A Stroke Of Magic Part 13

"I second that sentiment," Ethan said.

"It's nice to see you," I offered. "And Chloe's right. I love the flowers."

Shelby blushed as she motioned us inside. "Well, thank you. And welcome. Grant's playing with the grill. He can't seem to get it fired up." Her eyes twinkled. "I'm sure he'll figure it out. Eventually."

We trailed behind her. Hardwood floors graced the entryway and hall, gleaming as if they'd just been polished. The hallway opened up into a large and airy kitchen. The floor, counters, and appliances were all white, but baskets of dried flowers, pictures, and candles placed throughout made the room warm and inviting.

Shelby nodded toward the sliding door on the other side of the kitchen. "Grant's out back. Come say hi, so he doesn't think we're ignoring him."

As soon as we stepped outside, Grant quit fussing with the k.n.o.b on the grill and stood straight. His smile was wide, sincere. After the introductions were complete, we all stood in a slightly awkward half circle. I tried to think of something to say or do that would break the ice. Sadly, I came up blank.

Grant stepped up. Turning to Chloe, he said, "It's great meeting Shelby's friends from high school. You've known each other for a while, right?"

Chloe blinked. I nudged her. Inconspicuously, of course. "Um. We met in grade school, actually."

"Over a game of hopscotch. Remember?" Shelby asked, trying to follow her husband's lead.

That pulled a grin from Chloe. "That's right. We kicked b.u.t.t."

But then the silence returned, and I shifted from one foot to another. Man, the rest of the day was going to be painful if something didn't change. I tried drawing attention to the covered pool in the very back of the yard. "Hey, that's a great pool."

"Thanks!" Grant said. "Too bad it's not warm enough today to enjoy it. You'll have to come later in the summer when it's hot enough to use. Isn't that right, Shel?"

"Oh, yes! That would be fun!" But then came more silence. Shelby fidgeted, as if trying to find something else to say. It didn't seem like she came up with anything. "Okay, you guys chat. I need to finish up the potato salad. Let me know if you need anything."

"I'll get them whatever they need, hon," Grant promised. "Maybe Chloe can help you in the kitchen? That way you two can catch up. Since it's been such a long time." He winked at my friend. "You don't mind, do you?"

Humor at the ludicrousness of the whole situation bubbled up inside me. I fought it. However, as Chloe hadn't yet responded, I tilted my head toward the kitchen. "That's a great idea! Go catch up. We'll be fine out here."

She sent me a look that told me exactly how unhappy she was, but she nodded and played along. "Sure. I'm happy to help."

When Shelby and Chloe were gone, Grant gave me a look. I grinned, realizing what he'd done. "Remind me never to get on your bad side. You're a little sneaky."

"Not so much sneaky as proactive. Shel's been worried about talking to her, and I'm guessing by Chloe's reaction that she's had the same worries. Might as well let them hash it out so we can have a good day." He grimaced at the grill. "Of course, we might not be eating if I can't fix this."

"Shelby said it's not firing up. No idea what's wrong with it?" Ethan shoved his hands in his pockets even as a gleam of interest whisked over him. I knew what that meant: the male bonding ritual was about to take place. I took a step backward.

"We haven't used it yet this year, and it's not cooperating." Grant scratched his head. "Do you know anything about propane grills?"

"Nope, but we can probably figure it out. How hard can it be?"

In seconds, they were engrossed in the nonfunctioning grill, not much different from two little boys playing with a really cool toy. While it was kind of cute, I wasn't sure what to do, myself. Going inside and interrupting whatever conversation Chloe and Shelby were embroiled in was a bad idea, but standing too close to two men s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g around with flammable objects held no appeal, either. After all, both had the possibility of exploding in my face.

I settled for sitting at the long table on the far end of the deck. It was enough of a distance away to offer me some safety, and for the moment I let myself relax and enjoy my surroundings. The backyard was as well taken care of as the front. What would it be like to live in a home like this, with a husband and two babies on the way? The thought of it was so far out of my realm of reality that I couldn't decide if it was something I'd want or not.

The husband part was easy, because if the guy was right, I could definitely do the marriage thing-I didn't have any doubts about that. Rather, it was the house part, the yard part, the living the so-called American dream part. For most of my life, I hadn't wanted those things. I loved living in the city, so even moving to Grandma Verda's condo had taken some getting used to.

But this? I tried to imagine myself in Shelby's place. Tried to see myself coming home every day to her neighborhood, to this house and everything that came with it. I couldn't. And what did that say about me? I was having a kid; shouldn't I want this stuff?

"h.e.l.lo, beautiful." An unknown voice interrupted my musings, followed by a long, slow whistle.

I blinked, pushed everything away and brought myself back to the real world. A man stood in front of me. My eyes whisked over him, taking in his appearance in one full sweep. His black jeans were a smidge too tight, as was his black T-shirt. And I don't mean in a hot, s.e.xy way, either. More like he wore clothing two sizes too small. Not much taller than me-I'd put him at about five feet ten inches. He had light brown hair, light eyes, sungla.s.ses pushed up on top of his head, and a million-watt smile. Sadly, no third eye or hairy mole. Kyle Ackers had arrived.

Apparently, I'd taken too long to respond, because he whistled again. "I'm talking to you, gorgeous."

Pursing my lips so I wouldn't laugh, I nodded. "Hi, Kyle. Did you just get here?"

He pulled out a chair and sat down. White teeth gleamed in another light-bulb smile. "Yep. Came in through the garage. You're...Alice, right?"

"Right."

Kyle stared at me, as if trying to find my face in his memory. "We dated? I'm sorry, but I don't recall going out with you. Though you do look a little familiar." His grin faded to something more realistic, if a little sheepish.

"Oh, no. We never dated." d.a.m.n it. Shelby had obviously forgotten to correct that bit of information.

"I thought Shelby said we did. That's why she was so up on us getting together again." He winked. "Not that I mind. You're a doll."

Yeah. Doll. Whatever. "She was mistaken. You dated my friend Chloe. For almost two years. In high school."

"Chloe Nichols?" He slapped his forehead. His sungla.s.ses nearly fell off, but he caught them and set them on the table. "Now I remember you! You're Alice Raymond!" Another whistle. "Wow. You look really good."

I fidgeted again. "Um...thank you." There was no way he didn't remember me. Unless he'd had a brain injury in the last decade. Which, taking his current behavior into account, was entirely possible. "Chloe's actually here. Right now. In the kitchen." I motioned in the general direction, hoping he'd get a clue and go find her. Because Kyle did nothing for me. Nothing at all. Which should have relieved me, but it didn't. For that to happen, I'd need to see his shoulder.

He either ignored the hint about Chloe or didn't realize it was a hint, because he leaned back in the chair and put his hands behind his head. As if he planned on staying a while. Lucky me.

"Cool. Shelby said you're pregnant and the dad isn't involved. That must be wild."

"Yes. Wild," I concurred. Quirking my head to the side, I tried to catch Ethan's gaze but didn't manage. He appeared heavily focused on the little tube thing that ran from the propane tank to the grill. Grant was messing with the k.n.o.b again. I scooted my chair a little farther back. For safety reasons.

"What do you do for a living? You could be a model. Or an actress." Kyle leaned over the side of his chair and peered under the table. "Definitely a model. You have the legs for it."

"I'm wearing jeans. You can't see my legs."

"But they're long. Long enough to be a model."

"Well, I'm not. But thanks. I think. I'm an artist at an advertising company." I nodded toward Ethan. "See that guy over there with Grant? I work with him. He came here with me today." Another hint. Another hint that Kyle let slip right by.

"Cool," he said again. "Have you thought about modeling? Stand up and spin around."

Was this guy for real? "No, thanks."

"Aw, come on." He stood and then, before I realized what he was doing, pulled me to my feet. "There, just spin around. Let me see what you got."

"If I spin, I'll get dizzy." I returned to my seat. "Did you hear me say that Chloe's inside? I bet she'd like to say hi." I curled my fingers into a fist, so I wouldn't wave him off like you do a pesky insect.

"I definitely want to see her, but let's talk more. Shelby hooked us up, and I don't want to annoy her. Ever since she's been pregnant, ticking her off isn't a good idea." Rubbing his arm with his other hand, he shrugged. "She has a solid punch."

Now here was an image I enjoyed. My lips twitched. "You probably deserved it. What did you do?"

"I didn't say I didn't deserve it." He picked his chair up and set it down at an angle. Resuming his seat, he stretched his legs out, crossing them at his ankles. "I stopped by last week with tickets to a ball game. Thought me and Grant could go, have a few beers, hang out for a few hours. He was stuck at work."

"That's it?"

"Nah. I hadn't seen her in a while, and-" He fiddled with his sungla.s.ses. "There should be a manual that tells guys what not to say to pregnant women."

I gave in and grinned. "What did you say?"

His eyes shifted away from mine. "Are you gonna punch me too?"

I laughed. Okay, so the guy wasn't my type, but he wasn't all bad. "Maybe," I admitted. "Because if it had to do with her size, you're in trouble. You can't talk about a woman's size ever. Especially when she's pregnant."

"Like I said. There should be a manual."

A flicker of movement caught my attention. Chloe and Shelby approached from behind Kyle, but he didn't see them. "Come on-'fess up. Why'd she punch you?" I asked again.

"He wanted to know if I had to have the dress I was wearing specially made," Shelby said, stopping next to Kyle. "To cover my-what was it you said? Girth?" She squeezed his shoulders, leaned over and kissed the top of his head. "This guy is good at heart, but has some lessons to learn."

Kyle smiled the first real smile I'd seen yet. He reached one of his hands up and tugged at Shelby's hair. "Hey. I'm learning. You feeling okay?"

"I am." Shelby took the chair next to Kyle and motioned to Chloe. She rounded the table and pulled out the chair on the other side of me, directly across from him.

I noticed the two women seemed more relaxed around each other. Good. Chloe's eyes skirted over Kyle, and she gave sort of a half smile. He didn't notice; his attention was still on Shelby.

With a grin, Shelby asked, "Hey, Kyle, have you told them about your work with Habitat for Humanity?"

Kyle shifted uneasily in his chair, and then shrugged. "Nope."

"You work for Habitat for Humanity?" I asked.

Shelby shook her head. "No, he's a volunteer. He gives up a ton of his weekends and a chunk of his vacation each year to help build houses for people who need them." She reached over and squeezed his hand. "Aren't you taking off again soon?"

Wow, talk about seeing someone in a different light. Especially because it was something I never, in a million years, would have guessed about Kyle. "Really? Where to?"

Obviously uncomfortable, Kyle slid his sungla.s.ses back on, hiding his eyes. "Two more months. I'm going to New Orleans again." Before I could ask anything else, he nodded toward Grant, and asked Shelby, "He hasn't figured it out yet?"

"Nope, and I'm not positive, but I don't think we filled the tank at the end of last summer."

"I brought another tank like you asked. I left it in the garage. How long are you going to let him play with it?"

She shrugged. "Not much longer. But it'll be better if he figures it out for himself."

"Wait a minute." I laughed. "You're saying the grill isn't broken?"

"I don't think so, but shh. Grant's an engineer, so he tends not to think of the easiest, most obvious solution right away." Shelby grinned conspiratorially. "Besides, he's getting to know Ethan, so it's all good."

Chloe still hadn't said anything, but she also hadn't taken her gaze off of Kyle. I c.o.c.ked my head toward him and gave her the eye, but she ignored me. Deciding to step away for a minute and let Chloe handle this one all on her own, I said, "Shelby, may I use your restroom?"

"Of course. It's the second door on the left, coming from the kitchen."

I excused myself and escaped. I didn't really need to use the restroom, so instead I leaned against the counter in the kitchen. Maybe by the time I got back out there, Chloe and Kyle would have acknowledged each other and actually struck up a conversation.

The sliding door creaked open and Grant stepped in. "Hiding out?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"A little. Why do you think I'm here?" He crossed the room and opened the fridge. "We figured out what was wrong, by the way. I swear we filled that tank last year, but apparently we didn't. Hey, you want a soda or something? I'm getting a beer for the guys and Chloe."

"Kyle brought a propane tank, I guess. He said it was in the garage. And no, thank you. But maybe it will help loosen them up."

He grabbed the beverages. "That's my hope. And yeah, Kyle's hooking up the tank now, so I'll start cooking soon." I trailed after him, thinking I'd reclaim my seat now that I had Ethan to talk to, but Grant stopped me. "Wait here, okay? I'd like to chat with you for a second. I'll be right back."

"Um. Sure." I tried to think of what he might want to say to me, but nothing came to mind.

I didn't have long to wonder. In less than two minutes, he'd returned. Pushing his gla.s.ses up on his nose, he said, "Thank you for being so nice to Shelby. It's been tough lately."

"Oh." Was he being sarcastic? I certainly hadn't been all that nice when I'd originally seen Shelby at the doctor's office. "Um. I don't know if I was that nice, or if I deserve a thank-you. I sort of ignored her. It was a gut reaction."

"But you were willing to give her a chance when she called you. She was so excited that night when I came home." He grabbed a large white platter from a cupboard, placing it on the counter. "It'd be great if Chloe gives her the same chance."

"I can't speak for her. I have no idea how she's feeling at the moment."

"I know. But Shel's a different woman now, and she had reasons for behaving the way she did." He swung his gaze to the door, as if making sure no one was about to walk in. "You comforted her once, a long time ago. I think you guys were in junior high. Do you remember?"

This piqued my curiosity. I thought back, tried to bring forth whatever moment Grant was referring to, but nothing came to me. "I don't. I'm sorry."

"She was crying. You found her in the restroom, and you asked her what was wrong," he offered. "Does that ring any bells?"

Suddenly, the memory returned. How had I forgotten? Had I even realized that was Shelby? "Oh my G.o.d. Now I remember. Her dad had just moved out. She was upset her parents were getting a divorce." I shook my head. "Wow. I'd pretty much forgotten that."

"Her dad walked away one day and never returned. She hasn't seen or heard from him since," he said, anger evident in each abruptly spoken word. "She was young. Confused."

"I had no idea."

"She missed her dad. She was pretty much alone all the time then, because her mom had to work a couple of jobs to keep the bills paid."

In a flash, I understood what he was getting at. "I'm so sorry."

Grant ran his hand over his face. "Look. I know this doesn't change how she hurt your friend, but I hope it gives you a little insight into her and what she was going through at the time. Shelby is a good person. She just made a lot of mistakes."

A sigh escaped. I felt bad for Shelby. "I hope we can remain friends. But..." Ugh. How to say what I had to?

I didn't have to; Grant understood. "I get it. You're tight with Chloe and she might have issues with this. I hope it works out. Shelby could use a friend. A real one, and not someone who will disappear." He hesitated. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Maybe. Probably. What's the favor?"

"If you decide, for whatever reason, you can't a.s.sociate with Shelby...tell her. Don't just ignore her phone calls. That will just hurt her more. Okay?"

"Of course!" I agreed. "She's a lucky girl. I'm glad she has you." And I was glad. But at that moment, the green-eyed monster roared to life inside of me too. Not over Grant, but because of the love and concern he had for his wife. I didn't think-no, I knew I'd never experienced that with a man outside of my family.