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He didn’t need to introduce them. They’d seen each other plenty of times. Occasionally they’d even gotten together for a cookout or something in the backyard with Pam’s girls and Paulette’s as well.
Although, his favorite cookouts were the ones where it was just Pam and him. Whether the girls were there or not, they made it nicer but not necessary. Just sitting beside the fire, looking at it, having the lake in the distance was more than enough enjoyment for him after a long day of work. It was the best way to spend their summer evenings.
“So you really did get married?” Paulette said, her eyes roving over him, then landing on his finger. “But you don’t have a ring.”
“In my line of work, a ring would be dangerous,” he said easily, and that was the truth, although if Pam had given him a ring, he would wear it. He would rather lose a finger than not let the world know that he was taken. That he made promises, that he had a love that would never end.
All those things were true, with or without the ring. The ring just made it...a symbol that everyone could see.
“I guess that’s true,” Paulette said, then she huffed out a little breath and walked closer, her hands falling from her hips before they reached up to go around his neck. “I’m happy for you, truly. Just...surprised. I love Pam, but I always thought you guys were just friends. You...treat each other like you’re girlfriends in high school or something.”
“Yeah. Sometimes friends make the best...spouses.” He wanted to say lovers, but that word tripped off his tongue. He couldn’t quite get it out. Not just because it didn’t apply to Pam and him, but maybe more because he wanted it to. That was a revelation that he wasn’t sure what to do with. But it was a true one.
“Goodness. So sorry to keep you guys waiting. Oh! Paulette. I didn’t know you were here.” Pam came hurrying out, still limping a bit, and he wanted to ask about that. Did she have blisters on her foot from her boots? Or did she have a knee or hip that was more sore than the rest of her body?
Not that he wanted to talk about their aches and pains, but he actually kind of did. He cared about her. Wanted to know if there was something he could do to make her more comfortable.
Actually, he wouldn’t mind having a wife rub his sore muscles, just as he was thinking that he could rub hers.
He shoved that thought out of his head, because it didn’t apply to Pam and him at all, no matter how much they were trying to pretend for their family members.
“Congratulations, Pam. I guess you know how much I think of my brother, but I think pretty highly of you as well. I kinda think that maybe he got himself a good girl.” She wrinkled her nose at him. “Even if I was trying to get him to pay attention to Stacy.”
“I think Stacy cooked her goose when she took his dog to the pound.” Pam said it in such a friendly, easy way that Paulette didn’t take offense, the way she might have if he would have said it.
“You guys want to back out so I can get my truck? I offered to drive everyone to the diner, but the two of you have me parked in.”
“I can back up and pull over on Pam’s side,” Paulette offered right away. “Although, we can just walk to the diner.”
The idea of walking, even the three blocks it took to get to the diner, was not something he was looking forward to. He figured Pam probably wanted to do that even less than he did.
Still, she probably didn’t want to admit to her aches and pains any more than him. Or complain about them. And once one admitted to them, it was a lot easier to complain.
But no one wanted to spend the evening with someone who’s complaining about how terrible they had it, so he closed his mouth, and Pam never opened hers, and they started off walking toward the diner.
Pam and he were in front, and he kept his arm around her until they hit the sidewalk. Then, he slid it down until he was holding her hand.
Her mother and his sister followed too close for them to have any kind of whispered conversation, but he squeezed her hand, apologizing for the walk, for the fact that they were ambushed by their relatives, and for the fact that she wasn’t in a nice warm shower right now but was instead walking down the street heading toward the diner.
Although, her stomach growled, and he laughed. “Maybe this wasn’t such a bad choice after all.”
She laughed along with him. “I’m starving. It’s almost overshadowing everything else.”
He knew exactly what everything else was. All the aching muscles and the soreness.
“Are you limping?” Her mother’s voice came from behind them.
“I don’t think so,” Pam said. “But I might be. Do you think so?”
She sounded baffled, and her mother didn’t say anything else.
“Smells like they’re having their smoky kicky Italian sausage pasta again,” he said as they got closer to the diner. He sniffed the air, drawing in the smell of delicious food and hearing his own stomach rumble in response.
“Are you guys okay sitting outside? Looks like there’s room?” He knew that was Pam’s favorite spot to sit, and he was gratified when she squeezed his hand.
“Oh, I don’t know. I suppose if the bugs aren’t too bad.”
“It is not as windy as it is sometimes,” his sister added.
