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First guests to arrive were Dave and Katrina with baby David, who after having a fifteen-minute nap was raring to go. Once Dave stopped next to the cottage, it was the cue for baby David to stretch and cry to be let loose from the bonds of his car seat.
“Let him run,” Katrina instructed Angela. “He’ll keel over after an hour and we can all get some relief.”
After ten feet, he fell, doing a massive face-plant to the horror and gasps of the adults. But he just laughed unfazed, picked himself up before his mother could reach him, and ran off, Katrina close behind to see if he had any injuries.
Maggie came out to greet them and just shook her head seeing the excitement.
“Is he injured?” she asked.
“He’ll be fine,” Katrina said after catching him and handing Davie over to Angela. “A kiss and he’s back, ready to terrorize the place.”
“Thank you for bringing your own jailer,” Maggie replied.
“You’re welcome,” Dave said. “My kid is a bruiser. Where’s Justin?”
“Back in the barn.”
Dave kissed Katrina and left to find his brother.
Maggie waved Katrina over. “Come with me. It’s been entirely too long since I’ve seen you.”
“We just had coffee two days ago,” Katrina replied, chuckling.
Now that Tina was big enough to wear a floatation device, she’d been accompanying Maggie on boat rides to the village dock to meet Annie and Katrina for coffee at Café Delphine. They got coffee to go and let the wild ones run in the park under the supervision of Davie’s nanny, who they had nicknamed Saint Luanne.
“I mean here together, alone. The men are always breathing down our backs or the kids are demanding every second of our attention. We’re alone!”
“We are alone,” Katrina said, taking a deep breath.
“What do you think of the setup?”
“It looks fun!” Katrina said, sweeping her hand out over the yard. “Thank you for doing it.”
“Come in. Is it too early for a glass of wine?”
“No. It’s never too early.” As she climbed the steps to the porch, a wave of nostalgia washed over Katrina. “It’ll be two years in January since I moved here. How’s that possible? I got pregnant pretty fast.”
“You did, sort of,” Maggie said, laughing. “It was aligned in the stars.” She handed Katrina a glass of wine. “Have a seat. We were meant to have our babies together and we almost did.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you had Tina.”
“It was for the best! I wasn’t there for you, either. Don’t you remember what it was like to watch Annie give birth?” Maggie asked. The memory made them laugh. “No, thank you.”
“Right. I’ve pushed that out of my mind.”
“It’s been a wild year,” Maggie said wistfully.
“What’s next for us?” Katrina asked, looking out at the water. She longed to get into Maggie’s skiff, alone with Maggie, and head to Bonnet Island.
“Justin wants to get married,” Maggie said, flaring her nostrils. “So far, he’s gotten everything he’s wanted. Do I have to cave to that, too?”
“Where was I when this was happening? When?”
“Evidently, last year I told him I’d marry him in October and that’s now.”
Katrina grimaced. “Now? You’re going to get married this month?”
“Unless I can distract him, yes.”
