by Peggy Dulle
“Well, you’re getting married in a couple of weeks, so have you gone over all the final plans with Savanah?”
“No, am I supposed to do that?”
“Sure, just to double check that everything is in place and ready to go for the ceremony and reception. I think we should start with that.”
“And then what?”
“What about a picnic lunch and a long walk?”
“That would be nice.” The idea of walking hand in hand with Kenny and just relaxing after the last few weeks may not be high on the fun scale, but it sounded wonderful.
“We could go to Baker’s Beach in San Francisco?” he smiled.
“No nude beaches, please.”
“There’s a nude beach in San Francisco?” Maury asked.
“Yeah, you can get an eyeful.” Kenny smiled, then said, “We could go hiking at Las Trampas.”
“I’m not hiking uphill, both ways. If I want my heart pumping, I’m getting Tom back here.”
Kenny laughed and Maury actually blushed.
“How about the East Beach?” Maury suggested.
“East Beach?” Kenny and I said together.
“Yeah, it’s on the north edge of Crissy Field. There are lots of places for picnics and a walking trail by the beach. It has a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge to the left, Alcatraz to the right and Sausalito in front of you. The only downfall for some people is that there are lots of dogs.”
Kenny and I looked at each other. He squeezed my hand and said, “We can take our dogs, enjoy a nice picnic lunch, and walk and relax. How does that sound?”
“Glorious.”
“I’ll pack you a great lunch while you go and talk to the wedding lady. It will be ready when you get back to pick up the dogs.” Maury headed into the kitchen.
Kenny went home to change and get ready while I took a shower and dressed for San Francisco. No matter when you go to the city – you need to dress like it is winter. I put on a pair of tan capris and a short-sleeved red shirt. Then grabbed a sweater, pair of jeans, and a jacket – I hated to be cold, so I wanted to be prepared.
I called Savanah. After several rings, the phone clicked and I got ready to leave a message.
“I’m sorry, no one is available to take your call. The mailbox is full, please try again later.” Savanah must be getting even more clients. She certainly deserved to make a great success of her business, especially since she was able to organize my wedding so quickly.
Then I called Tom.
“Hello, honey. Did you and Kenny decide what you’re doing today?”
“We are going to Savanah’s and double-checking the wedding arrangements and then going to East Beach to picnic, walk the dogs, and relax.”
“That sounds kind of mild for the two of you. Are you sure that’s all that he’s got planned for the day?”
“Do you think I would lie to you?”
“No, but I think Kenny would say one thing and then go do another.” Tom added without a hint of sarcasm.
I laughed because he was right. “Actually, it was Maury’s idea. I will not let Kenny drag me anyplace else, okay?”
“You, I trust. Have a great time and call me when you get home, okay?”
“I will, Tom.”
“I love you, Liza.”
“Me too, Tom.”
As I came out of the bedroom, Kenny came through the door dressed in shorts and a tank top.
“You do remember that we’re going to the city, right?”
“I’ve got a change of clothes in the car. I even brought mittens and a wool cap.”
“Smart thinking,” I went back into my bedroom and pulled out my winter stuff, too.
I drove my new Jeep over to Wooding’s Wedding Consultant. I figured if she wasn’t there, I have at least made the effort to check in with her.
When I parked in front of the office, Kenny asked, “you want some company or can I stay here and reprogram your new radio?”
“No, I’d rather you work on the radio. I’m tired of rap and teeny bopper music every time I turn the thing on.”
The door to the office was open, so I went right in. Savanah was sitting at her office manager’s desk and pushing buttons on the phone. She was smiling and counting.
“Goodbye, ten. Goodbye eleven.”
“What are you doing?” I said by way of greeting.
Savanah jumped at my voice, then smiled and put the phone down. “One of my brides has cold feet and wants me to cancel her entire wedding and reception. I got that from message number one. I have twenty-two more from her and I’m enjoying deleting her.”
“Are you going to cancel everything?”
“No, I’m going to give her a week and then call her. By then, she and Jared will have made up and she’ll be frantic about having the wedding again.”
“You are a very smart woman, Savanah.”
“No, I just know people. It’s never a good idea to do anything when you’re upset. A decision made in anger and haste usually turns out badly. You wait until you are calm and rational and then you act.” Savanah walked around the desk and said, “What can I do for you, Liza? You’re not canceling your wedding, are you?”
“No, I just wanted to stop by and make sure everything is going fine and to see if you need me for anything.”
A slow smile slid across Savanah’s face. “No, everything is on track and on schedule. The flowers have been ordered and will arrive the afternoon before your wedding. You’re scheduled to taste food this coming weekend and your dress has already been cleaned and will be sent to the Gardens.”
“Great, I just wanted to stop by and make sure.”
“Where are you off to today?” Savanah asked as she walked me to the door.
“I’m going on a picnic and walk.”
“A picnic, really?”
I nodded.
She put her hand on my arm and said, “Wait a minute, I’ve got something for you.”
I waited while Savanah went into her office. She returned a minute later with a bottle.
“You remember I don’t drink, right?”
Savanah laughed. “Of course. This is a bottle of sparkling apple juice that a vendor gave me. He wants me to use his company for any weddings where non-alcoholic beverages are going to be used for the toast. You can help me by trying it and letting me know whether it is any good or not.”
“I’ll make sure it gets tasted.” I took the bottle from her hand. There was a beautiful carving of two white doves on the front. Crystal Vineyards was etched into the bottle under the doves. ‘Alice and Bernard; May 25, 2013’ was etched in gold letters on the back. It was beautiful.
“Great, give me a call later tonight and tell me how the juice tasted,” Savanah said as she walked me to the door.
I waved goodbye to Savanah and got into the Jeep.
“Everything set and ready to go for the wedding?” Kenny asked.
I nodded and handed Kenny the bottle. He raised his eyebrows at me.
“It’s sparking apple juice. Savanah wants us to try it and let her know if it is any good.”
“You hate apple juice. You say it always reminds you of being sick.”
“I know. My mom used to force it down our throats when we were sick. She always said the vitamins in apples would help us feel better quicker. All I can remember is throwing up apple juice but I didn’t want to disappoint Savanah. You can taste it and tell me whether it is good or not.”
Kenny smiled and I drove back to my condo. We got the dogs and their leashes and a huge basket from Maury.
“What’s for lunch?” Kenny asked.
“It’s a surprise.” Maury said as he slapped Kenny’s hand when he tried to open the basket.
“I hate surprises,” Kenny and I said together. We laughed and Maury frowned.
“You’ll like this one. I have a car with two agents already at the beach, doing reconnaissance and making sure it is a relatively safe place and easy to guard. I will follow with Geo
rge and Ryder in our sedan.”
“Can’t get any safer than that.” Kenny grabbed the basket and my arm while I held both dogs on their leashes.
Zoie pulled in one direction and Shelby pulled in the other. Before I even got them to the Jeep, their leashes where intertwined and I was headed to the ground. Then we heard a loud pop and Maury grabbed me and threw me the rest of the way and covered my body with his.
When we heard the second pop, Kenny was lying next to me with his hands over his head and George and Ryder were barreling out of Kenny’s house, their guns drawn and faces tight as they glanced around looking for the gunmen. Damn! This day had started out so well….
Chapter 30
When we didn’t hear another pop, I looked over and Kenny was frowning.
“What?” I asked.
“I think I scraped my knee when I dove for the ground.”
Suddenly Maury was off of me and extending his hand. “It was just a car backfiring. Let’s leave before Mrs. Crasten gets through to the local cops and we have to spend the next several hours explaining why we overreacted.”
“I agree,” Kenny said, then added, “And I don’t think taking our two dogs to the beach is going to be fun or relaxing.”
I looked at the dogs. They didn’t react to the noise at all. They were pulling the leashes in opposite directions. Zoie’s nose was to the ground in search of food and Shelby was dancing up and down, barking at all the excitement.
I nodded and handed the leashes to Kenny. He took the dogs through the side gate and let them go in his back yard.
Kenny and I walked toward my Jeep.
“I’ll drive, you call Tom.”
“That’s a good idea. I’m sure the first call Mrs. Crasten made was to the police, the second to Tom.”
We got into my Jeep and Maury joined Ryder and George in the black sedan. We were gone in seconds and passed three San Ramon cop cars – lights and sirens blaring, barreling toward my condo.
Before I could even dial Tom’s number, my phone rang.
“Hello, Tom. We’re all fine. A car backfired and we all dove for cover,” I said by way of greeting, answering all his questions at once.
I heard Tom sigh and then he said, “Have a wonderful time at the beach, Liza. I’ll call San Ramon PD and let them know that you’re all fine and have left the scene. Call me when you get home.”
The ride to the city was uneventful. Kenny and I sang country-western songs at the top of our lungs and ignored the black sedan that stayed only three car lengths behind us.
The beach was beautiful and the weather outstanding for San Francisco. I never even put my sweater on. Maury made grilled mushroom sandwiches and included BBQ chips, a fruit salad, and coleslaw. All my favorites.
After lunch, Kenny and I walked on the beach. He slipped his hand in mine and we walked in silence, enjoying the view, weather, and each other’s company.
“You ever think that you and I might have become more than friends if we hadn’t lost track of each other after high school?” Kenny asked.
I laughed, since it was a thought I had last week.
Kenny turned his face toward mine. “It’s not that funny. We love each other.”
“I’m not laughing because it’s a funny idea. I’m laughing because I thought about it not long ago.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I was thinking about the way I love you and the way I love Tom. It’s different, even though it’s still love.”
“Were you listening to Tom’s and my conversation that other night?”
“For a while. I didn’t known about the locker changes and the fact that you considered getting me to smile a challenge.”
Kenny pulled me close and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “Best challenge I ever made myself with the best results. I thought I’d get you to smile and then I’d move on.”
“But you stayed.”
“Yeah, I stayed. I was hooked.” Kenny kissed me on the forehead.
“Did you ever want more than just my friendship?”
“You are the best friend I ever had, Stretch. Why would I want to screw that up by wanting more than your friendship?”
“Lots of people build on a friendship and, over time, it turns it into love.”
“Oh, we’ve got lots of love. I think I loved you from that first little smile.”
“And I love you for teaching me how to open up and enjoy life, to take chances and allow myself to trust people. Without you, I don’t think I ever would have gone looking for Jessie or allowed Tom into my life.”
“Saving people, searching for people, helping people – it’s all the same. You do it your way and I do it mine.”
“We are still trying to be superheroes?”
“Of course. You’re Superwoman, the same abilities as Superman but with a better costume.”
“And you’re the Dark Knight.”
“I just love all that black and you look so hot in red, white and blue.”
I laughed and Kenny and I walked for a while – not talking, just listening to the waves and enjoying each other’s company.
An hour later, the weather turned from sunny and warm to windy and very chilly. We gathered up our picnic basket.
“Hey, we forgot to try the apple juice.” Kenny picked up the bottle and handed it to me.
“Let’s open it up on the way home and try it. I don’t want to stay any longer or we’ll have to break out our winter gear.”
I drove and Kenny popped open the apple juice. He took a swig and shrugged. “It tastes like apple juice but a little fruity.”
“Apples are a fruit, silly,” I said to Kenny.
“Then maybe not fruity but it does have a subtle undertone of something else. It really is quite nice.”
“Well, the bottle is certainly nice. It would be cool to have the bottle etched with Tom’s and my name.”
“And then everyone throws it in the garbage. Seems like a waste of money to me,” Kenny took another drink of the juice.
“That’s true but if it doesn’t cost any more than regular sparkling cider, it would be cool to have our names on the bottle.”
Kenny held up the bottle. “You want some?”
“No, I hate apple juice. I said someone would taste it, I didn’t say it would be me.”
He took another drink and shrugged. “I’d rather have a Coke.”
“Just put the cap on and shove it back into the basket. I’ll tell Savanah that it tasted like apple juice.”
Kenny reached over and turned up the music and we sang along. As we crossed over the bridge, Kenny tapped me on the shoulder.
“What?”
“I don’t feel very well.”
I took a good look at Kenny. He looked green. “What’s the matter?”
“Something I ate wants out. Pull over at the next gas station.”
I didn’t want to get off the freeway in Oakland, so I kept driving. A few minutes later, Kenny tapped me on the shoulder. “Forget it, just pull over.”
I immediately pulled to the side of the road and slammed on my brakes. Kenny opened up the door, stepped out, bent over and heaved. I jumped out of the Jeep and came around to his side. I placed my hand on his back and rubbed it while he emptied the contents of his stomach.
The black sedan immediately pulled in behind us and Maury jumped out. “What’s going on?”
“Kenny got sick from lunch.”
“He didn’t get sick from my food. What else did you eat?” Maury said.
“Nothing, we only ate what was in the basket. It wasn’t like there was any place to buy food at the beach.”
Kenny grabbed his stomach and started to shake.
“Call an ambulance,” I said to Maury.
“No,” Kenny shouted. “I’ll be fine. I think it was the apple juice. At least that’s what came up first.”
“How could bottled apple juice go bad?” I asked.
“Call Savanah and have her call the vineyard.”
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“I’ll do it,” Maury said, pulling out his phone and dialing a number.
“He has Savanah’s number?” I asked.
“He’s the FBI, they have everyone’s number,” Kenny laughed and then grabbed his stomach again.
Maury came back and said, “I left a message for her. Let’s get Kenny home.”
“Can you drive my Jeep? I’d like to sit in the back with Kenny to make sure he’s okay.”
Maury nodded, went back and talked to Ryder and George in the sedan and then jogged back to my Jeep. He got into the driver’s seat and I sat with Kenny in the back. We hadn’t driven even a mile before Kenny was sound asleep with his head in my lap. What the hell was in that apple juice? He slept the entire ride home, only stirring a few times with moans.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t be taking him to the emergency room?” Maury asked when Kenny moaned and grabbed his stomach for the second time without waking up.
“No, Kenny said no, so we aren’t taking him.”
“This is like when you were having your panic attack and he wouldn’t let me take you to the ER? Do you two have something against emergency medicine?”
I laughed. “Both Kenny and I had bad experiences with ERs so we try to avoid them as much as we can.”
Maury shook his head and focused back on the road. The actual truth was that Kenny, more than me, endured many bad experiences with ER departments and they all revolved around his mother. Every time one of her boyfriends put her into the ER, Kenny would plead and beg for them to do something to stop the beatings his mother seemed to get on a regular basis. No one helped because his mom would never admit to the abuse and nobody believed a kid.
When we got home, I tucked Kenny into my bed because I wanted to keep him close to me in case he got worse. Then I would take him to the ER whether he wanted to go or not. He seemed to be burning up, so I got a washcloth, soaked it in cool water and set it on his forehead. I got up several times and re-cooled the cloth and placed it back on Kenny’s head.
An hour later, Kenny’s head was resting in my lap and he seemed to finally settle down and rest more peacefully.
Maury stuck his head in. “I finally got a hold of Savanah Wooding. She checked with the vineyard and it seems that the bottle she gave you contained unpasteurized apple juice. It came from some health-nut couple’s wedding. She didn’t known it was unpasteurized so she kept it in her office instead of in a refrigerator. She said to tell you that she’s really sorry and if there is anything she can do, give her a call.”