Steady (29 page)

“No, Darius is still in love with his ex-fiancée,” Katrina said.

“Is that so,” he said, his eyes finding hers. Was that relief she saw? It was quick, his eyes unreadable now.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

“A little.”

“Can you hang with me a little longer? There is a place I’d like to take you to see, and I promise I’ll feed you.”

“Okay,” she said, not ready to go home, not anywhere near wanting to end her time with him, forgetting that professional manner stuff. She was going to enjoy her time with him. She could think and worry later.

Will felt the same; he wasn’t ready to take her home. He’d been surprised at seeing another man, a prospect he’d not contemplated. The experience left him a little unsettled. What an ass he was to have never considered that she might be interested in someone other than him. He was quiet for a while. Did she have her versions of Josey and Charlotte? He hoped not.

“Where are we going?” she asked once they’d gotten back into his jeep.

“I’d like you to meet my sister, if you don’t mind. We can stop by the gardens in her neighborhood, since you’ve seen them all. You can give me another tour. We can get something to eat afterwards at their home, if you don’t mind.”

“No, I don’t mind. Are you sure she doesn’t mind? Bringing random people over without calling?”

“I go over all the time without calling, and I would hardly call you random. But for your benefit, I’ll give her a call to let her know we’re coming,” he said, pulling out his cell.

Dennis Jr. answered.

“Hey, dude, put your mom or dad on the phone,” Will said.

“Here’s Dad,” he said, handing the telephone to his father. “It’s Will.”

“Will,” Dennis Sr. said, taking the phone from his son.

“Hey, Dennis. I wanted to let you know that I was on my way over.”

“Okay, but that’s a first,” he said.

“I know, but I’m bringing a friend with me. She is helping me with the garden competition for our neighborhood. We were going to stop by the neighborhood garden in your area before stopping by the house.”

“Okay, I’ll tell Jennifer and see you in a few,” Dennis said.

“Thanks.” Will hung up and looked over at Katrina. “See? It’s okay.”

***

Dennis hung up the phone and leaned back against the sink.

“Who was that?” Jennifer asked, walking into the kitchen. Jennifer was as short as her husband was tall, black-haired to his blond. He placed his arm around her waist, lifting her up onto her toes, and bent over to kiss her lips.

“That was your brother,” he said, looking down at her.

“What did he want?”

“Well, he was letting us know that he was on his way over here with the woman who is helping him with the competition. The assistant, I guess. They are going to stop at the neighborhood gardens first,” Dennis said. “Strange, huh?”

“Strange because he’s never brought a woman by? Strange because he’s never called before stopping by? Or is it strange because he’s going to look at our neighborhood gardens? Which strange are you referring to?” They both laughed at that.

“Want some pizza for lunch?” she asked.

“Sure. You’re going to turn this into a fact-finding mission, aren’t you?” he asked.

“Why not?” she responded. He kissed her on the top of her head. No reason he could see not to.

***

Will’s sister lived in one of the more upscale parts of town, a gated community filled with families with dads who worked enough for their wives to stay at home if they wanted to. Will turned into the Willow Mountain subdivision, stopped at the gate, punched in a code, waited for the gates to open, and drove in. He looked over at her and asked, “Where are the gardens?”

“Follow this road until it ends,” Katrina said. “There is a small neighborhood community center where their pool, park, and gardens are.” He followed the road until it dead-ended into a large parking lot and found a spot close to the small brick building.

“We’re here?” he asked, parking the jeep in front of a small brick building he assumed was the community center. There were older people milling about outside and kids running around. He got out of the jeep, and so did Katrina. She walked around the front of it to meet him.

“Inside the building is a meeting place for the neighborhood use. I think for games and small neighborhood social events,” she said.

“Again, I’m amazed by how much you know about this city,” he said, taking her hand tentatively in his. She looked over at him, shy now for some reason, but she didn’t pull back.

“Come on, let me give you a tour,” she said, turning and walking down one of the side paths that led away from the building. The beds were filled with ivy, packed and overflowing. They walked under huge trees that provided a lot of shade for the pool and the large children’s playscape.

“This is beautiful,” he said, looking around at the tall trees and green foliage everywhere. Katrina was leading him through the flower part of the gardens, although it was mostly green. “This neighborhood always gives us a run for our money. They are always one of the five finalists. They have decided to take a different approach with their gardens, mimicking more the gardens of a Central Park or Hyde Park in England. I should move here; they’d appreciate my gardening style,” Katrina said.

“Ready for lunch?” he asked after they were done.

“Yes.”

“Knowing my sister like I do, she has cooked something or ordered pizza for us.”

They walked back to the front of the gardens and hopped back into the jeep. It was a typical Saturday at his sister’s home with kids playing in the front yard as they drove up. Dennis and his buddy were in the middle of the street, hockey sticks in hand, skates on their feet. They moved a goal aside as they recognized Will’s jeep and he pulled into the driveway of their home. They watched as Will and Katrina got out.

“Hey, Uncle Will,” Dennis Jr. said, pausing a moment in the game to move his goal back into place.

“Hey, Dennis,” Will replied, and walked over to the front door. He knocked and opened the door. “Jennifer, we’re here!” he said.

Katrina trailed behind him, taking in his sister’s home. It was as large as she’d expected it to be, but it had a homey, lived-in feel to it. Soccer balls, maybe five of them, sat in the entry, next to a nice expensive bench. They walked into the main room, where the ceilings were tall, giving the room an open feeling.

There were signs that kids lived here: tennis shoes were stuck in the spindles of the stairway leading up to the second floor, and pictures of their family sat on the side tables next to the couch. Katrina stopped and watched as Will’s sister entered. She was a small woman, an inch taller than Katrina’s five-foot frame, followed by a tall man who must have been about six feet and blond.

That was an interesting mix, she thought, watching as Will hugged his sister.

“Jennifer,” Will said, “I’d like you to meet Katrina. She is the poor woman the committee has assigned to work with me, guiding me in the competition for this year.”

“Hello, Katrina, nice to meet you,” Jennifer said, walking to stand in front of Katrina and extending her hand. Katrina shook it.

“Will never brings any of his friends over. I was beginning to suspect that he didn’t have any,” Jennifer said. Katrina smiled.

“This is my husband, Dennis.” Dennis gave her a nod of his head and a smile.

“We also have three kids,” she said. “The boy outside is our oldest child, Dennis Jr. We also have two girls, ages ten and five.”

“I’ve set up some drinks and ordered some food for us out back. Let’s go have a seat,” she said and headed to the back door.

They all followed Jennifer out onto the deck. Katrina fell in love with it immediately. It was a great outdoor living space, and one she could tell was used by their family. Will and Dennis had taken a seat in the chairs that sat in a grouping around a mid-size coffee table. A pitcher of lemonade was sweating on the table, and Dennis began pouring for them. Katrina sat on the couch and Jennifer joined her there.

“So I hear Will took you to see our neighborhood gardens?” she asked.

“More like she took me. I believe she has seen all of the gardens in this city. Isn’t that correct?” he said, looking at her.

“Yes,” she said. “I’m working with Will on the gardening competition, and I’m interested in what other like-minded people create.”

“I bet. I share your love for gardening, too, except I don’t have as much time as I’d like. I work part-time and with the kids, I don’t have time for much else.”

“Don’t feel sorry for her. She uses me like a dog, making me work in the yard,” said Dennis.

“He enjoys it. Don’t pay any attention to him,” Jennifer said.

“You have a beautiful yard and home,” Katrina said.

“Thank you,” Jennifer said, smiling at her. Dennis Jr., walked out on the deck, pizza boxes in hand.

“Mom, the pizza guys are here,” he said, walking over to place the boxes on the sideboard they had set near the largest of the tables. It was made of teak, one of her favorite woods, and worn with age, matching all of the outside furniture.

Jennifer stood up and said, “I made a salad. Let me go inside and get the plates.”

Katrina stood. “I’d like to help you,” she said, following Jennifer back into the house.

Dennis and Will watched them as they walked into the kitchen. They could see them through the windows that looked out onto the deck. Jennifer was pointing to the cupboards and Katrina seemed to be following her instructions.

“She’s pretty,” Dennis said, watching them through the kitchen window.

“Who knew?” Will said. “If it hadn’t been for seeing her at that party, I probably wouldn’t have ever noticed.”

“What do you mean?” Dennis asked.

“The Katrina you see now is usually covered up in large shirts and baseball caps and working in her yard. She’s lived near me for about a year and I didn’t know. What does that say about me?”

“You don’t expect me to answer that, do you?” Dennis said, laughing. “So she decided to help you with the competition, I see.”

“Yes, but not without me proving myself.” He told Dennis about working for her that day. Dennis laughed and watched Will.

“She’s different from what you’re used to?”

“You don’t know the half of it, but yes, she is,” he said, not elaborating, just watching her through the window as she helped his sister.

A few minutes later, Jennifer and Katrina exited the kitchen with plates, forks, and salad fixings. Jennifer and Katrina set the table, and the men took their places. Dennis Jr. and a couple of his buddies joined them, as well as their oldest daughter, who brought a friend with her. The youngest was over at a friend’s home.

They talked, all of them, kids mixing it up with their parents and their Uncle Will. Katrina watched, taking in the camaraderie, the humor, the jokes, and the happiness and love that this family showed each other. She missed her parents, missed having someone to whom she belonged. She wanted this, a desire she’d kept deep down and folded away after her parents’ death, not wanting to go through that again.

She’d wished for this kind of love. She watched Will interact, giving as good as he got from his nieces and nephews.
Be careful, Katrina,
she said to herself. She might be willing to put aside her fears for this one, or to try at least. The kids and their friends ate through most of the pizza, and they remained outside talking for a while with their parents.

Will looked down at his watch. It was getting late. He’d spent the day with her and he’d enjoyed it immensely. He watched her as she watched his family, smiling. She was a pretty girl, and he liked what he was getting to know of her. However, it was time to call it a day. He looked over at her, and her eyes found his. He smiled and so did she, a quiet, small, almost indiscernible shot to his heart.

“Jennifer and Dennis, thank you for the lunch. I’d better get Katrina home; I’ve hijacked enough of her day,” he said, looking over at her again and smiling.

“Katrina, you are welcome back anytime. The next time you visit our gardens, stop by, okay,” Jennifer said, standing next to her husband at the door.

“I will. Thank you for lunch,” she said.

“See you guys later,” Will said, leading Katrina out and back to his jeep. They were quiet on the ride back.

“Thanks for the day. I had a good time,” he said, reaching Katrina’s home.

“Me, too,” she said, getting out of his jeep.

“I’m out of town for a bit, but I will call you or stop by after I get back.”

“Okay, sure. Take care,” she said, getting out and walking to her door.

He watched until she was in her home. Then he backed out and drove home. Today had been great, and one small step for mankind. He smiled.

***

August

It was her phone again, another incoming text from Will.

“You busy?” she read.