Chapter Five
Walking back across the grass to where her son was being watched by the Kowalski family was one of the hardest things Siobhan had ever done.
Regardless of what she’d said to Brian, the urge to take Oliver and run was strong.
Sure, he’d be upset about being back in his car seat for another three or four hours, depending on the flow of traffic, but he’d get over it.
What he might not get over was his mother falling asleep at the wheel, and she was tired.
When the emotions currently coursing through her body like an electrical current faded, she’d probably be utterly exhausted.
Then there was the fact that, even though he hadn’t understood exactly what they’d be doing, Oliver had been so excited to go on this trip.
At that moment, she heard his laughter and spotted him on the playground. Stella was running after a tennis ball, which she brought back to Nora. The little girl threw it again, and again Oliver laughed.
Siobhan stopped walking, taking in her son’s joy in the game and letting it refill her emotional well.
While she was shaken to her core, he was too young to know anything was going on.
The only way his happiness could be disrupted would be him sensing his mommy wasn’t okay and feeding off of her chaotic energy.
There were so many of them, all sitting around the unlit campfire.
As Steph’s aunts, uncles and cousins had finished setting up their campsites for the week, they’d wandered over with chairs.
Joining them would be daunting even if she hadn’t shown up with a surprise child, but all she could do was maintain a pleasantly neutral expression—which wouldn’t be easy—and sit quietly.
There were enough family members talking to and around each other, trying to catch up since the last time they’d been together, that it should be easy to blend into the background.
She had to admit they did their best not to stare at Oliver.
He ran around with Nora—who was great with him—and Stella, and every so often somebody would have them sit in the shade and drink some water.
When he brought her a rock he found in the grass, she admired the smooth gray stone, and then she laughed with the others when he went from person to person, showing off the rock.
Brian was the end of the line, having dropped his chair near his uncles, and it seemed Oliver grew bored with the game just about the time he reached him.
After handing Brian the rock, who assured him it was the best rock he’d ever seen, Oliver left it with him and went back to where Nora was using blocks of wood to make a tower.
As Siobhan watched, Brian turned the rock over in his fingers a few times. Then he brushed his thumb over the surface and tucked it into the pocket of his jeans.
Over the next couple of hours, thanks to easy conversation, old stories and a lot of laughter, the overall tension in the group seemed to melt away, and by the time talking of firing up the barbecue grills started, Siobhan was feeling maybe not relaxed, but definitely less stressed.
Emma, who was married to Mike’s cousin Sean and seemed really warm and friendly, was wandering through the groupings of family with a small notebook. Siobhan wasn’t sure what that was about until Emma reached her.
“I’m doing the burgers and dogs count,” the woman explained. “Hamburger? Cheeseburger? Hot dog? One of each? And Oliver put himself down for a hot dog and I just thought I’d confirm he’d actually like a hot dog and didn’t just ask for what Nora was having.”
“Oh.” She’d had some vague idea she and Oliver would duck back into the camper when mealtime came around, but she had a hunch trying to separate her son from his plan to eat hot dogs with his new best friend wouldn’t go over well.
“He loves hot dogs, and I’d like a cheeseburger, please. Is there something I can do to help?”
Emma looked around, and then laughed. “Honestly, I think there are already too many people helping. Just relax and enjoy the down time before the little ones are refueled.”
“Oliver’s going to sleep well tonight, for sure.”
“I think we all will.” Emma looked around and then leaned in close. “Listen, there are going to be two potato salads. If you like potato salad, make sure you take a little of each and no matter what, you love them equally.”
Siobhan’s hand went to her mouth, stifling a giggle. “Whose are they?”
“Terry’s and Beth’s. About nine years ago, there was some confusion about the summer cookout sign-up list thanks to a spill-proof tumbler lid that wasn’t at all spill-proof, and they both brought potato salad.
Nobody would admit to liking one more than the other, and they just keep bringing them, waiting for some unsuspecting person to like one more than the other. ”
“So in Kowalski-speak, this would be a Potato Salad Grudge Match of Doom?”
Emma’s laughter turned heads. “Yes! Who told you about the doom?”
“Steph’s mentioned it a few times over the years, how the family uses it to mean epic or whatever. Just a childhood thing that nobody outgrew.”
She put her hand on Siobhan’s arm. “Exactly.”
“And Steph also told me she tried not to let this be a Wedding of Doom, but she stopped fighting it once the family group chat latched onto it.”
“Resistance is futile, as they say.”
“Emma, I need that food count,” Leo shouted.
The family patriarch had a booming voice and Emma rolled her eyes. “And there’s the family’s official PA system.”
Twenty minutes later, while most of the family was occupied setting up the tables under a canopy and loading them with condiments and everything else they needed, Steph joined Siobhan in sitting on the grass to watch Nora explaining to a rapt Oliver how caterpillars became butterflies.
“There you are,” Siobhan said, giving her friend’s pink cheeks and mussed hair a sideways glance. “I was looking for you earlier.”
“Sorry.” Steph grinned. “Kyle and I needed a little nap.”
“And that’s why you’re in a cabin with solid log walls and not a camper.”
She laughed. “One hundred percent. But how are you doing?”
“I’m good,” she replied, realizing it was mostly true.
“You know, if you want to leave, I’ll understand.
I know everybody wants you to stay—especially me.
And Brian, of course. But nobody expected this and I get that it’s a lot.
I don’t want you to stay just for me if it’s too hard.
Brianna can be my maid of honor.” She paused and took a shaky breath before giving Siobhan a falsely bright smile. “Third time’s the charm, right?”
The way Steph was putting up a brave front for her benefit brought tears to Siobhan’s eyes.
She really didn’t want to let her friend down.
And the damage was already done. This family was sure Oliver was one of them and leaving wouldn’t change that.
As long as Brian took her boundaries seriously, it might be okay.
“I don’t want to leave. I want to be your maid of honor.
” She blew out a breath. “I told Brian I would wait and see how I feel tomorrow, but mostly it’s up to your family.
Oliver is having a good time and I promised him he could go in the pool, so as long as everybody is chill, as Brian put it, I’ll probably stay. ”
Steph winced. “I can promise you we’re all devoted to trying to be chill, but this situation knocked everybody a little sideways.”
“So far everybody’s been great. Let’s just focus on you and your wedding and see how it goes.”
“Burgers and dogs are ready,” Leo announced.
Steph leaned close. “Has anybody told you about the potato salads?”
* * *
Brian finished banging the last peg into the tots’ tent, as his family called it.
It was a small, modified tent his family had been using for years as a combination of play fort and napping spot.
It hadn’t left his grandparents’ garage in a few years, but after they’d eaten, he and Joey had given it a once-over and it was still in good shape.
Because it was new to Nora, she was excited to get inside and Brian wasn’t surprised when Oliver went right in after her. The boy had definitely latched onto Nora—his cousin, Brian thought—and he was grateful she didn’t seem annoyed to have a toddler shadowing her every move.
“Is it okay if he goes in there?” Siobhan asked, startling him because he hadn’t noticed she was standing next to him. “If she needs a break from him, I can distract him.”
“I think she’s happy to have somebody to play with, even if he’s younger. And my money says, they’ll both be asleep before an hour’s up.”
“That explains the mats you put in there,” she said, and he nodded. “It reminds me of the domes made out of screens that you put over paper plates to keep the flies off.”
“Similar idea. My uncle made it when my younger cousins were little. Basically it’s just a little pop-up tent, but he replaced two of the panels with screen that has magnetic strips.”
“It’s held up well.”
He chuckled. “It’s seen a few repairs over the years, but it’s also seen a lot of use. It keeps the little ones with us, but away from the fire and bugs. Since they always fall asleep, those screen panels just lift up so it’s easier to pick the kids up and carry them to bed.”
“Your family seems very good at camping.”
“We’ve always enjoyed it, especially the annual trips here when everybody came.”
“Steph told me about the camping trips, and she said the whole family was happy when the four of you bought this campground.”
He nodded, aware of how strange it felt to be having a conversation with Siobhan Rowe.
In the days leading up to her arrival, he’d been so focused on how they were going to ignore each other.
Since she’d never liked him any more than he liked her, he’d assumed they’d both do the necessary social dance steps to ensure they were never in the same space at the same time without other people to interact with.