Loose Ends
Part 1
Tuesday, August 21, 1984
The movie was over, and Dan and Tess were strolling hand in hand toward Wimpy’s. Dan sneaked a glance at his girlfriend, casually admiring the way her pink t-shirt and short jean skirt fit her slender figure. Her sun-streaked curls bounced riotously as she walked, barely skimming her shoulders. She caught him looking, and smiled brightly.
“Penny for your thoughts,” she said.
“I was just thinking how lucky I am, to be here with you,” Dan answered honestly.
Tessa’s reply was lost as a familiar voice called out, “Hey, Dan! Wait up.” They both turned to see a couple hurrying towards them.
“Hay is for horses, Josie,” Dan said as the girl stopped in front of him. “And mine prefers oats.” She snickered, and Dan asked, “How was Indiana?”
“A lot less traumatic than Washington State, from what I hear.” Josie retorted, hands on her hips. Dan grinned, and Josie took the opportunity to give him a big hug. Stepping back, she asked, “You are okay, aren’t you? Diana said you were, but...”
“Yeah. I’m fine. Thanks.” Dan shrugged self-consciously, smiled into her big brown eyes, and reached for Tessa’s hand. “Josie Fisher, this is Tessa Hart. Tess, this is Josie.”
“We’ve met,” Tess told him, her eyes on Josie. “When I visited the high school last spring. You’re a writer, right?”
“Yes.” Josie flushed, remembering the circumstances of that previous meeting. “I’ve been at a seminar in Indiana this summer. You’re Trixie’s cousin, aren’t you?”
“Honey’s as well,” Dan interjected, trying to move past the awkwardness of the situation. “You must be Gordon.” He turned to the redheaded boy standing quietly behind Josie and extended his hand.
“Guilty,” Gordon replied, surprise in his brown eyes. “How...?”
“Josie told me about her boyfriend who used to be a redhead.” Dan exchanged a glance with Josie, and she giggled at the private joke.
“That was right before I passed out on him,” she explained to Tessa and Gordon. With a mischievous grin, she pointed out, “He still is a redhead.”
“And still the boyfriend, I’d guess.” Dan chuckled when Josie blushed and nodded at his words. “That’s great.” He pulled Tess closer.
“It is,” Josie agreed. “Dan Mangan, Tessa, this is Gordon Ullery.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Gordon.” It was Tess who stepped forward to shake his hand. “Dan and I were headed over to Wimpy’s for lunch. We’d be happy to share a table with you and Josie.”
Gordon looked quickly at Josie, who nodded her assent. “That would be great,” he said, reaching for Josie’s hand, “I’m starving.”
“Mike makes great burgers,” Tess told him, as she tugged Dan toward the restaurant, “and Danny promised me a peanut butter shake. How long will you be in Sleepyside?”
Dan felt some of the awkwardness slip away as Tess made small talk with Gordon all the way to Wimpy’s. With her hand clasped in his, he felt right. By the time they reached the door, both he and Josie had joined the conversation.
With their orders placed and water glasses filled, Tess nudged Dan to let her out of the booth. “I need to wash my hands before the burgers come.”
“Me, too,” Josie agreed, giving Gordon a gentle shove, “I might even powder my nose.”
Both young men slid out to let the girls pass. As they headed toward the restroom, the waiter arrived with the sodas. Gordon looked across the table and asked Dan, “Think they’re going to talk about us?”
“Without a doubt,” Dan said with a sigh. He caught Gordon staring at his hands, and realized he had twisted his straw into a knot. The two young men shared a wry grin, and as Dan reached for another straw, he asked, “So, are you as rabid a Hoosier fan as Josie?”
Wimpy’s Ladies Room
“When did you and Dan meet?” Josie’s voice was deceptively casual as she reached into her purse for her compact.
“December 18th, 1981.” Tessa was expecting the question, and adopted an equally casual tone as she swiped gloss across her lower lip. “But we were separated the following July, and we hadn’t heard from one another until just a couple of weeks ago. It was quite a surprise for both of us.”
Josie nearly lost control of her powder puff. “Really?” she asked. “Dan never mentioned you.”
“No. We kind of lost each other for a while, and we both thought that keeping quiet would protect the other. Silly, in retrospect, but circumstances were different then.”
“Circumstances?” Josie asked. “Do those circumstances have anything to do with Dan’s mysterious past?”
Tessa finished with the gloss and rubbed her lips together, keeping her eyes focused on Josie’s face reflected in the mirror. “The rumors about Dan are much more exciting than the truth. Trust me. I was there for half of it.”
“Really? You were there?” Josie asked incredulously. “I mean, wow, it sounds like there’s quite a story in there.”
“There is.” Tessa dropped her lip gloss into her purse. “A long, ugly story that I have no intention of sharing right now.” She turned on the faucet and soaped up her hands. “How long were you and Danny dating?”
Josie snapped her compact shut. “Only a couple of months. How did you figure that out?”
“Oh, please,” Tessa rolled her eyes as she tore off a paper towel. “First, you’re both nervous and on edge. Second, you have some inside jokes going on, and last, you’re in here checking me out. Spells ex-girlfriend to me.”
“It wasn’t...I’m not... I,” Josie stopped and took a deep breath. “I just don’t want to see him get hurt. I hurt him, and I really regret it. I just...”
“How did you hurt him?” Tessa asked, her eyes narrowing in speculation.
Josie took a deep breath. “I accused him of some things, and I didn’t listen when he tried to defend himself. I jumped to conclusions, and by the time I figured out that I was wrong, well, let’s just say that apologizing isn’t my strong point.”
“But you did apologize, right?”
“Yes.” Josie’s smile was tremulous. “I cornered Dan, and I apologized, and he forgave me. He said...” She closed her eyes. “He said he didn’t want to fight anymore because he had already wasted too much of his life fighting. I realized then how much my accusations hurt him. I’m not looking to date him again, but I count Dan as my friend, and I just want him to be happy.”
“It was you.” It was a statement that took Josie by surprise. “You’re the one.”
“What do you mean?” Josie asked, a note of dismay evident in her voice. “What one? Oh no, what did Dan tell you?”
Tessa smiled gently, her face softening. “It isn’t bad. Danny isn’t the type to kiss and tell. I asked him if there were other girls, because I had heard the rumors.” Josie nodded her understanding. “He told me about them, he said they were all just girls, but one had had the potential to be more. That was you. I know it.”
Josie blushed, and shook her head. “How can you be sure?”
“Because you don’t look at him as if he’s a chocolate cupcake. Or a trophy you can parade around with. You just admitted that you aren’t in here interrogating me because you want him back, but because you actually care that he’s happy.”
“Well, yeah,” Josie’s forehead wrinkled. “Dan’s a great guy. Of course I want him to be happy.” She put her hands in the running water, rubbing them together.
“That’s more rare than you know.” Tess ripped off another towel and handed it to Josie. “But I want you to know that you don’t need to worry. Dan’s happiness is very important to me, too. He’s important to me.”
Josie took the towel. “So we understand one another?”
Tessa grinned. “I think we do. In fact, there’s something I want to ask you...”
After lunch, Dan and Tessa walked back to the Bob-White station wagon. Dan held the door for her, waiting for her to fasten her seat belt before walking around to the driver’s side. As he put the key in the ignition, Tessa grabbed his hand. “Wait a minute,” she pleaded quietly. “I need to tell you something.”
“What?” Dan took his hand off the keys and looked at her with concern. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s supposed to be a surprise.” Tessa said the words as calmly as she could, chewing on her lower lip. “They’re going to kill me for telling you.”
Dan looked at her blankly. “What’s a surprise, and who’s going to kill you?”
“Saturday. The girls thought it would be a good idea to throw you a surprise celebration.”
Dan groaned. “Tess, I hate surprises. You know that. Saturday was supposed to be just family.”
“I do know. That’s why I’m telling you now,” Tessa explained. She pushed a stray lock of hair out of her face. “I tried to tell them that you don’t do surprises, but everyone is so excited for you, it just kind of snowballed.”
“Does my father know?”
Tessa nodded. “We told him on Sunday. He suggested that I give you a heads up. He knows you pretty well, doesn’t he?”
“Yeah. I guess he does.” Dan couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face at that thought. “Is he okay with it? He’s not real fond of crowds.”
“That’s why Honey suggested we talk to him,” Tessa said. “And Mr. M. said he’s okay with the party. He approved the guest list.”
Dan chuckled and shook his head. “Guest list? How many people are on the guest list?” he asked.
“Counting family? Because that’s around twenty, right there,” Tessa hedged.
Dan groaned again. “How many, Tess?”
“Well, I’m making a guess here...”
“Tessa. How many?” He was looking directly into her eyes now.
“About...fifty?” Tessa shrugged, trying to look away.
“Fifty? I didn’t know I even knew fifty people.” Dan closed his eyes.
“Believe me, Mr. Charming, it was over seventy before we started crossing off most of your old girlfriends.” Tess gave him a mock scowl.
“I didn’t ever have twenty girlfriends,” Dan protested.
“That’s not what I heard,” Tess giggled, leaning over and kissing his chin. “And I sort of invited Josie and Gordon, but Gordon’s leaving Saturday, so I doubt she’ll come.”
“Fifty people?” Dan shook his head.
“They’re all friends or family, Danny. None of them bite...much.” Tessa kissed him again, mock-nibbling at his lower lip.
Dan pulled her close, kissing her thoroughly. “Tease,” he joked, “at least I have a couple days to prepare.”
“That’s why I’m telling you now,” Tessa said, “but you have to promise me something.”
“What?”
“Act surprised.”
Dan looked down into her green-flecked golden eyes, and leaned in again, “Oh, I’ll be surprised.”
