by S. J. McCoy
Missy looked at Emma who nodded. “Yes, we’re going to tell Pete and Ben. The four of us may as well be family.”
Missy was glad. She’d considered Emma, Pete, and Ben to be family since they were all eight years old. They’d been the first people she’d told when she found out she was expecting Scot. She was so happy that their lives had drawn them all back to each other—and back to the lake—in the last year.
Dan caught her eye. “How are those two doing? I’ve hardly seen Pete lately, and, when I do, he’s never with Holly. And I think Ben’s avoiding me.”
“Oh, he’d never do that!” cried Emma.
“I don’t know, hon.” Missy shook her head sadly. “I feel as though he’s been avoiding me as well.” She looked around at the three of them. “Ever since I told him I wanted to invite Charlotte to the wedding.”
“Oh,” Emma’s face fell.
Missy shrugged. “I took Megan’s advice and decided I should just go ahead and talk to him about it.”
“What did he say?” asked Emma.
“You know what he’s like. He said it was fine. That he’d be fine. That whatever I want is most important.” She blew out a big sigh. “And I haven’t managed to talk to him for more than two minutes since then. He seems to get incredibly busy the second I stop by or call him. I don’t know what to do. I want Charlotte there, but I don’t want to hurt Ben.”
“I’ll talk to him,” said Emma.
“Thanks.” That was the only cloud hanging over Missy’s head. She and Charlotte had promised each other when they were kids that they would each go to the other’s wedding. Of course, in those days they’d still believed that they’d both live in Summer Lake when they grew up—and they’d also believed that Charlotte would marry Ben.
Chapter Two
The next morning Missy grabbed the keys to her van and headed out. She’d told Dan to go ahead to meet the others at the Boathouse for breakfast. She’d catch up with him there, but she wanted to stop in to see her dad first.
“Is that you, Miss?” he called as she let herself in the back door.
“No, I’m a burglar,” she replied with a laugh.
She found him in the front room, still in his pajamas. “Are you getting lazy in your old age?” She tried to make a joke of it, but she’d been worried about him lately. He seemed to have gotten old all of a sudden.
“It’s looking that way, isn’t it?”
She frowned. He’d normally make a joke or at least tell her off. Mild mannered acceptance just wasn’t his style.
“Are you feeling okay?”
He nodded and gave her a gruff smile. “I’m just fine. What are you doing here anyway? I thought you’d be running around getting everything ready for next weekend.”
She smiled and held up the bag she was carrying. “I made that beef stew last night. I thought you’d like some.”
“Thanks, honey. Stick in the fridge for me, would you?”
Missy went through to the kitchen and opened the fridge. There wasn’t much of anything in there. She tried to look after for him as best she could, but he refused any help most of the time.
She turned as he appeared in the doorway. He was moving slowly and looked stiff. “I haven’t had a chance to get to the grocery this week.”
She nodded. “Well, I have to go this afternoon. Do you want me to pick up anything for you?”
He held her gaze for a long moment. How many times had they had this conversation? How many times had he scolded her that he could look after himself?
“If you want to get me some basics, since you’re going anyway? Milk, bread, coffee?”
“Of course I will!” She’d get him a damned sight more than that, too. Part of her was pleased that he was finally accepting her help. Part of her was sad and a little worried that he would.
He smiled. “Don’t get carried away though. I’m not a feeble old codger who can’t do for himself, yet. I’ve just been a bit under the weather this week. I figured I’d best rest up so I can be in top form to walk my girl down the aisle next Saturday.”
Missy felt tears prick her eyes. “Exactly! I’m not trying to coddle you. I’m just making sure you’ll be able to keep up when I sprint toward the altar!”
He laughed. “I’d hardly call it a sprint, Melissa. You’re a middle aged woman with a near grown son. You’ve sure taken your time getting there.”
She laughed with him. “I am not middle aged! You’re right about Scot being near grown though. He’s decided he wants to make the best man’s speech.”
She loved the way he smiled. He was so proud of Scot. “Good for him! He’s come a long way in the last year, hasn’t he?”
She nodded.
“You’re a great mom to him, Miss, but having a dad now… well, having Dan has made the world of difference for him. Dan’s the right one—for both of you. You may have taken your time getting to the altar, but I’m glad you did. He was worth the wait.”
Missy blinked away the tears again. She knew her dad approved of Dan, maybe even loved him, but he’d never put it into words before. She nodded.
He shook his head and made his way back to the living room. She’d swear he dabbed at his own eyes once he had his back to her! “Anyway, thanks for the stew, and if you can remember to pick me up some milk when you’re at the grocery, that’d be great.” He was putting his shoes on. “You’d better get going, though. I want to get out to the shop. I can’t sit around here talking to you all day.”
She went and wrapped him in a hug. “I love you, Dad.”
“Yeah, you too. See you later.” He stepped neatly aside.
She should have known better. He wasn’t a hugger. He may have opened up a little about the wedding, but she couldn’t go expecting miracles. “See you later. I’ll drop your groceries off this afternoon.”
“Thanks,” he didn’t look back, just waved over his shoulder as he went.
At least he was going out to spend some time in his woodworking shop…even if he was in his pajamas!
~ ~ ~
Dan smiled at Jack as he took a seat next to him at one of the big picnic benches out on the deck of the restaurant.
“Yo, bro,” said Jack.
“Morning.” He looked around the table, surprised that so many of the gang were here already.
Ben mumbled a greeting and stood up. “I’ll be back in a few,” he said. “I just need to run up to the lodge.”
Jack raised an eyebrow.
“See what I mean?” asked Dan.
“I’ll talk to him after breakfast,” said Emma with a reassuring smile. “Where’s Missy?”
“She should be here soon; she wanted to see her dad first.”
Smoke checked his watch. “I hope she hurries up. I need to get going and I wanted to talk to her about the arrangements for Thursday.”
“Where are you off to this time?” asked Michael
“Just picking Holly up from LA. I’ll be back this afternoon.”
Laura pushed at him. “You had better be! I’ve hardly seen you for weeks.”
Dan smiled to himself as Smoke snaked an arm around Laura’s waist. “Oh, I will be. And I’ll be home all week now.” He looked at Dan. “At least until the madness starts on Thursday with getting everyone to Vegas.”
Dan nodded. The logistics of getting all their family and friends to Vegas by Thursday night were quite daunting. He was grateful that Smoke enjoyed organizing the schedule. He’d be flying Papa Charlie, and he had Jason lined up with the second plane. Dan wished again that he’d found time to complete his own flight training. It would be cool to fly to Vegas himself. Not that Missy would hear of it. She was scared to death of flying at all. She had faith in Smoke, but she hated the idea of Dan flying.
“Have your nerves kicked in yet?” Michael asked him.
He shook his head. “Nope. Nothing to be nervous about. I’m a happy man. I’m a little impatient, but not nervous.” He cocked his head to one side and gave Megan a little
smile as he asked, “Why, Michael, are you nervous?”
Megan smiled back as Michael slid an arm around her shoulders. “Me? I don’t do nervous, mate! I’m like you. Impatient, that’s all. I finally get to make this little lady my wife. Saturday can’t come soon enough!”
Dan nodded. He loved that Michael and Megan were going to get married on the same day as them. It made sense that they should make the most of having everyone together. Michael had been uncertain when he’d first run the idea by him and Missy—he hadn’t wanted to steal their thunder. Dan had encouraged him though, and Missy absolutely loved the idea. Michael and Megan were going to have their ceremony first in the chapel at the Bellagio, and then later in the afternoon Dan and Missy would take their vows out on the balcony overlooking the fountains.
“I don’t know how you pulled it all together so fast, Michael,” said Pete. “I’ve still got another month to go and it’s been nothing but a nightmare.”
There was an awkward silence around the table. Everyone was fully aware that Pete and Holly were having a rough time. Even Dan knew that it was down to Pete getting carried away with his need to plan everything down to the last detail and the last minute of the day.
Jack looked at Pete. “Maybe you could learn something from Michael, huh, partner?”
Pete frowned. “Something like what?”
Jack laughed. “Like how to relax and enjoy it?” He smiled at Megan. “And how to keep your lady smiling.”
Pete scowled. “Holly’s not into smiling at the moment.”
Laura shook her head at him. “Exactly! Why do you think that is?”
“Geez!” Pete looked about as rattled as Dan had ever seen him. “What is it? Let’s pick on Pete day or something?”
Emma patted his arm. “No. We just love you and we hate seeing you mess things up.”
“I’m not messing things up. I’m getting things organized so that we can enjoy our big day!”
Megan smiled at him. “I…I…I…”
Dan felt for her. She’d come out of her shell so much in the last few months, but she still struggled sometimes to talk in front of everyone. She struggled, but it didn’t stop her from speaking up when she felt something was important. He watched her take a deep breath before she tried again.
“Maybe you both need to enjoy getting to the big day, too? I can’t speak for Holly, but I can tell you that working with Michael to plan our wedding has been so much fun for me.”
Pete stared at her for a moment. Dan wondered if he even understood the point she was making. He’d known Pete for years and when the guy got an idea in his head he was a man on a mission. His need to plan and organize the details sometimes blinded him to what was really important. Dan waited, wondering what his reaction would be.
He smiled. “Thanks, Megan. At least you put it gently.”
She smiled back at him.
“Hey guys!” Missy called as she made her way across the deck to join them.
Dan moved up to the end of the bench so she could sit between him and Jack. He dropped a kiss on top of her head as she smiled up at him.
“So what have I missed?” she asked.
“Not much,” said Pete. “Mostly just everyone getting on my back.”
Missy laughed. “Well, you deserve it. How poor Holly puts up with you, I do not know!”
Pete scowled at her. “Thanks, bud. Love you, too!”
She laughed. “If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t worry about you screwing things up, would I?”
He shook his head. “Seems that’s exactly what I am doing, though.”
Dan felt bad for him. The conversation moved on, but Pete continued to scowl out at the lake, saying nothing.
Smoke looked at Missy. “I’m going to have to leave in a minute, but can we get together later?”
She nodded. “Yes, please. We need to figure out who’s going in which plane and when.”
Smoke nodded. “Okay, great. I’ll give you a call when I get back from LA.” He leaned in to kiss Laura. “This is me gone. See you later.”
Dan loved that Laura stood and went to walk Smoke to his truck. He knew his cousin was happier than she’d ever been since she’d met Smoke. He also knew that it wouldn’t be long before they, too, announced a wedding date.
~ ~ ~
Missy looked around at their friends. Emma and Jack, Michael and Megan, Smoke and Laura, Pete…she wrinkled her nose. Pete, but no Holly—again. Most of the gang were here. Kenzie and Chase rarely made it to breakfast. Gabe and Renée were supposed to be coming, but they weren’t here yet. There was no sign of Ben.
“Have we seen Ben yet this morning?” she asked.
Dan shook his head. “He got up and left as soon as I arrived.”
So he was still avoiding them, then? Missy hated that.
Emma gave her a worried look. “I’ll find him and talk to him once we get done here.”
Missy stood. “Thanks, hon. But I need to do it myself. This is getting ridiculous.”
“What is?” asked Pete.
Missy scowled at him. He was so caught up in his own stuff he hadn’t even noticed. Normally she would have turned to him for help before now. “I told him I’ve invited Charlotte to the wedding. I haven’t seen him for two minutes since then.”
“Ah.” Pete sighed. “That’s not going to be easy for him.”
“I know! I’m almost thinking I should un-invite her.”
Pete shook his head. “Don’t do that; he’d feel even worse.”
Missy nodded sadly. “I need to talk to him though.”
Dan looked up at her. “Do you want me to order for you?”
She smiled. “Yes, please.”
He laughed. “The full Boathouse Breakfast, right?”
“You know it.”
Michael laughed. “I still have no idea where you put that much food, critter!”
She laughed and smiled at Dan whose eyes twinkled back at her. “Well, I don’t have hollow legs.”
Dan laughed as she left the table and made her way into the bar, hoping to find Ben.
He wasn’t in there, but she found him coming down the steps from the lodge. He smiled, but didn’t meet her gaze.
“Good morning, bud.”
She shook her head at him. “It isn’t a good morning though, is it, hon?”
He finally looked her in the eye. “Why, what’s up?”
“My oldest friend is avoiding me and I’m starting to get upset about it.”
He rubbed both hands over his face and blew out a sigh. “Sorry.”
She smiled. “At least you’re not denying it; that’s a start.”
He shrugged. “I’ll be fine with it, okay?”
She shook her head. “You’re not fine with it now! What are you going to be like once you’re in the same room with her?”
He sighed again. “It’ll be a big room. There’ll be lots of other people there, too. I’m sure we’ll be able to stay out of each other’s way.”
Missy wrinkled her nose at him. “You couldn’t just talk to her? I’d love to think that my wedding could be the turning point where the two of you put the past behind you?”
He shook his head sadly. “I couldn’t handle that, Miss. I’m sorry. I’ll stop hiding from you…”
“And from Dan?” she asked. “Even he’s noticed that you’re avoiding us!”
That was the first genuine smile she’d seen on his face in a long time. “Damn! I was making it that obvious?”
She laughed. “You were.”
“Okay, I’ll stop it, but I need you to promise me that we’re not going to talk about it either. She’s coming to your wedding. Fair enough. I understand that, and I wouldn’t want to get in the way of it. But, I have no intention whatsoever of talking to her, and I’m sure she feels the same way.”
Missy frowned at him.
He shook his head. “I’m not looking for a discussion about it, Miss. I’m looking for your understanding.”
“S
o, how about you help me understand something?” She was tired of pussyfooting around—she wasn’t very good at it.
“What?”
“Why can’t you go with an open mind? Be prepared to talk to her. You two could be friends. She’d love to come back to the lake to visit, you know, but she won’t come because of you.”
He shook his head sadly. “If she wants to come visit, you figure out when and let me know. I’ll go on vacation.”
“But you don’t need to do that. Why can’t you leave the past where it belongs? Why can’t you get over it? Be friends with her?” Missy asked all the questions that had troubled her for years. She didn’t want to hurt him, but she needed to understand. Charlotte had been one of the gang; she still should be.
Ben met her gaze, and the pain she saw in his eyes answered her more eloquently than his words. “I can’t do it, Miss. Because…me and Charlotte? We don’t belong in the past. I can’t get over it; I can’t be her friend because…I still love her.”
Missy’s eyes stung. She knew that. Why had she needed to make him say it? She touched his arm. “I’m sorry.”
He shook his head as he rubbed his arm over his eyes. “No, I’m sorry. I’m the dumb fuck who can’t get over it. I’ve had long enough. She’s been married for how many years?” He stared out at the lake then looked back at her. “I don’t want to be around her because I don’t want to be reminded of the future I thought we were going to have…the life we missed out on… Is her husband coming?”
Missy looked back at him wondering what she could say. She decided it was best to stick to the simplest fact. “No.”
He nodded. “Good.”
Chapter Three
Ben sat on his balcony over the lake. He should get down to the bar; it was Saturday night—band night. It was going to be a busy one and he was already half an hour late. He didn’t want to go, though. He’d sooner just sit here. It was a whisky night kind of night. He rubbed his hands over his face; except there was no one to drown his sorrows with him. He shrugged. And that was a good thing; all his friends were busy living their lives. Missy would be at home with Dan and Scot—the three of them excited about officially becoming a family one week from now. Emma and Jack would be home, too, making plans for their family…for the baby they had coming. He downed his whisky at that thought. Pete might be around, but hopefully Holly would be back by now and the two of them could get around to sorting themselves out. Pete’s plans had nearly screwed them over before—surely they wouldn’t let it happen again.