* * *
Getting everyone posed for photos was definitely a challenge. Grandma Dyess had very specific ideas about how she wanted to pictures to look, but her orders were more easily barked than executed. There were just so darned many of them, Kim thought with a shake of her head. Fortunately, Grandma had chosen an outdoor setting, giving the kids room to run and play in the yard between poses, though Patty continuously fussed at her girls to please try to stay clean for their pictures.
Grandma Dyess had actually written out a list of the shots she wanted taken. The first was of her surrounded by her three children. That one was easy enough. With only a little jostling and arguing about who should stand where, Betsy, Treva and Nelson gathered around the wrought-iron patio chair from which their mother reigned. It took only about five shots before Grandma was satisfied with what she saw on the screen of Bob’s high-quality digital camera.
Next came a pose with her grandchildren. Handing Daryn to her mother, Kim joined her cousins around Grandma Dyess’s chair. She noted in wry amusement that there was much less arguing about positioning from this generation than there had been from their parents.
The great-grandchildren were somewhat more of a test. Lucas didn’t want to pose and had to be bribed with candy. Grandma Dyess was reluctant to hold Daryn for fear that her arthritic hands would not be up to the task, even though Kim thought Daryn would be fine sitting up in Grandma’s lap. It wasn’t as if Daryn were an infant who couldn’t even hold up her own head. They compromised by perching Daryn on Grandma’s knee with six-year-old Abby keeping one hand on Daryn’s back for added support. Bob took those photos quickly, before Lucas’s patience and Grandma’s knee wore out, but everyone proclaimed the shots quite satisfactory.
Individual family photos were next. Only as Treva, her daughters and granddaughters arranged themselves around the chair did Kim realize how awkward this session was truly about to become. She looked at Tate, to find him gazing back at her with similar questions written on his face.
“Um, Mom—” She pulled her mother aside, whispering in her ear. “What are we going to do about Tate?”
Her mother smiled at her serenely. “What do you mean, dear? We’ll have him join our family picture, of course.”
“But, Mom—”
“Oh, don’t be silly, Kim,” her mother managed to snap even in a low murmur that no one else could hear. “What does it matter if Tate stands with us? Now, make your grandmother happy and do what she asks, please.”
Kim sighed and moved closer to Tate. “Looks like you’ll be posing for photos. Sorry about that.”
“I’ll stand on the end,” he said with a chuckle. “That way I can be edited out if you ever want to erase me.”
Suspecting her answering smile looked rather feeble, she turned away to watch Nelson’s sons and grandson move toward “the throne,” as she had begun to think of Grandma’s patio chair.
“Sandi, you should join them,” Betsy instructed loudly, even though Nelson had already invited his girlfriend into the pose. “These pictures are a nice record of everyone who joined us for this lovely gathering today, right?”
Though the words were undoubtedly directed straight toward Kim, they seemed to make sense to everyone. Sandi moved to stand beside Nelson, visibly pleased to be included. The poor woman probably took Betsy’s words as a signal that she was forgiven for allowing Betsy’s grandchild to choke, Kim thought. As for herself, she held no ill will toward the effusively apologetic woman. Babies were notorious for getting their little hands and mouths on things they shouldn’t. Perhaps Sandi shouldn’t have let herself be distracted from her volunteer babysitting duties, but truth was, it could have happened to anyone.
Inevitably, it was time for Kim’s family to gather round the chair.
Bob turned the camera over to Rusty so he could take his place with his wife. Stuart grudgingly set aside his computer to amble into position, though Kim doubted he would bother to smile. Holding Daryn on her hip, she stood beside Tate and faced the camera, suspecting her own smile was a bit forced.
The final pose was a group shot of everyone. Bob set the camera on a tripod, activated the timer, then hurriedly returned to his place by his wife. Three times he went through that procedure, just in case any eyes were closed or heads turned away, and because Lucas was sobbing in the first shot and had to be soothed for the next two.
“That’s enough pictures for now,” Grandma finally announced after reviewing the shots on the camera screen.
Kim fancied the collective sighs of relief from her relatives ruffled the leaves of the bushes in Grandma’s backyard.
Grandma reached for her walker and rose slowly from her chair. The walker wobbled a bit on an uneven patio brick. Though she was never in danger of falling, Tate moved to steady her, as he happened to be standing closest to her just then. Kim watched her grandmother give him a curt nod of thanks and then regally allow him to escort her inside. Following behind them, Betsy gave Kim a smug look that made Kim want to snarl in return, though she managed to resist.
To reward everyone for the photo shoot, and to cool them down after standing around in the afternoon heat outside, Betsy and Treva brought out pitchers of iced tea and lemonade, along with the leftover desserts from lunch for late afternoon snacks. Again, it was all set out buffet-style, and everyone milled around the tables, sipping from glasses and nibbling cakes and pies and cookies.
Glancing at her watch, Kim spoke to her grandmother. “Tate and I are going to have to leave soon, Grandma. We still have a long drive ahead.”
“You aren’t staying for the entire weekend? I thought maybe you’d attend church with us in the morning.”
“We’d love to, Grandma, but we really need to get back home. Tate has a big client presentation first thing Monday morning and he needs to prepare for it.” Once again, she’d been able to tell the truth. Kim chided herself that she shouldn’t be so proud of that fact, considering the big lie she was allowing to be perpetrated about her and Tate.
Her grandmother nodded in resignation. “I want you and Tate to come with me for a few minutes. Bring the baby, too.”
Kim and Tate swapped a quick look. Judging by his expression, she wondered if he, too, questioned whether Grandma had somehow seen through their deception.
She swallowed a bit nervously, but nodded. “Of course.”
Without saying anything else, Grandma turned toward the hallway that led to the back of the house, her walker thumping against the floor. Kim and Tate followed, Kim carrying Daryn.
“Where are you going, Mother?” Betsy asked, rushing forward when she saw them. “Is there something you need?”