Chapter Nine
Chapter Nine
Garrick sorted through the tools he had on hand, putting some of them in drawers under the workbench and hanging others from hooks on the pegboard. Once he got the workshop area of the garage cleaned up, he would swing by the hardware store and pick up his order.
He’d researched the best wood to use to make the bassinet for Joylyn and the baby.
He wanted something strong but with a beautiful grain.
With the simple design of the piece, the wood would be the star.
He would use an organic stain, avoiding anything toxic, which meant no varnish.
The directions were fairly easy, and he’d made furniture before.
Most of the time would be spent sanding the wood to a silky finish—something he would enjoy.
He picked up a box of roofing nails and put them in a drawer, then grabbed three more screwdrivers and put them in loops on the pegboard.
At some point he really needed to sort through his tools and get rid of duplicates. It was one thing to have a spare, but at last count, his screwdriver collection had topped twenty. He doubted he needed even half that many.
When the bench was clean, he gave the garage a quick sweep.
The Saturday morning weather was perfect.
Bright and sunny, with a hint of coolness in the air.
With a little luck, he would have a quiet couple of days off and no emergency calls.
He would have time to work on the bassinet and get out Christmas decorations.
He and Joylyn wouldn’t get a tree for another week or so, but they could do the other decorating.
He had wreaths for the door and a Nativity, along with little holiday odds and ends they’d bought together.
Maybe he’d show her everything later this afternoon.
If all went well, maybe tonight or tomorrow he could figure out a way to sneak off with Wynn for a few hours.
They both seemed ready to take things to the next level, but for that to happen, he wanted more than fifteen minutes up against a wall somewhere.
He wanted time and privacy so he could give life to all his Wynn-based fantasies.
He wanted to learn what she liked and then do it better than anyone ever had.
Sure, a quickie was fun, but not for their first time.
And probably not today, he thought as he put the broom in the corner and grabbed his list for the hardware store.
He was halfway to his SUV when a red 1965 Mustang convertible pulled up in front of the house. The car was beautiful—with new wheels and a glossy coat of paint.
Three young women stepped out, but he barely noticed them. He could see the upholstery was original and he was itching to look under the hood and see what the engine looked like.
One of the women, a pretty brunette in a crop top and shorts, walked up to him.
“Hi,” she said with a wide smile. “I’m Yolanda.”
He looked past her to the car. “That is a beautiful Mustang.”
“Thanks. It’s my brother’s. He lost a bet and now it’s mine for the weekend.”
Garrick glanced at her. “Is he at home crying?”
She laughed. “He is.” She pointed to the other two women. “That’s Joni and Enya. We’re here to see Joylyn. We thought we’d surprise her with a girl party.”
That got Garrick’s attention. He turned to the young women and realized they looked college-age and somewhat familiar. He might have met them at the wedding, he thought.
“I’m glad you made the trip,” he said. “She’s inside.”
The other two turned toward the house, but Yolanda lingered.
“You’re her dad, right?”
“I am.” He held out his hand. “I’m Garrick.”
She shook hands with him, then looked him up and down. “I remember you.”
There was something in her tone that warned him this conversation could go places he didn’t want to go. He deliberately took a step back and pointed to the house.
“She’s that way.”
“Want to get a drink later?”
The direct question surprised him. “No, thanks.”
She seemed more surprised than upset. “You sure?”
“I’m otherwise engaged.”
“Lucky her.” With that Yolanda sauntered to the house, her hips swaying with each step.
Garrick returned his attention to the car, giving it a once-over before retreating to the safety of his SUV.
He’d liked it better when all Joylyn’s friends had talked about were horses and their dolls.
Not that it was much of a problem for him.
He would be happy to spend the afternoon safely in his garage, working on the bassinet and hiding out from the likes of Yolanda.
As for any holiday decorating—that could wait until his daughter’s friends were gone.
***
Joylyn sat at the table by the pool while her friends relaxed in the chaises.
As the afternoon wore on, the three of them got more and more drunk, leaving her feeling like the odd girl out.
The initial excitement at having them drop by had faded about two hours ago.
Now she was tired, crabby and wishing they would leave.
Enya jumped into the shallow end of the pool, her drink in her hand. “Come on, Joylyn. The water’s fantastic.”
Joylyn shook her head. All three of her friends had great bodies, and while she’d been careful not to put on extra weight, she was still nearly nine months pregnant. No way she was putting on a bathing suit for them to judge her.
Joni, a tall leggy blonde, joined her at the table. She smiled and rattled her vodka-filled glass. “What’s going on with you? You don’t want to swim, you won’t drink. It’s like you’re not one of us anymore.”
Joylyn stared at her. “I’m pregnant. I can’t drink. It’s bad for the baby.”
Joni waved away the statement. “Sure, now they say it’s bad, but thirty years ago, our moms were drinking all the time. I bet in ten years they decide a little alcohol makes everything better for the kid. You can’t take life so seriously.”
Joni leaned close and lowered her voice. “You seeing anyone?”
“What?” Joylyn’s voice was a yelp. “I’m married. And pregnant.”
“I know, but Chandler’s gone. Why not have fun?” Her gaze dropped to Joylyn’s distended belly. “Okay, maybe some guys would be put off by all that, but I’ll bet there are some who think pregnant women are hot. You could look for one of them.”
“Not interested.”
The idea was disgusting. She didn’t want some random guy—she wanted her husband back home.
Joni stretched. “This is nice. The pool and the house. You’ve got a good setup here.
Better than at your mom’s. All those kids running around.
It was loud, plus your mom never let us drink in front of them.
You and Chandler could just move in here.
I’ll bet your dad wouldn’t mind. Mooch off him for a while. ”
Joni’s phone buzzed. She glanced down and smiled. “It’s this guy I met last week when we went up to LA. He’s an actor and so cute.”
“Are you going to class at all?”
“Ugh. Don’t sound like my mother. I go.” She grinned. “Sometimes.” She shook her glass again. “Sure you don’t want a sip?”
“No, thanks.”
Joni got up and joined Enya in the pool. Yolanda drained her glass, took off her bikini top and jumped into the pool with them. They started splashing each other and shrieking.
Joylyn watched for a few minutes, then got up and went inside. She saw the large bottle of vodka they’d brought with them was nearly empty. How much had they been drinking? And why had she ever thought those women were her friends?
For the thousandth time she wished she’d stayed on base in San Diego. At least the other wives would have understood what she was going through and have given her support. She would have had more things to do than hang out at her dad’s and spend her day making snowmen for a wedding.
“It’s all about the money,” she reminded herself, walking into the family room where she’d set up a card table with her supplies. In the corner was a growing stack of boxes filled with paper snowmen.
She got out everything she would need and prepared to work.
Before she started, she sent a quick text to her friend Holly, mentioning Joni, Yolanda and Enya had stopped by, not that she expected a reply anytime soon.
It was a Saturday morning. Holly and Rex would probably be doing something together.
But eventually Holly would answer and be sympathetic.
She’d never much liked Joylyn’s college friends.
She ignored the shrieks from the backyard.
In some ways ignoring the noise reminded her of how it had been back when she’d lived with her mom.
Her brothers were insanely loud and always getting into something.
It was much easier being at her dad’s, she thought.
There was always food in the refrigerator and the house was quiet.
Plus they were getting along better now.
He didn’t act like he resented having her around.
Sometimes he even made her feel he was glad she was here. So why hadn’t he been like that before?
As if he’d sensed she was thinking about him, her dad walked into the family room.
“What are you doing?” he asked, coming to a stop when he saw her. “Your friends are out by the pool.”
She wrinkled her nose. “They’re drunk and talking about people I don’t know and places I haven’t been.”
He pulled up a chair. “You’re just in different places right now. You’re pregnant and married and they’re—” He hesitated.
“Swimming topless in your pool?” she offered.
He winced. “Tell me that’s not true.”
“Sorry, but it is.”
“Damn, and I was going to go sit outside and enjoy the day.”
“You don’t want to see their boobs?”
Her dad grimaced. “They belong to your friends, so no.”
“But other random twentysomething boobs would be okay?”
He chuckled. “Sure. As long as they’re random.”
“Da-ad.”
“I’m a guy. Many of us like boobs. It’s a thing.” He picked up one of the snowmen. “You’re making progress.”