Feels Like Summertime(49)

“Take the baby stuff with you.”

She grins. “Well, it’s not like you have much use for it.”

I don’t tell her about Katie. The feeling of calmness between us is too new. It’s too raw. I don’t want to break it. I don’t want to rip the bandage off a second time. “True.” I turn in a circle, staring out over the water. “I think it hurt me more losing Fred than it did losing you,” I admit. Then I wince, because I know that sounds crass and intentionally hurtful.

“Well, that should tell us both something.”

“I want you to be happy,” I tell her.

“I want that for you too, Jake. I want you to find someone who fills up all your empty places.”

“Does Fred fill yours?”

She smiles. “Yeah, I think he does.”

Katie and her family fill mine. I never realized I had any until now.

I see a familiar head of red hair coming toward us, and recognize Fred. I’d know his lumbering gait anywhere. In his arms, he’s holding a baby with the same shockingly-red hair. He stops at the end of the dock.

“Is it okay if he comes to say hi?” Laura asks.

“Yeah,” I say. “The more the merrier.”

She motions him forward.

He walks forward slowly and carefully. “Jake,” he says.

“Fred,” I reply.

But then his daughter starts to jump in his arms and she throws her pudgy little body toward her mother. Laura catches her as the little girl falls toward her. I can’t help but smile.

“What did you name her?” I ask.

“Patricia, after my grandmother,” Laura says.

I clap my hands in front of her, and she leans toward me. “Can I hold her?” I ask as I slide my hands under her armpits.

“You’re not going to throw her in the lake or anything, are you?” Laura asks.

“Not unless she’s wearing a life preserver,” I say. I take her weight and set her on my hip. “She’s a lump.” She’s a lot bigger than Hank. I look at Fred. “She looks like you.”

“Some girls have all the luck.” He pretends to polish his knuckles on his shirt.

“She’s really beautiful,” I tell him. “Congratulations.” I hitch Patricia onto my other hip and extend my hand. He takes it warily.

“Thanks,” he says. “Jake—” Then he stops and shakes his head. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, buddy,” I tell him. “It all worked out.”

He nods. “Okay.”

“I’m not sorry I beat you up.”

“I deserved it.”

“You did.”

Fred looks off toward the distance. He sees a girl walking toward us. “God, that girl looks just like Katie,” he whispers almost to himself. He shakes his head.

“I know, right?” I reply.

Fred points. “Is that…?” He looks at me.

Katie stands at the end of the dock with Gabby. “The younger one is Katie’s daughter. She looks just like her. Katie has three more kids, too. She’s been here all summer.” My face suddenly gets hot and I hate it.

Fred arches a brow at me. “All summer?” He grins.

“Yeah.” I kick a shell off the edge of the dock. It plunks into the water.

“And?” Fred prompts.

“And I think I’m going to ask her to marry me.”

Laura sucks in a breath.

“I didn’t say that to hurt you,” I rush to explain.

Her eyes fill up with tears and she lays a hand on my arm. “It’s okay, Jake. I want you to be happy.”

Fred runs toward Katie, swooping her up as she throws her arms around his neck. He spins her around.

“That one’s mine!” I yell at them. Katie scowls at me over Fred’s shoulder until he sets her on her feet.

Fred flips me the bird.

Laura takes the baby from me and laughs uncomfortably. Another dead fish on the dock.

I look at Laura and her daughter. “And you two, you’re his.” I lean over and kiss Laura on the forehead. “We’re going to be okay,” I tell her.

Laura nods and wipes a tear from her cheek. “Yeah. I know.”





40





Katie





I stood on the path leading down to the water and watched as Jake talked with his wife. I watched him as he pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and I watched as he shook hands with Freddy. I could almost feel his pain from here. But even more than that, I could feel his relief.

“You should go down there,” Dad says to me.

I shake my head. “Probably not.” But I really, really want to.

“So, you’re mad at him because he was married to someone else?”

“Technically, he’s still married to someone else.” And she’s right there, in the flesh. Flesh that he’s been inside. Flesh that he loved at one point.

Dad nods toward the water. “Looks like he just finished tying that loose string up.”

I gnaw on my lower lip. “You think I should walk down there?”

“I think you’d be stupid not to. And I didn’t raise any stupid daughters.”