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Jacob took one look at me, though, and he hauled them both out, they dried off, got dressed and by the time Cap had opened the gate to the rest of our party, Linda and Martha had joined us, Linda with searching, gentle eyes on me, Martha waiting for someone to tell her who to eviscerate.
Sally just wandered down.
Luna and Alexis were in my space, Jacob standing sentry, like he needed to beat back a horde, and I’d pulled up the drawbridge on my Citadel of Denial and was drowning my sorrows in artisanal hops.
Tex had his jeans rolled up to his knees and his feet in the pool.
I heard Nancy ask him, “You like it here, don’t you?”
“We got loads of grandbabies,” he replied.
“They’re pretty grown, sweetheart, and they’d like spring break by a pool,” she said. “And I’d like a break from snow.”
Though what she didn’t say was that he wasn’t getting any younger, and maybe it was time to set aside the portafilter, load up the cats and kick back for a while.
Scott was crowding Cap, trying to distract him with every conversational gambit in his arsenal. He didn’t have a son. He didn’t know how to do this. But he was a man, and he knew where Cap’s head was at with me, and no one needed Cap driving back to the Hermosa Inn.
Cap was at an overpopulated table with Louise, Shirleen, Martha and Linda, conversing with Scott, but his eyes often strayed to me where I was stretched out on a lounger, sandwiched between the two Luna and Alexis had pulled up tight to mine.
I watched Jacob wander over to Cap, but I didn’t hear what he said, his back was to me. Though, I did see Cap get up and walk away with him, where they formed a huddle.
Maybe Jacob was asking what was going on, why we were all gussied up and gone for less than an hour, and I’d returned looking like I’d been hit by a truck.
Maybe he was sharing the best dispensaries to buy weed.
I was in my Citadel, so I wasn’t thinking too much on it.
I was taking a sip of beer when I heard Ryan call from the gate, “Hey, Raye. You know this guy? He says he’s your dad.”
The pool area went wired.
My dad walked into the courtyard.
I tried to scramble out of my lounger, but had no egress with Luna and Alexis butted up against me.
Luna got out of her chair, took my beer and pulled her lounger away so I could get up.
I felt Cap at my back, and a lot of other people, both physically and emotionally, when my father made it to me.
“Can I have a word in private with you?” he asked me tautly.
“You can say no, Raye,” Luna, at my side, reminded me.
“What’s going on?” I heard Ryan ask somebody.
“Quiet,” Martha, who was unsurprisingly close, shushed him.
I thought about Luke’s lesson to Cap and I suggested, “Maybe we need some space to cool down. We can have dinner on Saturday before you leave.”
Luna’s body jerked.
Whoops.
That was her birthday party.
“Friday, sorry,” I corrected. “I have important plans I can’t miss on Saturday.”
“We’re in Phoenix to see you, Rachel,” Dad pointed out.
