Chapter 9

We awoke on the morning of the First Annual Dan 'n' Nina Barbecue Blast. I dressed immediately and went out to check on the smoker. Temperature was exactly as I'd set. The same technology that monitors huge furnaces was monitoring my little box smoker, cooking meat. I opened the door, couldn't resist an exploratory poke with a finger, and grabbed the chip tray. I dumped the expended wood chips and replaced them with new ones and returned it to its position. I noted the controller sensing the low temperature of the chip tray and kicking in the heat to generator smoke.

I walked back into the house and Nina was setting a bowl of cereal on the table for each of us. "Coffee's on, dearest!" she said. "How's the meat doing?"

I gave her an exaggerated leer.

She retorted with feigned outrage. "Uh! Don't be coarse!"

"You started it! But since I think I know what you really mean, those briskets are doing just fine! They're right on schedule. And I just put Jannie's chicken on."

Nina giggled. "Special treatment?"

"You bet," I said. "Jannie can make life miserable at work!"

We ate our breakfast, sat out on the patio together, drinking coffee, then I made another pass with a broom over the patio and did a police call of the yard, watched carefully by Sam through the glass door.

Nina and I set up folding tables to augment the patio table, and spread plastic table covers and that was pretty much the sum of what we needed to do, except wait.

Wait?!?!? With Nina? Eighteen and eager? Oh, well, another shower before noon wasn't going to kill us...

Noon! Set out the bowls of crunchy snacks. Haul out a couple of trash cans to catch debris. Invite the curious neighbor and his wife. Make excuses and plan something for the kids when Sandy gets here.

Somebody had to be the first to arrive. That was Harvey and his wife. Harvey was pushing sixty, and had almost forty years with his wife and they fit together, he being grey, balding and overweight, and his wife being grey and plump and smiling Harvey introduced Nina to his wife Becky. I already knew her from previous socials, so I just shook her hand.

"Well, Dan, you've done very well. Married up, I see!" She smiled at Nina. "Harvey, go get your ribs. Nina, I hope you're carnivorous. These guys DO like their barbecues."

I accompanied Harvey to retrieve a big foil-covered tray. Ribs! I'd never admit it in a group, but Harvey was the preparer of some fine ribs. He was a beneficiary of my temperature controller design on his own smoker.

The ribs went on a table, covered to keep their heat. A few minutes later, Dave and his wife Sherry, and then a steady stream, until the complement was on board. We started uncovering food and the feed was on. And good.

Conversation flowed well, lubricated just a teensy bit by the beer that went missing at a wedding reception in a Baptist church's social hall. The summer heat wasn't too cloying and with this bunch, well, I knew everybody, but that didn't matter. There were no strangers. Engineers being shy and introspective? Do a barbecue and add beer. Those from outside the work crew, my neighbors and Nina's grandmother and her (announced, now) fiancée, they were dragged into the mix and enjoyed themselves

The neighbors were the first to leave, amply supplied with plates to feed their kids. The rest of the gang hung around, nibbling, sipping and talking and Dave dragged his guitar out and we played and sang a few songs, talent enhanced and sensitivies dulled, no doubt, by ethanol. Late in the evening we shook hands with the last of the work bunch, leaving us with Nina's grandma and her guy Ed. It was nice having help securing the place.

I was proud to see NOTHING left of my two briskets. Okay, to be honest, there wasn't any meat left. We had a trashcan full of empty beer bottles. No fights. No injuries. I count that as a success. Next party, though, we're gonna work on the music. Dancing with Nina to the dulcet tones of Dave's guitar left a bit to be desired. Not Nina. Dave. Like his barbecue, Dave's music was a whole lot of enthusiasm to make up for what small shortage of skill that existed. Still, there wasn't any of Dave's sausage left, either.

After the cursory clean-up, we retired to the living room and spent a while doing the small talk thing. One of the first topics was Helen's. "Dan, ya'll are getting your daughter this weekend, right?"

Nina took that one. "Yes, ma'am. I'm looking forward to it. You know we talk a couple of times a week now."

"I know," Helen said. "Just step lightly, honey. Little girls and their daddies, you know, and divorces. You never know how that is going to play out."

Nina patted my knee. "Me an' Dan will be just fine, Grandma. Really. And Sandy will fit right in with us. It'll be interesting. And fun!"

Ed smiled. "Well, then that means the THREE of you will be at our wedding. We're getting married in a month."

Squeal! Nina was kissing her grandmother and I was shaking Ed's hand. We checked the date against our calendar on Nina's cellphone and made sure that we'd be set up for attending. I wasn't going to miss that wedding.

"Nina," I said. "We need to make sure that Sandy has a dress for the wedding! We need to tell her mom."

Nina smiled. "Or me an' Grandma can take 'er to the mall and buy one!"

I grinned. "That might just be a better idea!"

Ed chuckled. "Like you need to give women a reason to shop!"

We laughed at that, but truthfully, Nina and I seldom went shopping. It usually happened when she or I determined a need. For purely recreational purposes, we had a wide spectrum of activities we choose from.

One of them was apparently advanced cat petting as Sam ambled into the living room and hopped up between me and Nina. Her strokes started him purring.

That changed the conversation to pets and cats versus dogs, and then ten o'clock was here and Helen and Ed left. We stood outside the door until their tail-lights disappeared around the corner.

Once back inside, Nina locked the door behind her and backed against it. I trapped her there for a kiss, a kiss that was returned with a sigh.

"Okay, babe," she said. "The First Annual Dan 'n' Nina Barbecue Blast. Success?"

I kissed her perfect nose. "Success. Maybe next year, more music though."

Giggle. "You surprised me when you pulled me out there to dance, honey!" She smiled.

"No quite as surprised as I was that you danced so well," I countered.

She pushed her face against my chest and bit me lightly. "Thank Grandma for that. She said that a young lady would be well served, her words, if she could waltz."

"Remind me to thank your grandma again, my sweetness," I said.

"Honey," she retorted, "I love you to pieces, but YOU smell like smoked meat and sweat. I need to put your butt in the shower." And she smiled sweetly. "And just on the outside chance that you may need help, I will join you." And she tiptoed to kiss me on MY nose. Bedtime was particularly satisfying afterward.

Sunday morning after breakfast we finished up the post-party cleanup then loaded up the kayaks and drove to a favorite stream for a bit of recreational exercise. One of the exercises involved pulling two kayaks up on the bank while the occupants disappeared into the woods. And came back out smiling and adjusting their swimsuits.

The exercise did us good, and a light dinner went a little way toward balancing caloric intake from the big pig-out the day before.

And then it was Monday. Amid good-natured ribbing (about barbecue! Hah!) we talked about the party.

Dave said, "You know, I must be getting' old. I got home before sunrise Sunday and I remember everything I did."

"Yeah," I said. "We're all responsible and everything."

"Says the guy who married an eighteen year old..." he laughed.

I leaned back in my chair, laced my fingers behind my head, and smiled. "Yep! VERY respectable."

Harvey laughed. "Dan, Dan, Dan ... You gotta quit smiling like that..."

We floated through the week, facing Saturday plans to drive two hundred miles to meet the ex-wife halfway and retrieve Sandy for her summer stay with me. I came in from work on Wednesday to find Nina in Sandy's room, cleaning, dusting, setting things right. A bowl of potpourri was on the dresser. I noted it, and she giggled.

"Just makin' an effort, sweetie," she smiled. "I really want this to work for us. But Sandy's almost eleven. Some of this stuff is just a little too, uh, LITTLE girly, I think."

I stroked my chin. "Maybe so. I'm mostly clueless about what little girls want. Last summer was almost a disaster. I took two weeks' vacation and basically did everything she could think of."

"We'll do better this time, guy," she said. "I think I can make things easier for all of us."

"I hope so, sweetie," I said.

Friday we made sure that we did the grocery shopping, adding a few snacks and items that I remembered as Sandy's preferences.

Saturday morning we were on the road early, having arranged a rendezvous for one o'clock at a MacDonalds just off the interstate, a little on her side of halfway. I knew the drill. I'd done it before several times in the past four years. I hated the procedure, especially the return trip. Equally hurting too was the fact that I could look at Sandy and see so much of the ex in her. It took everything sometimes to convince myself that Sandy was just the happy outcome of an unsuccessful phase of my life.

Nina and I'd had the discussion at length. Nina is my love, my soul, and I wanted her to know everything in my life. That included the triumphs and tragedies, including my failed marriage, having that discussion with a head of dark brown hair laying on my shoulder, arms wrapped around me. Catharsis comes in many forms and I had to find it with Nina. It wasn't easy, but with Nina, I couldn't imagine it being any easier.

So on this summer Saturday morning, we were tooling down the road listening to Haydn concertos and talking. Two hundred miles passed easily as time always seems to do with me and Nina on the road. Ever the pessimist, I made sure we had plenty of room for traffic problems, so we were at the location with plenty of time to spare. We ate up the excess by taking a little loop through the countryside.

We were in the parking lot ten minutes before the appointed time. Jennifer and her husband showed up in a Cadillac. That was always the case. He was, at his best, a used car dealer, and every time they showed up, he was in what he thought was the part of his inventory most likely to impress. The dealer plates gave it away. Sandy was waving happily as they passed us in the parking lot.

Nina and I got out of our car.

"Daddydaddydaddy!" A squeal and a leap and I gathered two arms full of ten year old energy in a t-shirt and shorts.

"I MISS you!" Sandy said, kissing me on the cheek.

"I miss you too, punkin'," I said. "I think you're growing too fast!"

"Not too fast, Daddy!" Her eyes shifted. "Are you Nina?"

Nina smiled. "Hi, Sandy!" I think that Nina was uncharacteristically nervous.

Sandy fixed that. Another squeal and a bounce and she was wrapped around Nina like a long-lost friend. "You're pretty!"

I looked past that scene, one that was producing happiness, to see my ex-wife Jennifer and her husband Harry. Harry had two suitcases and Jennifer had a cardboard box, headed our way.

"Hi, Jenn, Harry," I said. I opened the hatch on my SUV to accept Sandy's baggage. When Harry freed his hands, I extended mine to shake. I always thought he was a smarmy bastard, as evidenced by his handshake, like he'd gone to "shake hands like a REAL man" class, and needed remedial training.

"Hey, bud," Harry said, putting on his "Have I got a deal for you" smile.

"Anything else she needs to bring?" I asked. I didn't like the bastard when he was in high school with me and Jennifer, and I wasn't going to start now. Civil. That's all, the best I could work up.

Jenn said, "No, that's about it, Dan. She's been excited for a week now. I hope you and Nina live up to her expectations."

By this time Nina was at my side, Sandy next to her. Nina was half a head taller than Jennifer, and in the last year or two, Jennifer had taken on a decided bell shape. This trip her hair was mostly blonde, teased, and nailed into place solidly. I'm glad I didn't have to deal with that. I rebelled against hairspray while we were married, and I guess ol' Harry was impervious to it. When she turned her head, her hair didn't move.

I introduced Nina formally. "Jennifer, this is my wife, Nina. Nina, this is Jennifer, Sandy's mom."

"Hello, Mizz Jennifer," Nina said. "Sandy's dressed really cute!" If you can't say something nice, don't say anything. Jennifer wasn't smiling.

"Hello, Nina," Jennifer said. "My friends' description didn't do you justice. Dan, she's quite striking."

"Thank you, Mizz Jennifer," Nina said.

"Oh, Nina, please drop the 'Mizz" thing." Her face finally broke the beginnings of the smile that I once found so charming. "Sandy's been going on about you. She likes talking to you."

Nina looked down at Sandy, who was grinning. "Thank you, Sandy. I enjoy talking to you, too. I never had a little sister, you know..."

"Come on, gang," I said. "We have four hours of driving to do." I turned back to Jenn and Harry. "We're going to be at the beach starting Monday, for a week." I noticed Sandy tugging Nina closer to me. She succeeded. We made one of those modern 'blended' family units. "Sandy'll call you often. Or you can call her."

Harry spoke up. "You folks have a good time."

Sandy made a quick bolt to give her mom a kiss. "'Bye, Mom! Love ya!" She gave Harry a cursory hug, and bounce-skipped back to between me and Nina. And waved.

We mounted up. Nina was starting to get in the back seat and Sandy stopped her. "Nuh-uh, Nina! You're Daddy's wife. You're s'posed ta sit by 'im."

Nina smiled. "You sure, sweetie? I can ride in the back seat so you can sit by your dad."

"Nope. That's okay!" A whole five feet of ten-year old blonde girlchild got in the back seat and buckled herself in. We pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road home. Once on the highway, I allowed Sandy to unbuckle her seatbelt so she could hover between Nina and me. Sandy's blue eyes were mine, as was the blondish hair. And listening to her talk, I wanted to take credit for the intelligence, too. She and Nina chatted along.

"Does Dad still listen to the GOOD music, Nina?"

"You mean like this?" Nina punched the power button on the stereo and restarted the Haydn concerto CD.

"Uh-huh! Mom calls that 'your dad's music' but I like it. I've been trying to get Mom to let me take piano lessons, but she wants me to do softball instead."

"I wish I'd taken a musical instrument," Nina answered. "It just never got off the ground when I was living with my Mom. And when I moved in with Grandma, I was almost sixteen, and I thought I was too old to start."

"That's why I want to start now. I got this friend at school an' she's been doin' it since she was eight." Sandy was smiling. She leaned over a bit further and kissed me on the shoulder. "I've been waitin' for this for so long, Dad. An' since you married Nina..." her hand stroked Nina's short, dark pageboy. "I like your hair, Nina. Dad, can I get mine cut like Nina's?"

'Oh, here we go, ' I thought. I wasn't going to make move like that without her mom's approval. "Baby," I said to Sandy, "You'll have to ask your mom."

"'Kay," Sandy said matter of factly. "Can I use your phone?"

"Okay," I answered, passing her my cellphone. "But if she says no, don't start fussing."