Stacy joins us, and I introduce them. The guys man the barbecue, drinking beer, while the little man, Ryder, rolls around in his playpen. The girls and I
laugh, drinking wine. It thrills me that Stacy fits right in with us. I like her. A lot in fact, and I hope Tucker is as changed a man as he appears. If he hurts her again, he’ll be answering to me, and by the looks of it, Marty and Ginger as well.
The air quiets when the side gate opens and Cooper appears with Katie by his side. Battle didn’t mention he was bringing her, which means he didn’t know either. Her appearance conflicts with when I first saw her. She wears little makeup. A long skirt buckled at the waist hides her legs, and her conservative blouse covers her cleavage.
Cooper gets a warm welcome from the guys. Katie gets a polite one. The three women next to me get up and greet Cooper with hugs, and Katie with cold hello's, before they return to their seats. I hug Cooper first and welcome Katie with a warmer hello than my friends. She clings to Cooper’s side, her nerves visible. I realize the girls weren’t entirely accepting of her. She has to be uncomfortable.
“Katie, why don’t you leave these men alone, and come chat with us.”
She nods, but before we reach the group, she asks if she can talk to me alone. I invite her inside curious as to what she wants to speak with me about. She chews her fingernails as we sit at the table in the kitchen.
“I wanted to thank you for being so kind to me.”
That’s the second time today I’ve been thanked unnecessarily. Why do I suddenly feel like the group therapist? “You don’t need to thank me.”
I offer her a beer, but she declines. She goes on to tell me how hard her life’s been, her broken and chaotic home life, raised by a drunken father, and her feelings for Cooper. I stare at her blankly, unsure of what to say, or why she picked me to share her life story with. “You think I’m crazy, right? I mean if he’s been unfaithful before, then he’ll do it again, and all.”
Her choices are her own. Cooper’s situation itself is crazy. I don’t know her well enough to offer my opinion, but I do feel kind of sorry for her. She needs a mother to talk to, and it sounds like she doesn’t have one. “I don’t think you’re crazy, but Coop’s tryin’ to work out his own—”
“I’m pregnant,” she spits out before I finish.
“Is it Coop’s?” I blurt without considering how judgmental it sounds. “I’m sorry,” I say full of regret, but unable to truly take it back.
“Of course it’s Coop’s.” She stares at her hands, silent tears falling from her eyes. “I don’t sleep around. I’d never done anything before like I did with him. My friends talked me into goin’ out that night, and dressed me up like a slut. I drank a little more than I shoulda and woke up next to him.”
I could easily be her, defending my first night with Battle. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply anything. You caught me off guard. How’s Cooper feel about the baby?”
“He doesn’t know.”
“Oh, honey, you have to tell him.”
“I can’t yet. I know it doesn’t make sense, but we’ve been spendin’ a lot of time together the last couple of months. I’m in love with him, and I’m kinda hopin’ he falls in love with me for me, and not because he feels obligated to. I have a daddy who did right by my mama, and it didn’t work out so well. Mama bailed when I was three.”
A small laugh falls from my mouth. How can I argue with her? “I won’t say anything. It’s your business, but you may want to consider how he’s gonna feel about you lyin’ to him.”
“I’ll tell him soon, I promise. I just had to tell somebody. My friends would never keep quiet, and my daddy would lose his mind.”
We return to the barbecue. Scooter arrived while we were inside. Evelyn, Erinn, and James walk through the side gate into the backyard. As I watch the men circulate around Evelyn, hugging her and carrying on, I realize how close she must have been to Battle’s friends before her cancer. They’re going to lose someone too when she goes. Erinn darts past me to go inside. I hug Evelyn and James, introducing them to Katie.
Battle asks me to get him a platter to clear the grill. When I go inside to find one, I notice five missed calls on my cell from my father. I haven’t spoken to him for weeks, since he again tried to convince me to go back to Wyatt. We had a huge fight. I finally accused him of using me for political gain. He didn’t deny it and hung up on me. I can’t talk to him now and I ignore my phone and return to the party.
I smile through dinner, realizing how much I love my friends. I love Battle’s friends and his parents. My mind drifts to the missed calls from my father. My parents should be here, enjoying the beautiful evening with us. My father and I have both been stubborn. I resolve to call a truce, no matter how much I have to concede to make it happen. I love my family and want them in my life.
After dinner, our group gathers around a campfire, falling into an easy comfort with each other. The guys share riding stories, which leads to jokes about everything from ability to penis size. Scooter takes the brunt of the teasing, giving it right back with glowing enjoyment.
The scene personifies the biggest difference between men and women. Women have feelings. Not that men don’t, but women would never get away with saying to each other what the guys have tonight—and still be friends.
I smile, thinking I’m not only falling for Battle, but his family, and his friends. Before long, James announces he’s taking Evelyn home. The fatigue on her face worries me, but I assume she did too much today. As they say their goodbyes, I hear Erinn ask Katie when her baby’s due.
Katie whips her head around to me. “You told her?”
I lift my hands up, shaking my head. “I didn’t say anything. She must have overheard us talkin’.”
“You’re pregnant?” Cooper yells. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Tears form in her eyes. She looks pleadingly at me before returning her gaze to Cooper. “I wanted you to be in love with me before I told you.”
“Damn woman, you think I’d spend all my time in Oklahoma and bring you here today if I wasn’t in love you?” I smile as he lifts her in the air and spins her around. He sets her down and howls into the air. “I’m gonna be a daddy.”