LOST AND FOUND HUSBAND

by Sheri WhiteFeather

  “You won’t be at a loss for things to talk about.” He knew how much work went into a wedding.

  “No doubt we’ll be jabbering away.”

  “That’s what girls usually do.” And his daughter and his future bride were close enough in age to relate to each other. Eric was the odd guy out. Or more like the old guy out. He wasn’t ancient, but compared to Dana and Kaley, he might as well be.

  Dana said, “I’ll do my best to keep it simple and cost-efficient, with just family and a few friends.”

  “As long as you make it nice for yourself.”

  “And for you, too.”

  “I’m sure you’ll make it nice for both of us.”

  “Do you want to shop for the rings now?” she asked. “I think it would be fun to get started.”

  “Sure. I’ll get my laptop.” And make their engagement official.

  * * *

  On Sunday, Kaley flitted around Eric’s kitchen, making a tray of finger sandwiches that she paired with store-bought salads and snacks. Eric watched her as she prepared to play hostess. She seemed nervous about meeting Dana.

  “I wish I was a better cook,” she said. “I wish I could make a special lunch for all of us.”

  “You baked cupcakes and cookies last summer.”

  “Because Victoria helped me. I never could have done that on my own. Does Dana cook?”

  He thought about the big, hearty breakfast she’d served him on their morning-after. “Yes.”

  “As well as Victoria?”

  “As far as I can tell.” He’d even given Dana wifely points for her culinary skills.

  “And as good as Mom, too.”

  “Again, as far as I can tell. I’ve only had a couple meals that Victoria fixed and only one that Dana made. Your mom cooked for me all the time.”

  “I’m glad Dana is young. I think it will make her seem less like a stepmom and more like a friend. I don’t need another mother. I had Mom and I have Victoria. Besides, if Dana was your age, you two probably wouldn’t be having a baby. A woman in her forties probably wouldn’t have gotten pregnant that easily.”

  Dana certainly conceived easily. One time. One expired condom. Eric’s head was still reeling with it.

  The doorbell chimed, and Kaley made a little leap into the air. “She’s here.” She pushed him out of the kitchen. “Go get the door.”

  “I’m going.” He glanced back to see his daughter placing the sandwich platter on the table just so. When he opened the door, he couldn’t help noticing how cute Dana looked. She was wearing her hair in a mass of blond waves, with one of her signature silk flowers clipped at her ear.

  “That’s pretty,” he said.

  “It’s a plumeria blossom, like they wear in Hawaii.” She touched the white-and-yellow ornament. “It’s on my left side. See?”

  Yes, he saw. When they first discussed the flowers she routinely wore, she’d told him the right side meant a woman was single and the left side implied that she was taken.

  Should he lean forward and kiss her? Should he acknowledge that she belonged to him? Yes, he should. Not only was it a groom-type thing to do, he wanted to taste the sweetness of her lips. But because he couldn’t quite pull it off, he merely stated the obvious. “You’re taken now.”

  “I’m also pregnant and—” she removed her slip-on shoes and laughed “—barefoot.”

  He shook his head, smiled, wondered how a serious man like himself was going to fare as her husband. He really should have kissed her, but the moment had already passed. “You’re a nut, Dana.”

  “I try.” She put her shoes back on and gazed past him.

  He realized that Kaley must be standing there. He turned around. Sure enough, she was waiting to meet Dana.

  The girls introduced themselves. They even went right for a hug. Kaley put her hand on Dana’s stomach, too.

  “I’m so excited about the baby,” his daughter said. “I love the ultrasound picture you framed. It does look like a bean.”

  “Sweet Bean. Your dad had to convince me that name was okay.”

  “It is. It’s perfect. Which reminds me, I have a gift for you. Hold on, and I’ll go get it.” Kaley made a mad dash for her room and came back with a teddy bear. “It’s a Beanie Baby.” She squished it to showcase the beans that were inside it. “I always thought these were cool because the manufacturer gives them birthdays. This one’s is the same day as when the baby will be due. I went online and used a due date calculator to figure it out.”

  “Oh, my goodness. What a special gift. Thank you.” Dana clutched the bear. “A Beanie Baby for Sweet Bean and with a proposed birthday that matches.”

  “When is the date?” Eric inquired. He was the father, yet he still didn’t know. Like an idiot, he kept forgetting to ask.

  “November nineteenth,” came the simultaneous reply from Dana and Kaley. With a mutual laugh, they said, “Jinx,” afterward.

  Obviously they were getting along wonderfully, and they’d known each other all of a few minutes.

  “Can I see the bear?” he asked.

  Dana gave it to him, and he held the little toy in the palm of his hand. In November, he would be cradling his newborn son or daughter. God, he was scared.

  He knew what raising a child entailed: the love, the exhaustion, the tears, the smiles, the laughter, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the loss of a first tooth, excruciating bouts of the flu, arguments about eating too much junk food and not doing enough homework, laundry that needed washing, handing over the key to your car, prom night, college entrance exams.

  He’d been through it all and now he would be going through it again. Was it any wonder he was scared?

  He glanced at his grown daughter, but she wasn’t paying any attention to him. Her focus was on Dana, and rightly so.

  “Are you hungry?” Kaley asked the pregnant mom. “I made some finger sandwiches. I got some other stuff, too.”

  “That sounds great. I’m always hungry. I didn’t used to be, but I am now. Eating helps me from getting queasy.”

  The three of them went into the dining room. Eric was still holding the bear.

  He didn’t sit at the table. He made up a plate for himself and took it into the living room. Although he could see and hear what was going on, his involvement would be indirect, the way he preferred it.

  He put the bear on the coffee table, and one of his tabbies came out from under the couch to inspect it.

  “So you do have cats,” Dana said, from her vantage point in the dining room. “Candy asked me if I thought you were a dog or cat person. I guessed cats.”

  “We have two,” Kaley supplied, before Eric could respond. “They’re brother and sister, from the same litter. Dad calls them the bougainvillea babies because when they were kittens, they used to hide in the bougainvillea on the patio.”

  Dana said, “Oh, that’s funny. Bougainvillea babies, a Beanie Baby, and a Sweet Bean baby in my belly. We’re besieged by babies.”

  The tabby swatted the teddy bear, then climbed onto Eric’s lap while he ate his food. “For the record, I like dogs, too.”

  “Candy will be glad to hear that. She teaches doga. It’s yoga for dogs. She teaches regular yoga, too. Candy is my landlord and my closet friend,” she explained to Kaley. “When I told her we were going to start making wedding plans, she offered to let us use her place for the ceremony and reception. She suggested it because I want to get married in a setting surrounded by flowers, and she has the most beautiful garden in her yard. My side of the yard has a lovely garden, too.” Dana hesitated, then asked Eric, “Would that location be okay with you?”

  “Yes, of course. It’s fine.” The profusion of flowers definitely fit her. Plus the fountain she adored was there, too.

  “Oh, good. Then that’s
where we’ll have it.” She turned to Kaley. “We can use my little house in the back as the bridal room, where the women in the ceremony can get ready. I want you and Candy to be my bridesmaids.”

  “Thank you. That’s nice. I’d love to be one of your bridesmaids. What date are you aiming for?”

  Dana recited a date that was about a month away and removed a sheet of paper from her purse. “I printed a checklist from the net about how to plan a wedding in thirty days.”

  “This is going to be so much fun.” Kaley got girlish and giddy. “Can I see it?”

  Dana handed over the list and Kaley read the instructions aloud. “Step one is to decide on the location. Yea! That’s already done.” She waited a chipper beat. “Step two is to compile the guest list and prepare the invitations, mailing them as soon as possible. Hmm. We better get cracking on that.” Another quick pause. “Step three is getting your paperwork in order, like the marriage license. It says this should be done by day five.” She shot Eric a glance. “Better look into that, Dad.”

  He lifted his brows. His bossy kid had taken it upon herself to delegate responsibility. But he noticed that Dana didn’t seem to mind. If anything, she looked pleased to have such competent help.

  Kaley spoke again. “Step four is to find a pastor or whoever you’re going to use to deliver the vows. This is when you should hire a photographer, too, and start looking at rings.”

  “We’ve already got that covered,” Dana said. “We ordered the rings on the day I accepted your dad’s proposal. So we can cross that off the list.”

  Kaley made a happy checkmark in the air and forged ahead. “Step five is to choose the wedding party and decide on bridesmaids’ dresses. Then they say to rent the groom’s tux and purchase the bride’s dress. If it was me, I’d look for a dress sooner than step five.”

  Dana responded, “Oh, believe me, I plan to. I’m going to shop at vintage stores.”

  “Really? I love thrifting.”

  “You can shop with me, if you’d like. Maybe we can find vintage bridesmaids dresses, too. Candy can shop with us so we can decide together.”

  “This is so cool.” Kaley bounced in her seat, took a breath and continued. “The final steps are ordering the cake, arranging the food for the reception and paying for the flowers. Of course all of this is supposed to be done simply. You can’t get frilly flowers or a custom-made cake in that short amount of time.”

  Dana remarked, “I intend to keep everything simple, but I want it to be pretty, too.”

  “It will be,” Kaley assured her. “We can even make our own decorations. That will keep the cost down, but still give you the kind of pretty you want.”

  Eric remained quiet. But even so, he was glad that Kaley and Dana were thriving on the festivities.

  He asked Dana, “Have you told your family about us?”

  “Oh, yes, I finally did, and they’re thrilled that I’m going to be a married mom.”

  “Are they concerned about our age difference?”

  “Not at all. In fact, they think me being married to someone in his forties will be good for me. That it will help settle me down.”

  Apparently Eric was the only one who thought the difference was an issue. “I can’t imagine me taming you.”

  Kaley chimed in. “It will probably be more like her pepping you up. I love you more than anyone, Dad. But sometimes you can be a downer.”

  “Gee, thanks. Can we change the subject now?” He didn’t want to talk about what a downer he was.

  Dana changed it. “Have you told your family?” she asked him.

  “Kaley is my family. My parents are gone, and I was an only child. I don’t have any extended family to speak of.”

  “Besides Ryan and Victoria,” Kaley said, reminding him of her birth parents.

  “Yes,” he agreed. “They’ve become like a brother and sister to me. I’m going to ask Ryan to be my best man.” Just as Eric would be Ryan’s best man.

  “Isn’t it crazy?” Kaley remarked. “That you’re getting married before them? Who ever thought that would happen?”

  Not him, that was for sure.

  “Are Ryan and Victoria planning to have more children?” Dana asked.

  “Not for a while,” Eric replied. “Our baby is going to be the only baby for a few years, at least.”

  “My first brother or sister.” Kaley smiled, then reached for a pen and paper. “Who else do you plan to invite to the wedding, Dad, besides Ryan and Victoria?”

  “A few coworkers and some of my powwow and artist friends.” He didn’t socialize much these days. His list would be small. He also needed to hurry up and tell people that he was getting married before the invitations went out. Just one more thing to be nervous about, he thought.

  He glanced at Dana. She didn’t seem nervous. She’d slipped easily into bride mode. The afternoon continued with further wedding discussion, then ended with Dana and Kaley hugging goodbye and promising to get back in touch to arrange a shopping day.

  Eric did his part, offering to pay for everything associated with the ceremony, including the wardrobe and decorations. Dana thanked him with a smile.

  When the time came, he returned the Beanie Baby to her and walked her out to her car.

  “I adore your daughter,” she said, as they stood at the curb. “She’s amazing.”

  “She obviously thinks you’re amazing, too.”

  “It helps that I’m going to be the mother of her brother or sister.”

  “Family is everything to her. But she would have been impressed with you, anyway. You’re easy to like.”

  “So are you.”

  “I used to be easier to like.” He couldn’t blame Kaley for calling him a downer, even if it hurt to hear it.

  “I think you’re doing great, Eric.”

  Not as great as she was. She was charming and optimistic and everything he wasn’t. “I’m not doing as well as you are.”

  “You’re doing the best you can. That’s all that matters.”

  Could she be any more understanding? “You’re going to be a hell of a wife, Dana.”

  She flashed a dazzling smile and cocked both hands on her hips. “So I’m going to be more than just scattered and messy?”

  “Yeah. A lot more.” She was already proving to be a good partner. He reached for the flower at her ear and gave it an affectionate tug.

  Finally, he leaned forward and kissed her. But it was brief and chaste, considering that they were standing in front of his house in the middle of the day. Still, it felt good to taste what he’d been missing.

  Making Eric long for her touch even after she was gone.

  * * *

  The following day, Eric called Ryan. After the usual exchange of greetings, he got right to the point. “I know this is going to come as a shock, but I’m getting married in a month and I wanted to ask you to be my best man.”

  “Wow. Married? You’re right. That is a shock, but it’s wonderful, too. Of course I’ll be your best man. It would be my honor. Who’s the lucky lady you fell in love with?”

  Eric replied with honesty, with the kind of blatancy that made his stomach tense. “I’m not in love with her, and she isn’t in love with me. She’s pregnant and we’re making a go of it for the baby.”

  Stalled silence. Then, “Are you sure that’s the right thing to do?”

  “I think so. It’s the best way for me to be in the baby’s life and provide the support Dana needs.”

  “Dana? Is that your bride’s name?”

  “Yes.” To make sure Ryan understood how important it was to her, he relayed her family history.

  “I can see how that complicates things, but can’t you wait a while to be sure it’s what you should do?”

  “She wants to have the ce
remony before she starts showing. Besides, what difference will a few more months make? I offered to marry her before the baby comes, and that’s what I’m going to do. Kaley and Dana are already planning the wedding.”

  “I guess it’s safe to assume that Dana and Kaley are friends.”

  “They hit it off beautifully and they only met for the first time last night.”

  “Damn. What a whirlwind.”

  “It definitely is. Dana and I only had one date, one night together. We hardly know each other.” The more he revealed, the crazier it sounded. “She’s younger than me, too. I was leery of dating her because of the age difference.”

  “And now you’re marrying her? You’re not stating a very strong case for yourself. Maybe you should postpone it.”

  “I’m not backing out.” He could never do that to Dana or the baby. Nor did he want to. “Dana is going to make a really good wife and mother. I’m the one who needs to work on being prepared.”

  “That’s just my point. My first marriage didn’t work, as you well know.”

  Yes, Eric knew that Ryan was divorced, but it wasn’t the same scenario. “You didn’t marry her for the sake of a child.” Ryan didn’t have children with his ex.

  “I married her because I loved her. But I didn’t love her enough for the marriage to thrive. Victoria was always there, taking up space in my heart.”

  The way Corrine’s memory filled Eric’s heart. “I’m not a teenager like you were when Victoria got pregnant. I’m a grown man, and I’m fortunate enough to be able to marry the mother of my child.”

  “A woman you don’t love.”

  “She’s a wonderful person. Beautiful and smart and funny. So just wish me well and stop trying to persuade me to rethink my decision.”

  “Of course I wish you well. I want the best for you and Dana and the baby. And for Kaley. I can only imagine how excited she is about being a big sister.”

  “She’s over the moon. She thinks Dana and I are meant to be.”

  “As they say, God works in mysterious ways. You and Corrine couldn’t conceive, and now a woman comes along who gets pregnant from one date. Maybe this is meant to be.”