“You sure did.” I drag my putter to the cart with my good hand. I had surgery on my left wrist several weeks ago. Today, I’m golfing with one arm.
When he hops into the cart, he grins, sliding my glasses up my nose. “Best friends.”
I roll my eyes, but there’s no way I can keep from smiling.
When we get to the clubhouse bar, Shep grabs my good wrist and gives it a tug. “Midwesterner alert,” he says under his breath.
When I spy Deb and Tony at a table in the far corner by the window, I hook my finger through his belt loop and give it a tug. “What’s it been? A year or two since we’ve seen them?”
“Let’s eat at home.”
I chuckle. “I think Tony had knee replacement surgery last year. Let’s go say hi.”
“Woman, what is wrong with you?” Shep protests as I drag him toward their table.
“Just living the dream, babe. Golfing every day and sipping cold drinks with friends.”
“Well, what on earth do my old eyes see?” Deb lights up as we approach their table.
“You’re sucking my old shriveled up balls later,” he whispers in my ear before putting on a fake smile and greeting our old friends.
I snort, cupping my hand over my mouth for a second while taking a seat next to Deb. “Hey, how have you guys been?”
Tony pulls out the chair next to him so Shep can have a seat. “We’ve been pretty good, thanks. You?”
I hold up my arm. “I had surgery on my wrist a few weeks ago, but I’m doing good.” I’m good with embracing my age and limitations. And it’s two o’clock on a regular ole Tuesday, and we have nothing better to do than catch up with friends.
“We finally got away after babysitting grandkids for the better part of last year,” Deb says.
“Oh? How many do you have?” I ask.
Shep kicks my foot under the table, which only feeds my desire to catch up on everything with our chatty friends.
“Six. Can you believe it?” Tony says. “What about you guys? Have you added any since the last time we saw you?”
“We have four grandchildren,” Shep says despite his stubborn reluctancy to engage in endless conversation. He’s too proud of his family not to brag. “Laramie just got married, so I’m sure we’ll be adding to that number soon.”
“You have four kids, right?” Deb asks.
I start to speak, but Shep’s on it. As long as we stay on the topic of our family, he’ll talk all day like … dare I say a Midwesterner?
“Five.” Shep puffs out his chest. “Three girls and twin boys. They’re all very close in age. Sophie just couldn’t stay off me.”
Tony barks a laugh, and Deb tries to control her sniggering, but she fails. I keep my gaze on my husband, my mouth turned up into a knowing grin. We did have our kids close together. Fourteen months after giving birth to my nephew, Evan, Shep and I welcomed our first girl. I’ll never forget the day I told him that I was pregnant, that he was going to be a dad.
“I think you should hire another employee,” I said while Shep restocked the glass case with dog treats like cookies, biscuits, and small cakes.
“I don’t need another employee,” he mumbled as I inspected the new display of dog toys.
A couple and their beagle slid past me and smiled.
“You do if you’re going to get a different job.”
He glanced up, a single eyebrow lifted. “I don’t want another job.”
I shrug. “You do.”
He scoffed, closing the glass case. “And what job could I possibly like better than this one?”
“Dad.”
“Dad?” He glanced around. “Whose dad? What dad? Babe, what are you talking about?” He chuckled.
I borrowed the phrase from the great squatter, Jimmy, “I think you’ll crush the stay-at-home dad gig. Don’t you?”
The couple with their dog set several items on the register counter. Just as Shep started to ask for their phone number, his lips parted, and his unblinking gaze slowly lifted to mine.
“Are you … pregnant?” he said, barely a whisper. Just the possibility seemed to steal his breath.
Digging my teeth into my lower lip, I nodded.
And only my very best friend could infuse the worst joke ever into that moment. “Is it … mine?”
I giggled and nodded again.
“Go. Go …” He threw the couple’s items into a bag. “They’re … uh free. On the house. I … I’m going to be a dad!”
The couple smiled, taking the bag he shoved toward them before Shep jumped the whole counter and took me in his arms. My feet lifted off the floor as he kissed me and twirled me and kissed me some more. It wasn’t until he finally set me back on my feet that I realized the tears on my cheeks weren’t just mine, they were his too. Just another magnificent day in Shep World.