by Rayman Black
“Kevin seems to be doing pretty well for himself,” I said. “It’s no wonder. He’s a natural for it. It’s so weird, though. Even after all this time, I’m still not used to him not being here when I come into work. It’s like I keep waiting for him to show up, all flustered because Kim threw a tantrum or blew out a diaper or something, and he had to deal with that before he could leave.”
“Yeah, I do miss hearing about her, and seeing his pictures,” Joshua said. “Hey, we should all go see him, some time soon. It’s been at least a month since I’ve been to his restaurant, either.”
“It’s always busy when I go,” Chief Roberts said, standing up and folding his paper neatly. “And I usually go at lunch. I imagine the dinner business is even better. He’s a talented kid, and he worked his ass off for that place. I expect you boys to make it a point to support him.” He walked over and picked up the plate of steaming French toast I had just set to the side. “I’ll take this in my office. I have some paperwork to see to. Thank you, Chris.”
I gave him a salute as he turned and left the room. “Chief is right,” I said. “All of us should have been in there more often, but we will from now on, right? Joshua, I hope your date is awesome. Judith seems like a great lady.”
Joshua nodded. “I think she is, too. What with Kevin leaving, opening his restaurant and marrying Sabrina, and you marrying Katie, it seems like we’re all in for a change in our lives. I hope this one with Judith is a good one, too.”
I clapped him on the back and handed him a plate. “Eat up, man. You’ll need your strength for wooing.” I flipped more toast and started loading up the men with food.
For awhile, there was only the sound of contented chewing around the room. The peace was shattered when the alarm tones sounded. We all froze, listening, waiting. Two minutes later, Chief reappeared in the doorway.
“House fire on Dorchester Avenue. It’s in a condo and it’s spreading fast. Move it!”
And just like that, nothing was different at all. We were all first responders, doing what we had been trained to do. The four men on duty left en masse, heading for the racks of protective gear and the ladder and hose truck in the middle bay. I stayed behind, wrapping up leftovers so they could warm them up when they got back. I washed the dishes and set the room to rights. I left when I finished, waving to Chief as I headed for my car. Not for the first time, I was thankful that I lived so close to the station. Belated exhaustion lapped at the edges of my vision, trying to pull me down into sleep even as I navigated mid-morning traffic. I parked in my usual place, stumbled up the stairs, and barely managed to lock the door behind me and kick off my shoes before I was letting my eyes slam closed. I had just enough forethought to set an alarm, then I crashed on the couch and slept.
19
Katie
My heart fluttered in my chest as I looked at my reflection. The dress I chose was bright yellow, with long sleeves and a hem that fell just below my knees. My heels were the same cheerful color, and I hoped that the bright shade would make everyone around me more cheerful, too. They said that color influenced behavior and mood, didn’t they? I left my hair straight and down, like a dark waterfall around my shoulders. It took me longer than usual to apply my makeup because my fingers kept shaking.
Tonight had to go well. I wanted my family to love Chris, and him to love them, too. He was the first man I had ever brought home for dinner, and while I had always known that particular event would be momentous and awkward, I hadn’t expected that the first guy I was serious enough about bringing home to meet my family would be my husband.
I checked the clock on my phone and swore. “Dammit, I’m running late,” I said to my reflection. I turned to survey the mounds of clothes I had scattered around my bedroom, casualties of my quest for the perfect dress. “I still have to clean up this mess and Chris is due here any minute.” As if I had conjured it, I heard three brisk knocks on my door.
My heart stuttered, then raced, and my hands trembled again. “Ready or not, here I come,” I said under my breath. I ran my hand over my hair one more time and went to open the door.
“Wow,” he said, his eyes appreciative as they ran over me. “You look great.”
“You’re not so bad yourself,” I said, admiring the suit he wore. It was blue this time, with a tie the color of poppies. “I’m impressed you own more than one suit.”
“Three for one deal at Gentleman’s Outlet,” he deadpanned. “The third one’s black, but I only wear that one to funerals.”
I laughed and waved him in. “Come inside, take a seat. I’ll be ready in just a minute.” He followed me in and closed the door behind me. I noticed that he snicked the deadbolt into place without thought. “Do you want anything to drink? I think I have some soda in the fridge, and maybe some juice.” I thought about the last time I went grocery shopping and grimaced. “On second thought, you probably don’t want the juice.”
He smiled. “I’m fine, Katie.” He stepped closer to me and reached out, rubbing the soft material of my sleeve between his thumb and forefinger. “This is a pretty dress. It looks good on you.” He stepped closer still, sliding his arms around my waist and pulling me to him. I braced my hands on his arms and looked up into his soft brown eyes. “I’ve missed you today.”
I smiled back. “It’s only been a couple of hours since we saw one another,” I reminded him, lifting onto the balls of my feet to brush my lips over his. “But I missed you, too.” I could feel him pressing against me, long and hard already, and I quickly calculated the time we had before we were due at my parents’. Regretfully, I kissed him gently again and stepped back a pace. Not enough time. “Did you get some sleep?”
“A little,” he said, and my blood thrilled at the stark desire on his face. “I went to the station for awhile first. Made French toast for everyone, then they got sent out on a call.” He grinned. “It was very strange to stay behind while everyone else suited up and rode out.”
“I can imagine,” I said. I could see the disaster in my bedroom from the corner of my eye. If I didn’t get it put away, it was going to bother me all evening. “Can you give me just a minute?” I asked. “I need to clean this up.” I ducked into the bedroom. “You can keep talking,” I called to Chris. “This place is so tiny I can hear you just fine.”
He appeared in the doorway and leaned on the jamb, watching me as I folded underclothes into a neat pile and carefully hung discarded dresses on padded hangers. “It’s funny,” he said, looking around my room. “I hadn’t imagined you for a pink and frilly kind of woman.”
I looked around my bedroom, trying to see it with his eyes. I hadn’t really thought about it before, but he was right. The furniture curved and swooped in graceful lines, and the silky sheets were a pale, delicate pink. I smiled at him. “I guess my inner princess won out when I was decorating,” I said. “Actually, the furniture belonged to my grandmother when she was a young woman, and then my mother used them in her first apartment before she married my father. When I moved in here, she gave them to me. The sheets I bought myself, but I’ve never been able to resist that particular shade of pink. It reminds me of flowers.”
His eyes were soft as he looked at me. I couldn’t remember when the affectionate gaze of a man made a ball lodge in my throat or made tears sting my eyes. I didn’t think it had ever happened before. I blinked and shoved the rest of my stuff in the drawer.
“Well,” I said brightly. “Are you ready? My mom’s an amazing cook. You’re in for a treat.”
He stepped toward me and took my hand, bringing it to his lips. “Before we leave, I want to thank you for Las Vegas,” he said, his tone serious. “Whatever happens next, we’ll always have the memory of our weekend together there. You’ve already changed my life, Katie. I wanted you to know that.”
I tried to laugh it off. “That’s what happens when you get married, right? It’s kind of the definition of a life-changing event.”
His eyes glinted with humor, but he d
idn’t smile. Instead, he leaned down and kissed me gently. I expected the heat, the flash of desire and burn of lust. Instead, I felt a warmth and a light surround me, wrapping me in gentle fingers of comfort and simple joy. I slipped my arms around his waist and kissed him back. I love you, I tried to say with this kiss. I don’t know when it happened, but I love you so very much.
Chris stepped back, his eyes wide and clouded with emotion I couldn’t read. Had he understood? Did he feel the same way? I couldn’t tell. Embarrassment washed over me, heating my cheeks until I knew they were stained with color.
“Katie,” he said, his voice low and husky. He laid his hand on my cheek, but I pulled away. I wasn’t sure I was ready to hear whatever it was that he wanted to say.
“It’s time to go,” I said, giving him a smile and slipping around him. I picked up my purse from where I’d tossed it on the couch earlier and headed for the door. “We don’t want to be late.”
He stood still, framed in the doorway of my decidedly feminine room, watching me with those deep, dark eyes. I felt naked before his gaze, like he could see every thought I had, every feeling I felt. What was he trying to decide? What was he trying to figure out? I shivered, even though I wasn’t cold.
After what seemed an eternity, Chris nodded and returned my smile. “As you wish.”
We were quiet on the ride over. I felt shy around him, but that was stupid, considering all that we had already experienced together. I plucked up my courage and reached for his hand. He smiled at me with genuine warmth and wrapped his fingers around mine, squeezing gently. After that, the quiet between us didn’t seem to be so terrible.
“Are you ready?” I asked him when we pulled up in front of the house I grew up in. It wasn’t starting to get dark just yet, but all the lights in the house were on, anyway. I pointed to the porch light. “I don’t think that light has been off since we all lived at home and high school gave my sisters and me such different schedules. My mom always made sure there was enough light to show us the way home.”
“My mom is kind of like that, too,” Chris said, a soft smile on his face. “Not with the porch light, but she made sure there was always cereal in the cupboard and stuff for sandwiches in the fridge. With a couple of bottomless pits for sons, it was one of the best ways she could think of to let us know she loved us and was thinking of us, even though she had to work a lot.” His brow wrinkled and he said, “Wait, how many sisters do you have? I thought there was just Terri, your younger one.”
Dammit, I thought. Why had I said sisters? I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I have two sisters, actually. One older, one younger. Samantha is my other sister, older than me by two years. I don’t talk about her much. It’s been a long time since we’ve spoken.” Saying her name sparked memories of growing up together, laughing and playing and even getting into silly fights over things I could no longer remember. I tried to shove it all away again, but once I opened the door to those kinds of memories it was always so much harder to shut them away again.
Chris seemed to understand. “Hey, I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to bring up hard things. Maybe sometime, when you feel like it, you could tell me about her.” He rubbed his thumb over my knuckles. “For now, though, let’s go see what kind of party your folks have in store for us, huh? Do they run more toward Pin the Tail on the Donkey, or are they beer pong people?”
I laughed, as he had intended, and got out of the car. “It’s more like Let’s See Who Gets Most Uncomfortable First. They mean well, they’re just not very good at hiding how they really feel. And this,” I said, gesturing between the two of us as he came around to my side. “This is really sudden for them. It might be stepping on some old wounds, too,” I added, thinking of Samantha. I really needed to put her away for the night. This was going to be tricky enough without any added layers.
“So I’m basically walking into a minefield,” he said. He grinned at me and shrugged. “Well, better to know ahead of time, right? Shall we?”
I looked up at the house as the front door opened and Terri stepped out on the porch, waving. “Looks like it’s too late to get back in the car and drive away,” I agreed. He linked his fingers with mine and we started up the drive.
“Terri,” I said, when we were close enough to speak comfortably. “This is Chris. Chris, this is my younger sister, Terri.” I stepped back as Terri stuck out her hand to shake Chris’. She didn’t even bother to hide her curious expression.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Chris,” Terri said, her eyes alight with mischief. “We’ve heard so much about you, after all. Oh, wait, that’s a lie.” She leveled a look at me and I shrugged uncomfortably. “We’ve heard almost nothing at all.” She turned her eyes back to Chris and turned up the charm. “It’s a pleasure to have a chance to get to know you.”
She tucked Chris’ arm through hers and towed him along into the house. I followed behind, shrugging again as Chris shot me a panicked look over his shoulder. Here we go, I thought, closing the door behind me. Sink or swim time. We’ll see how attractive to him I am after this.
My parents stood just inside the foyer, clearly waiting for us. My father stood straight, his former military training evident in his bearing. His arms were crossed over his chest and he wasn’t smiling.
My mother stepped forward. “Chris, welcome to our home. I hope traffic wasn’t too bad on your way over.”
Chris shook her hand, smiling politely. “Thank you for having me, Mrs. Halls. You have a lovely home.”
Mom smiled. “Thank you. Would you like to see it?” She turned smoothly on her heel and led him from the room. He followed, shooting me a curious smile as he passed.
As soon as they were out of earshot, I turned to my father. “Daddy,” I began, trying to keep my voice as neutral as possible. “I know this is strange, but I really need you to be nice to this guy, okay? I like him.” I nearly said I loved him, but somehow I thought that might work against me rather than for, at least in my father’s eyes.
My dad gave me an appraising look. “I will be as nice as he deserves,” he said cryptically, and turned toward the kitchen. “Tell your mother I’m checking on the potatoes.”
Terri grabbed my arm as our father left the room. “Girl,” she whisper-squealed. “That man is hot. I don’t blame you a bit. If I had met a man like him in Las Vegas, I might’ve married him, too. Tell me, is the sex as good as it seems like it should be?”
“Mmm,” I said noncommittally and laughed, finally relaxing in my sister’s presence. You could always rely on Terri to be exactly what she was.
Terri sighed. “Ahh, I knew it. You can tell just by looking at his hands.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t even know what that means,” I said.
Terri squeezed my arm. “Katie, you look so happy. I’ve never seen you look like this, and if that man has anything to do with it, I think you made a good choice. Even if it does seem batshit crazy.”
“Your support is overwhelming,” I said dryly, but I wrapped an arm around her and hugged her tightly. “Thank you,” I whispered.
She patted my back. “Of course,” she said flippantly. “What else can you do but support a man who made it so Mom was the basket case and Dad was the calm one? That never happens.” She smiled. “I think you got lucky, big sister. It’s a shame you didn’t do any gambling when you were out there. You could’ve won a fortune.”
I tugged her toward the dining room, and the tantalizing smell of my mother’s roasted chicken. “I already won the grand prize. Why would I settle for mere money?” I couldn’t stop smiling and she laughed at me.
“You’re such a nerd. But I gotta say, you’ve got such a romantic story to tell. Imagine finding the one all the way on the other side of the country, only to find out he’s a hometown boy, too.” Terri sighed, her eyes dreamy. We grinned at each other.
I heard my mother’s voice coming down the stairs. “So who are your people? Have you always been in Boston?”
“She’s starting her ‘Who are your people?’ questions,” Terri hissed to me. “She must like him.”
I decided it was time to rescue Chris. “Mom, everything smells wonderful,” I called. As I hoped, she turned her head from Chris and came into the dining room.
“I had some time today and thought it might be nice to make your favorite,” she said, gesturing to the table. “There’s creamed spinach, too.”
“Do you like spinach?” Terri asked Chris.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had spinach,” he said.
“I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that has never had spinach,” I said. “Well, you’re in for a great first time. My mom’s creamed spinach has won competitions. It’ll ruin you for any other spinach, though.”
My father came in then, carrying a huge blue bowl of mashed potatoes in one arm and a yellow one of green beans with bits of bacon in another. “The chicken is ready, dear,” he said to my mother, setting the food on the table. She excused herself and left the room. He turned to Chris and looked at him for a long moment.
“Edward Halls,” he finally said, holding out his hand. Chris shook it solemnly. “Welcome to our home.”
“You have a comfortable home, sir. I’m glad to be here,” Chris said. “Dinner smells delicious. I’ve been advised to try the spinach.”
Dad cracked a small smile at that. I wondered how Chris knew that Dad’s weakness was anyone complimenting Mom. “My wife is a woman of many talents,” he said, gesturing to the table. “Everyone sit. We’ll eat in a minute.”
Mom came out with the chicken sliced on a platter and the now famous spinach in another blue bowl. Dad followed with a wooden bowl full of salad and a glass gravy boat filled with chicken gravy. Pitchers of lemonade and water sat in the middle of the table, and the settings were the nicer dishes, the ones we got out for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was clear that my family was taking this seriously. I wasn’t sure if that was going to be good for Chris and me or not.