“It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
Julie’s grim expression melted into an apologetic smile. “Sorry to rain on your parade. I guess I just feel protective of my captain.” She reached out for his hand. “I should be telling you congratulations. Natalie seems like a very sweet girl.”
“Thanks.” He nodded as she squeezed his hand.
“When’s the big date?” Julie asked as they went up.
“Natalie wants it to be this summer, but she’s having a hard time finding a good venue.” He brightened slightly. “So I suggested the Pacific Pearl.”
Julie clapped her hands. “Wouldn’t that be fun? I’d love for our first wedding to be for the captain. What does Miss Natalie say about that?”
“She was opposed at first, but I think she’s coming around. She even suggested that maybe we could have the wedding ceremony on the boat and then hold the reception somewhere else—you know, where we could dock and let the wedding party out to go to the festivities. That way she could accommodate all her friends. Kind of the best of both worlds.”
“How was your dinner?” Tia asked as they walked down the hall toward Roland’s room. “I’m surprised you finished this early.”
“It was okay,” he said with what seemed like uncertainty. “Good view from that restaurant.”
“Living pretty high for a boat captain,” Julie teased as she paused by Roland’s door. “Le Bernard one night and Plouf the next.”
“Don’t remind me.”
“Look what the cat dragged in,” Julie announced as she led the way into Roland’s room. “My sea captain.”
“Leo.” Roland smiled, extending his hand. “I hear congratulations are in order.”
“Thank you.” Leo shook his hand. “How are you doing?”
“I’ve been better.” Roland pointed to the chairs. “Have a seat. We’re just about to have a little concert.”
“A concert?” Leo looked puzzled, and Tia felt like crawling under the bed.
“Tia’s going to play her ukulele for me,” Roland explained.
“You play the ukulele?” Leo asked.
She made a sheepish nod as she reached for the case.
“I should’ve brought my guitar,” he told her. “We could’ve had a duet.”
“Really?” Julie looked surprised. “I didn’t know you played guitar.”
“I try to keep it a secret,” he teased.
“Me too,” Tia confessed as she did a quick tune-up, humming my dog has fleas in her head. “But Uncle Roland has a penchant for ukulele music,” she explained. “So here goes.” Fighting her self-consciousness, she started out by playing “Better Together.”
“Come on,” Roland called out. “You have to sing along to it.”
She complied, singing quietly at first but with more enthusiasm as the others joined in where they knew the words. Next she played “The Lazy Song” and then “Soul Sisters.”
“Do you still know ‘Let It Be’?” Roland asked.
“Of course.” She played it and they all sang along.
Then she played what she knew was Roland’s favorite, the Hawaiian version of “Somewhere over the Rainbow,” and seeing that visiting hours were over, she finished with “Amazing Grace” to the tune of the Gilligan’s Island theme song, which made everyone laugh.
“We better go,” she said as she put her ukulele away. “Before we get kicked out.”
“Tia is bringing us a meal tomorrow,” Julie told Roland.
His eyes lit up. “Really?”
“It should probably be at midday,” Julie told Tia. “I’m guessing he’ll be eating light for dinner. Then nothing after that until . . . well, after the surgery.”
“Lunch it is,” Tia said. “Or should I say Sunday dinner?”
“Yes,” Julie eagerly agreed. “Sunday dinner. How about if you bring it around 2:00?”
“You got it.” Tia went over to say good-bye to her uncle.
“My mouth is already watering,” Roland said as Tia kissed his cheek.
Leo grasped his hand. “Good to see you.”
“You guys take care,” Tia told them both.
“Tomorrow, bring your ukulele,” Roland called out. “I want you to play ‘Gilligan’s Island’ again, only this time we’ll sing the original words too.”
“Will do.” She blew them both a kiss as she backed out the door. It wasn’t until she was going down the hallway that she realized she was tearing up. Embarrassed at her emotion, she wiped the tears with the back of her free hand.
“Are you crying because of Roland?” Leo asked quietly as they waited for the elevator.
“Yeah.” She sniffed. “I mean, he’s probably going to pull through just fine, but seeing him like that . . . you know, sort of helpless . . . well, it just got to me.”
“I know.”
They went inside the elevator where several other people were already standing, and as they went down, Tia attempted to get control of her emotions. The last thing she needed to do right now, when she was already tired and feeling brokenhearted, was to lose it over Roland. Leo would probably think she was a real basket case.
“You okay?” he asked as they stepped outside into the cool evening air.
She took in a deep breath and nodded. “I guess I’m just tired.”
“Yeah, it was a long day.” He led her through the parking garage.
“I hope you didn’t cut your celebration dinner short just to come here,” she said as they walked. “I mean, I know they appreciate it, but they would’ve understood.”
“To be honest, I cut it short because we were getting nowhere.”
“Getting nowhere?” Once again she felt that unexpected spurt of hope inside.
“Apparently I don’t understand women too well.”
“Oh.”
He turned to peer at her. “Maybe you can help. You’re a woman.”
She shrugged but controlled herself from debating this fact. Yes, she was a woman, but she was nothing like Leo’s woman. Still, she decided to play along, simply out of curiosity. “What’s the problem?” she said as they got into the Jeep.
“Apparently, I was expected to bring a ring to dinner tonight. To present it to her and to properly ask for her hand.”
“Okay . . . ?”
“And apparently, I botched it. Badly.”
“What happened?”
“We were about midway through the meal when Nat started hinting. It seemed she had done some ring shopping today. Both online and in a couple of shops. Apparently she sent some photos and details to me, on my phone, which I wasn’t keeping very close track of.”
“Yeah.” She nodded. “Today was pretty hectic.”
“Anyway, there we are at the restaurant and I thought, fine, let’s see what these rings look like.” He blew out a long, slow sigh. “The prices were just ridiculous. Of course, being a guy, I told her I couldn’t afford a ring like that.”
“Hmm.” Tia tried to imagine how that must’ve gone over.
“Yeah. Nat wasn’t too happy. Oh, she was polite about it, and even somewhat understanding. She even suggested that it was okay to buy the ring with credit.” He turned to Tia with a puzzled look. “An engagement ring that you don’t really own? Does that make any sense?”
“Well, not to me, but I’m a pretty practical person.” She made an uneasy smile. “Almost to a fault, according to some of my friends.” She shook her head. “Frugality, I mean.”
“Here’s my question, Tia. If I’m the one buying the engagement ring, shouldn’t I be the one to pick it out?” He stopped the Jeep at the end of the line waiting to pay to exit.
“I, uh, I’m not so sure that’s right. I mean, to be fair, different girls like different sorts of things. It seems like you’d want to be sure your fiancée wants what you pick out, wouldn’t you?”
“I guess.”
“I mean, if it were me, well, I wouldn’t want a big flashy ring. But then I’m not really into jewelry.�
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“What about the ring you’re wearing?”
She looked down at her right hand, surprised that he’d even noticed the small silver ring. “My claddagh?”
“Claddagh? What’s that?”
“It’s an Irish ring. My mom gave it to me . . . before she left. Her parents were from Ireland. It’s one of the few things I have from her, and it’s pretty special.” She looked at how the heart was pointing away from her, the symbol that her heart was available for love. Not that it mattered.
“You do like some kinds of jewelry, then,” Leo pointed out.
“Sure. But I don’t really care for diamonds.”
“A girl who doesn’t like diamonds?” He eased the Jeep forward a bit, then turned to peer curiously at her. “Not even for an engagement ring?”
“It probably sounds silly, but I always had a very specific idea of what I’d like for an engagement ring. Just like Natalie—except that she is looking forward to a nice big diamond. It should be about what your fiancée wants and expects. Don’t you think?”
“Maybe. But now you’ve made me curious. What kind of diamondless ring would you go for? Just a plain band of gold?”
“I’ve always imagined a ring that would have my birthstone and my husband’s birthstone in it. They’d be sort of entwined together with either white gold or platinum, since I’m not crazy about yellow gold.”
“Interesting.” He moved another space forward.
She continued, “Of course, it could be problematic if my husband-to-be had a birthstone I didn’t like. I mean, like if he was born in the wrong month. Like October or November. I’m not really fond of those colors—pink and yellow—they wouldn’t look very good with my stone.”
Leo laughed as he pulled up another space. “You wouldn’t marry someone born in the wrong month? Kind of like astrology?”
“No, that’s ridiculous.”
“So which months do you prefer?”
“Well, because my stone is aquamarine, which is this pale blue, I really like how the blue topaz looks with it. That’s December’s stone. The two blue tones remind me of ocean and sky.” She laughed. “I probably sound totally insane.”
He didn’t respond as he moved up to the booth, paying the attendant and then pulling out onto the street.
Tia felt embarrassed for sharing this much. What was she thinking? Or was she simply too tired to think straight? “Okay, I realize that’s probably not much help with you and Natalie. But my point is that Natalie should have a say in what kind of engagement ring you give her. I mean, she’ll have it for a lifetime, Leo. She should love it, don’t you think?”
He slowly nodded. “Yeah. You’re right.”
Once again, she felt a contradictory mixture of relief and regret. But she reminded herself she was simply taking her medicine. Times like this with Leo were like getting a painful shot—it would protect her later . . . right?
10
On Sunday morning, just as she was making espresso, Tia received a text from Leo inviting her to call him if she wanted a ride to church. Although she thought it seemed a little odd—shouldn’t he be taking Natalie to church?—she decided to give him a call.
He greeted her, then explained that Julie had texted him late last night. “She suggested you might like to visit her church this morning. She and Roland recently started attending the same church where my family goes. If you’re interested—”
“Sure,” she eagerly said. She wasn’t sure if her enthusiasm was more about church or more about Leo. Perhaps it didn’t matter. “That’d be nice.”
“Great. I asked my sister, Melinda, if she’d mind picking you up, and she said she was happy to. She’ll be there a little after 9:00.”
“Oh—okay. Thanks.”
Tia felt a sense of letdown as she took her coffee out to the back deck. At the same time she felt foolish for even reacting. What was wrong with her? She knew that Leo was engaged, so why did she allow her hopes to elevate like that—only to be plunged back down to the ground again? She gazed out toward the shimmering blue bay, soaking in the amazing view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the city on the other side. With the faint remnants of last night’s fog, the filtered light made the scene perfect for a watercolor. She momentarily considered pulling out her art kit and making an attempt, but she knew there wasn’t time. Instead, she took several photos with her phone, promising herself she would play with the painting later.
Tia wasn’t quite sure how to dress for church. Back home in Norton, she usually just wore jeans. But this was San Francisco. She decided to try out a summery dress she’d gotten on her shopping spree, topping it with her faded jean jacket since it was still cool outside.
Melinda rang the doorbell at 9:15. With her sandy hair and blue eyes, she reminded Tia of a female version of Leo. “It’s nice to meet you,” Melinda said politely as they walked down the driveway. “Leo says you’re going to be the chef on the Pacific Pearl.”
“That’s right,” Tia said as they got into the car.
“I love the idea of dinner cruises. Especially on a smaller boat. So romantic.”
“Yeah, hopefully.”
“Hopefully?”
Tia explained about Roland’s condition. “If he doesn’t pull through, I can’t imagine Julie wanting to proceed.”
“Oh, I hadn’t heard about that. I just got home from college a few days ago. I’ll be praying for him.” She stopped at an intersection. “So much going on lately . . . it’s hard to keep up.”
“Were you surprised about Leo and Natalie’s engagement?”
“Are you kidding? You could’ve knocked me over with a feather over that one.”
Tia wasn’t sure how to respond.
“I mean, sure, I realize they’ve dated off and on for, well, like forever. But I never in a million years thought they’d really get married.”
“Why not?” Okay, Tia knew this was like opening a can of emotional worms, but she couldn’t help herself.
“Well, it’s not that I don’t like Natalie. I actually do. She’s been kind of like a big sister to me. My parents like her too. In fact, they’re pretty much over the moon about the engagement. But I’m just not sure they’re right for each other. I mean, they’re such opposites.”
“They say opposites attract,” Tia pointed out.
“Yeah, I know. I’ve been telling myself that very thing. But I can’t help thinking that opposites can pull each other in opposite directions too. I’d hate to see that happen to Leo.” She chuckled. “I guess you can tell that I feel protective of my older brother.”
“What’s the age difference between you guys?”
“Leo’s six years older. It seemed like a lot growing up. But he was always so good to me. So protective. As I got older, we’ve gotten pretty close. If I have a problem, I usually go to Leo for advice.” She hit her hand on the steering wheel. “I wish he’d do that with me.”
“You think he’s got problems?” Tia knew she was fishing, but it was too late to pull back her line.
“Oh, sure, he’s got problems. Who doesn’t?”
“Natalie?”
Melinda laughed. “Well, I suppose her life looks pretty perfect to the casual observer. But although I love Nat dearly, I’m aware that she’s got challenges too.”
Tia wanted to ask what they were but already felt overly nosy.
“I’m sure you’ve noticed that she’s kind of a type A personality. Very smart and motivated and detail-oriented. She’ll be a fabulous attorney.”
“If I needed legal representation, I’d certainly consider her.”
“Maybe I’m making a mountain out of a molehill,” Melinda said as she pulled into a parking lot situated next to a handsome stone building. “Maybe they’ll be perfectly happy together.”
“Hopefully.” Tia pointed at the building. “Is that your church?”
“Yeah.”
“What lovely architecture.” Tia imagined doing a pen and ink drawing of it.
> “Pretty sweet, huh? It was built in the 1880s.”
“I don’t think there’s anything that old in my hometown.” As they walked up to the charming building, Tia snagged some quick pictures on her phone. “I’m surprised Natalie doesn’t want to get married here.”
“I guess the sanctuary is too small.” Melinda pulled one of the big, heavy, wooden doors open, lowering her voice. “It doesn’t even seat two hundred.”
Before long they were seated on an old wooden pew directly behind Leo and Natalie, flanked by two older couples that Tia assumed might be the parents. They all looked very nice together, almost like the poster family for prosperity and perfection. Both men were going slightly gray, but both still had a full head of hair. And the women, without a trace of gray hair, both looked stylishly classic. Tia’s only consolation was this was a picture she definitely didn’t fit into. She was relieved she’d worn a dress, but with her old jean jacket, she felt slightly out of place, although Melinda looked fairly casual in her jeans and a white silk shirt.
As the music started, Tia realized that Leo’s tidily together family looked nothing like hers. It wasn’t that Tia would call the D’Amicos “messy” exactly, but they were definitely loose and laid-back and slightly noisy. As pointless as it seemed, she found comfort in this. She and Leo were from two different worlds. Meanwhile, Leo and Natalie were from the same world. Sure, they might have some blips along the way, but in the long run, they would probably be just fine.
When it was time to greet the people around them, Leo and Natalie turned around and welcomed Tia and Melinda, also taking the time to introduce Tia to the two sets of parents.
“Poor Roland has been in my prayers,” Leo’s mother told Tia. “I sent flowers and planned to go visit, but Jim said I should wait until after the surgery. I suppose that makes sense. But how is he holding up?”
Tia gave Mrs. Parker the lowdown on Roland, promising to take greetings from the Parkers when she went to see him again today. Before they could visit further, it was time to turn their attention to the pulpit.
Tia paid close attention to the sermon, and to her relief, it was good and solid and encouraging. She realized that even if some of the congregation were dressed more formally, many of them looked just as casual as she—and she thought she might even be comfortable here. Well, except for the Leo and Natalie factor. She promised herself that if she came back, she would simply find a seat well away from them.
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