Chapter Sixteen #2
“I’ve missed having that in my life,” Joylyn said. “Thanks for taking me under your wing and making my stay here so great. My dad’s lucky to have you in his life.”
“I’ve been happy to get to know you,” Wynn said automatically, trying not to react to the unexpected comment.
Nor was she comfortable asking what Joylyn meant.
Have her in his life? As in they were dating?
Had Joylyn figured that out? Had she known all along—although technically they hadn’t started “dating” until last night.
And if Joylyn knew, had she talked about it to Hunter?
Should Wynn discuss the situation with him?
Not that she knew what she was going to say.
Not really. She’d never had a man in her life before—not like this.
She was going to have to think it all through, but not now, she told herself.
“Oh, and thank you for helping my dad with the baby shower,” Joylyn added, drawing Wynn back to the present.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Joylyn glanced at her. “I know there isn’t much time to pull everything together.
Don’t worry about everything not being perfect.
I’m just happy to have one. Oh, my college friends are all coming.
” She wrinkled her nose. “They’re sorry about what happened the last time they visited and swear this will be different. ”
“We’re not serving alcohol at the party, if that helps.”
Joylyn grinned. “I think it might.”
“I love your theme. Winnie the Pooh is perfect, and the colors will be so pretty in the baby’s room. Plus little Howard won’t need a change in decor for several years.”
“Howard! We’re not calling the baby Howard.”
“You won’t tell me what names are on the list, so I’m guessing.”
Joylyn laughed. “Howard is not on the list.”
“It’s a perfectly respectable name.”
“Still not using it.”
Wynn grinned at her, thinking the happy young woman sitting next to her was so different from the one who had arrived a few short weeks ago.
They parked by the Willow Gallery and got out.
“This is beautiful,” Joylyn said, taking the grocery bag.
“Natalie used to be the office manager here, along with one of their artists. Now she’s doing well enough that she can focus exclusively on her art.
The gallery also shows work by the Mitchell brothers.
Ronan is Natalie’s husband. Pallas is married to Nick, and Carol is married to Mathias.
You met Silver and Drew at Thanksgiving. ”
“I did.”
They walked into the gallery. Everyone else was already there. Wynn made introductions.
“We finally get to meet,” Pallas said. “Renee’s told me all about Holly’s wedding. I’m so excited. Everything is coming together.”
“Thanks to Renee and the town,” Joylyn said happily. “Holly is still stunned by everyone’s generosity. I am, too.”
“It’s fun for us,” Pallas said.
Joylyn nodded, then sniffed. “I’m trying not to cry at everything, but it’s hard. Thank you again.”
Wynn gave her a hug. “No thanks required. Think of the wedding as our way of really celebrating the season. We’re excited to help Holly with her wedding, and we’re happy to have you here with us today.”
***
Joylyn stood in line with everyone else to fill her plate for lunch.
The big table in the center of the gallery was covered with a festive holiday tablecloth.
In addition to the enchiladas, bean dip and chips, there were two green salads, a fruit salad and Christmas cookies. Holiday music played in the background.
All the women were so welcoming, she thought. Her friends were nice, but she wasn’t sure they would have been so gracious to someone they didn’t really know.
“How’s it going with Hunter?” Carol asked Wynn as they served each other enchiladas.
“Okay. I think he understands the gravity of what he did. As soon as school’s out, he’s going to get started on the deck.”
“He’ll be a busy guy,” Carol said. “He’s been in touch with me about helping at the animal preserve.”
“Make sure he does the grunt work,” Wynn said. “It’s not supposed to be fun.”
“He’ll be cleaning out the barns every morning for a week,” Carol told her. “And on weekends until he gets his hours in.” She smiled. “It’s a lot of poop to deal with. I doubt he’ll think it’s fun.”
Everyone laughed and headed for their seats. Joylyn found herself sitting between Renee and Natalie.
“In the end, Hunter did the right thing,” Pallas said. “That has to make you happy.”
“I’m cautiously optimistic,” Wynn admitted. “We’ll see what happens over the holiday break.”
“Do you think he’s going to apply to JROTC again?” Bethany asked.
“I hope so, but that’s up to him.”
Joylyn thought Wynn had handled the situation with her son really well.
She wasn’t sure she could have gotten over being mad to act so responsibly.
She rested her hand on her belly as she reminded herself that in a few short weeks, she was going to be a parent.
At least she wouldn’t be alone—Chandler would be with her. They would figure it out together.
Conversation shifted to what was going on in each of their lives. Bethany was still wondering what her parents were going to do over Christmas.
“Like Wynn, I’m cautiously optimistic,” she said with a laugh. “I think we have a good chance of getting through Christmas without the royal family descending.”
“When does the king’s private jet arrive to whisk you all to El Bahar for New Year’s?” Silver asked, her voice teasing.
“On the twenty-seventh.” Bethany sighed. “When she gets older, my daughter is going to have a very rude adjustment to normal life.”
“You mean like flying commercial?” Carol laughed.
“That among other things. Of course if there’s ever a discussion about what everyone’s grandparents do, she’s going to have a really interesting story.”
“The other kids won’t believe her,” Renee said.
Joylyn listened a lot more than she spoke. She was content to let the words wash over her. She didn’t know the details of each life they discussed, but that was fine. Some situations were universal.
She missed this, she thought. Having good friends she could count on.
For the hundredth time, she told herself she should have stayed on base where she had support.
But this time, instead of feeling sorry for herself, she vowed that she would learn from her mistake and do better next time.
She would make sure she had friends she could count on, not ones who showed up drunk and mocked her for not partying when she was nine months pregnant.
In return, she saw she had to be a better friend.
A good life lesson, she told herself. One she would hang on to.
***
“You sure that’s not too heavy?” Garrick asked, as Wynn helped him carry the first of five large folding tables through the house.
Wynn, gorgeous as always, in jeans and a T-shirt, her holiday pinecone charm glinting against her chest, rolled her eyes. “I’m fine. I doubt the table weighs fifteen pounds.”
“I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
“I’m not infirmed.”
“Still.”
They reached the patio area by the pool and set down the folding table. He immediately pulled her close and kissed her.
“I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you,” he told her.
“I appreciate the concern but again, not fragile.”
“I agree, but you are special.”
Her gaze softened. “You are such a guy.”
“That should be good news.”
She laughed. “Fine. It’s good news and you’re very sweet to worry, but please, don’t ask me if I’m okay for the twenty minutes it’s going to take to unload your truck.”
“I’ll be quiet if you give me a kiss.”
She leaned in and pressed her mouth to his. “No bargaining required for that,” she told him.
“I like knowing that.”
The light kiss was enough to get him thinking about his bed and them together. He enjoyed the fantasy for about two seconds, then firmly pushed it to the back of his mind. Getting ready for Joylyn’s baby shower was the more pressing concern, but maybe later...
Renee and Pallas had loaned him folding tables and chairs for the weekend.
The tables he was using were rectangular, and apparently the weddings planned for the weekend were using round tables.
Renee had given him more detail than that, but he’d tuned it out.
All he’d wanted to know was if he could borrow a few tables or not.
He and Wynn made quick work of unloading the rest of the tables and the chairs.
“Let me show you what I’ve got so far,” he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the house.
They went into his office where he’d stacked boxes and shopping bags.
“You are serious about this,” she said, looking around.
“It’s Joylyn’s shower. Of course I’m serious. I went online to figure out what to do and ordered as much as I could.”
He pulled out a pad of paper from his desk.
“The menu is simple. I checked with all the caterers in town and no one could squeeze in a full meal, so we’re doing a high tea.
Finger sandwiches from one of the caterers.
Different kinds of scones and little petit fours from the bakery.
Renee came through with a bunch of teapots, and Silver is going to swing by and drop off a big serving container and ingredients for punch.
” He looked at Wynn. “Does that sound okay?”
“It sounds great. I’m still pretty impressed you’re doing all this.”
“I’m getting a lot of help.”
“Still, it’s a baby shower. That has to be scary.”
“I’m a big manly man. I don’t get scared.”
As he’d expected, she laughed. “Yes, my liege. I bow to your manly man-ness.”
He went over his notes. “The colors are light blue and pale yellow. I have yellow tablecloths for the tables. Renee gave me a bunch of white plates to use. I’m picking those up in the morning.
Oh, I gave the bakery twenty-four terra-cotta pots.
Little ones. They’ll bake cupcakes in them. So an edible party favor.”
“You know about party favors from your research?”
“I do now.” He scanned the list. “I have blue and yellow balloons on order, the Winnie the Pooh wall decoration for the big wall next to the sliding glass door.” He looked at her. “Drinks, food, decorations, games. Oh, prizes.”
He crossed to the bags against the wall and pulled out a heavy box. Inside were enamel giraffe key chains.
“I got these from Carol. She sells them at the little shop they have. They’re really popular.”
Wynn smiled. “You’ve thought of everything.”
“I hope so. You’re going to be here, right? To make sure I don’t mess up?”
He wanted the day to be perfect for his daughter, and he knew that Wynn would help him make sure that happened.
She wrapped her arms around him. “I’ll be here, and Carol’s going to stop by to help with the setup.”
“Why would she do that?”
Wynn smiled. “Because she’s my friend and she’s met Joylyn and I asked her. I thought one more body would be helpful. Natalie has a gallery showing in New Mexico, and all my other friends are busy with the snowman wedding.”
“She’s going to give up part of her Saturday for Joylyn?”
“Don’t sound so surprised. It’s what friends do.”
He knew that. “It’s not that Carol’s helping, it’s that you asked one of your friends to do that for my daughter. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
He kissed her again, liking how her body felt against his. There was something about her, he thought. Something that made him happy. She was caring and smart and funny and sexy and a whole bunch of other things that made him never want to let go.
“Did you buy linens?” she asked, distracting him from his thoughts.
Was she asking about his sheets?
“For the bassinet,” she explained.
“I did. They’re very Pooh.”
He showed her the flat sheets he’d bought, along with a Winnie the Pooh blanket.
“No pillow,” he added. “Babies don’t use pillows, and we’re not supposed to put the blanket in the crib, either.”
The corners of her mouth turned up. “I’d heard that. Garrick, I’m just going to say it. You’re ready for Joylyn’s shower.”
“You sure?”
“Yes. You’ve prepped as much as you can. Saturday morning Carol and I will be here at nine to help you pull it all together. Then there will be nothing to do but get out of the way and watch your daughter have a wonderful time.”
“I want that for her.”
“I know you do. It’s one of your best qualities.”
“Yeah? What other qualities do you like?”
She pressed her mouth to his. “Want me to start at the top and work my way down?”
“I do. Very much.”
“Even with Joylyn five feet away in her bedroom and my son next door?”
He sighed heavily. “Soon,” he said.
“The sooner the better.”