The phone rang. “I’ll get it,” he said. He picked up a pencil and put it in her face. “If you lift anything heavier than this, I’m going to beat you.” Then he turned and left the room.
He has cabin fever, she thought. Spending too much time at home with me, making sure I don’t pick up anything heavier than a pencil. He should get out more, and out of my hair.
When Jack was done with the phone, she was on her knees in front of the hearth, brushing out the barely used fireplace. “Aw, Jesus Christ,” he said in frustration. “Can that not wait until at least frickin’ winter?”
She sat back on her heels. “You are really getting on my last nerve. Don’t you have somewhere you can go?”
“No, but we do. Go shower and get beautiful. Paul and Vanessa are back and after they view the prom couple, they’re going to the bar for dinner. We’ll all meet there, look at some pictures.”
“Great,” she said. “I’m in the mood for a beer.”
“Whatever you want, Melinda,” he said tiredly. “Just stop this frickin’ cleaning.”
“You know I’m not going to be able to do much of this after the baby comes, so it’s good to have it all done. And the way I like it.”
“You’ve always been good at cleaning. Why couldn’t you just cook?” he asked. “You don’t cook anything.”
“You cook.” She smiled. “How many cooks does one house need?”
“Just go shower. You have fireplace ash on your nose.”
“Pain in the ass,” she said to him, getting clumsily to her feet.
“Ditto,” he said.
An hour later the three of them were on their way into town. “So, you did it,” she said. “You got Paul down here staking out his territory. And now they’re together.”
“You should at least give me a little credit for trying to get a couple of people together instead of trying to keep them apart.” Then more softly he added, “Like I did Preacher and Paige, Brie and Mike.”
“I should—apparently it all worked out just fine…” she said a little dreamily, rubbing her hands over her tummy.
“Do you feel all right?” he asked, glancing at her. “You’re a little…pink.”
“I feel fantastic. Probably just the calm before the storm.”
“Probably,” he said. “You do that again tomorrow and I’m tying you down. You make me crazy sometimes.”
“Jack…” She laughed. “When did you get like this? You’re so annoying!”
By the time they got to the bar, Brie and Mike were there and of course Paige and Preacher and Christopher. Doc came in, but before he could get comfortable his pager went off. He made a phone call from the kitchen and headed out for a house call. Next, Vanessa, Paul and the baby, along with a bouncy baby seat, had all arrived. The crowd was treated to digital pictures of Tom and Brenda and another couple all dressed up in their fancy clothes.
“Aw,” Mel said, clicking through the pictures. “Look at how gorgeous they are. Aren’t they the cutest? Don’t they look so in love?”
“So in love,” Vanni said. “I never thought I’d see my little brother like this.”
“Where’s the general?” Mel asked.
Vanni frowned and shook her head. “He said you see enough of him all week when we’re in Grants Pass. He said he’d stay home tonight.”
“Really?” Mel questioned. “I haven’t seen much of him at all lately. In fact, I’ve been wondering what he’s been doing with himself. I assumed he’d had Tom and Brenda for dinner every night.”
“Hardly.” Vanni laughed. “If they can escape the parents, I believe they have important making out to do. Gotta cram in as much of that as possible before Tom leaves, you know.”
“I imagine so,” Mel agreed.
The bar had few customers that evening, so Jack divided his time between the pushed-together tables and his favorite spot behind the bar. Paul drifted up to the bar and said, “You seem a little unhappy tonight. Is it because your wife is about to explode?”
“Nah, that’s only part of it. We got a call from Rick a while ago. He’s got ten days of leave coming up—after which he goes to Iraq.”
“Aw, man. You doing okay?”
“Hanging in there. I mean—we went, right? It’s just that Rick…”
“Feels like a son—and it’s different.”