Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 53349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
“Well, then,” Nate said, with a smile of his own, “that can be the first item on the agenda for our business meeting tonight—what to rename Furface.”
“We can’t name a stray dog,” Tamara said. “We shouldn’t become too attached.” She wasn’t sure if she was talking about the dog or her own feelings.
“Why not?” Nate asked. “Come on, you must be able to think of a name that suits him.”
Tamara could probably think of a million names that were better than Furface, but that wasn’t the point. The point was that names meant something—attachment, for example. They meant acknowledging that he was in some sense her dog, and while he was certainly very cute and lovable, she wasn’t sure she had the right to name him. Especially when he would likely soon be gone anyway.
“I get the feeling that he prefers being a stray,” Tamara said. “In fact, I imagine he’ll leave pretty soon. The pickings can’t be good for a stray like him just wandering along the beach. There’s not a lot of point in naming him if he’s just going to go. You know?”
Nate nodded, looking serious for a moment. “I know what you mean. Although it means he’ll always be Furface to me.”
Tamara laughed. “Okay, you win. Just don’t expect me to call him that.” She paused for a moment. She’d missed being able to joke with Nate like this over the last couple of days. This was what had always made things so good between them. “So, tell me, have you been getting up to anything outside of work? Or is Liz keeping you too busy for that?”
They both knew Liz wasn’t the kind of boss who tried to keep everyone busy every hour of the day. If anything, she was always trying to send people home early. If Nate kept long hours, it was because he wanted to, or because he was simply committed to Married in Malibu’s success.
“Well,” Nate said, “I have yet another family wedding to attend this weekend.”
“Another one?” Tamara asked. It seemed he’d just been to a wedding a couple of months ago. How many family weddings could one person attend? Even with a large family, the average person was probably looking at three or four biggish affairs, and then it was done. You could probably get away with wearing the same dress to every wedding, although her sister didn’t buy that argument.
Nate checked off his fingers. “So, there were my mom’s and dad’s remarriages, my sister’s four marriages, and now this will be my brother’s second… Although with my mom, it’s kind of hard to be sure. There’s a time in Vegas that she jokes about. Add to that all the cousins, uncles, and the rest, there’s gotta be at least a dozen between them. If we had the money, we’d be Married in Malibu’s best clients.”
“Wow, that is something.” Tamara could barely imagine a family like that, given what her own was like. “So, your brother is getting married again this time?”
Nate nodded. “He says they’re keeping it intimate. I think he was inspired when he heard about Liz and Jason’s beach wedding. They’re planning something similar down in San Diego with just him, his fiancée, close family, and a few friends.”
That sounded a little flat. It was as if Nate was detailing a grocery list.
“I know you really love your family,” Tamara said, “but you don’t seem thrilled about your brother getting married.”
“I’m happy for him, really,” Nate said. “I’m glad he’s happy, and I’m sure the wedding is going to be great.”
“But…” Tamara prompted.
“But my family’s lives seem to revolve around the next wedding. The ones who aren’t getting married are getting divorced. The ones who aren’t getting divorced are looking to get married again. It’s just what they do.”
They paused for a moment while the waiter delivered their main courses. Risotto for Tamara, lamb for Nate. The food looked delicious. They both agreed that they usually didn’t prepare these dishes at home, so it was extra special to have them here tonight.
“The hard part,” Nate continued, “is that when they see me single and unattached… Well, it’s like sharks around a bait ball. They’re always trying to get me married off. I’ve lost count of the number of wedding receptions I’ve gone to where they’ve tried to set me up with somebody—usually a bridesmaid. I get seated next to people I don’t know, and I get paired up with someone for every dance. It doesn’t matter if we have anything in common or not. I think it drives them a little crazy that I’ve never been married.”
Tamara had to admit that she wouldn’t want to be in Nate’s shoes. It was bad enough being single without people trying to set you up all the time. Tamara couldn’t help feeling bad for him, yet it was obvious he would need to go to his brother’s wedding. She tried to think of a possible solution to the problem, and only one thing came to mind.