Beatrice and Douglas (11 page)

“What has you so jumpy anyway?”

Beatrice rolled her eyes at the question.  They were
standing outside her parents’ house with pie and potato salad.  The answer
seemed obvious to her.  “This is our barbeque day with the family since
you announced we’re ‘all official like,’ I just don’t want everybody to be weird
about it.”

“Weird no, but they are going to tease us
unmercifully.”  At the vehemence behind his last word, she looked up at
him with widened eyes.  He shrugged.  “If it was me, I would milk
this for all it was worth.”

Her eyes narrowed.  “I bet you would,” she
muttered.  “What happened to defending my honor if they gave me a hard
time?”

“Yeah, sweetheart.  That was with the guys at
work.  This is your brothers and demented
cousins
.”  He
shuddered dramatically.  “It’s every man for himself.”

“Typical.”

He opened the door of her parents’ house, and with his hand
on her back, led her inside.  “But if it makes you feel better, I’m the
one more likely to get it from everyone, including your mom and dad . . . and
Jack.”

She pursed her lips while she considered it.  “Actually
that does make me feel better, thanks.”

“Figured.”

***

“That’s it?” she asked incredulously.  Beatrice was
finally alone with her mom in the kitchen doing the final prep for the
barbeque.  “I tell you I’m with Douglas, The Bruce, the man who made my
life hell since I was eleven and you just say ‘uh-huh, pass the butter’.”

“Well, sweetie, I hate to break this to you, but the only
one in this family who couldn’t see how crazy that boy was over you, was you.”

“He teased me constantly.”

“Boys do that with girls they like.”

“He dated blonde floozies.  A lot!”

“To make you jealous.  He never dated anyone that
wasn’t casual and gone as soon as a person blinked.”

“Because he was a manwhore!”

“Honey.”  The mother voice was a powerful tool, but in
this case, Beatrice had worked herself up to dealing with shock and awe, and
instead got “about time,” all around.

“He burned down my Barbie dream house.”

“Exactly.  Imagine the work he must have put into that,
those things are made of fire retardant plastic.  We’re all still in awe
that he managed it.  Besides, even you have to let go of a grudge after
fifteen years.  Enough is enough.”

“I don’t believe this.”  She sat down and put her chin
in her hand.  “I feel . . . I’m not sure how I feel.  Betrayed
somehow.”

“Oh, for goodness sake . . . You love the boy, don’t you?”

“Apparently.”

“And he loves you.”

“He better.”

“Then take the potatoes out, and rescue your man from your
father.”

That perked Beatrice right up.  “Is daddy really going
to give him a hard time?”

“And Jack.”

Beatrice laughed quite diabolically.  Then took out the
potatoes to watch her man finally get his comeuppance.  She would probably
also rescue him . . . eventually. 

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