She glanced around the yard and saw Lexi and Nick chatting with him and Kate. Staring at the back of his head, she willed him to turn around and look her way. But his attention remained focused on the lady doctor. Mary Karen’s heart gave a ping.
“Food looks good.” Joel shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels.
Mary Karen refocused her attention on the sumptuous spread. Normally she’d taste a little of everything. Tonight, nothing appealed to her. Still, she knew she had to keep up her strength. If not for herself, for the life growing inside her.
“My friend Lexi did the catering and she’s a fabulous cook,” she said absently.
By now almost everyone had seated themselves. Kate still stood beside Travis waving her hands, telling some story. A funny one, if their laughter was any indication. Mary Karen turned her gaze back to Joel. “If you’re not sitting with anyone, I’d love some company for dinner.”
She wasn’t sure what made her offer. Maybe it was because he looked as out of place as she suddenly felt. Though she knew everyone here, most of them had someone special with them. Like her, Joel appeared to be flying solo this evening.
He flashed a smile and gestured for her to precede him to the buffet table.
“Amazing.” Joel’s eyes widened at the variety of food artfully displayed against the brightly covered table linen. “And to think I expected burgers and brats.”
“I can vouch for the cucumber gazpacho soup.” Mary Karen pointed to an Art Deco–inspired tureen. “It’s one of Lexi’s specialties.”
Joel’s gaze dropped to the reddish soup with brightly colored bits of vegetables and several cucumber curls on top. His easy smile faltered. Instead of reaching for the ladle, he shifted his attention back to her. “Do you have a special dish you like to make?”
“You bet she does,” a deep voice responded from behind her. “M.K.’s spaghetti rivals Chef Boyardee.”
Mary Karen whirled. “Travis.”
Her hope that he’d come to join her for dinner faded when she saw Kate at his side.
Joel grinned and clapped a hand on Travis’s shoulder. “Hey, buddy. Welcome back.”
“It’s good to be home.” Travis may have spoken to Joel but his gaze remained firmly fixed on Mary Karen. “I see you’ve met M.K.”
“M.K.? Oh, you mean Mary Karen.” Joel slanted a glance in her direction and winked. “We’re getting acquainted.”
A muscle in Travis’s jaw jumped but his smile was easy.
“Would you like to join us?” Joel asked.
“Thanks for the offer but we’re already settled in.” Kate slipped one arm through Travis’s and gestured with the other toward a large table. “The table is already full or we’d ask you to join us.”
“Us?” Mary Karen choked out the word.
“Travis and me.” Kate spoke slowly as if making a very important point. Or perhaps she thought Mary Karen slow on the uptake. But Mary Karen saw everything all too clearly.
“Of course.” Mary Karen could have cheered when her voice came out cool and even, giving no indication of her inner turmoil.
Travis’s brows pulled together and his lips pursed. “Actually—”
“That’s okay,” Mary Karen interrupted. “Joel and I have our eye on that little table by the arbor.”
An awkward silence descended.
“You look familiar,” Joel said to Kate. “Have we met before?”
“I don’t think so.” Kate’s cheeks pinked. “In fact, I’m almost positive we haven’t.”
“It’s your eyes,” Joel continued, for some reason unwilling to let the subject drop. “I know I’ve seen them.”
“I’m going to see if our hostess needs any help.” Kate smiled brightly. “I’ll see you back at the table, Travis.”
With those words, she disappeared into the house.
“I never forget a face.” Joel followed her with his eyes. “I just can’t place from where.”
Not at all interested in talking for even one more second about Kate, Mary Karen smiled and changed the subject. “Do you like lamb, Joel? These burgers with mint and cilantro are very tasty.”
“They’re my favorite,” Travis said before Joel could respond.
“Then you should take one.” Mary Karen kept her tone light. “But do it quickly. I have a feeling your girlfriend won’t like to be kept waiting.”
Girlfriend. Even the word tasted bitter on her tongue.
“I don’t have a girlfriend,” Travis said, his face taking on a mulish expression.
Mary Karen wasn’t fooled. And she wasn’t in the mood to be generous. “Really? That’s not what I’ve heard.”
“Before you left you told me you were dating someone from the hospital.” Joel added a large spoonful of pasta salad to his plate. “Did you two split up?”
Travis groaned.
“I think they make a nice-looking couple.” Mary Karen elbowed Joel. “Don’t you?”
Travis’s hazel eyes flashed. Mary Karen told herself she didn’t care if she’d ticked him off. She believed in calling a spade a spade.
Still, when Travis flung a lamb burger onto a plate and stalked back to the table where Kate now sat waiting, Mary Karen wondered exactly when it was she’d turned into a jealous fifteen-year-old.
She slapped an extra big dollop of sour cream dill potato salad—that she didn’t want—onto her plate pretending it was his head.
Joel didn’t seem to mind that the guest of honor had stalked off. Instead, he leaned over and grabbed two bottles of beer from a round silver tub filled with ice and held them up.
Although a Corona sounded surprisingly good, Mary Karen shook her head. It might be only one beer, but she wasn’t taking any chances with her baby’s health. “Club soda please.”
“Thanks for inviting me to sit with you.” Joel exchanged one of the beers for a can of club soda. “A pretty woman like you could have her pick of dinner companions.”
The compliment was a balm to Mary Karen’s battered and bruised ego. Although Joel didn’t make her pulse beat faster, with his unruly chestnut hair, brown eyes and rugged features, he was a very attractive man. She quickly discovered he was also a gentleman. When they started across the yard to an empty table, he insisted on carrying her plate.
She’d wondered if once they sat down it would be awkward. After all, they didn’t know each other. But conversation flowed easily. By the time they reached for the Key lime pie, Mary Karen had learned Joel had an eight-year-old daughter and that his wife had died of cancer two years earlier. She gave him the abridged version of her own life—minus the new chapter that was about to be written. He seemed genuinely surprised to learn she was divorced and had three small boys.
“You look like a college co-ed.” The admiration in his eyes momentary distracted her from her cares.
“I’m twenty-six. But it’s nice to know you think I look young and carefree.”
Joel brought the beer to his lips, his dark eyes never leaving hers. “You don’t feel that way?”
The last time she’d felt unencumbered of life’s burdens had been in Vegas … with Travis. And that had turned out so well. Mary Karen gave a strangled laugh.
Joel cocked his head.