link
enclosures. I heard a rustling in the woods next to us, and Butch came bouncing
out, ball in his teeth.
“He’s looks fine
to me,” Leo said. “Betsy, sometimes you worry too much. I just hope we can find
a nice dog park for him to run in up in Dallas.”
He would have to
bring up yet another family member who would be affected by the move.
“I thought I saw
him out in the water,” I admitted, reaching down to pat him on the head. A
small sting hit my arm. A mosquito was now lining up to take a second bite of
my arm. I knocked it off.
“Ouch,” Tyler
said, now holding his arm. “Mosquitoes are bad today.”
“Not for me,”
Zach said. “I put on some of my mom’s homemade calamine lotion. Watch this.” He
lifted his arms in the air as if offering a blood smorgasbord to the mercenary
bugs. “See? I’m protected. It’s like a shield over my arms.” As he spoke, I
noticed a mosquito lighting on his arm.
“Right, dude,”
Tyler said, knocking it off.
Another bug
lighted on Zach’s arm and then another.
“I think it’s
attracting them. Let’s get back to the car,” Leo said, gathering up our trash
while the boys got the balls and bats. So much for entomological protection.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
We met at the
Pecan Bayou Diner for lunch with Mark Garret, a friend of Leo’s from Dallas who
would be our best man, and Elena, our maid of honor. Elena apologized as she
came into the diner wearing her police uniform.
“Sorry, guys.
You only have me for an hour,” she said. “George went home with a cold, and I’m
working his shift.”
Birdie came up
with four menus and glanced at the squad car parked in front of the restaurant.
“Hope that doesn’t discourage the regulars,” she said.
“I’m doing you a
favor, Birdie. I’ve seen some of your regulars,” replied Elena.
Birdie looked
over at Mark and gasped, “You’re Mark Garret from Dallas Eyewitness News! I
watch your weather report every morning.” Birdie leaned on the table to prevent
an impending swoon. She quickly straightened her apron and ran her fingers
through her freshly frosted hair.
“Uh, yes. Thank
you for watching,” he said. An awkward silence passed between all of us.
“Birdie,” I
whispered. “Can we look at the menus you’re holding?”
Birdie jumped. “Oh!
I’m sorry.” She slapped them down on the table. “If you need anything,” her
voice lowered significantly as her gaze zeroed in on Mark, “I mean anything,
just let me know.”
“Thanks,” Mark
said.
“Any time.”
Birdie ran her finger along the edge of the table and turned on one foot. She
glanced over her shoulder at Mark as she walked back to the kitchen. Once she
got to the Formica counter on the other side of the diner, she grabbed another
waitress and started whispering while looking back. The other waitress screamed
and they both jumped up and down holding each other by the elbows.
“You seem to be
quite the celebrity,” I said.
“I guess so,”
said Mark. “I didn’t even know you could get our feed out here.”
“We do have some
of the modern conveniences.”
“Don’t let it go
to your head, Garret. Just remember who the groom is in this shindig,” Leo
said, tapping Mark with his laminated menu.
“I can always
count on Leo here to keep me humble. You know, you wouldn’t be so bad on my
side of the camera.”
“Been there, done
that,” Leo said. “I’m pretty happy researching storms, not acting them out.”
I hadn’t thought
about the impact having a television weatherman in the group would have on our
wedding. Surely the rest of the town wouldn’t be as silly as Birdie. She was between
husbands, and to her he looked like one fine blue plate special.
“Do you get that
a lot?” I asked.
“Not quite like
that, but here and there people recognize me,” he said. “Mostly they blame me
for the rain.”
“Well,” said
Elena. “Now that you brought it up …” She was referring to
enclosures. I heard a rustling in the woods next to us, and Butch came bouncing
out, ball in his teeth.
“He’s looks fine
to me,” Leo said. “Betsy, sometimes you worry too much. I just hope we can find
a nice dog park for him to run in up in Dallas.”
He would have to
bring up yet another family member who would be affected by the move.
“I thought I saw
him out in the water,” I admitted, reaching down to pat him on the head. A
small sting hit my arm. A mosquito was now lining up to take a second bite of
my arm. I knocked it off.
“Ouch,” Tyler
said, now holding his arm. “Mosquitoes are bad today.”
“Not for me,”
Zach said. “I put on some of my mom’s homemade calamine lotion. Watch this.” He
lifted his arms in the air as if offering a blood smorgasbord to the mercenary
bugs. “See? I’m protected. It’s like a shield over my arms.” As he spoke, I
noticed a mosquito lighting on his arm.
“Right, dude,”
Tyler said, knocking it off.
Another bug
lighted on Zach’s arm and then another.
“I think it’s
attracting them. Let’s get back to the car,” Leo said, gathering up our trash
while the boys got the balls and bats. So much for entomological protection.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
We met at the
Pecan Bayou Diner for lunch with Mark Garret, a friend of Leo’s from Dallas who
would be our best man, and Elena, our maid of honor. Elena apologized as she
came into the diner wearing her police uniform.
“Sorry, guys.
You only have me for an hour,” she said. “George went home with a cold, and I’m
working his shift.”
Birdie came up
with four menus and glanced at the squad car parked in front of the restaurant.
“Hope that doesn’t discourage the regulars,” she said.
“I’m doing you a
favor, Birdie. I’ve seen some of your regulars,” replied Elena.
Birdie looked
over at Mark and gasped, “You’re Mark Garret from Dallas Eyewitness News! I
watch your weather report every morning.” Birdie leaned on the table to prevent
an impending swoon. She quickly straightened her apron and ran her fingers
through her freshly frosted hair.
“Uh, yes. Thank
you for watching,” he said. An awkward silence passed between all of us.
“Birdie,” I
whispered. “Can we look at the menus you’re holding?”
Birdie jumped. “Oh!
I’m sorry.” She slapped them down on the table. “If you need anything,” her
voice lowered significantly as her gaze zeroed in on Mark, “I mean anything,
just let me know.”
“Thanks,” Mark
said.
“Any time.”
Birdie ran her finger along the edge of the table and turned on one foot. She
glanced over her shoulder at Mark as she walked back to the kitchen. Once she
got to the Formica counter on the other side of the diner, she grabbed another
waitress and started whispering while looking back. The other waitress screamed
and they both jumped up and down holding each other by the elbows.
“You seem to be
quite the celebrity,” I said.
“I guess so,”
said Mark. “I didn’t even know you could get our feed out here.”
“We do have some
of the modern conveniences.”
“Don’t let it go
to your head, Garret. Just remember who the groom is in this shindig,” Leo
said, tapping Mark with his laminated menu.
“I can always
count on Leo here to keep me humble. You know, you wouldn’t be so bad on my
side of the camera.”
“Been there, done
that,” Leo said. “I’m pretty happy researching storms, not acting them out.”
I hadn’t thought
about the impact having a television weatherman in the group would have on our
wedding. Surely the rest of the town wouldn’t be as silly as Birdie. She was between
husbands, and to her he looked like one fine blue plate special.
“Do you get that
a lot?” I asked.
“Not quite like
that, but here and there people recognize me,” he said. “Mostly they blame me
for the rain.”
“Well,” said
Elena. “Now that you brought it up …” She was referring to
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