Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“How am I the last to know about this?” Maureen says.
In truth, she’s the first to know other than Donny and Callie. Rory and I haven’t made it public at all.
“You’re not,” I tell her. “It’s only in planning stages so far.”
Rory speaks then. “I’ve talked to Jesse. He’s going to sing with me, I hope.”
That gets Frank’s attention. “You know I love to hear the two of you sing together. When will this be?”
I clear my throat. “Friday, December fifteenth. About a month away.”
“I’m thrilled. Jesse has such a great voice, and though I love his rock and roll, I will enjoy hearing something not quite so head banging.” Frank takes a sip of his wine.
“That reminds me,” Maureen says, picking up her own glass. “We should have a toast.”
“To what?” Rory says.
“To our company, of course. Brock, we’re so happy to have you here. And of course Donny as well.” She raises her glass. “To our guests.”
We all clink glasses and take a drink. I don’t even like wine much, and I know Donny doesn’t either. But we’ll make do. These are our future in-laws.
I drop my jaw, but close my mouth quickly.
Our in-laws?
No.
Donny’s future in-laws.
Rory and I aren’t there yet.
Are we?
I’m twenty-four years old. I’m not there yet.
Only then do I notice Rory’s wineglass.
It’s still full. She raised her glass and clinked with the rest of us, but she must have only pretended to take a drink.
Tension flows through my body, but I try to relax. What if she is pregnant? Is it the worst thing in the world?
No. I love this woman.
And if I ever have children, I want her to be their mother.
God, this is crazy thinking coming from me.
But I mean it. I mean it with all my heart.
Rory seems focused on Donny and Callie at the moment, for which I’m grateful. The word wedding floats around. I squeeze Rory’s thigh again. My touch seems to relax her.
It relaxes me as well.
After dinner, I find myself outside on the Pikes’ small redwood deck, enjoying a brandy and a cigar with Donny and Frank. Rather, I’m enjoying the brandy, but I hate cigars.
“How do you like your cigar cut?” Frank asks me.
Since I don’t have a clue what he’s talking about, I say, “However you do yours is fine.”
He snips off the end of the cigar with some kind of blade and hands it to me. I light it, take a puff, taking care that no smoke goes anywhere near my throat or I’ll choke up my guts. I take a sip of my brandy.
“It’s great to have you two here,” Frank says. “I know Maureen is tickled.”
“We’re happy to be here, Frank,” Donny says.
“Yeah.” I clear my throat. “Of course.”
“Brock, don’t let Maureen scare you away. We know you and Rory are just at the beginning of your relationship. No one is expecting anything.”
An odd comment, to be sure.
“Oh?” I take a shallow draw on the cigar.
“Maureen and Rory,” Frank continues, “they have a…sometimes difficult relationship. In so many ways, they’re very much alike, being the great beauties of the family and all. But in other ways…not so much.”
Rory’s bisexuality. He may as well say the words. They’re clear as day.
“You mean her bisexuality?” I say.
Donny shoots darts at me with his eyes.
But why? Why should we not speak about it? It’s part of who she is, and it’s part of what I love about her.
“Well…a bit,” Frank says. “It doesn’t bother me one bit. In fact, I liked Raine Cunningham. I liked her a lot.”
“And Maureen didn’t?” I ask.
“Maureen liked her fine. She loved the way Raine did hair.”
“I see.”
“Maureen… She’s traditional. She’s not prejudiced in any way, but when it comes to her own children… Well, she’s not as open as she’d like to think she is. She tries, though. She loves all our children equally, but she sees them in little boxes sometimes.”
That much was apparent from the dinner conversation.
“And you?” I ask.
“All I care is that my children are happy. If you make Rory happy, great. But if she had ended up with Raine? Or any other man or woman? That would have been great as well, as long as Rory was happy. Same for her and Jesse following their hearts with their music. But Maureen sees that and compares it to Callie and all her ambition. If you knew her mother, you’d understand. It’s not fair and it’s not right, and Maureen and I have had many words about it over the years. But she’s a wonderful woman. A wonderful wife and mother. She cares as much as I do about all our children.”
I like Frank Pike more and more, and I feel terrible for what happened to his ranch.
“That’s a great attitude, Frank.” From Donny.
“It’s the only attitude a father can have, in my book. But like I said, Maureen is a little more traditional.”