33. Chapter Thirty-three
Katie stuck a toothpick through the last ham and pickle roll and laid it on the tray with the rest. They had always been Grandma’s favorite appetizer and were Katie’s contribution to today’s Fourth of July festivities. She glanced at the clock. Family and friends would arrive at the Harts’ before long. Ever since she was little, they’d thrown the best Independence Day parties.
If she and Drew were still together, she’d be in Madison. Curiosity had gotten the best of her last night, and she’d peeked at his social media, seeing him tagged in photos from his parents’ party on Saturday. Viewing them as an outsider and no longer as his girlfriend had shown her the stark difference between that life and her life here. Had they gotten married one day, she knew now she would have spent the rest of her life trying to be something she wasn’t. Though she still had moments of sadness and regret that things had ended the way they had, the clearer perspective helped.
Shoving that all aside, she focused on the positives. The Fourth of July was one of her favorite holidays as a kid, and she couldn’t wait to celebrate it like that again. And things were thankfully back to normal between her and Ethan. After the evening in the canoe, the awkwardness had lifted, and their usual routine had returned. He’d even spent most of the day Friday finishing up her shelves. Because of this, she was careful to keep her complicated feelings tucked deep down inside whenever he was around. Eventually, they had to go away, right?
She put plastic wrap over the tray and headed upstairs to change into her outfit for the day. She had a pair of faded cutoff shorts with red and blue patches that fit the occasion. On Thursday, she and Becca had gone shopping, and Katie picked up a fun patriotic tank top she found—one of the few brand-new items she owned. Beneath it all, she wore her swimsuit, knowing they had water activities planned for the afternoon.
After changing, she entered the bathroom with a pack of patriotic stars and rhinestone facial stickers. She and Becca may have gone a bit overboard in preparing for the party, but Katie was excited to let loose and enjoy the holiday like she had as a kid. She completed the look by pulling her hair up with a tie adorned with red, white, and blue ribbons.
Putting food out for O’Malley, she grabbed her phone and the platter of roll-ups and left the house. Already, the air settled hot and humid on her skin. She followed the path through the woods, enjoying everything about the summer day. As a kid, she’d wished summer would last forever. She still did most of the time, though now she had more reason to look forward to all the rest of the seasons.
At the house, she found Ethan in the backyard, setting up folding tables.
He grinned as soon as he spotted her. “Look at you embracing the patriotic spirit.”
Not that his bright American flag shorts were exactly subtle.
“I think Becca and I had too much fun at the store the other day. We bought a bunch of stickers so we can put them on the kids too when they get here.”
“They’ll love that, especially Charlie. I think she wants to be just like you when she grows up.”
“Charlie is awesome. I’ve loved getting to know her. Your Sunday family dinners are the best.”
He gave her a thoughtful look. “Your grandma used to join us on Sundays too.”
“Did she?” A bittersweet longing rose within her.
Ethan nodded, his expression mirroring the same feelings. “Yeah, I miss that.”
If only Katie could have experienced more time for them to share such visits. However, she found thankfulness that, even though Grandma’s death had hurt terribly and still did, it had brought her back to Two Lakes. Back to Ethan and the Harts, and back to where she knew she was meant to be. Because of that, she could smile.
Letting the upwelling of emotions settle, she gestured toward the house. “I’ll see if your mom has room for these in the fridge and then come help you.”
“As long as you’re going in, would you grab the tablecloths? I forgot them.”
“Sure.” She walked up to the porch, passing Tom on the way in as he prepared the grill for what she knew would be a giant stack of hot dogs and hamburgers. He also had a large deep fryer heating for fish. Katie’s mouth watered, thinking about all the food.
Inside, she greeted Evelyn and Becca, who were also working on food preparation. She left the appetizers in the fridge, found the red, white, and blue tablecloths she and Becca had picked out, and carried them back outside.
Tearing open one of the packages, she spread the tablecloth on the folding table Ethan had just set up. “So, how many people are coming?”
“We typically have around thirty adults, depending on who can make it. I know Bradley and his wife and kids are coming this year. Pastor will be here, so I assume Adam will be too.”
Katie sent him a curious look. “What do you think the vibe will be between him and Becca?”
According to Ethan, Becca had agreed to coffee with Adam on her lunch break on Friday. However, she hadn’t brought it up, and Katie didn’t want to pry.
“Good, I hope. Adam thinks coffee went well. Maybe they’ll have fun together today if she lets her guard down.”
“I hope so.” Katie never wanted to meddle in anyone’s business, especially not where relationships were concerned, but she did think Adam would be good for Becca if she gave them a chance. They’d make a cute couple. But she’d keep those thoughts to herself. Becca didn’t need any pressure, considering everything she’d been through.
A few minutes later, Joel’s navy blue minivan pulled up to the house, barely coming to a standstill before the oldest kids jumped out. Katie laughed at the way their excited chatter already filled the air. Sharing a smile, she and Ethan walked to the van to see if they needed help carrying things.
Naomi handed Katie two delicious-looking cherry pies and grabbed Jackson. Meanwhile, the men gathered camp chairs, lawn games, bags of chips, and various other items. Megan, Taylor, and Harper were the next to arrive. Before long, the Harts’ backyard filled up with people and laughter.
As the men congregated around the grill, Katie helped the women organize the food on the tables. As soon as they were ready, Joel called all the kids to the tables, where Tom prayed over the meal. A line formed for everyone to fill their plates. Katie hung back, not wanting to jump in first when there were so many guests, but Ethan caught her eye and motioned to her.
He handed her a paper plate as she joined him in line. “Just a heads up, if there’s any left when we get there, make sure you take a piece of Naomi’s pie. It’s to die for.”
“Oh, I will. I was already eyeing them up when they got here.”
Ethan glanced around and then gestured farther up the line. “That bodes well.”
Katie scanned the guests ahead of them and realized Becca and Adam stood in line together and were actually talking. Though Becca’s demeanor appeared tentative, it wasn’t closed off. Hopefully, it meant the beginning of a rekindled friendship, at least.
When they reached the food tables, she filled her plate. She tried to keep her portions small so she could try everything. The dessert table made it more challenging. There was so much to choose from, including an apple pie Adam’s mom had brought, forcing her to choose between it and the cherry. She didn’t want to take more than one slice with so many other people. Ethan must have realized her dilemma.
“How about this: you take the cherry, and I’ll take an apple we can share?”
She shook her head. “I won’t make you share your slice of pie with me. If anything, we’ll both share.”
Ethan accepted this compromise, and they carried their full plates to one of the picnic tables, where there was just enough room left for them to squeeze in.
Ethan didn’t remember the last time he’d eaten so much food. Even Thanksgiving didn’t compare to the spread they had today. Once everyone had eaten more than their fill, groups formed for different lawn games. He particularly enjoyed a couple of rounds of corn hole with Katie, Becca, and Adam. The kids took to the water almost immediately, and he was happy to join them after the food settled. This turned into a competition to see who could do the best cannonball off the end of the dock. Ethan managed to rope Joel, Adam, Bradley, and some other men into it, though they couldn’t settle on a definitive winner.
When Katie and Becca brought out the stickers, the kids flocked around them. The boys wanted stickers arranged around their eyes like superhero masks, and Katie and Becca happily obliged. Of course, Charlie wanted the same. Katie did as requested but with more flair. Charlie squealed when Katie held up a mirror so she could see her handiwork. His niece then raced off to where the boys appeared to be reenacting their favorite superhero battles.
Watching her play with them reminded Ethan of Katie when they were young. The most significant difference was that a stable home life and loving parents had given Charlie much more confidence. But Katie’s confidence was growing. He had seen it happen over the last two months. She was not the same as when he’d first found her standing in the parking lot at the funeral. While it hadn’t been easy, she’d found where she belonged and could allow that confidence to grow.
Ethan smiled as he watched her until someone came up alongside him. He snapped his attention to Bradley, who glanced at Katie before facing Ethan fully.
“We brought that toy you wanted. We even found all three kittens—a miracle after the move. Want to go grab it?”
“Yeah, sure. Thanks.”
They walked toward the vehicles lining the driveway, stopping at a red van. Bradley opened the back and pulled out a paper bag. “Just be aware, it’s been well loved by two generations of Hart kids. It’s not exactly in pristine condition, but Heidi spent some time getting it cleaned up as best she could.”
Ethan took it from him. “Considering it’s the same one from our childhood, I’m sure Katie won’t mind. Are you sure you guys are willing to part with it?”
“I’m sure. I think it means more to Katie than to us.”
Ethan opened the bag to peek inside and smiled. While it didn’t stick in his memory like it had for Katie, it did look familiar. The mama cat was a gray tabby, and the three kittens were gray, black, and white. The white one was missing most of its felt tail and only had half an ear, but it was the sentimental value of the toy that mattered. “I can’t believe you guys still had it.”
“Well, I’m glad it’s going to someone who has an attachment to it rather than just donating it to a thrift store once the kids have outgrown it.”
“I know she’s going to love it.”
Bradley closed the hatch. “You two seemed close at the wedding. I noticed you dancing.”
Ethan held back a wince. He should have been more aware of who was watching at the wedding. It wasn’t a position he should have put himself or Katie in. Of course, people would notice and talk. “We’re just friends.”
His cousin eyed him skeptically. “Are you sure about that?”
“She is.”
Bradley grunted. “Sorry.”
“It is what it is. As long as we’re friends, I’m happy.” Sure, it hurt sometimes—enough to make it hard to breathe—but it was a price he was willing to pay to preserve their friendship. “I guess I better run this to the cabin.”
Bradley nodded and thumped him on the shoulder as he turned to rejoin the group in the backyard.
After stowing the present safely in the cabin, Ethan hurried back. He’d just rounded the porch when Megan called to him.
“You better hurry if you want ice cream.”
Everyone had gathered around one table, where Mom and Dad brought out three gallons of The Ice Shack ice cream. Ethan made sure one flavor his dad picked up was blue moon. Most of the kids loved it, but he’d wanted it to be special for Katie too. While she seemed okay since the breakup, he hoped today would be nothing but fun for her. So far, she looked to be enjoying herself immensely, her smile bright and carefree.
Sure enough, she took a cup of the blue moon when it was her turn. He did the same, and they walked over to where the kids gathered. Each rowdily exclaimed their favorite flavors and shared what they liked and disliked about each other’s choices. When Marshall got a little too loud and insistent with his opinions, Ethan scooped a bit of ice cream onto his spoon and reached out to dab it on his nephew’s nose.
Marshall sputtered. “What? Hey!”
Ethan laughed as his nephew’s eyes first went wide before narrowing. Marshall scooped a spoonful of ice cream out of his cup and raised it. Ethan sidestepped as he tried to fling it at him. Katie yelped when it nearly hit her.
“Oh no, I’m not getting in the middle of this.” She ducked away as the rest of the kids started hooting and hollering.
Marshall dug his spoon in for another scoop, but before he could send the icy glob flying, Joel stepped in.
“All right, that’s enough. We’re not having an ice cream fight.”
Marshall looked at him aghast. “But Dad! Uncle Ethan started it!”
Joel sent Ethan a stern look. “No ice cream fight.”
“Killjoy. You’re ruining my vibe as the fun uncle.”
“You’re not the one who has to get them all cleaned up afterward.”
Ethan waved his hand toward the dock. “Just throw them in the lake. What’s the big deal?”
Joel’s expression remained unamused, but then he halfway relented. “That’s not a bad idea. Still, no ice cream fight. Honestly, I’m not sure how you ever got put in charge of the teens at church.”
Ethan pretended to be offended. “What are you talking about? I’m great with kids.” He turned to walk back over to Katie, but as soon as his brother wasn’t paying attention, he dabbed a bit of ice cream on Joel’s ear. Joel hunched his shoulders at the cold and swiped it with his hand.
“Ethan!”
This drew uproarious laughter from the kids and some adults, particularly Megan. But Katie’s laughter was the real delight and totally worth annoying his brother for.