The drive to Birch Lake was filled with easy conversation and laughter. Shiloh regaled me with stories of past Fourth of July celebrations and the various mishaps that had occurred. It was obvious he loved this holiday, and his excitement was contagious. By the time we arrived, I was genuinely looking forward to the festivities.
We found a prime spot to set up our picnic blanket, settling down among families and couples who were already there. We weren’t able to set up on the far side of the lake, which I’d come to think of as our spot because that was the staging area for tonight’s display.
Shiloh had brought along a cooler full of food and drinks, and we dug in to fuel up for the long day and night ahead. “So, what are we going to do from now until the sun goes down?”
“After we eat, we’ll head to the pavilion. The first band probably started before noon, and they’ll keep going today until the fireworks start,” I explained.
We were almost through eating when I heard a familiar voice. “Teddy, it’s good to see you.”
I looked up and noticed my former sister-in-law standing less than a foot away from me. My heart lurched at the sign of her very pregnant stomach. She and her husband, Roscoe, had been trying for a few years to have another baby. The last I’d heard, they’d made peace with being parents to two rambunctious boys, justifying their choice by saying there was no guarantee they’d have a girl this time anyway.
“Amy, it’s great to see you.” I pushed myself off the ground and wrapped my arms around her the best I could. “You look great.”
“I look like a beached whale,” she protested. “But I know you’re too sweet to say that.”
“Because I don’t make a habit of lying to you.” I glanced over my shoulder to see Shiloh very conspicuously pretending he wasn’t eavesdropping. Well, screw that. If we were talking right over the top of him, he should be a part of the conversation.
I turned and offered him a hand. He tried subtly shaking his head, but I wasn’t taking no for an answer. I knew this was a possibility when I’d suggested we come here for the day. I wasn’t going to pretend like he was just a friend simply because I’d run into someone from my former family.
“Amy, I want you to meet Shiloh.” I pulled Shiloh to my side, sliding my hand to the small of his back so there was no mistake he was someone special in my life. Her eyes widened but she didn’t say anything. “Shiloh, this is Amy. Patrick’s sister.”
“Patrick’s— oh, hi. Nice to meet you.” I didn’t miss the way his body stiffened. “Excuse me. I’m going to find the restroom.”
“Shi—”
He cut me off before I could get his name out. “It’s fine. I’m sure the two of you have some catching up to do. I’ll be back in a bit.”
Fuck. I wasn’t even sure what in the hell I’d done wrong but I got the distinct impression I was in the doghouse.
“Oh, Teddy.” Amy shook her head. The problem with knowing someone since we were kids was she knew exactly how much of an idiot I could be at times. “I still love you. You know that, right?”
“Yeah,” I responded warily, knowing a well-earned lecture was headed my way.
“Good. Then you’ll know where I’m coming from when I tell you what an idiot you are.” She had to rest a hand on my shoulder when she stood in her tiptoes to clip the back of my head. “Did you seriously bring that boy here without telling him how you knew about the fair?”
“Ummm...” Yeah, I’d fucked up big time. “Does it help if I say I didn’t think it mattered at the time? It’s not like I was bringing him to a family reunion with my ex’s family. It’s a public park. And we’ve been up here a few times already.”
“Oh, Teddy,” she said again. As much as I missed Amy, I could have done without hearing her loud sigh that said more than words ever could. At least it was accompanied by a hug this time. “I’m going to give you a pass because you never really learned how to be in a relationship but that’s not how these things work. A simple heads-up would’ve been enough so he wasn’t blindsided when you ran into someone you knew.”
“I guess maybe you’re right,” I conceded. “Any good ideas on how I can make this up to him?”
“Nothing off the top of my head. How about we start with you escorting me over toward the restrooms? You can say hi to Roscoe and the boys, and then leave me in their capable hands while you go find your boy.”
“He’d be pissed as hell if he heard you calling him a boy,” I protested. Shiloh was touchy about people shining a spotlight on the age gap between us.
Amy rested her hand on my forearm, allowing me to escort her back toward her family. “You have to admit there’s a bit of cradle robbing going on there, Teddy. Was he even alive when you were in high school?”
Which part?I decided against asking that question. When she put it that way, it made me feel like a creep. Damn her.
“Teddy, I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”
We were interrupted by a few of her friends I met over the years stopping us to say hi and ask how I’d been doing. The shitty part about splitting up was losing people I enjoyed spending time with. It wasn’t as if I could claim Amy or her friends since she was Patrick’s sister.
“Sorry about that,” she apologized after her friends excused themselves. I spotted Shiloh walking back from the restrooms and waved him over. “Okay, it looks like this is where I make my exit. If he doesn’t shove you in the lake for being an idiot, come and find us later. I know the boys would love to see you. And because I know you’re wondering, no, he’s not here.”
Yeah, I had been wondering, even before we ran into her. I breathed a sigh of relief knowing I didn’t have to spend the day looking over my shoulder. Visiting the former in-laws completely depended on whether Shiloh was interested in meeting them once I explained the situation.
I cautiously approached Shiloh after Amy disappeared into the crowd. I took it as a positive when he didn’t pull away from me. I crooked a finger under his chin, tipping his head back so our eyes met.
