Chapter Ten
Monday, Riley stopped in at Big Country Grocery before picking up Dillon from daycare. She was standing in the bread aisle trying to decide between whole wheat and seven-grain when she glanced up and spotted Lenore. Josh’s ex was pushing a full cart and coming her way.
“Hi!” Riley said. She’d meant to sound friendly, but somehow it came out shrill and borderline frantic.
Lenore wheeled her cart to a stop next to Riley’s. “Hello, Riley. How are you doing?”
“Uh, great. Fine. Trying to decide what bread to buy…”
Glancing from the loaf in Riley’s left hand to the one in her right, Lenore advised, “Your call, but I like the plain whole wheat. The seven grains always end up stuck in my teeth.”
Riley smiled and nodded. “Good point.” She put the seven-grain back on the shelf as another shopper carefully maneuvered around her cart and then Lenore’s.
Lenore said, “You know, I think it’s getting kind of silly not to say anything about the baby. So I guess…congratulations?”
Riley put her hand on her growing belly. “Thanks,” she said.
It wasn’t a bad moment. Lenore didn’t seem the least hostile. Maybe she really was moving on with her life.
But then, out of nowhere, she announced, “Listen, Riley. Josh has always had a thing for you. I just know he would marry you in a hot minute—and as for you, wake up. It’s so obvious you’re in love with him. What are you waiting for? Just pull the trigger already and marry the guy.”
Riley gaped. Where to even start with all that? “Lenore. I’m going to assume that you mean well.”
“Because I do! I really do.”
“Okay, then, I’ll just say honestly, with no hard feelings whatsoever, that you have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Fine.” Lenore threw up both hands. “Whatever. Be unhappy if you want to. Sheesh. No matter what I say, it’s wrong.
” And then she paused. They stared at each other for one of the most awkward moments in the history of uncomfortable encounters.
Finally, Lenore sighed. “But okay. I might possibly have veered out of my own lane a tad. I do that now and then.”
Riley tried a wobbly smile. “It’s okay, honestly—and, uh, how about you? You doing all right?”
“What can I tell you? I’m working on it, thanks.”
“Good to hear. I mean that.”
“And I need to…” Lenore waved a hand in no particular direction. “You know, head on over to the produce aisle…”
“All right then.” Riley pasted on her brightest smile. “See you later.”
Lenore set off. Riley let her get out of sight before wheeling her cart around and heading in the opposite direction.
All the rest of that day and into the evening, she considered calling Josh. It seemed like the right thing, to keep him in the loop about her weird encounter with his ex.
But then she’d have to tell him the things Lenore had said. And…no.
Just no.
When she turned down his marriage proposal, he’d gone radio silent for almost two weeks. And then two weeks more had passed before things had started to feel comfortable between them again. Now they were in a pretty good place with each other.
She couldn’t bear to rock the boat with him. Not right now. And telling him that Lenore thought Riley was in love with him and ought to ask him to marry her…
Well, that would just be digging up all the stuff she’d hoped they’d put behind them.
And since she couldn’t make herself talk to Josh about it, she called Macy for advice. Unfortunately Macy was having one of those days. She hadn’t even made it to work. Justin was teething and Ana had stayed home from school with a stomach bug.
“Frackelton’s Deli for lunch on Wednesday?” Macy offered as Justin wailed in her arms.
“You’re on. Need a hand with anything?”
“Thanks, but I’m okay…” Justin wailed louder. “Gotta go. See you Wednesday at noon.”
* * *
“So what’s going on?” Macy asked two days later after they’d settled at a small table in a cozy back corner of the deli-style restaurant.
Riley sipped her excellent decaf flat white. “I had a moment with Lenore in the grocery store. It was weird. Very weird—not bad really. Just completely unexpected. And now I should tell Josh, and I know it. But I can’t bring myself to do it.”
Macy ate a sweet potato fry and then said, “I’m going to need more information than that.”
“Okay…”
“Start with what Lenore actually said to you.”
With a groan, Riley told all.
When she was finished, Macy said, “You’re right. Weird but not bad.” She leaned closer and spoke very softly. “I might have to revise my negative opinion of Lenore.”
“Yeah. I think she’s working stuff out for herself, and that’s great. Why she had to share her opinion that Josh and I should get married, well, I have no idea about that. But my question is, should I tell Josh what happened?”
“Yeah. You should.” And then Macy frowned. “Okay, so. That look on your face…?”
“What about it?”
“You don’t want to tell Josh, do you?”
“No.” The word came out as a whine. “I’m afraid to—you know, rock the boat with him. He asked me to marry him, I turned him down, and now Lenore has put her two cents in. I can’t…what if he’s upset when I tell him?”
“He’ll get over it. Honesty really is the best policy.”
“Ugh.” Riley set down her chicken salad on rye without taking a bite. “I’m not going to tell him.”
“What are you going to do when Lenore tells him?”
“Are you kidding? It’s none of her business, and she knows it. No way she’s telling him that she got up in my face and said I should marry him.”
“Why shouldn’t she tell him? I’m sure she thought she was just being helpful. And if now she’s afraid she might have stepped over the line, she’s going to want to come clean with him.”
“Lenore is not the kind of person who just has to come clean.”
Macy was shaking her head. “I disagree. Seems to me like Lenore is making an effort to change her ways.”
“No. Seriously. She’s not going to tell him.”
Now Macy scoffed. “Well, it’s obvious you didn’t really want my advice.”
“Yes, I did!”
“Hey. It’s okay. It’s not a total loss. Even when you’re in denial, I love having lunch with you. Plus, the sandwiches here are great.”
“You don’t understand, Mace.”
“Oh, I think I do.”
“It’s just better if he doesn’t know.”
“Yeah. You go ahead and tell yourself that.”
“Sheesh, Mace. You’re brutal, you know that?”
“Hey. What are friends for?”
* * *
Riley knew that Macy was right. She called Josh that night and told him about her grocery store encounter with Lenore.
He took it well. “You know Lenore. She has opinions, and she’s more than happy to share them.”
“Yeah. I was only bothered by it because I thought I should tell you, but then I thought if I told you, I would be the one making trouble…”
“Did she upset you?”
“It’s fine. Honestly.”
“Do you want me to talk to her?”
“No, Josh! Please don’t.”
“Okay, then. You’ve told me. Do you feel better?”
“Not really,” she admitted. “But at least now you know, and we can forget this conversation ever happened.”
He actually laughed then. And then he asked if Dillon could stay over at his place Friday night.
“Of course. He would love that.”
* * *
On Friday, Riley picked up Dillon from daycare at four. At home, she changed from her increasingly tight work skirt, vest and silk shirt into pull-on jeans and a loose-fitting top.
Dillon grabbed the overnight pack she’d filled for him. He followed along behind her as she carried a six-pack of ginger ale and a big Tupperware container of macaroni salad out to the Tahoe. At four thirty they were on their way.
Josh and Shane came out to greet them when they arrived. In two minutes flat, Dillon was out of the Tahoe and shouldering his pack.
Shane said, “Come on. You can put your stuff in my room.”
The boys headed up the steps and into the house.
Josh said, “Thanks for coming.” He smiled.
She smiled back. “Wouldn’t miss it.” Several seconds went by during which they just stood there by the Tahoe, grinning at each other.
Finally, he seemed to shake himself. “Let me help you.”
“Uh, sure.” She handed him the six-pack of ginger ale, grabbed the macaroni salad and followed him inside.
It was a great party. All the Bravos showed up for it.
There were plenty of steaks and lots of chicken for everyone.
Josh had trucked in three extra picnic tables, which the Bravos had covered with a wide assortment of snacks and sides.
The kids played tug-of-war and ring toss.
And Annette showed up with Miles at her side.
Josh had strung party lights in the trees. They made the prettiest glow even before it got dark.
As the stars came out and the party lights glowed all the brighter, Josh’s mom emerged from the big log house with a three-layer chocolate cake blazing with candles.
Everyone chimed in on the birthday song.
Somehow, Abby Bravo made it all the way to Josh and set the cake down in front of him without a single candle going out.
“Make a wish, son,” Abby commanded.
Josh just happened to look directly at Riley right then. She gave him her brightest smile as butterflies took flight in her belly.
“Done,” he said gruffly. And then he closed his eyes, took a giant breath and blew out every candle.
They all clapped and shouted.
After cake and coffee, the whole group convened around the campfire. The kids roasted marshmallows and made s’mores while several parents predicted they would be up all night on a sugar high.
Around ten, everyone started packing up to head home. Dillon and Shane kept dropping off to sleep in their folding chairs—and then jolting awake to insist they weren’t tired at all.
Riley took charge, coaxing them into the house and herding them upstairs with Roger following close behind.
Under protest, they changed into their pajamas and brushed their teeth.
By the time they climbed into bed, they’d given up insisting that they were wide awake.
She tucked them in. Then, carefully stepping over Roger who was already asleep in the middle of the floor, she tiptoed out the door.