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Shelby nodded, walking toward the line for food, aware that she was pulling Nate along as she went. She made a pile of nachos, feeling they would be easier than a taco. As she watched, Nate made himself a couple of burritos. As soon as they sat down with their food, her mother came out of nowhere and tied a towel around her neck. Shelby felt like an idiot, but at least her wedding dress wouldn’t be forever tacoed.
As they ate, many people came to visit. Well, not too terribly many because they’d only invited fifty people between them, but enough. His mother and sister both came over to hug her. “I’m so glad I can finally call you daughter,” Mary, Nate’s mother, said. “It feels like it’s been forever.”
“I know! It’s good to be home.”
By the time they left, his car laden with gifts, she was exhausted. “Why does it feel like that took twelve hours?”
He chuckled. “It was only a couple of hours.”
“Still…felt like forever to me.” As he started driving, she asked, “Where do you live? I’ve been living with my mom.”
“I’m still here in Scranton. I have a house that I bought and remodeled. We’ll probably want to sell it soon and do the same. House flipping has added significantly to my income, especially since I live in the house I’m working on.”
“Do you still support your mom with the business?” she asked. She didn’t mind if he did, but knowing would be good.
“No, not anymore. She gets social security, and Dad put money away for retirement. And I fix anything she needs fixed and am always renovating her house.”
“So normal son stuff.”
He pulled up in front of a beautiful home. “This is your renovation?”
“It was. I finished it a few months ago, but I didn’t want to start a new one during summer. The construction season is always so busy. I have more time during the winter, and I work on the house then.”
“You know I’ll be working crazy hours, right?”
“I figured you’d have some long days as you’re building up your practice. What hours do you think you’ll be working?”
Shelby sighed. “Right now I’m going in at eight and leaving at five, but I’m on call in the evenings. I’ve had a couple of women transfer their prenatal care to me, so I’ll be on call to deliver babies as well.”
“Are you an Obstetrician?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No, family practice, but so many people come to me with different things. I’m kind of the doctor who will see anyone and everyone.”
“Pediatrics?” he asked.
She nodded. “I did a fellowship in pediatrics and another in internal medicine. I’ll be seeing anyone who is sick.” She shook her head. “Scratch that. I will not see family.”
“That makes lots of sense,” he said. “All right. Let’s go see the house. I’m pretty proud of it.” He got her things from the back of his truck, carrying them inside for her. “I’m going to leave these in the entryway while I show you.”
“All right.” He led her into the kitchen. The marble countertops gleamed, and the tile floor was beautiful. “Who picks the colors for you?” She remembered that he’d never been good at matching anything.
“Maisie,” he said, mentioning his sister. “She loves to get involved with my projects, and I refer her to clients as an interior decorator.”
“I didn’t know she was an interior decorator!”
Nate smiled at her. “There’s lots of things you don’t know.” He led her into the dining room, which had a built-in hutch and a pass-through window to the kitchen.
“This is fabulous!”
“Maisie suggested the hutch and the tile flooring continuing from the kitchen. I would have put carpet in here, but she said to do tile.”
“She has really good taste.”
“Of course, she does. She picked me for a brother.”
Shelby laughed. “I bet it’s fun to work with her.”
“Sometimes. She’ll get an idea of how something should look in her head, and I’ll make it exactly like she describes, but it’s never quite right. Sometimes I want to shake her.” Nate shook his head. “Here is the living room.”
