“That’s early.”
“Well, she’s all about family events. She’d have gotten here at midnight if she’d had to,” Alysse said with a laugh.
Her phone vibrated and a minute later Alysse led the way to a large easy-up with a bamboo mat and a table under it. Thewoman waiting for them was tall and resembled Alysse. The two women hugged and Jay stood to the side.
“Mom, this is Jay. Jay, this is Candi, my mom.”
“Jay,” she said, holding out her hand. She wasn’t friendly and didn’t really smile at him, but that didn’t bother Jay. He expected that Alysse’s family would treat him coldly until he could prove that he had changed and wasn’t back in her life to hurt her all over again.
“Ma’am. Where do you want the food?” he asked Alysse.
She motioned to the table and he started unpacking stuff. He supposed if he were a different guy he would have made some kind of small talk, but that wasn’t his style and he knew it would sound forced if he attempted it.
He stayed to the side and watched as more of Alysse’s family arrived. They were all chattering away and he felt like an outsider.
“Hey,” Alysse said, slipping up beside him. She wrapped her arm around his waist and he almost hugged her back but felt as if too many people were watching them.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Yes. Just a little outside of my comfort zone. When does the volleyball tournament start?” he asked.
She dropped her arm and stepped away from him. He felt like a cad but he thought it would be better if there were no public displays of affection while her mom was standing nearby with a disapproving look on her face.
“It’s already begun,” she said. “What’s up with the cold shoulder?”
“Your mom looks like she’s just waiting for an excuse to lay into me. And I don’t think you’d appreciate a scene with your family and friends here.”
“I wouldn’t, but then I don’t think she’d cause a scene,” Alysse said. “What’s this really about?”
“I’m not comfortable in crowds,” he said. “There are too many people here. I can’t relax like this.”
“You did okay the other night when we went surfing with everyone,” she reminded him.
“The beach wasn’t this crowded,” Jay said.
It was a hard situation to handle when there were this many people around. It wasn’t just the strangers on the beach; it was Alysse’s people under this tent. They were her community, her lifeblood and if he needed any proof that he and Alysse didn’t belong together, well, here it was.
Alysse enjoyed this crowd and eating and talking and holding the babies and playing with the younger kids. And all he wanted to do was find a place with a wall that he could have at his back. They were so different and yet he was coming to need that smile of hers and her calming presence in his life.
“I didn’t realize the crowds would make you edgy,” she said. “Maybe after you’ve been out of the Marines for a while that will change.”
He stiffened. He wasn’t sure he’d ever lose his edge. “Maybe. You know I haven’t made a decision yet on the Corps.”
She gave him one of those odd searching looks of hers and he wished he understood what she meant by it. He hoped that she found the answer she wanted in his face. But when she sighed and turned away, he knew she hadn’t.
“I know.”
“Sorry,” he said.
“It’s fine. I need to remember that you aren’t really here to stay,” she said, shaking her head. “I think we’ve both been deluding ourselves that we were exploring options but really we’ve been playing house. And that’s not all that different from what we did in Vegas.”
“You’re right. Here’s not the time or place,” he said.
“Agreed. I think Staci’s just arrived and I’d like to have oneday where I can pretend I’m like every other woman my age,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“You know, that I have a boyfriend and my family and friends are with me,” she said before striding away.
