Southern Comfort
Page 25
“Wow. Poor Lawrence. I hate to change the subject, but what about finding Rosita’s parents? Did Roy and Josh learn anything about their whereabouts? I didn’t think to ask Roy when I was with him.”
Jelly took a deep breath before he spoke. Kate knew this wasn’t going to be good news either. “Mateo was a cousin, though how many times removed I don’t know. When Roy called me after you had left to come back here, he told me Mateo told him that Rosita’s parents never made it to the States. The boat they were on was rickety at best. They, along with eighteen others, drowned in the Gulf of Mexico.”
Kate’s eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Jelly, tell me this isn’t true? She can’t stop talking about her parents. She thinks Tick and I can find them for her. This will devastate her. She’s been through so many nightmares already.”
“I don’t know what to say to the poor kid. But I did manage to pull a few strings. For now, Tick’s been given temporary custody of her until a proper foster home can be found.”
All of a sudden Kate broke down and cried like a baby. She cried for the child she would probably never have. She cried for the family that Tick had lost. She even cried for the misery that Lawrence was bound to go through at some point in the future. And then she just cried because it felt good, almost like an emotional cleansing.
“I’ll be back.” Kate went to Tick’s small bathroom, where Bird made his home. She stripped off all her clothes and stood under the hot water, allowing it to cleanse her soul. Right now, it felt in need of a good purging, a baptism of sorts. A light knock on the door told her she’d been in here long enough. She hurriedly toweled off and dressed.
She opened the door. Tick.
“There is something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
Kate followed him back to the kitchen, where Sandy and Pete, somewhat rested, and Rosita were gathered. Jelly had already left for Miami.
Tick was the first to speak. “Remember when you girls invited us to the beach for a weenie roast?”
Kate and Sandy nodded.
Tick continued to speak. “Well, I think tonight’s the night to roast weenies since the weather’s looking good.”
Kate and Sandy nodded again.
“Then let’s get busy. I know how to make the best guacamole in the world,” Rosita said, her eyes sparkling.
The adults gave each other that special look. They all knew now wasn’t the time to tell Rosita her family had never made it to US soil. Now was the time to celebrate just being alive.
Epilogue
Ten Months Later
Kate checked her beach house one last time, just to make sure she wasn’t leaving anything she needed behind. Nothing caught her eye, so there was nothing to keep her here any longer. A single tear dripped from her eye when she entered the bedroom she and Sandy had recently decorated. Soft yellows and creams and splashes of bright green here and there. A new Mac computer sat on top of a brand-new oak desk. Opposite that was a giant plasma television set, Pete’s contribution to the makeover. There were books and videos, CDs, posters of the latest pop stars. The closet was so stuffed with clothes, Kate had to remove some and put them in her closet. She scanned the room one last time before she left. More than anything in the world, she wanted this room to be as perfect as possible. She decided it was as good as it would get until Rosita moved in and made the room her own. When she and Tick had told Rosita about her parents, she’d been so sad. But since she had learned that she was being adopted by Tick and Kate, the child hadn’t stopped smiling.
First, there was a wedding to attend.
Gathered out on the beach were all the people who were near and dear to her. Each and every one of them had made a mark on her life. She was honored that they’d taken the time out of their busy lives to share in the celebration. She closed the door and walked down the steps that led to the beach.
She stopped and turned for one last look.
“You know it’ll never be the same again,” Tick Kelly said.
Kate placed a hand over her heart. “You scared me, and I know it won’t be the same. I don’t want it to be the same, Mr. Kelly.”
Tick pulled Kate close to him, then kissed her long and slow. When they broke apart, both were breathing a little heavier than normal.
“Tick, are you okay with this? I mean . . . you’ve been here before. I just want to make sure that Rosita and I aren’t, well . . . you know.”
“Substitutes for the family I lost? Is that what you want to say?”
Kate nodded. Tears, like tiny silver rivers, dripped down her face.
“These last months with you and Rosita have been the best time of my life. Truly. When I went to Atlanta and stood by Sally, Emma, and Ricky’s graves, I felt as though another person had lived that life. In a sense that’s true because I’m not the man, not the father that I was then. I will always love them, but you’re my life now. You and Rosita. I’ve gained a few of life’s bruises and bumps since they died. Some of them have been for the good, and some not so good. You”—he gazed into her eyes, which shimmered with tears of happiness—“are the best of everything good. Rosita, she’s a blessing. The two of you are the angels who gave me a second chance at life. And you ask me if I’m okay. If I were more ‘okay,’ I’d have to be in heaven because, Kate Rush, in my opinion, it ain’t gonna get any better than it is right now. So, what do you say? Shall we go down to the beach, where our friends are waiting?”
Kate hooked her arm between his. “Let’s go.”
The warm May breeze from the Atlantic greeted them as they made their way to the beach, which Kate’s grandmother had always said would be a “killer spot for a wedding.” And today those words were coming to fruition. Not only were Kate and Tick getting married, but Pete and Sandra were as well.
Never in a zillion years had Kate thought she and Sandy would do something so corny as a double wedding, but somehow it didn’t seem corny at all. It seemed perfect for all.
“Do you think the minister will mind when we tell him there are two extra couples who want to get married today?” Kate asked, as they slowly made their way over to the canopied area where their reception would follow.
“I think it will be just fine, now stop worrying and let’s get this show on the road. I have two beautiful ladies to escort down the aisle.”
While it had taken months to plan, the ceremony would be over in minutes, and Kate wanted this day to last as long as possible.
The minister, a friend of Jelly’s, would be performing the service. As Kate and Tick, Pete and Sandy, and now Lawrence and Nancy formed a semicircle in front of the minister, they each said their vows, and when they all said their final “I do!” the party began.
“Hey, Rush, get your ass over here. I need to ask you something.” Lawrence called out, as she was on her way over to the reception.
“What is it now?” she asked when she raced back over to where he and Nancy were still standing.
“I want to apologize to you. For all the shitty things I’ve put you through. The PMSing, calling you a bitch, and ordering you to go on a stakeout in the middle of that hurricane. Do you think you can forgive an old chum?” Lawrence was so sincere, Kate almost started to cry.
“I’ll think about it,” she said, then hurried back toward the tents where they were holding the reception.
“Wait! Kate, I need an answer now,” he shouted. “Please?”
With that, not only did Kate return to the beach, but Sandy followed her. And Bird. And Tick. And Pete.
“Gather around you guys and listen up, ’cause I’m only going to say this once. Lawrence Tyler, I forgive you for every low-life, meanspirited, uncaring, thoughtless act you’ve ever committed against me.”
“Well, since Kate’s in such a forgiving mood, I guess I can forgive you, too. But you do owe me a new pair of white jeans for making me crawl like a snake under that Mustang to save your worthless hide. Then you puked on me on the plane ride to Miami; that’s a bit hard to forgive, but since
I’m in a forgiving mood, okay, you’re forgiven,” Sandy said, grinning from ear to ear.
Kate wore a plain white dress, Sandy wore a cream-colored dress, and Rosita was dressed in the palest yellow. Nancy wore a white silk dress that had belonged to her mother. The three men trailing behind them wore cutoff jeans, flowered shirts, and flip-flops.
Today three marriages had been made in heaven.
Pete looked at his older brother. “You okay, bro?”
“This has got to be the very best moment of my entire life. I’m just tryin’ to drink it all in.” Somewhere from above, Tick knew, Sally, Emma, and Ricky were giving him a big high five.
The three men gave one another high fives and were running toward the canopy when the music began to play.
KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
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Copyright © 2011 by MRK Productions
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Library of Congress Card Catalogue Number: 2011921030
ISBN: 978-0-7582-2717-1