Summer Plans and Other Disasters

by Karin Beery

  “That looks great,” he said, trying to brush the sawdust off of his hands. “I’m starving.”

  “There’s plenty. Grab some plates, and we can eat out here.” Ryan turned off the grill. He had just piled sizzling meat and vegetables onto the platter when Jack returned with dishes, the salad, and two cans of soda stuffed into his pockets.

  “What’s going on in there? Cal said I could have the bathroom in an hour.”

  “Kyle called.”

  “He did?” Jack sat across from Ryan at the picnic table.

  Ryan lifted an eyebrow. “You didn’t think he would?”

  Jack shrugged. “The guy disappeared for years. I wondered.”

  Having aired their opinions on the Callie-Kyle connection, the two men piled food onto their plates. Ryan filled his mouth then spit the scalding meat back onto his plate.

  Jack roared. Some tourist’s dog barked back.

  “Go ahead. Laugh.” Ryan cracked open a soda and tossed back his head. The cold liquid bubbled over his tongue, easing the pain.

  “I am.” Jack continued to chuckle as he leaned forward, blowing loud, long puffs of air over his dinner.

  Ryan pushed the food around on his plate instead. He was content to let it take its time cooling. The longer it took, the longer he could sit outside, away from Callie and her excitement.

  He wanted to see Callie happy, but he worried about her plan. Not that it was a bad plan, and not that Kyle was a bad guy, but Ryan had been doing some planning of his own, and it started with a talk with Jack.

  Ryan watched his friend shovel food into his mouth. Whereas he hadn’t even started his meal, Jack was already half done. Perfect. A short interruption would let Ryan speak his peace and give Jack’s digestive track a chance to catch up with his mouth.

  Ryan crossed his arms. “I need to talk to you about something.”

  Jack stopped with the fork in his mouth. “‘Bow wha?”

  “About Callie.”

  Jack shook his head so hard that a pepper flew out from between his lips and splattered on the table. He grabbed Ryan’s open soda and chugged half the can. After he swallowed everything, Jack pointed at Ryan. “Not now. I’m not ready for this.” Then he shoveled more food into his mouth.

  Ryan’s shoulders tensed, but he nodded. It wasn’t the best conversation they’d ever had, but it was a start.

  Thousands of screaming fans didn’t drown out the sound of the couple fighting outside the living room window. Ryan grabbed the remote and turned up the volume. The 1998 Rose Bowl had just started replaying on ESPN Classics when the screen door slammed.

  “Jack, they’re showing Michigan’s last Rose Bowl victory,” Ryan said. “You’re right on time. They just started the game.”

  “Not interested.”

  “Callie?” Ryan muted the game, surprised to hear her voice. He could barely see her frowning in the dark dining room. “I thought Kyle was picking you up.”

  “So did I.” She stomped up the steps. “He’s thirty minutes late, and he’s not answering his phone.”

  “Something must’ve come up.”

  She slumped onto the other end of the couch, her eyes locked onto the television. “Unless all of the cell phone towers blew up, there’s no reason he couldn’t call to say he’s running late.”

  “True.”

  She looked at Ryan. The excitement had faded from her eyes. He wanted to tell her it would be okay, but he didn’t have a clue what was going to happen. He decided to stick with what he knew—Callie’s coping techniques.

  “Want some popcorn?”

  Her lips twitched upward but fell again. “I’m not really hungry.”

  “You’ve got to be starving. You didn’t eat dinner.”

  “I was too nervous to eat, and I was afraid to get anything on my clothes.” She smoothed her hands over her sparkly blue top. Ryan never would have imagined how nice the shirt would look on her. He was glad she picked out her own clothes. Clothes that Kyle wouldn’t see, but Ryan could admire.

  He un-muted the television and pushed himself off the couch. “I’m making popcorn anyway, so I’ll pop some extra for you. If Kyle shows up, I’ll give it to Jack.”

  “Where’s Jack?”

  “He had a problem with a dining set he’s making. He’s trying to fix a chair.”

  Callie shook her head then turned to the game. Ryan watched as she propped her elbow on the arm rest, leaning her head against her hand. Her shiny brown hair moved like silk, falling over her shoulder. The fingers on her other hand lightly tapped her leg in varying patterns and motions. “Can I have light butter on my popcorn, please?”

  “Sure.”

  When he returned with a large bowl of lightly buttered popcorn, he noticed Callie had kicked off her shoes and tucked her feet under a pillow. He handed her a napkin, which she took without looking away from the game.

  “Thanks.”

  He set the bowl between them. “Who you rooting for?”

  As he sat back on the couch, Callie looked at him and smiled. “I’ll put fifty bucks on the Wolverines.”

  Ryan shook his head. “Sorry, I never bet against the maize and blue.”

  “That’s a shame. Just between us, they’re going to have a few bad years soon. You might want to pick another horse.”

  “What about you?” Ryan grabbed a handful of popcorn.

  Callie took off her watch and bracelet, then unclasped her earrings and set them on the coffee table. “What about me?”

  “Maybe it’s time to pick a different horse.”

  Her hand stopped in the popcorn. “Huh?”

  Ryan swallowed. “I meant Kyle.”

  “Oh.” She picked up some popcorn and started munching.

  “Yesterday you were going to tell me about your big plan, but then Jack showed up. Want to tell me now?”

  “The game’s on,” she said, dropping popcorn on the floor as she waved at the television.

  “Michigan wins, 21-16.”

  Callie chuckled. “Way to ruin it for me.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  She picked up her watch then sighed. “It looks like I’m staying home tonight.” She swung her feet off the couch. “Let me change, then I’ll tell you all about it.”

  Callie adjusted her cotton pajama bottoms before pulling her hair back into a loose bun. She looked at herself in the mirror and shrugged. The faded pink and purple polka dotted shorts and t-shirt didn’t flatter her figure, but they were comfortable, and Ryan wouldn’t care. He’d seen her in a Strawberry Shortcake nightgown when they were kids. Anything was an improvement over that.

  She opened the bedroom door and trotted into the living room, her stomach growling. “Thanks for the popcorn.” She plopped onto the couch. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was.” She grabbed another handful and shoved it all into her mouth.

  Ryan laughed.

  She tried to smile. “Wha?” A few kernels rolled out of her mouth.

  “Nothing. You were saying?”

  Callie nodded. She chewed fast and forced the buttery goodness down her throat before helping herself to some more. “Mike proposed.”

  Ryan stopped mid-toss. His eyes widened. “You’re engaged?”

  “No, absolutely not.” She shook her head for emphasis. “I had been dating Mike for about six months, and out of nowhere, he popped the question.”

  “And you didn’t see it coming?”

  “No. When we started dating, we agreed to be casual. We both just wanted someone to hang out with, to watch movies and go to dinner. I told him I didn’t want anything serious, and I thought he agreed, but then he got down on one knee.” Callie shook her head again as she ate another mouthful of food. “I thought we were fine. We’d kissed a couple of times, but I kept it appropriate. I had no idea he felt that st
rongly. Having to say no to him was awful.”

  Ryan finished his interrupted popcorn toss before facing her. “So Mike proposed, and you decided you want to be with Kyle?”

  She shook her head. “I stopped seeing Mike immediately, and I apologized profusely. Then, I went back to my apartment and prayed like crazy. I wanted to know what I’d done wrong. Every time I prayed, I thought about Traverse City, so I pulled out my yearbooks and photo albums. After looking through half of them, I knew I needed to come back for the summer.”

  “And how does Kyle fit into this?”

  The heat in her cheeks intensified. “I turned to our senior prom pictures and … I don’t know how to explain it. All of the memories and emotions came rushing back. The more I thought about coming back here, the more I thought about seeing Kyle again. And the more I thought about seeing him, the more I doubted our break up.”

  Ryan munched some more. “Why?”

  Callie licked her lips. “Jack never told you?”

  “Not girls, Cal.”

  She shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. “Kyle and I started dating after prom and dated through most of college, but I didn’t want to get married right after graduation. I wanted time to get a job and start my life. I was scared he was going to propose, and I didn’t want to say no. And I certainly didn’t want to get married, so I dumped him.” Guilt pressed in on her, and she squirmed some more. “I never talked to him about it, though. I didn’t explain anything. I’m not proud of it now, but that’s why I’m here.”

  “To explain things?”

  “And, I hope, to get another chance.”

  Ryan scratched his chin. “You’re sure?”

  “I think so.” Callie settled deeper into her corner of the couch and helped herself to more popcorn. “I found an old photo album and saw a picture from when we used to have that Bible study in my parents’ basement. Remember that?”

  Ryan nodded, watching her.

  “I found a picture from one of those nights and, well, I don’t really know what happened, but I couldn’t wait to come here. I just knew this was where I needed to be, so here I am.”

  “To ask Kyle out. What about your rules? I thought you never asked guys out.”

  “I don’t.”

  Ryan’s brow lifted. “So, how is this going to work? Do you even know if Kyle is interested?”

  She flinched. “That was harsh.” But also, her deepest fear.

  “I didn’t mean to be. I’m just looking at this from his point of view.” Ryan draped an arm over the back of the couch, angling himself toward her. “You want to go out, but you won’t ask him out. I’m wondering how this is going to work. Are you sure about this?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Callie pushed herself up, crossing her arms and straightening her spine. “It’s not like I heard the audible voice of God commanding me to Traverse City, but I know what I felt here,” she said, clenching a fist and pressing it against her stomach. “Whenever I looked at that picture, when I thought about coming home, I felt peace. When Kyle and I broke up, he said he’d always be here. I’m assuming he meant it.”

  “I wasn’t trying to be mean, Callie. It’s just that you haven’t seen him in three years. People change.”

  Ryan looked at Callie, and she studied him. He was still her brother’s best friend. Still a good guy. Still handsome, with blue eyes that she envied. Ryan hadn’t changed much, but she had. That gave Kyle a fifty-fifty chance.

  She nodded. “I know people change. I’ll just have to make sure he knows that I’m here and see what happens.”

  “That doesn’t worry you?”

  “Of course it does.” Her heart pounded in her chest. A commercial blared from the television. She picked at one of the polka dots on her shorts. “I worry every day that we’ve changed too much, but I know what I need to do.” She once again straightened in her seat. “This is the next step of the plan. I’m sure of it.”

  Grabbing another handful of popcorn, Callie refocused on the game. The announcers replayed and discussed an earlier play, but her mind was in the past at a Bible study in a basement. She could hear Ryan’s prayer, and her heart skipped when she remembered Kyle repeating the words. It had only taken a moment for him to accept the Lord. It took him two weeks before he officially asked her out. Callie smiled.

  “Happy thoughts?” Ryan nudged her arm with the popcorn bowl.

  “A nice memory.”

  For the first time in her life, she understood why it had taken Kyle so long to approach her. Nothing scared Callie more than the possibility that he wouldn’t be interested.

  “I hope things work out for you.” Ryan cleared his throat. “You know—”

  Her phone rang.

  Callie lunged for it. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the number. She looked at Ryan and her breath caught again. Kyle was on the phone, but Ryan was right there. Something about that tickled her. Another ring.

  Ryan flicked her shoulder with his finger. “You going to answer that?”

  She swiped the screen. “Hi, Kyle.”

  “Cal, I’m so sorry I’m late. I’m on my way.”

  Callie wavered between relief and anger. “It’s nine-thirty. Why didn’t you call?”

  “My phone was in the car, and I couldn’t remember your number. I’m really sorry. I’ll be there soon.”

  Callie fingered the hem of her worn t-shirt. Her toes tingled at the thought of squeezing back into her nude pumps. The corner of the couch hugged her with a comfortable arm. “It’ll be after ten by the time you get here.” She leaned her head against the puffy cushion. “Maybe we should skip tonight and try it again.”

  “I’d hate doing that. It took us a long time to figure this out. I’m so sorry.”

  She shrugged, even though she knew he couldn’t see her. Her lack of disappointment surprised her, but she didn’t let on. “We can figure something out tomorrow.”

  “Did you want to try again tomorrow night?”

  “We could, but I meant that I’d see you at church. We can figure it out then.”

  Kyle let out a long breath. “I don’t think I’m going to make it to church. We’ve still got a lot to do on this project before Tuesday, so we’re going in to the office again tomorrow.”

  “Oh, okay.” This time the disappointment hit her. She filled her hand with popcorn.

  “Once we finish this project, I’ll have more time, I promise. We should be wrapped up by Tuesday, Wednesday at the latest.”

  She could handle another couple of days, or more. “Okay. I guess we could—” but the line temporarily muted.

  Kyle sighed. “I really need to take this call.” Callie heard a car door slam. “I’m so sorry this didn’t work. I’ll give you a call later this week.”

  And the call ended.

  Callie kept the phone to her ear, just in case she’d missed something. She stared into Jack’s office and listened. All she heard was the kitchen door open and close.

  “Oh, great! Popcorn.” Jack strode into the living room, picked up the bowl, then crashed onto the couch between Callie and Ryan. “What are we watching?”

  She set down her phone. Leaning back, she pressed into the couch until she could see behind her brother’s head. Ryan was watching her.

  “So?” He mouthed.

  She shrugged.

  He winked.

  She smiled. Then she stretched her legs out, swiveling to rest them on Jack’s knee.

  His face contorted, which made her laugh.

  Watching football and eating popcorn wasn’t in the plan, but she couldn’t complain about her first Saturday night at home.

  Jack looked at his sister as Ryan pulled into the church parking lot. She sat silently in the back seat. Hadn’t said a word since they left the lighthouse. It finally hit him why. Her eyes were dro
oping, and her shoulders sagged. “You look tired.”

  Callie glared at him as she climbed out. “Thanks.” She slammed the Jeep door. He cringed.

  “Don’t take it out on my car.” Ryan climbed out of the vehicle and nudged his door closed.

  Jack shook his head. “I wasn’t trying to be mean, Cal. I was just trying to start a conversation.” He just didn’t know what else to say. She’d gotten up at least three times during the night, banging around in the living room each time, and hadn’t teased him all morning.

  “Now?” She looked at him like he’d just grown a third arm. “We had forty minutes in the car, and you wait until we’re in the church parking lot?”

  Women. The only thing Callie ever wanted to do was talk, and now she was upset that he was trying? “Forget it then.” He walked past her. Twenty-seven years, and he still hadn’t figured out how to talk to her. She didn’t make sense.

  Ryan jogged up to Jack. “Play nice, kids. We’re at church, after all.”

  Callie laughed, stepping next to her brother and squeezing his arm. Her fingernails tickled his skin.

  First, she was mad—now, she was tickling him. Jack shook his head again. “You’re nuts.” He poked her in the ribs. She giggled. He still didn’t know what had happened, but at least she was feeling better. Big Brother did it again.

  The trio had just stepped into the climate-controlled foyer when he heard it. That voice. High pitched. Twittering. Like Beaker from the Muppets. Then Jack saw her. As she chattered with a group of people, her hair shone against her back. She never wore a ponytail to church. He liked that about her.

  Stacey, the golden-haired Muppet.

  “Hey, Stacey!”

  Callie’s voice echoed through the foyer.

  Jack sucked in a deep breath.

  Stacey turned. She smiled. Her eyes matched the pale green color of her shirt. It reminded Jack of oxidized copper, but softer. As she walked toward them, her skirt brushed across her knees.