by Leanne Tyler
Her mother glared at her father. “You didn’t have one when we got married.”
Her dad smirked. “That’s what I let you believe.”
“Donald Charles, are you telling me you’ve kept a secret like that from me for thirty years?”
“I guess I am.”
“Well.” Her mom looked hurt. “We’ll talk to you soon, dear.”
The video chat session ended and the screen went black. Sue didn’t envy her dad at the moment.
She got up and went into the kitchen to fix her dinner. As she made a salad, she thought about what her mother had said. Kimberly had asked her to plan the party, not anyone else. That meant Kimberly knew what Sue was comfortable with and more than likely wanted the same.
An angry knock pounded at Sue’s apartment door waking her from another wonderful dream about Alex. She groaned because it was her day off and she’d planned to sleep in, but whoever was at her door, had another idea for this Saturday morning. Reluctantly she crawled out of bed and walked to her door, grabbing her robe off the back. Slipping it on, she loosely tied the belt. The knocking continued.
“I’m coming. I’m coming.” She called, rubbing her eyes to become fully awake. Fumbling with the security chain, she peeped out of the peep hole to see who it was and gritted her teeth. “Kimberly, you better have a good reason for coming here this early.”
“Oh I do.” Her sister stomped into the apartment dressed for yoga and began pacing the distance between the living room and the kitchen. “I’m going to kill Brandon.”
That statement had Sue smiling. On more than one occasion she found Phil and Alex’s friend annoying and an unwanted third wheel. “What has he done?”
“It’s what he’s planning to do.” Her sister pulled out a stool at the counter and sat down, drumming her fingers in a staccato rhythm on the granite.
Going to the sink, she turned on the water to begin filling the coffee maker to brew a pot anxious to hear what her sister found so offensive. But she didn’t say anything. She only kept strumming her fingers. “Kimberly, for all that is holy, just spit it out. The suspense is killing me.”
“He wants to take my Phil to Las Vegas for a bachelor weekend. A simple poker game in Knoxville like Phil wants isn’t good enough. No. Brandon wants to take Phil clear across the country to Sin City.”
Sue crossed her arms. If Brandon went through with his plan, then that meant Alex would be going too. She wasn’t sure she liked this idea any more than Kimberly did, but she couldn’t stop it from happening if they decided to go. They were grown men after all.
“Phil has a right to have a bachelor party just like you have the right to a bachelorette party.”
Kimberly ran her fingers through her hair from her forehead back and shook her head. “He can do it here. Not in Vegas!”
“Be reasonable. You wouldn’t like it one bit if I was throwing you a weekend trip to Vegas and Phil was pitching a fit about it.”
“That’s it!” Kimberly jumped off the stool and hugged her. “We’ll schedule my bachelorette party to coincide with his bachelor party. You, Audra and I will hop a plane out there for the same weekend they are going. It will be perfect.”
Sue shook her head. “I can’t afford to fly to Vegas. Besides, I had something much more low key planned for your bachelorette.”
Her sister shook her head, dug in her purse for her wallet and pulled out a credit card. “It’s my wedding and I want to go to Vegas.”
“But—”
“I’ll find out from Phil the details and let you know.”
“Kim—”
“It’s settled. Put the tickets on my card. Emergencies like this are what they make plastic for.”
“This isn’t an emergency!”
“It could be. I’m not taking a chance on Phil going out there and getting drunk and waking up the next morning married to some cocktail waitress.”
Sue scratched her head. “I see your point. I’ll take care of it.”
Her sister smiled and hugged her tight. “You really are my best friend and I’m so glad you agreed to be my maid of honor.”
“I just hope the guys don’t mind us crashing their weekend.”
“Don’t worry about them. We’re doing this for their own good.”
Sue snickered at that. It was more like Kimberly’s own good, but she didn’t want to elicit the wrath of bridezilla on her head. So she kept quiet. “You want some coffee?”
“No. I don’t have time. I’ve got to get to my zumba class. You should come with me.”
“I’m going hiking with Alex later. I’ll get a workout then.”
“Sweet. I gotta run. Thanks for taking care of this.”
“No problem. That’s what your maid of honor is here for, to make your life easier as the wedding approaches.”
“Isn’t that the truth!” Kimberly waved as she went out the door.
Filling a mug with steaming coffee, she went back to her bedroom to pick out what she would wear for her hiking date with Alex. Jeans and a long sleeve polo definitely to keep her legs and arms from getting scraped or bitten. It still was pretty warm during the days so maybe a light-weight jacket or long sleeved flannel shirt in case she got cool as they reached higher elevation. Since she didn’t have hiking boots, Alex said her cross-trainers would do. But if they did this on a regular basis, she might need to think about investing in a pair.
With her mind settled on her attire, she crawled back in bed and sipped her coffee while she scrolled through her email on her phone to see if anything important had come through. It was still too early to call Alex, but she really wanted to talk to him. For no other reason than to hear his voice.
Perhaps she could call to check on Queenie. That would be a legitimate reason to call this early. But it wasn’t even eight yet. She’d have to wait at least another hour.
“She can’t do this, Alex.” Brandon protested, slamming his truck door closed before coming into the fenced yard. “We can’t allow Kimberly to crash Phil’s bachelor party.”
Queenie jumped up and ran away at the intrusion to her sanctuary while Duke raised his head and yawned before rolling onto his side.
“What are you talking about?” Alex looked up from the pile of leaves he’d been raking before his friend showed up unannounced.
Brandon planted his hands on his hips. “I thought the three of us could fly out to Vegas for the weekend, kick back and hang loose. Have one last good time together before Phil gets himself shackled. But Phil mentioned it to Kimberly and she’s insisting that Sue has also planned a trip to Vegas for her bachelorette party. She thinks we should all go out together.” He kicked at the pile of leaves sending a few scattering. “Isn’t it bad enough that we’re losing our poker buddy to her, now she wants to take our last weekend together away as well?”
Alex grimaced and raked the stray leaves back into the pile before using the rake to scoop them up and put them in a bag to take to the compost site at work. “This is news to me. When were you going to tell me about this trip?”
“I’m telling you now. I wanted to run it by Phil first and he said he’d have to think about it. But what he really meant was he had to get Kimberly’s approval. That’s been the way it’s gone ever since they started dating. She’s got him whipped. So what do you say? Are you game?”
Alex leaned the rake against the side of the house and filled Duke and Queenie’s food bowls with kibble before he dumped out the water and turned on the water hose to put in fresh. “I don’t know. I’d have to get someone to watch out for my dogs. But if I can swing it, I don’t think it sounds so bad to me if the girls go too.”
“Of course it doesn’t.” Brandon stomped around causing Duke to get up and go to the other side of the big oak tree. “You and Sue have become a nice little item. The next thing I know you’ll be getting married and I’ll be all alone.”
“Now wait a second.” Alex turned off the water. “I may be dating, but I’m not getting hitche
d any time soon.”
“You say that now, but so did Phil a year ago and look at him now. We’re less than a month away from his wedding. The next thing we’ll know he’ll have a kid on the way.”
“That’s all part of life.” Alex slapped him on his back. “We’re getting older, buddy. Our lives are changing. Maybe you should consider settling down too.”
“No way.”
“It can’t be all bad. Even Duke has a lady friend now.”
Brandon squatted down and rubbed the bloodhound’s side. “Man, that’s sad. You’re rubbing off on your dog.”
Alex laughed. “You want to come inside and get something to drink?”
“No. I can’t stay. I’m going out.”
“Oh?”
“It’s not what you think. I’m escorting Audra to a work event. She asked if I’d take her.”
“Sure.”
“I’ll see you later.”
Alex watched him leave, and as soon as he was gone Queenie slinked back over to where Duke lay and joined him.
He went into the house to get ready for his date with Sue. He took time to get a drink before going up to shower and change. A light flashed on the answering machine so he punched the button and heard Sue’s sweet voice.
“Hi Alex. I guess you are out. I wanted to see how Queenie did last night. Is she adjusting to her new home okay? Call me back if you want, if not, I’ll see you when you come by. Looking forward to seeing you.”
He was looking forward to seeing her too. So he picked up the phone and dialed her number. She answered on the second ring.
“Hello?”
“It’s Alex. How are you doing?”
“Good. Though Kimberly woke me way too early this morning with a wedding emergency.”
“What now?”
“It had to do with her bachelorette party, but I think I’ve got that covered.”
“That’s good. I got your message. Queenie did fine last night. She really seems to enjoy being here with Duke now.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” There was a slight pause and he could imagine her playing with her hair behind her ear like she did sometimes. “I’m almost ready to go. Should I pack us a lunch or anything?”
“Sure. My backpack has an insulated compartment that will keep things cool if anything needs refrigeration. I’ve already packed some trail mix and snacks that are good to eat while out hiking. I’ve also got the drinks covered. Water, Gatorade, sodas.”
“Okay then. I’ll fix a couple of sandwiches and cut up some apples and oranges, maybe throw in some grapes too. We’ll have a nice picnic. See you when you get here.”
Hanging up the phone, he hurried upstairs eager to get over there and begin their outing together. They’d been spending most of their free time together, but he didn’t mind and she didn’t object. It sure was a change from being so alone when he lived in Alaska. Maybe Brandon was right. Maybe he was headed toward matrimony and he didn’t even know it.
He turned on his stereo and selected the third track on Call Me Irresponsible. He got in the shower singing along with it and thought about making Sue Mrs. Jones in more ways than one.
Chapter Twelve
The traffic through Alcoa into Townsend to Cades Cove was light, but once they reached the loop into the Smoky Mountains it became stop and go. It had always amazed him how people from all over the United States came to the Smoky Mountains on a regular basis. Finally they were sitting in bumper to bumper traffic. After sitting without moving for five minutes, he put the truck in park and eased his foot off the brake. Being trapped in his truck with Sue and seeing the colorful fall foliage was the only consolation to this frustration.
“There must be a wreck up ahead. I’ve never seen it so congested. Do you come up here often?” he asked her, reaching over to take her hand.
“No. Sadly, I haven’t been here since I was a preteen. We came up on a fieldtrip if I remember correctly. We visited the old church graveyard and did chalk rubbings of the tombstones. We also took a tour that allowed us to go into one of the caves to see the bats.”
“I did that in sixth grade when I went to environmental camp. That was a fun week of hiking and exploring the many facets of the mountains. Did you know they have tanks up here where all they do is raise frogs? The tanks hold the tadpoles. And the park rangers have a fenced wild boar area…at least they did when I was there.”
She grinned.
“Sorry. I get excited about things like that and I get off track.”
“No. It’s fine. Do you think that is what sparked your interest to be an environmental engineer?”
Alex shrugged. “Maybe. I hadn’t really made the connection. Engineering seemed like a good fit for me when I started college. I’ve always liked the land and saving our resources where possible.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.” She took her seat belt off and scooted across the seat to sit closer to him. Once she was settled he wrapped his arm around her. “Tell me more about what you enjoy.”
“I like spending time with you.”
“The feeling is very mutual.”
“I’m glad.”
She turned to face him and he stole a kiss even though they’d agreed no kissing. He only meant to brush his lips against hers for a light peck, but as usual the kiss deepened and before he knew it, he was exploring the depths of her mouth with his tongue. She returned the kiss in kind which prompted him to continue.
A horn honked a few times behind them and they pulled apart. She looked at him sheepishly and retreated to her side of the truck, putting on her seat belt.
He cleared his throat and glanced at the vehicles up ahead. They had moved up a short distance, but not enough to warrant the horn blowing the guy behind them had done. But to keep the man’s road rage in check, Alex hurriedly applied his foot to the brake before taking the truck out of park. “It looks like we’re moving again. We might actually get there now.”
“It looks like it. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.”
She was so easy going. And it didn’t seem to matter where they went or what they did, they always had a good time together—even when their plans had to take a detour at the last minute. It made him feel they were made for each other. And when he got right down to it, he didn’t think he could find another girl who was as crazy about Michael Bublé as he was either.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her playing the necklace Lucinda gave her.
Driving the rest of the way to the entrance of Cades Cove was steady from that point forward and he drove a portion of the eleven mile loop until they came to the first parking area. He pulled over and they got out.
“There’s a trail across the field that will take us up toward a grist mill if my memory serves me right. Let’s head that way first. It isn’t too bad of a hike and should get you warmed up for a longer trek to Abrams Falls. We’ll tackle that after lunch.”
“Okay. I brought my camera so maybe we can get someone to take our picture?”
“Yeah.” He took her hand and they began walking and exploring the area until they reached the old mill he had mentioned. Then they found a sunny place and he spread out a blanket for them to sit and eat their picnic lunch.
Halfway through their sandwiches he said, “I hear you are taking Kimberly to Vegas for her bachelorette party. Why didn’t you mention it?”
“How’d you know about that?”
“Brandon. He was pretty hot under the collar about it this morning.”
“I’m still working out the details.” She played with her sandwich, breaking off a small piece before popping it into her mouth.
He grinned. “It wasn’t your idea was it?”
She shook her head.
“I didn’t think so, but don’t worry. I won’t mention it.” He stretched out his legs and leaned back on his elbows. He closed his eyes and turned his face up toward the sky.
“Why didn’t you mention you and Brandon were taking Phil out there?”
“You do?”
He sat up. “Sure.”
She smiled. “Good.”
“Someone needs to make sure we get back here in one piece.”
“How do you know we won’t be the ones needing help to get back here?”
He chuckled and raised a brow. “I seriously doubt—”
“Don’t say something you’ll be embarrassed about later.”
“Okay. I won’t.”
“Good.” She leaned toward him and planted a quick kiss on his lips. Then she began to gather the remains of their picnic.
He folded the blanket and put it back in his backpack and stored the uneaten food in the insulated partition. Then they headed toward the falls. He liked the fact that even though Sue was shorter, she had no trouble keeping up with him, even when he got to talking and sped up walking.
Several other people reached the falls at the same time they did so they weren’t alone like he’d hoped, but they were still able to explore the area. And Sue found someone to take their picture which made her happy.
As they walked, she studied the photo on her digital camera.
“What are you going to do, put that on your desk at work?” he teased.
“No. I’d never get any work done if I did. Veronica would hang out just so she could look at you.”
“Veronica?”
“The receptionist. She finds you very hot. Pamela was telling me all about it the morning you dropped off the package for Keely and the rose for me.”
“Pamela?”
“Jama’s assistant. Apparently you coming by Wright and Associates evoked many reactions. None of which are appropriate.”
He stopped walking when he heard the sarcastic tone in her voice. “Are you jealous?”
“I don’t think it’s being jealous to not want someone ogling her boyfriend.”
