Katie and her family fill mine. I never realized I had any until now.
I see a familiar head of red hair coming toward us, and recognize Fred. I’d know his lumbering gait anywhere. In his arms, he’s holding a baby with the same shockingly-red hair. He stops at the end of the dock.
“Is it okay if he comes to say hi?” Laura asks.
“Yeah,” I say. “The more the merrier.”
She motions him forward.
He walks forward slowly and carefully. “Jake,” he says.
“Fred,” I reply.
But then his daughter starts to jump in his arms and she throws her pudgy little body toward her mother. Laura catches her as the little girl falls toward her. I can’t help but smile.
“What did you name her?” I ask.
“Patricia, after my grandmother,” Laura says.
I clap my hands in front of her, and she leans toward me. “Can I hold her?” I ask as I slide my hands under her armpits.
“You’re not going to throw her in the lake or anything, are you?” Laura asks.
“Not unless she’s wearing a life preserver,” I say. I take her weight and set her on my hip. “She’s a lump.” She’s a lot bigger than Hank. I look at Fred. “She looks like you.”
“Some girls have all the luck.” He pretends to polish his knuckles on his shirt.
“She’s really beautiful,” I tell him. “Congratulations.” I hitch Patricia onto my other hip and extend my hand. He takes it warily.
“Thanks,” he says. “Jake—” Then he stops and shakes his head. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, buddy,” I tell him. “It all worked out.”
He nods. “Okay.”
“I’m not sorry I beat you up.”
“I deserved it.”
“You did.”
Fred looks off toward the distance. He sees a girl walking toward us. “God, that girl looks just like Katie,” he whispers almost to himself. He shakes his head.
“I know, right?” I reply.
Fred points. “Is that…?” He looks at me.
Katie stands at the end of the dock with Gabby. “The younger one is Katie’s daughter. She looks just like her. Katie has three more kids, too. She’s been here all summer.” My face suddenly gets hot and I hate it.
Fred arches a brow at me. “All summer?” He grins.
“Yeah.” I kick a shell off the edge of the dock. It plunks into the water.
“And?” Fred prompts.
“And I think I’m going to ask her to marry me.”
Laura sucks in a breath.