Chapter Six #2
“I don’t want to talk about her anymore,” she said. “Look what I’m doing.” She held up one of the snowmen. “They’re for a wedding, and I’m getting paid to make them. I’m saving it all, Chandler. For us and the baby.”
“That’s great. How do snowmen fit in a wedding?”
She laughed. “I have no idea, but apparently it’s a thing.”
“If you say so.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I gotta go. I love you and I’m counting the days.”
She touched the screen. “I love you, too. I can’t wait to see you. I miss you so much. You’re everything, Chandler.”
“You’re everything to me, too, sweetie.”
The call ended and the tears came right on cue. Joylyn brushed them away and went back to work. She might not be able to see her husband, but she could build the stupid little snowmen and save money so that when she and her husband were together again, they could buy what they needed and be happy.
***
The Monday before Thanksgiving, Wynn got up a half hour early and made pumpkin spice cupcakes.
She showered while they were baking, then took them to the office with her.
Just after eleven thirty, she drove the short distance from downtown Happily Inc out to the animal preserve where she pulled in next to her friend Silver.
“What did you bring?” the platinum blonde asked as she got out of her truck.
“I went seasonal. Pumpkin spice cupcakes.”
Silver smiled. “I can always count on you to do the right thing.” She held up her own container. “Potato salad. Carol texted yesterday and said she was making pulled pork sandwiches for our main course.”
Their biweekly lunches were something Wynn looked forward to.
They met on a Monday or Tuesday, before the craziness of the week’s upcoming weddings kicked in.
The location varied. When it was Carol’s turn, they usually ate outside at the animal preserve.
Natalie hosted at the Willow Gallery where she displayed her work, and Bethany had them out at the ranch.
Pallas and Renee used the space at Weddings Out of the Box, while Wynn chose either her business conference room or her own dining table.
The meals were fun, friendly affairs. Whoever was able to come brought something. The hostess provided the main entrée and drinks. Sometimes there were five salads or five desserts, but more often than not, there was a mix of foods. The not knowing what to expect added to the fun.
They walked along the main path in the preserve, careful to close the gates behind them so no animals would escape.
Last year Carol had installed a nice picnic table in a shady spot.
There were supports for a canvas overhang, if the temperatures were too high.
Happily Inc was a desert community, getting plenty hot in the summer.
Having it be a dry heat helped, but there were a few weeks in July and August when retreating to air-conditioning was the only way to survive.
But today the temperature was in the midseventies, with a bright blue sky and lots of sunshine.
“I heard there’s a snowstorm expected back east, just in time for Thanksgiving,” Wynn said as she double-checked that that last gate was secure.
“All those idiots traveling are going to suffer.”
Wynn hid a smile. “You mean those poor people trying to get home to their families for possibly the second biggest holiday of the year?”
Silver grimaced. “Yeah, that. My sympathies and all that.”
They rounded a grove of trees and saw Carol putting out stacks of plates and flatware.
The table was already decorated with a brightly colored cloth.
A side table held a big covered dish and a stack of buns, along with a dispenser filled with lemonade.
But what really caught Wynn’s attention was the—relatively—small giraffe following Carol from place to place like a very oversize and leggy dog.
“I see Bodey is still in love with you,” Wynn called.
Carol looked up and laughed. “He is a curious guy.” She motioned to her left where Millie stood keeping a watchful eye on her two-month-old son. “As long as Mom stays close.”
Bodey was the first giraffe born in the animal preserve. He was visibly taller and stronger every time Wynn saw him.
“Hey, little guy,” Silver said, slowing her approach as Bodey turned to stare at them. “We’re just here to eat lunch and tell you how adorable you are. Is that okay?”
His eyes were huge—dark brown with long lashes. His nostrils flared as he studied them.
“He’s cuter than he was,” Wynn said softly. “How is that possible?”
Carol grinned. “I know. I keep taking pictures of him. Mathias keeps reminding me we have our own baby. I think he’s jealous on Devon’s behalf.”
The conversation was too much, or maybe it was the sight of three humans all together. Either way, Bodey retreated on his gangly legs, circling to the far side of his mother where he could watch while protected by Millie.
“Speaking of Devon, where is she?” Silver asked, settling her potato salad next to the buns.
“She has a bit of a cold. I didn’t want her exposing the other kids, so she’s with her dad today.
” Carol’s eyes were bright with amusement.
“Mathias complained that he wouldn’t get any work done, but the truth is they both love hanging out together.
By the time I get home, she’ll either be on the mend, or he’ll be sick, too. I’m hoping for the former.”
“It’s us,” a familiar voice called.
Renee, Natalie and Pallas joined them. Renee and Natalie each carried two large tote bags while Pallas had her son with her.
Little Ryan squealed when he saw all his lady friends, writhing and waving his arms to be put down.
Pallas obliged and the toddler took off, racing first to Wynn and then to Carol and Silver.
All the women crouched down to get hugs and very wet kisses.
Just as the greetings began to calm down, Bethany walked in with her daughter Addison on her hip. Ryan clapped his hands and hurried over as fast as his chubby legs would take him.
It took several minutes to unload food and get the kids settled.
Baby Bodey hovered on the edge of the picnic area, curious but cautious.
Millie chewed on leaves and regarded them with bored disinterest. The only human she really loved was Carol.
The rest of them were simply a part of the landscape.
“This was easier pre-kids,” Wynn said as she took a seat next to Renee. “But much less fun.”
Natalie sat down with Ryan in her arms. Her nephew leaned against her baby bump. “At the rate we’re reproducing around here, we’ll have to get a separate kids’ table in another year or two.”
Silver looked at Renee. “Pressure’s on you, lady.”
“To find a kids’ table? Sure. I can do that.”
Everyone laughed.
“I think she meant you should get pregnant,” Wynn said.
Renee shook her head. “I will. Eventually. What about you, Silver? You and Drew aren’t too old.”
Silver waved her hand. “I don’t know. We talk about it. Maybe. We like what we have now. Why mess with that?”
Wynn knew that Silver and Drew had a teenage daughter together.
Silver had gotten pregnant in high school and had given up the girl for adoption.
Over the years, she’d stayed close with the adoptive mother and had been a part of her daughter’s life.
Drew had only found out about Autumn a couple of years ago, and the three of them were spending more time together.
Wynn would guess Silver wasn’t sure about adding a baby to the mix.
She wouldn’t want Autumn to feel she was being replaced.
They served themselves lunch. Conversation flowed easily between the friends as they caught each other up on what was going on.
“What’s the plan for the royal holiday season?” Natalie asked Bethany.
Bethany sighed heavily. “My parents,” she began, pausing when everyone laughed.
“What did the king do now?” Wynn asked. “I know the man loves royal proclamations. You should tell him to get them all printed at my shop. I’d give him the royal discount.”
“Because you have so many royal customers?” Pallas asked, her voice teasing.
“Not yet, but I’m willing to explore the market. I’ll be fair on the pricing. No gouging simply because he’s one of the ten richest men in the world.”
“I think he’s only fifteenth,” Bethany said.
“How tragic for you and your family,” Renee teased.
“We’re dealing with the ugly reality. As for the holidays, that’s an ongoing discussion. El Bahar doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving—what with it being an American thing. My mom does sometimes, but she’s kind of letting it go. Christmas and New Year’s are more complicated.”
Bethany was the adopted daughter of the King of El Bahar. He’d married Bethany’s mother nearly twenty years ago, adopting Bethany when her biological father later passed away. Bethany had three half brothers and was an actual princess, something her friends liked to kid her about.
When the king had first found out his daughter was pregnant, he’d insisted on sending over bodyguards... and a helicopter. It had followed her everywhere, ready to whisk her away to a medical facility should she have the slightest problem during her pregnancy.
“The current plan is to have Christmas here, then fly to El Bahar for New Year’s.” She drew in a breath. “There’s going to be some kind of national celebration. You know, because of the baby.”
Wynn laughed. “Poor you.”
“I’ll be okay. Cade’s not excited.”
“Who can blame him?” Pallas asked. “My brother is just a regular guy who fell in love with a princess. Now his life will never be the same.”
“I’m worth it,” Bethany said with a laugh.
Natalie glanced at Wynn. “Thanks for all your help with the snowman construction.” She turned to the table. “Hunter is making snowmen for me, along with Joylyn.”
The women exchanged glances.
“Who’s Joylyn?” Carol asked.
“Garrick’s daughter,” Wynn and Renee said together.
“Police officer Garrick?” Carol asked. “Oh, that’s right. He has a grown daughter. Is she nice?”
Wynn wasn’t prepared to give an answer to that particular question. “She’s having a rough time right now,” she said instead. “She’s eight months pregnant, and her husband’s a Marine and is deployed.”
“How old is she?” Silver asked.
“Twenty-one. She was staying with her mom, but Alisha has three teenage boys and that was a lot. Garrick’s house is quieter, which is good, but I wonder if she’s feeling isolated.”
“She probably doesn’t have any friends here.” Pallas wrinkled her nose. “That would be hard. I mean it’s great for her to be with her dad, but it’s not the same as hanging out with people her own age.”
“It’s interesting you and Garrick both had kids when you were young,” Bethany said, then turned to Silver. “And you.”
“Teens will be teens,” Silver pointed out. “Hormones are powerful.”
So was fear, Wynn thought. She’d been so scared of losing Chas that she would have done anything to keep him with her. And he’d still left her. A pregnant girlfriend was no match for the lure of the next great ride.
She told herself that had happened a long time ago—that she was a different person and today would make different choices. While she knew all that was true, she still didn’t like what she’d done. It had taken a long time to forgive herself and move on.
She thought briefly of Garrick. He was trying so hard with his daughter. The more she got to know him, the more she liked him. Their kiss had been amazing and was something she would like to repeat—this time without the potential for interruptions.
“You should bring her next time,” Bethany said, pulling her daughter onto her lap. “Joylyn. I know we’re not her friends, but she might like hanging out with us. Plus with all the pregnancies we’ve been through, we would be a great resource.”
Everyone nodded as Bethany spoke.
“I’ll be sure to mention it to her,” Wynn said. “I think she’d like getting out of her dad’s house.” And some girl time just might help her attitude.