Deb set the platter of marinated chicken on the side of the barbeque before she turned around to embrace Nick. She stopped short when she saw Cara standing beside him, tears immediately welling in her eyes.
“Cara.” She said softly, not being able to hold all her emotions back. “I didn’t think you would come.” She admitted honestly as she took hold of her late son’s great love. She held her hands as she stared into her hazel eyes. “I’m so glad you’re here sweetheart.”
Cara glanced at Nick than back to Deb. “I’m sorry, I guess I needed someone to remind me where I belong.” She said hoarsely before she wrapped her arms around Deb, embracing her as if she was afraid to lose her too.
Luke watched on as Cara and his mother embraced, before looking over them to Nick. His eyes questioned him silently, trying to figure how he had managed to get her to show up for Sunday dinner. Nick shrugged his shoulders telling him in that silent code they had, not to worry about it.
Deb pulled back and smiled, wiping at her eyes as she noticed her husband and daughter had made their way towards them. “Joe, look who made it!” She said proudly, not letting go of Cara’s hand.
Cara turned around to face Joe. He graced her with a genuine smile. “Good to see you, again.” He said and she smiled at him releasing Deb’s hand to embrace the man who acted as a father to her for most of her life. He kissed the top of her head, just as he would do to his own daughter.
Sam pulled Cara out of her father’s arms and took her into her own. “I swear to God you better never ignore me again!” She hugged her friend tightly. In the last year the two of them had become so close, and when Jake passed, she felt the loss of Cara too.
Cara laughed and pulled back slightly to look at Sam. “I’m sorry.” She bit her bottom lip and held herself together.
“Nothing you need to be sorry for girl.” Sam smiled and then narrowed her eyes. “Just don’t make a habit of it.”
Deb smiled giddily as she looked over her kids. “Why don’t you all go sit down and make yourselves some drinks? You to Luke, I want to do the cooking.” She said taking the tongs from his hand.
“I have a better idea.” Joe said as he wiggled his eyebrows towards the younger generation. “Why don’t you all take a chance a piece at fixing my TV?” He nodded with his eyes wide as if he had the most spectacular idea of his life. “How’s that sound? Then you can all watch the game with me!”
Nick wrapped his arm around Joe’s shoulders. “Come on, old man, show me that TV of yours.”
“Watch who you’re calling old boy…” Joe said before he decided that Nick may be the one handy enough to fix his problem. “Did I ever mention you’re my favorite?” He said, hoping to butter him up to get his TV going.
Nick chuckled and shook his head as he let Joe lead him over to the table the archaic television was propped on top of.
Sam laced her arm around Cara’s and followed Nick and Joe. “C’mon, this should be entertaining.” She said as she eyed Nick’s ass that filled his shorts oh too well.
Cara raised an eyebrow at Sam as she caught her wandering eye. “Please tell me you’re not still sitting on that.”
Sam chewed on her lip to suppress her grin. “I haven’t sat on it in a while.” She said and pouted. Cara’s eyes widened at her admission and she covered her mouth.
“Sam!”
She shrugged her shoulders and looked at her innocently. “What?”
Nick looked over his shoulder at Sam, and smiled devilishly at her. “We could fix that, just say the word.” He said gruffly through the smile he planted on his lips.
“Before you go fixing her stuff, how about my TV set?” Joe said completely unaware of what he was condoning Nick to fix for his daughter. He patted the top of his it, “Come on now let’s get to it. The game is starting in fifteen minutes.” Cara and Sam giggled as they sat in the shade.
Luke walked over to the edge of the swimming pool to check on Ava, before he went to see if she wanted to get out for a while. She splashed him and told him to come in the pool with her. He promised he would in a little while before he walked over to where everyone was sitting. It didn’t go unnoticed to him that Cara had completely ignored him, which left him to wonder if she had remembered anything that had transpired between them the night Nick left him at Rudy’s. He shook his head, damning himself straight to hell, for letting things escalate the way they had. He wished he too didn’t remember, but the memories haunted him. He sat as far away from the girls as possible, his eyes glued to the pool as he took a pull of his beer.