Summer Plans and Other Disasters

by Karin Beery

  When she turned toward Jack, he was looking at his truck.

  Callie jumped off the mower and yanked off the ear protection. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she said, rushing to his side. “I bumped the rear tire and must have knocked off the bag. I thought I would just move it out of the way. I didn’t realize —”

  Jack held up a hand. His chest heaved as he examined the mess, but his face didn’t flinch. How mad was he? Fighting the urge to cry, she tried again. “I’m really, really sorry. I didn’t know it would—”

  Jack took one step toward her.

  She pressed her lips together.

  “You’re fired.”

  Ryan didn’t know Callie could sit silently for so long. After the forty-minute car ride to church and the hour-long service, she’d barely uttered a dozen sentences. Aside from asking him to drop her off at Mae’s house after church, she’d been quiet. Even as people filed out of the sanctuary around her, she sat quietly in her chair, scribbling away in a small notebook she’d pulled out of her purse. He considered leaving her there, but she had his pen.

  “Callie.” He nudged her shoulder again. “People are leaving.”

  She glanced up, then returned to her writing. Shiny strands of wavy hair slipped off her shoulder and hid her flawless face. Maybe the pen wasn’t the only reason he hadn’t moved. Ryan leaned back in his chair, content to watch and wait.

  Callie made a few more notations before finally closing the note pad. Handing back his pen, she smiled. “Thanks for letting me use that. I had so much going through my head that I just couldn’t concentrate. I should be good now that I’ve got it all on paper.”

  Ryan smiled back. He hoped that method worked for her. No amount of note-taking would help him concentrate around Callie. Another reason to move out. Soon.

  “I’m hungry.” Callie popped to her feet. “Do you want to get lunch someplace? I don’t even remember if I had breakfast, I was so distracted. I could probably pack away a whole pizza.”

  Apparently, the quiet spell had ended. “Are you in the mood for pizza or just tossing out ideas?”

  “Ideas. That might be too greasy. What are our options?” She picked up her Bible and tucked it into her purse, but she kept the notebook in her hand. After the next family passed their row, Callie stepped into the flow of traffic. Her dark skirt snagged on the edge of the chair as she walked away.

  She didn’t seem to notice the snag or the way it pulled the fabric close to her hips. Ryan did. He noticed everything now, like the way she applied her Chapstick and moisturized her hands, and how her eyes sparkled when she wore blue but darkened when she wore red.

  Shaking some sense back into his brain, he followed her out of the sanctuary, careful to watch his footsteps and nothing else. Once in the foyer, he searched the crowd for Jack.

  They usually sat by each other at church. Not today, though. Jack was just getting in the shower when it was time to leave. Ryan scanned the crowd until he saw a head of wild-man hair. He didn’t have to see the face to recognize Jack. Since he didn’t want to break his promise, Ryan figured the best idea would be to invite Jack to lunch too.

  Ryan cupped Callie’s elbow. As she turned toward him, he picked up a light apple scent. Her cheeks matched her pink shirt. She looked young, fresh. He added pink shirts and apples to his mental checklist before returning to the present. “I found Jack,” he said. “I’ll go see what his plans are.”

  She smiled. “I’ll be here.”

  Ryan nodded and rushed away. He didn’t take long to weave through the church members, but he had good motivation to get to Jack then hurry back. When he finally caught up with his friend, Ryan had to take a moment to figure out what he was seeing. Jack—talking to a woman.

  Ryan walked up to the couple, slapping his friend on the back. “Hi. I’m Ryan.”

  The tall, slim brunette offered her hand. “Kathleen.” Almost as tall as Ryan, she looked him in the eye. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “You too. I don’t mean to interrupt, but I need to talk to Jack for a minute.”

  “Not a problem.” Kathleen touched Jack’s arm with a tanned hand. “It was nice to meet you Jack. Maybe I’ll see you again next week.” As she walked away, Ryan couldn’t stop himself from comparing her athletic gait with Callie’s more feminine steps. No doubt Kathleen was attractive but not his type.

  Ryan looked at Jack. “Who’s Kathleen?”

  Jack shrugged. “I got out of the house late and we walked in together. Church had already started, so we didn’t talk much.”

  “You sat with her?”

  He shrugged again.

  Never a dull moment with Jack, but Ryan didn’t have time to chat about it. “Callie wants to get lunch. Do you want to come?”

  “Sure.”

  They turned around and Ryan bumped into Stacey. Callie stood behind her.

  Both women smiled. They couldn’t look more different, yet something in the way they stood together sent up a warning flag.

  Jack cleared his throat. “You know, I think I’m going to pass. There was a mess at the compactor station yesterday. I should go back and make sure everything is okay.”

  Stacey’s eyes widened. “You don’t even have time for lunch?”

  “I’ll get something on the road. You guys have fun.” Jack looked at Stacey, then, like a rabbit running through traffic, he bolted.

  Ryan considered running after him, but he didn’t mind some extra time with Callie, especially since Jack officially knew it wasn’t a real date. It would be a nice afternoon, just the two of them.

  Stacey sighed. “I guess it’s just the three of us.”

  And now he understood the warning flag.

  Callie clapped her hands. “Then, let’s go. I didn’t eat breakfast. I’m starving.”

  The women headed out first. When Ryan stepped outside, he noticed another young woman had delayed Jack’s hasty departure. Ryan recognized Jack’s wide-legged, hand-on-the-neck, I-don’t-want-to-be-here stance. Ryan chuckled. By the time he had his sunglasses on, he stood next to Jack.

  “Sorry to interrupt,” he said, grabbing Jack’s shoulder, “but I need to steal him for a minute.”

  Jack nodded at the woman. “Bye.” Then Ryan spun him away. They marched straight to Jack’s truck. “Thank you.”

  “No problem. You sure you don’t want to grab lunch?”

  “I’m not ready yet.”

  Not ready yet? They stopped beside the freshly washed pickup. Jack blew out a quick breath. “Thanks again. And don’t forget our agreement.”

  “This is hardly a date.”

  “Remember that. Have you found a place to live yet?

  Ryan shook his head. “It’s not easy to find an affordable place to rent in Traverse City for the summer. I’m putting my stuff in storage right now. If all else fails, I’ll find a bedroom to rent someplace.”

  Jack cocked an eyebrow. “You’d do all that just for a date with my sister?”

  “At least I’m doing something.” Ryan scanned the parking lot. Stacey and Callie glowed in the sunlight, chatting and laughing like old friends. “Do you want us to get you anything?”

  “I’m good.” Jack opened the truck door and grabbed his ball cap that barely fit over his crazy hair. “I appreciate what you’re doing.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  Jack climbed into the truck. “I won’t.”

  Ryan met the girls on the sidewalk.

  “I don’t understand him,” Stacey said, watching Jack’s truck drive by.

  Ryan looked down at her and smiled. “He’s a good guy with a good heart. Beyond that, I don’t get him either.”

  “At least I’m not alone.”

  “Hardly.” Callie shifted the purse on her shoulder. “Where do you guys want to eat? There are a few places we can
walk to.”

  “I have coupons for the cafe around the corner,” said Stacey.

  Ryan nodded. “Sounds good.”

  Callie started walking, her heels clapping on the cement. “Then let’s go.”

  Stacey’s stomach growled again. The line to get a table had been short, but she seriously doubted whether or not she’d ever see her food. Ryan offered her the last breadstick.

  “Thanks. I should start bringing snacks to church.”

  The trio sat in a small booth near the windows of the crowded cafe. The sun warmed the table, but the air inside kept them cool. Callie had set a good pace, getting them into the restaurant before the crowd surged in behind them. Between the unending talking and the clanking of dishes, Stacey had to lean across the table to stay in the conversation.

  She sat across from Callie and Ryan, trying not to stare. Callie had sworn that she wanted to rekindle some old romance, but Stacey couldn’t ignore what she saw for herself. Callie and Ryan looked natural together. Comfortable. Definitely attracted. Ryan’s face practically lit up like a Christmas tree when he slid into the seat beside Callie.

  The beautiful brunette clutched her stomach and groaned. “I’m about to gnaw off my own arm. I should have grabbed a bagel or something this morning.”

  Stacey tore off part of her breadstick and gave it to Callie. “You really shouldn’t skip breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day.” Ryan chuckled. “What?”

  He leaned into Cal. “She lives by that motto. She doesn’t often miss a meal.”

  Callie rolled her eyes. “Don’t say it like that. You make me sound like a compulsive overeater.” She linked her fingers together before leaning forward to lock eyes with Stacey. “I like breakfast food. That’s all. I’d have French toast and eggs every day if I could. And maybe pancakes. And biscuits with gravy. With lots of bacon.”

  “You have time to make that every day?”

  “I make time, but today I was a little distracted.”

  Stacey looked at Ryan. She could see how he might be distracting.

  He shook his head and held his hands up in surrender. “It wasn’t me.”

  Callie nodded. “He’s totally innocent, I swear.”

  Stacey’s stomach growled again. “What could be so important that a person forgets to eat?”

  “Excellent question,” said Ryan. He crossed his arms and swiveled toward Callie. “What’s going on?”

  The bright sunlight hid it well, but Stacey thought she saw Callie blushing. It struck her as odd, since Callie didn’t seem to be the type of person who blushed, especially about something like breakfast. If it made her that uncomfortable, Stacey didn’t want to be pushy. “You don’t have to tell us. It’s not really any of our business. Let’s just forget about it and talk about something else. How was your date with Kyle?”

  All of the color in Callie’s cheeks drained away. “Interestingly enough, that’s not really much of a subject change.” She grabbed her ice water and took a long drink.

  Guilt clobbered Stacey’s heart. “I’m sorry.” She knew by the heat in her neck that this time her skin had reddened. “I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. I’ll stop talking now.”

  Callie shook her head. “It’s okay. It’s not like I haven’t talked with both of you about Kyle before. The thing is, it’s not going the way I’d planned, and then Jack fired me—”

  Stacey gasped. “He fired you?”

  Ryan’s hand covered Callie’s. “Wow. I’m sorry, Cal.”

  Stacey’s eyes flickered to Ryan’s face. Though he said the words, the corner of his mouth twitched, as if he couldn’t decide whether or not to smile or frown. She didn’t understand his confusion. An irrational Jack was nothing to smile about.

  “What happened?” she asked.

  Callie’s shoulders sagged. “I sort of … ran over a garbage bag with the lawn mower.”

  Ryan cocked an eyebrow. “You, sort of, ran it over, or you did run it over?”

  Stacey tried to picture the scene, imagine Jack’s reaction. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to smile. Stacey looked down at her lap, fighting back the giggles.

  Then Ryan snorted.

  She looked up. He hid his face behind a glass of water, but his shoulders shook as he tried to drink. Callie elbowed him, and water splashed everywhere.

  Callie smiled though. “How was I supposed to know his mower would suck it in like that? I used to push things around with my parents’ mower all the time. His super Hoover sucked it up like a piece of lint. It shot pieces of garbage all over the grass, on the back of his truck, and on his legs.”

  A picture of the scene popped into Stacey’s mind. Callie on a lawn mower. Jack’s neck vein bulging as he tried to keep his temper. A giggle popped out of her mouth. Ryan laughed out loud. By the time their food arrived, all three of them were in tears.

  “Well, Squirt, at least you went out with a bang.” Ryan tweaked her nose.

  Callie punched his shoulder. “Don’t call me that.”

  “Maybe you should say grace.”

  She did, but Stacey didn’t pay much attention. Even with her eyes closed, she pictured their faces and tender interactions. She wanted that type of relationship with Jack, but she wanted to be more than just friends. Of course, Stacey had her suspicions that Callie and Ryan would probably be more than friendly if it weren’t for Kyle. Kyle had to be pretty amazing for Callie to pass up Ryan for him.

  The prayer ended, and Stacey decided to find out. “So, do you want to talk about your date with Kyle?”

  Ryan’s posture stiffened.

  Stacey bit into her turkey sandwich.

  Callie shrugged. “I don’t think I’m doing this right.” She tore into her own lunch, mumbling around the food. “But I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.”

  Ryan set down his hoagie and looked at her. “You can’t do it wrong. You ask him out. He says yes or no. What did he say?”

  “He said yes the first time, but this last time, two of his coworkers joined us.” Callie shook her head. “The one girl is beautiful, and she and Kyle are really … chummy. And the longer the dinner went, the more I realized that he wasn’t treating me any differently than her. We’re just … chums.”

  Stacey tossed a chip in her mouth. “Did you tell him it was a real date?”

  Callie responded by filling her mouth with food.

  Frustration bubbled up in Stacey’s chest. Dropping her food, she crossed her arms. “Seriously? Men don’t get subtle. You can’t drop hints. You have to tell him what you mean.” She thought about Jack and Home Depot. “Even that’s no guarantee that he’ll know how to respond. If you really want to reconnect with Kyle, then you need to tell him.”

  If Stacey hadn’t been sitting directly across from Callie she might not have noticed, but Callie stopped chewing for a nanosecond and glanced at Ryan. The tiniest of movements, but Stacey saw. Picking up her sandwich, she rolled her eyes. “And I thought Jack was the one with issues.”

  Sweat rolled down Callie’s back as she pulled another weed from Mae’s garden. The late-day sun beat down as fiercely as it had after church. Tiny pebbles poked into her knees. In spite of the irritations, she kept pulling. With each tug, she released a little more frustration.

  Mae set a glass of ice water in the dirt as she walked by. “You don’t have to do this. We could just sit here and talk.”

  “I might as well make myself useful to someone this summer.” Callie scooped the dirt out from around a gargantuan hairy stem. Using her fingers as an auger, she burrowed toward the roots, trying to loosen the soil. “Besides, this flower bed has got to be making you crazy.”

  “It is. Charlie tries to help out, but he’s busy enough with work and the girls.” The old wooden swing groaned. Then Mae groaned. “I am so ready to have this kid.”


  Callie twisted the weed in her hand, wrapping it around her fingers and adjusting her grip. She propped one foot forward, then leaned back and pulled. Her hand slipped, so she wrapped both hands around the stem. She leaned, pushed, twisted, pulled. The rough surface scratched across her palms. Her foot sank into the dirt, pulling, pulling, pulling—

  THWAK!

  Callie crashed on her rear, trophy in hand.

  Mae whistled, piercing the air. “Bravo! I thought I was going to have to call a tree service for that one. Thank you.”

  Tossing the long-rooted weed in the wheelbarrow, Callie sprayed her legs and feet with dirt. Most of it fell off when she stood, but a layer of fine dust stuck to her damp legs.

  She grabbed her ice water and joined Mae on the swing. They settled into a rhythmic motion, the wood and chains protesting their weight. Callie sipped. Mae sighed. The shade of the giant oak tree cooled her skin more than the barely noticeable breeze created by their rocking. Callie closed her eyes, savoring every crick and creak that didn’t come with a chatty tourist.

  “How was church today?”

  But there was always Mae. “Good. I think.”

  “What was the message?”

  “Something about forgiveness and mercy. I don’t remember the entire thing. Are you sure Charlie doesn’t mind taking me home? I can call Jack and see if he’ll come pick me up—or even get a cab.”

  “No way. I’m giving him money and making him take the girls. You mention ice cream on the ride home, and I should get at least ninety minutes to myself.”

  Callie laughed as she reached over to rub her friend’s belly. “Is everything okay? Are you two getting enough rest?”

  “We’re fine.” Mae’s head dropped onto the back of the swing. “I’m going to have this baby tomorrow. I have to. It’s getting hotter. I’m getting crankier. My feet are so big that I’m wearing Charlie’s flip flops. I need this little guy to come home. Soon.”