Honey on Your Mind

by Maria Murnane

  Jake smiled. “I’m just happy I got the invite, Mr. Bryson. Your daughter’s a tough nut to crack.”

  “Oh believe me, I know,” my dad said.

  I pointed at both of them. “Hey now, no ganging up on me.”

  Just then, Betty appeared from the ladies’ room. She was wearing a knee-length, cream-colored dress with a square neck and three-quarter-length sleeves, her blonde hair secured into a classic low bun. She could have been pulled straight from a Jackie-O photo collection.

  I smiled at her. “Betty, you’re glowing.”

  She smiled back. “That’s because I’m happy.” Then she looked at my dad.

  “Babe, you look beautiful,” he said.

  She winked at him. “So what do you think? Ready to go tie the knot?”

  He held out his arm. “Sweetheart, you can’t get me there fast enough.”

  • • •

  After the ceremony, Jake and I drove back to our hotel to drop off the car, and then walked to a restaurant called The Firehouse for the reception. The moment we stepped inside, I spotted Andie and Nick sitting at the bar. They were playing rock-paper-scissors.

  “Well, hello there, strangers.” I approached them with my arms open wide.

  “Hey, Waverly!” Andie stood up to embrace me.

  “Bryson!” Nick followed with his own bear hug. “Welcome back to the left coast! We’ve missed you. Not as much as you’ve probably missed us, but we’ve missed you.”

  “Yes, I’ve missed you.” I hugged him back, and when I could breathe again, I took a step away and gestured to Jake. “Nick Prodromou, this is Jake McIntyre. Jake, Nick and I used to work together at the San Francisco Sun.”

  Jake extended his hand. “You’re the one who likes to wear T-shirts with clever sayings, right?”

  Nick grinned and nodded as he shook Jake’s hand. “I see my reputation of awesomeness precedes me.”

  “Are you wearing one under that dress shirt?” I asked.

  He nodded. “Of course I am. Would I disappoint? Want to see it before this party gets started?” He unbuttoned his dark blue dress shirt to reveal a light blue T-shirt that said WORLD’S GREATEST…YOUR MOM’S NEW BOYFRIEND on the front.

  I put my hand over my mouth. “Oh, good lord.”

  He buttoned his shirt and laughed. “Admit it. You miss me even more than you thought you did.”

  I laughed. “OK, I admit it. I miss you even more than I thought I did. Nice decision to wear that shirt to a wedding reception, by the way. And was that a giggle I just heard make its dainty way out of your manly throat?”

  “Please, it was a hearty laugh. And what can I say? I’m a romantic.”

  “Giggle,” I coughed under my breath.

  “Hearty laugh,” he coughed under his, then added, “Now what can I get you two to drink?” at a normal decibel.

  “What are you having?” Jake said.

  Nick held up his drink. “Scotch and soda. It’s amazing.”

  “Vodka soda for me.” Andie held up her glass and clinked it against Nick’s.

  I put my hand on her shoulder. “Thank God you’re drinking. I was afraid you were going to announce that you’re pregnant too.”

  She waved a hand in front of her face. “Oh, God no. Are you kidding?”

  “Andie’s anti-nugget,” Nick said to Jake.

  I looked at Nick. “Nugget?”

  He nodded. “That’s my new term for little people.”

  Jake raised his eyebrows. “Little people?”

  I put my hand on Jake’s arm. “That’s his old term for children.”

  “I see,” Jake said, nodding.

  I laughed. “My friends take some getting used to.”

  “I don’t have a problem with nuggets, I just don’t want to have nuggets,” Andie said. “Big difference.”

  Jake looked at Nick and nodded toward the bar. “Let me buy this round.”

  “Sounds amazing,” Nick said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to use the facilities.” He left to find the restroom, and Jake went to order the drinks.

  Once they were both out of earshot, I leaned toward Andie and lowered my voice.

  “So how is it, living in sin?” I whispered.

  She shrugged. “So far, so good.”

  I laughed. “You enthusiasm is overwhelming.”

  “Hey now, for me, this is enthusiasm.”

  “This is true. So it’s going well?”

  She lowered her voice and pointed downward. “I’ve had to remind him about my one-V policy a couple times, but for the most part, yes, it’s going well.” She wasn’t saying it aloud, but the bright look in her eyes told me everything I needed to know.

  I laughed and hugged her. “I’ve really missed you, Andrea Barnett. Can I just tell you that?”

  She hugged me back. “I’ve missed you too.”

  Jake returned and handed us our drinks. “What’s with all the hugging? Did I miss something?”

  “Just a little girl talk,” I said, smiling.

  Nick reappeared, and as Jake handed him a drink I pointed to the front door.

  “Hey, speaking of nuggets, there’s Mackie and the baby!” McKenna and Hunter had just entered the room. Hunter was holding little Elizabeth, who was dressed in a tiny, flower-print dress and wearing miniature, white, patent-leather shoes.

  I waved my arm. “Hey, Mackie, over here.”

  She and Hunter joined us by the bar, and I gave them each a hug. “It’s so great to see you guys. Hunter, you remember my boyfriend, Jake?”

  Hunter nodded and extended his hand. “Of course. From our wedding. How are you?”

  Jake shook Hunter’s hand, and then put one arm around my shoulders. “I can’t complain. In a couple weeks, I’m moving to Brooklyn.”

  “So we’ve heard,” Hunter said. “You’ll be working for the Nets?”

  Jake gave me a squeeze. “That, and trying to keep this one out of trouble.”

  I laughed and looked up at him. “You be nice.”

  “Are you guys shacking up?” Nick asked.

  I shook my head. “Jake’s getting a place in Cobble Hill.”

  “Cobble what?”

  “Cobble Hill. It’s a super cute neighborhood in between where I live and the new Nets stadium. He’ll be able to walk to work.”

  Andie pointed to me and then to Jake and back again. “I bet one of you does the walk of shame nearly every morning.”

  I glanced at her drink. “How many of those have you had?”

  She shrugged. “God knows. We checked into the hotel early.”

  Nick put his arm around her. “That’s my girl.”

  “Have you ever noticed that you two are amazing?” I said.

  “Every day,” Nick said. “We’re like the royal couple of amazing.”

  Jake pointed to little Elizabeth. “Cute nugget,” he said to McKenna.

  “Huh?” she said.

  Nick laughed and held his hand up to Jake for a high five. “I like you already.”

  Just then, my dad and Betty approached us. They were arm in arm and smiling ear to ear.

  “Hey, Dad. Hey, Betty.” I gave them each a hug, and then introduced them to the group. My dad had seen McKenna and Andie many times over the years, but he’d never met the men who had dated them along the way.

  My dad smoothed his tie with his hand. “Thank you all for coming. It really means a lot to us to have Waverly’s closest friends be part of our special day.” He looked at McKenna and Andie. “You two girls are family to us, you know.”

  “We wouldn’t have missed it, Mr. Bryson,” McKenna said.

  Andie nodded. “Couldn’t keep us away.”

  “It’s so lovely to meet you all,” Betty said. She looked so happy I thought she might cry.

  My dad cleared his throat. “Well, um, we have a little announcement.”

  I could feel my eyes get big. An announcement? I really didn’t know if I could take any more announcements.

  “What
is it, Dad?” I glanced at Betty’s stomach. If she says she’s pregnant, I’m going to lose it.

  He smiled. “After we get back from our honeymoon, Betty and I are going to open our own restaurant.”

  “Your own restaurant? Really?” I said.

  He nodded. “Now it won’t be anything fancy, you know, just a little café, actually. But we’re excited about it.”

  Now I felt like I was going to cry. “Dad, that’s wonderful.” I thought of how far he’d come in just a few years.

  “You made it happen, you know,” he said to me.

  “I made it happen?”

  He nodded, and then turned to face the group. “Now, I’m guessing Waverly hasn’t told any of you that she’s been sending me money every month for quite a while now.”

  Everyone looked at me, and I could feel my cheeks go red. I looked at my dad. Why are you telling everyone that?

  He put a hand on McKenna and Andie’s shoulders. “You two know I haven’t been the best about managing my money, but I’ve really turned things around.”

  McKenna smiled. “So we’ve heard.” She and Andie had seen the progression over the years from gambling binges and get-rich-quick schemes to a stable job at a restaurant; from living in a double-wide in a dusty trailer park to renting a small yet respectable one-bedroom apartment.

  He turned to look directly at me. “And now, because of you, Betty and I are going to have our own café, and I wanted to say thank you in front of your friends so they know how generous you’ve been to your old man.”

  “You don’t have to thank me,” I whispered. “You’re my dad.”

  “Yes, I do have to thank you, and I want to. Will you let me have my moment here? It’s my wedding day, for crying out loud.”

  I smiled and looked at the ground. “I’m just happy I could help out.”

  “Tell her, sweetheart,” Betty nudged him with her arm.

  I raised my eyes. Tell me what? There’s more?

  Everyone looked at my dad, who smiled coyly.

  “Well?” Andie said.

  “Don’t leave us hanging, Mr. Bryson,” Nick said.

  I raised my eyebrows. “Dad?”

  He cleared his throat. “Ladies and gentleman, we’re going to name the café…Waverly’s Place.”

  I swallowed. “Waverly’s Place?”

  He nodded. “What do you think? I think it has a nice ring to it.”

  “It definitely has a nice ring to it,” McKenna said.

  “I love it,” Andie said.

  For a moment, I didn’t know what to say.

  “What do you think, Waverly?” Betty said.

  “It was Betty’s idea,” my dad said.

  I walked over to Betty and gave her a hug. “Thank you,” I said softly. “I love it.”

  “You’re welcome.” She squeezed me tightly.

  Then I hugged my dad too. “Thanks, Dad.”

  “I’m glad you like the idea, baby. We wanted you to know that you’ll always have a home with us, no matter where you’re living.”

  “We’ve already picked out the space. You’d better come eat there next time you’re in town, OK?” Betty said. “On the house, of course.”

  I laughed. “I think I can manage that.”

  My dad put his hand on Jake’s arm. “You too, OK, Jake? Open invitation, anytime.”

  Jake nodded. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate that.”

  “What about us?” Andie said. “Are we invited too?”

  I looked at her. “Andie!”

  She held her palms up. “What? We’ll totally pay.”

  Betty laughed. “You’re definitely welcome, Andie. You’re all welcome, any time.” Then she turned to me and put her hand on my shoulder. “I just love your friends, Waverly.”

  I love them too, I thought.

  • • •

  I had the window seat on our afternoon flight back to New York. It was delayed because of weather, so by the time we finally took off, it was dark outside. Once we were airborne, I stared out the window and wondered how cold it was back in Brooklyn.

  Jake nudged me with his elbow. “Penny for your thoughts.”

  I turned to look at him. “Just a penny? That’s all you got?”

  He laughed. “You’ve been unusually quiet. You’re never quiet. What’s up?”

  I leaned back in my seat. “Nothing’s up. I’m just, I don’t know, absorbing it all.”

  “The wedding?”

  I nodded. “That and a few other things. There’s definitely a lot of change in the air right now, you know?” I glanced out the window.

  “I know.”

  Just then, the plane hit some turbulence, and I jumped.

  “I hate turbulence,” I dug my fingers into the armrests.

  He put his hand over mine. “It’s OK. We’ll be fine.”

  I closed my eyes for a few moments, and soon the plane evened out again. The captain turned off the fasten-seat belt sign, and I opened my eyes.

  “You doing OK?” Jake said. His hand was still over mine on the armrest.

  I nodded. “I’m fine. I’m sorry, turbulence just really scares me. Doesn’t it bother you at all?”

  “Not a bit.”

  “You’re lucky. It really freaks me out.”

  He smiled and gave me a funny look.

  “What?” I said.

  He laughed. “Nothing.”

  “Penny for your thoughts now,” I said.

  He unbuckled his seatbelt and nodded toward the flight attendants, who were preparing their drink service. “Can you use that penny to order me a Sprite when they come by? I’m going to the restroom.”

  When he left I looked out the window again. It was completely dark now. I pressed my face against the glass and tried to imagine what it would be like to be out there, flying through the clouds, hurtling through time and space.

  The flight attendant snapped me out of my daydream to ask me for my drink order.

  Jake returned a few minutes later. He sat down and picked up his drink, and just as he took a sip, I turned to him and put my hand on his knee. “Are you glad you decided to move?”

  He looked surprised. “Am I glad I decided to move?”

  I nodded. “It’s a big change. I know that.”

  He scratched his eyebrow. “I don’t look at it that way, actually.”

  “You don’t?”

  He shook his head.

  “How so?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I just look at it as a step forward as opposed to just a change.”

  I glanced for a second out the window. “A step forward?”

  He nodded. “Yep. Does that scare you?”

  I didn’t say anything.

  He set his drink down, then reached for my hand, and interlaced my fingers with his. “Any step that brings me closer to you is a good one, as far as I’m concerned.”

  “It is?” I could feel my eyes well up with tears.

  He nodded. “Indeed.”

  I smiled. “That’s nice to hear.”

  “So to answer your question, yes, I’m very glad I decided to move.”

  “I’m glad too,” I whispered.

  “As long as you don’t tell any more jokes about animals with no legs, we should be fine.”

  “Hey, that reminds me—”

  He put his free hand over my mouth. “Please don’t, OK?”

  “OK.” I laughed through his hand, then took it between both of mine and stared out the window into the darkness. I couldn’t see anything, but I could feel how fast we were moving.

  Life never stops, I thought.

  Soon, I closed my eyes and lay my head against Jake’s shoulder.

  I didn’t know where we were headed, but I finally felt settled enough to enjoy the ride.

  As I write this, it’s still hard for me to believe that a third Waverly Bryson book has sprung to life. Many of you have expressed that you enjoy spending time in her world, and I do too. Readers may be surprised to learn tha
t each time I begin a new book, I have a general idea for how it will begin, but that’s honestly about it. Instead of forcing a story on to the page, I’ve learned to (try to) be patient and let it gradually unfold in my head. I watch in wonder as this happens, and then I basically just write it down and hope people like it. The idea behind Honey on Your Mind was born on a pretty spring morning in the kitchen of my dear friend Alison Marquiss, the best sounding board a girl could ask for.

  My superhuman mother, Flo Murnane (aka “Ma”) was the first to read the initial draft of the manuscript. I value her opinion so much that I would have deleted the entire thing had she suggested it. She could also make a good living as a proofreader, although my dad (aka “Pa”) has the edge on spelling and grammar…kidding. Thanks to both of you for your bottomless love and support, not to mention the occasional yummy care package.

  Just like my other books, this one is sprinkled with anecdotes and insights from my own life, and once again, I’m grateful to have friends who provide me with a regular stream of material and expertise on a variety of subjects. This time around I extend a special thanks to the following people: Lindsay Barnett, Lauren Battle, Stu Berman, Steph Bernabe, Kerry Cathcart, Mary Clesi, Chris Conroy, Andrea Dershin, Carlos Escobar, Rosie Al-Saaid Mohammed FitzGerald, Heather Fraser, Val Hirota, Sean Lynden, Kirsty McGuire, Kara Mele, Mitch Miller, Luke Morey, Monica Murnane Morey, Mark Murnane, Immanuel “Manny” Palugod, Michele Murnane Sharkey, Danny Stoian, Liz Varland, Garett “MG” Vassel, and Charlie Wilson. I also want to thank Sarita Bhargava and Alberto Ferrer for their volunteer editing services. (Alberto, I can picture you counting each time Waverly bites her lip, and I love you for it.)

  On the professional editing side, I was thrilled to work again with Christina Henry de Tessan. She manages to read my mind with her feedback and suggestions, essentially telling me what I wanted to think in the first place. I’d also like to thank Alex Carr at Amazon for being a self-declared and proud fan of books some might assume are just for women. Thank you as well to my agents, Mary Alice Kier and Anna Cottle, who are working tirelessly to bring Waverly to the big (or small) screen.

  Finally, the all-around cheerleader award goes to Annie Flaig and Tami May McMillan. You two have no idea how much I appreciate your unwavering enthusiasm and encouragement. Thank you thank you thank you.