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She was one of the lucky people whose hair had just enough wave, or curl depending on your point of view, to look great without much fuss. She knew she was primping for Caleb, but she didn’t care. Tonight, she would make things right.
Once again, though they thought they were arriving early, they could barely find a place to park. Jenni sincerely thought that by now the events of the morning would have receded into the past, but the minute she got out of the car, she knew that wouldn’t be the case.
“Hey, aren’t you the lady who did CPR on that guy this morning?” a man asked. He had pulled up to park beside them and joined them as they walked toward the entrance of the community center. “I was just a station away on the other side. That’s really something, what you did. Have you heard anything about the guy?”
Jenni nodded and said quietly, “Yes, I have. It seems the gentleman is doing well and for now, anyway, it looks like he will be fine.”
“Great news,” the man said as he shook her hand and walked on ahead. “Best news I’ve had today. My fishing sure wasn’t good news.” He laughed and stepped into the hall.
Jenni and her group followed. She was unaware that once she had received the text, Barb contacted Chuck Muller, the tournament organizer, to share the news.
Now people who knew Barb came up to meet Jenni, and those who didn’t know Barb soon figured out what was going on and who Jenni was.
Jenni was in the midst of a conversation with an older woman who was sharing her experiences about learning CPR when Chuck Muller approached her.
She excused herself and turned to face Chuck, who introduced himself, thanked her profusely, and then asked her a question. “Jenni, this whole crowd wants to thank you, but if you spoke to each and every one of us, we’d never get out of here. Would you please come to the podium when I introduce you? It will be at the very end. We’ll have dinner, announce all the winners, and then I think that would be a good time for folks to show their appreciation.”
Jenni was about to decline when she suddenly knew this was a wonderful opportunity. She knew what she had to do.
“I will do that, Mr. Miller, I mean Chuck.” She smiled. “But I’d like for you to give me maybe two or three minutes to speak. I’d certainly appreciate that.”
“No problem,” he said.
Jenni was sure Chuck wondered why anyone would volunteer to speak to a crowd, but at least he didn’t say no. She knew people would be anxious to leave at the very end, so she’d keep it short, but she’d make her point.
Chapter Thirty-Five
The dinner line had started to move along.
They went table by table, so Jenni was able to see everyone get in line or sit back down. She scanned the crowd several times for Caleb, but to no avail. He wasn’t there.
She nudged Caitlin and asked her to look too, but neither one spotted him. Nor did they see a table where three guys were perhaps waiting for a fourth.
Jenni was crestfallen. She couldn’t imagine that he wouldn’t come, even if he had no intention of letting her anywhere near him.
She had dreamed of making this apology and maybe even asking him to hear her out. That she had dealt with the demons of her past. Asking him to understand that she was ready to move on now and open her heart.
Jenni had a sharp intake of breath. She realized that what she wanted was to try again with him. But she couldn’t say any of that if he wasn’t there.
Trying to keep her growing anxiety at bay, she looked around for other familiar faces. The Smith and Leonard families were at the table next to them.
Jenni learned from Chris that Susan’s ankle was coming along fine. Susan insisted there had never been anything wrong, and that led to some very good-natured squabbling between the two of them.
Jenni had come to like them a lot. She had heard bits and pieces of their many years apart and then their amazing and coincidental reunion. She felt genuinely happy for them.
Mike and SeaAnna were talking about their move to the beach.
“Jenni, I never thought when I left this island as a young woman that I’d be back,” she said, taking Mike’s hand in hers. “Or that I’d ever want to come back. Or that Mike would agree. Or that Mike would love fishing so much.”
Jenni asked about their new home, and about what it would be like to be a resident now instead of a visitor.
“I guess we’ll see,” said Mike thoughtfully. “Winter is right around the corner. Maybe I’ll help Dare doing off-season stuff with his boat, or maybe Chris and I will just fish.” Then he winked. “Whatever it is, I’m sure I’ll drive SeaAnna crazy.”
That pronouncement caused more laughter.
Jenni saw Dare and Jo make their way to the table. “Sorry we’re late,” Jo said, giving her mother and grandmother pecks on the cheek. “Dare actually had a charter today and so he was late cleaning up.”
Jenni watched as the two sat down and chatted with Jo’s family. She wondered how that relationship would move along in the future.
