back. We’re having a barbeque.”
“A barbeque?” Chris asked, glancing over his shoulder.
“Hamburgers and hot dogs on the barbeque grill,” she replied. “You’ll love it.”
Her dad laughed. “Oh come on, Caitlyn. The guy’s had barbeque before.”
If only her dad knew, but she wasn’t going to tell him. She hurried through the house until they reached the patio where everyone else was mingling about on the large deck. Her mother was setting out the salad and her brother was frying up the burgers.
“Blake makes some of the best burgers and hot dogs around, but don’t tell Jack I said that,” she told Chris as they approached her brother. “How’s it going?”
Blake turned a hamburger over and smiled. “Well, if it isn’t the great eloper. Mom and Dad have been talking about your sudden marriage nonstop.”
She sighed. “I figured they would be. This is Chris West.”
Blake extended his hand and Chris shook it. “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too,” Chris said. “So, this is a barbeque grill ?”
Blake laughed. “What else would it be?”
Shrugging, he said, “It could be a lot of things, really. It depends on what you plan to do with it.”
“Uh…okay.” Blake’s uneasy gaze shifted to Caitlyn.
“Well, you did use it to burn photos and a letter from an ex-girlfriend,” she reminded him.
Blake nodded. “So I did. It was actually a cleansing experience. As the flames turned her memory into ashes, I was able to move on. For all I know, the ashes could still be under the charcoals. ”
She grimaced. “Lovely thought.” She scanned the patio wher e her dad talked to her mom, Randy’s parents, Andy, and Sandy. He r dad motioned to her and Chris. Readying herself for more questions than she’d care to answer, she squeezed Chris’ hand. “ I better introduce Chris to everyone else.”
“Good luck.”
She caught the meaningful look her brother gave her and rolled her eyes. Of course, her mother wasn’t all that excited to know she missed out on planning the wedding, but what else could Caitlyn do? Besides, she w as in her thirties for goodness sakes. Didn’t being an adult count for something?
As she led Chris toward everyone else, he whispered, “Why don’t you want to tell them about the baby?”
His hurt tone brought her steps to a halt. She looked over at him and winced. Quickly taking him to the edge of the patio where no one would overhear them, she said, “You don’t understand. It’s best to wait until next month before mentioning the fact that I’m pregnant.”
“Why?”
“Because they’ll assume we got married because of the baby.”
“But we did get married to have children.”
“In this country, people get married because they love each other. Well, there are some who get married because the woman is pregnant, but that’s not exactly the ideal reason.”
“You weren’t pregnant when we bonded.”
“True, but they don’t know you’re from another planet. So if they find out I’m pregnant already, they’ll assume the worst.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t understand.”
Oh boy. He didn’t get it, and she didn’t know how to explain it. And her mom was heading in their direction. “Look,” she quickly said, “let’s just wait until nex t month before we mention it, a lright?”
Though he looked disappointed, he nodded. “Alright.”
She squeezed his hand. “Thanks.” Turning toward her mom, she let go of Chris’ hand and hugged her. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, Caity,” her mother replied.
She grimaced. No matter how many times she told her mother she hated that nickname, her mother refused to listen. Forcing aside the urge to bring it up yet again, she motioned to Chris. “I got married, Mom.”
Her mother stiffly nodded. “So I heard. Nice to meet you.”
Chris shook the hand she extended to him and grinned. “You have
“A barbeque?” Chris asked, glancing over his shoulder.
“Hamburgers and hot dogs on the barbeque grill,” she replied. “You’ll love it.”
Her dad laughed. “Oh come on, Caitlyn. The guy’s had barbeque before.”
If only her dad knew, but she wasn’t going to tell him. She hurried through the house until they reached the patio where everyone else was mingling about on the large deck. Her mother was setting out the salad and her brother was frying up the burgers.
“Blake makes some of the best burgers and hot dogs around, but don’t tell Jack I said that,” she told Chris as they approached her brother. “How’s it going?”
Blake turned a hamburger over and smiled. “Well, if it isn’t the great eloper. Mom and Dad have been talking about your sudden marriage nonstop.”
She sighed. “I figured they would be. This is Chris West.”
Blake extended his hand and Chris shook it. “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too,” Chris said. “So, this is a barbeque grill ?”
Blake laughed. “What else would it be?”
Shrugging, he said, “It could be a lot of things, really. It depends on what you plan to do with it.”
“Uh…okay.” Blake’s uneasy gaze shifted to Caitlyn.
“Well, you did use it to burn photos and a letter from an ex-girlfriend,” she reminded him.
Blake nodded. “So I did. It was actually a cleansing experience. As the flames turned her memory into ashes, I was able to move on. For all I know, the ashes could still be under the charcoals. ”
She grimaced. “Lovely thought.” She scanned the patio wher e her dad talked to her mom, Randy’s parents, Andy, and Sandy. He r dad motioned to her and Chris. Readying herself for more questions than she’d care to answer, she squeezed Chris’ hand. “ I better introduce Chris to everyone else.”
“Good luck.”
She caught the meaningful look her brother gave her and rolled her eyes. Of course, her mother wasn’t all that excited to know she missed out on planning the wedding, but what else could Caitlyn do? Besides, she w as in her thirties for goodness sakes. Didn’t being an adult count for something?
As she led Chris toward everyone else, he whispered, “Why don’t you want to tell them about the baby?”
His hurt tone brought her steps to a halt. She looked over at him and winced. Quickly taking him to the edge of the patio where no one would overhear them, she said, “You don’t understand. It’s best to wait until next month before mentioning the fact that I’m pregnant.”
“Why?”
“Because they’ll assume we got married because of the baby.”
“But we did get married to have children.”
“In this country, people get married because they love each other. Well, there are some who get married because the woman is pregnant, but that’s not exactly the ideal reason.”
“You weren’t pregnant when we bonded.”
“True, but they don’t know you’re from another planet. So if they find out I’m pregnant already, they’ll assume the worst.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t understand.”
Oh boy. He didn’t get it, and she didn’t know how to explain it. And her mom was heading in their direction. “Look,” she quickly said, “let’s just wait until nex t month before we mention it, a lright?”
Though he looked disappointed, he nodded. “Alright.”
She squeezed his hand. “Thanks.” Turning toward her mom, she let go of Chris’ hand and hugged her. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, Caity,” her mother replied.
She grimaced. No matter how many times she told her mother she hated that nickname, her mother refused to listen. Forcing aside the urge to bring it up yet again, she motioned to Chris. “I got married, Mom.”
Her mother stiffly nodded. “So I heard. Nice to meet you.”
Chris shook the hand she extended to him and grinned. “You have
Similar Books
