“These will help for sure,” Megan said as she took the measuring cup and funnel from Ida. A honeybee, drawn in by the sweet smell, buzzed in a circle around her. “We should be good to go now.”
“Yell if you need something. I’ve got a chicken pot pie in the oven, and I’m finishing the salad. And will tea do, or would you like lemonade?”
Kelsey and Megan exchanged looks of agreement. The sticky honey on their fingers and the pleasant scent in the air would be all the sweet they’d need. “Tea’s fine,” they said in unison.
“Kels,” Megan said after Ida had headed back inside, “I want you to know that if I was having a traditional wedding, you’d be a bridesmaid for sure. Honestly, it’d just be you and Ashley, and Sophie and Tess for the little ones. I never wanted a big wedding, though I never considered whisking away to a private island either. It still feels a bit surreal.”
“Everything about your life is surreal.” Kelsey couldn’t help but shoot a wistful glance next door. Kurt and his grandfather were inside, and an electric saw and a drill pierced the quiet afternoon at sporadic intervals.
Prior to this rehab, she’d have sworn her life was close to perfect, even if she wasn’t sharing it with a committed partner. But then Kurt had shown up and stirred up a wild mess of emotions, and one thing had become clear. Despite any lingering insecurities or uncertainties, she wanted him in her life. And not only in her life. She wanted him to comprise a giant, integral, life-wouldn’t-be-the-same-without-you part of her life.
Lately, he’d been really reserved. Worse than reserved. Withdrawn. Then this morning while they were working with the dogs, she’d closed her hand over the back of his arm, and it had seemed as if he’d stiffened at her touch. She put it off to his level of focus when working with the dogs. Immediately after all the animals were taken care of, his grandfather arrived and the two of them dove into ceiling repairs on the second floor of the house.
She wished she’d had a few minutes with Kurt first, minutes where something else wasn’t demanding his attention. Last night, he’d scarcely seemed interested in their good-night kiss. She’d put it down to exhaustion, but added to what had happened this morning, she wasn’t sure.
“What’s up, Kels?” Megan was suddenly all attention. Kelsey’s thoughts must have been readable on her face.
She gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I wish I could say. Kurt’s been a little weird lately, but I think he’s just tired. All he does is work. And I’m not kidding when I say that. I’ve never met anyone with his drive. In between one tiring chore to the next, sometimes he even sneaks into the attic to do pull-ups with the rafters.”
Megan laughed at the last part. “Well, considering the work you and everybody around puts into the shelter, that’s saying something. Maybe he needs some guidance from you on how to relax. I’m glad you’re bringing him to the reception. I can’t say my short trips here have helped me get to know him. As long as you believe in him though, that’s what matters. That and he truly gets what an amazing person he’s hooking up with.”
“I certainly won’t tell you he’s easy to get to know, but he’s a really good guy, Megan. His softer side is cinnamon-roll soft. It’s just covered by prickly pear cactus.”
“There’s a good visual.” From her purse stowed underneath the table, Megan’s phone rang out with its fun, chirpy beat. “Good thing I cleaned my hands.” She leaned sideways a bit less fluidly than pre-pregnant Megan. It’s Patrick, she mouthed before saying hello.
Kelsey was getting the next pot ready when, after a bit of silence, Megan interjected with “That’s horrible. How sad. Where did you hear this?”
Kelsey waited, watching Megan’s expression for the level of tension lining her face—which expressed deep concern—until she hung up a few minutes later.
“You won’t believe this, Kels.” Megan dropped her phone on the table and let out a sigh. “Patrick heard on the radio that Mason Redding was in a car wreck last night. They announced he wouldn’t be able to play in the playoffs if the Red Birds win tomorrow’s last game. He’s got a broken collarbone and a concussion.”
Kelsey’s jaw fell open in disbelief. After his wonderful donation, he wasn’t only a high-profile baseball player that the shelter staff had had a brush of fame with. He was a great guy. Having met him and been moved by his sincerity and kindness, Kelsey felt this news much more personally than she would have otherwise. She suspected Megan and Patrick did too.
“That’s so sad.” She pulled out her phone and read the story that Channel 3 had posted. She gasped at the picture of an overturned, mangled SUV that had been tossed up on a grassy hillside by Highway 40. In the background were flares, several police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks. It had clearly been a serious crash. Kelsey skimmed the article and saw that Mason had been in the backseat. The article stated that while all passengers had been
