explanation. I mean, I’m happy to see you, but I need to know. Why did you call me?”

  Callie studied Kyle. There was no fire in his eyes. No anger in his voice or his touch. He was as calm as he’d been earlier in the week. The only thing she saw was confusion. She had prepared herself for yelling. This hurt just as much. “I’m so sorry. Some things happened that made me realize I didn’t like how I ended things. We spent a lot of our lives together, and then it was just over. I didn’t handle that well, and I’m sorry.”

  Kyle squeezed her fingers. “Thank you.” He released her hand.

  Disappointment replaced his touch, but relief also lifted her spirit. At least he didn’t hate her. They were okay … ish. That was good enough for her. Maybe it was time to open up. “I felt like God was calling me home this summer, so I called Jack for a place to stay,” Callie said. “The more I thought about coming home, the more I thought about you.”

  Kyle froze.

  “I mean,” Callie cleared her throat. “I wanted to apologize to you for how I left. It was selfish and immature, but I also wanted to see you again. We have a lot of history. I guess …”

  Kyle leaned forward, his brows cinched together.

  The waitress reported that their food would be out soon.

  What was Callie supposed to do now? This was the part of planning that she hated. The variable. Not knowing made her anxious. She grabbed another piece of cheese.

  Kyle pushed the plate toward her. “Still eating when you’re upset?”

  “I’m not upset.” She stuffed the cheese into her mouth, then followed it with a cracker. “Just thinking.”

  “Trying to figure everything out?”

  She nodded.

  “Why don’t we just eat dinner and not worry about it?”

  She sighed. “I’ve been telling myself that all day, but then my brain kicks in. I tried to prepare for this, but it’s not really going how I’d planned, so I’m not sure what to do now.”

  Kyle chuckled. “How much chocolate have you eaten?”

  “Just a bag of M&Ms.”

  He cocked an eyebrow.

  “It might have been a large bag of M&Ms.”

  Another layer of anxiety washed away as Kyle smiled at her, and they enjoyed a moment of comfortable silence.

  Their food arrived, and Callie savored every moment of the entrée and the company. Three years of separation faded into a memory as they caught up on everything from work to family.

  “Jack didn’t tell me I’d be living with him and Ryan,” Callie said as the waitress cleared their plates. “After being on my own for three years, this is an adjustment.”

  Kyle smiled. “I miss those guys.”

  “Before this week, when was the last time you saw them?”

  “We’ve seen each other around town, but I haven’t talked with either of them since a few weeks after we broke up.” He leaned back against his chair. “It was a little awkward.”

  Because of her. “I’m sorry.”

  He shrugged. “I had no idea why you left. The last thing I wanted to do was call your brother to talk about it. I didn’t know what you’d told him.”

  “Didn’t you ever run into each other at church?”

  Kyle chuckled, but the sound caught in his throat. “I know it’s juvenile, but I really didn’t want to confront either of them at church, so I, ah …”

  Joined a cult? Lost faith? Callie held her breath.

  “I switched churches.” He shifted in his seat.

  “Oh, well, that’s not a big deal.” And totally something she would do. “You don’t have to be embarrassed about it.”

  “I’m not. It’s more that I’m disappointed in myself. I shouldn’t have been so concerned about what might happen. I acted childishly.”

  Someone bumped into Callie’s chair, but she ignored it, intrigued by Kyle’s obvious discomfort at having distanced himself from her brother. She’d never seen him so unsettled. It tugged at her heart, but also surprised her senses. They’d known each other since their freshmen year in high school, and she was still getting to know him. “Did you think Jack was going to beat you up in the sanctuary? Then again, we are talking about Jack.”

  Kyle sighed. “I wasn’t going to tell you.” The corners of her lips popped up even as she willed herself to stop smiling. He pointed at her mouth. “That is why. I know. It’s ridiculous. I just didn’t know what else to do. Jack and Ryan are pretty intimidating.”

  “Intimidating?” Callie laughed. “That’s not a word I would use to describe them.”

  “Well, you’ve never been the boy who asked you out. Trust me. They can intimidate.”

  “The boy who asked me out? What do you mean?”

  “You didn’t know?” Kyle cocked his head.

  “Obviously not.” A mixture of emotions bubbled up inside. Callie didn’t know which one to grab on to. “What happened?”

  “They cornered me after our first date. I was still in the driveway.”

  Anger pushed past all of Callie’s emotions and reached the surface first. “They did what?”

  “They told me to be careful, suggested that I pray about it, and told me you were a princess who deserved to be treated like one. Then they told me horrible stories of people who disrespected royalty. I especially liked the one about the German monk who spent his life doing hard labor for not opening the door for a young queen. I haven’t been able to verify that one.”

  Heat radiated from Callie’s face and neck. If she had known about it years ago, she still would have been humiliated. Thank goodness for small favors. “I’m going to pummel them. Both of them.”

  “It wasn’t that bad, Cal.”

  “You didn’t deserve that. I am so sorry.”

  “Don’t be. It’s not your fault.” Kyle shrugged. “They were just looking out for you.”

  “That’s very kind of you. I’m sure they’ll appreciate your understanding after I’m done with them.” A waitress walked by, and Callie tapped her on the arm. It wasn’t their waitress, but she didn’t care. “I’m going to need a dessert menu, please. Quickly.”

  “Don’t be mad at them, Cal. I might have done the same thing if I had a little sister.”

  “Maybe. I get Jack, but what’s Ryan’s excuse?”

  Kyle chuckled. “He’s always had a soft spot for you.”

  The dessert menu arrived, but Callie ignored it. Ryan had a soft spot for her
?

  It was definitely time for some chocolate cake.

  Finally. It was just Jack and Ryan at the lighthouse, and a dozen or so tourists. Time for the talk. Ryan made his way to the garage where Jack stood at his workbench. Ryan took a long, deep breath. “What would you say if I asked Callie out?”

  Jack paused. “Out where?”

  “On a date.”

  Jack put a chisel in his toolbox. Something in there must have grabbed his attention, because he was suddenly interested in organizing every nut and bolt. Ryan waited as Jack dawdled. Finally, the metal lid slam shut. “Why?”

  Because she’s smart, beautiful, funny. Because the thought of her with Kyle made Ryan cringe. Because he looked forward to seeing her every day, and he wanted to make sure he had that opportunity for as long as possible. Valid reasons, but probably not the right things to tell Jack. Ryan leaned against the door frame. He shrugged. “I like her.”

  “She’s dating Kyle.”

  “She’s just having dinner with him.”

  Jack hauled the toolbox off of his work bench and let it bang on the floor. He kicked it under the bench before turning toward Ryan.

  They stared at each other. Somewhere in the garage a cricket chirped. The stench of sweat mixed with the crisp scent of sawdust. Ryan waited for his best friend to say something, but Jack just stared. Ryan felt like one of Jack’s pieces of raw wood, as if he were being scrutinized and analyzed to find the best place to stick the chisel.

  Ryan’s gut clenched, but he forced out the words he’d promised to use if necessary. “I won’t do it if you don’t want me to.” And he meant it, even though it would probably give him an ulcer.

  Jack whipped off his hat and scratched his head. “I might need to think about this.”

  Ryan nodded. At least it wasn’t a no.

  “Do we have any steaks left?”

  “I picked some up last weekend.”

  Jack tugged the hat back over his head, then nodded. “I need to finish cleaning in here. You can start the grill.”

  Anything to put himself in Jack’s good graces. “Sure. I think Callie picked up some asparagus. I’ll toss that on the grill, too.”