"Thank you," he said sincerely. "I’m so thrilled she accepted."
Kara glanced at Ginny, keeping the pain in her eyes shielded. "I hope you’ll be very happy," she said to Ginny.
Ginny was certain that she was going to pass out right here. With any luck, she would fall into the fire and it would all be over quickly. She shot Phil a look that would kill most men and he had the good sense to look away from her. She looked again at Kara, wanting to take her away from here and explain, but Kara refused to meet her eyes.
Kara forced down her hot dog, nearly choking on every bite. She refused to look at Ginny. She refused to look at Phil. Tension settled around the campfire and even Nana seemed to notice.
"Have you set a date?" Nana asked, disrupting the silence.
"No," Phil said. "But I hope soon. The sooner the better, you know."
Ginny said nothing and she tossed her plate into the fire, and everyone watched as her uneaten hot dog sizzled in the flames. She would kill him, she decided. She had just cause. He had just ruined her life. And Kara. Kara wouldn’t even look at her. And who could blame her. One minute, Ginny is begging her to make love to her, the next, she finds out Ginny’s to be married. She groaned softly. God, what had just happened here?
"And babies?" Nana asked.
"Nana! Please," Ginny said quietly.
"Well, you’re not getting any younger," she continued
"Nana… stop," Ginny said sharply and she shot Phil another look.
Kara waited what she thought was a respectable time, then stood. "I’ve got some work to finish," she lied. "Thank you for inviting me," she said to Louise. "But I need to get going."
"Are you leaving already? We’ve got marshmallows, too," Nana offered.
Kara ran her hands through her hair and she wanted to scream. "I’ll have to pass," she said. "Nice to meet you, Phil. It was… enlightening."
"Maybe I’ll see you around this week," he said.
"Probably not. I’ve got a lot of work to do." She turned, and with only a nod to Ginny, walked purposefully to her truck.
"Kara, wait," Ginny called and ran after her. She had to talk to her. She didn’t care that Phil and Nana were staring after her.
Kara kept walking, not trusting herself to speak.
"Wait," Ginny demanded in a soft voice.
Kara stopped, her hand on the door. "I’ve nothing to say to you."
"I didn’t know anything about that."
"Really?"
"How can you think I can want you like that if I’m planning on marrying Phil?" Ginny asked.
Kara’s eyes bored into hers. "One last time? Cheap thrill?"
"Don’t be like that. It’s not you," Ginny said softly. "You know how I feel about you," Ginny insisted.
"Ginny, go back where you belong," she said, motioning with her head.
"I don’t belong with him," Ginny said.
"Well, you certainly don’t belong with me."
Ginny felt as if she’d been slapped and she stood by silently as Kara slammed the door and sped off.
She walked slowly back to the fire, accepting the burning marshmallow without a word.
"Kara sure was quiet tonight," Nana said after an eternity of silence.
"She’s different," Phil commented.
Certainly different from you, Ginny thought. And I’m in love with her and she doesn’t want me anymore.
They packed their things and drove back, Ginny thankful there was no more talk about a wedding. When Phil would have followed Nana into the house, Ginny stopped him.
"I’d like to talk to you. In private," she said, glancing at Nana. When Nana closed the door, Ginny turned on him, eyes flashing. "How dare you?" she hissed.
"Ginny…"
"How dare you tell Nana that? You know how much she wants us to get married."
He had the audacity to smile at her. "I needed all the help I could get."
"You bastard," she spat, wanting to slap the smile from his face.
"Ginny! You act like this is a surprise. We’ve talked about it."
"I’m not going to marry you. You knew that last night." Her voice softened. "Phil, I’m not in love with you."
"What do you mean?"
"I don’t love you. I’m not going to marry you."
"Ginny, we’ve spent four… nearly five years together. We’re good together."
"Good?" She shook her head. "You call what you did to me last night good? No."
"Ginny, let’s talk about this. I was trying to make love to you."
"Make love? You forced yourself on me, after I asked you to stop."
"Ginny, we’re a couple. Couples make love."
"I want you to leave," she said. "In the morning."
"I’m here a couple of days, you get pissed off and you’re sending me away?" He laughed. "Ginny, be reasonable."
"I am being reasonable. And you’re right," she said. "I am pissed off. I’m pissed as hell that you told Nana we were getting married and I’m pissed as hell that you’re even here in the first place." She was pacing then, her voice rising with each word. "You come up here and act like nothing has changed. You act like I didn’t leave nearly a year ago because I didn’t want to get married. How… dare… you?"
Phil stared at her and for the first time, she saw uncertainty in his eyes.
"You were just scared. Marriage is a big step, Ginny. But I love you."
"You don’t even know me anymore, Phil. I’m not the same person that left."
Phil stared at her again, silently. Finally, he brushed at his moustache with one finger.
"What’s with you and the artist?" he asked.
Ginny wasn’t afraid to meet his eyes. "My relationship with her is none of your business."
"If I didn’t know you better, I’d say…"
"Don’t, Phil," she said quietly. "You have no idea."
"I watched you. You were so quiet before she came and then when she got there, you couldn’t take your eyes off her." His voice was angry and he grabbed her arms. "Did that dyke come on to you or what? Is that what this is about?"
"Dyke?" Ginny laughed softly in his face. "Is that what she is?"
He shoved her away, his eyes searching hers for answers. "Did she?"
"My relationship with her is none of your business," she said again.
"Isn’t it? My God, Ginny, what’s happened to you?" He shoved his hands nervously through his hair and peered at her. "We were going to get married."
"No. We were not. And that has nothing to do with Kara," she said.
"Please tell me you’re not involved with her," he whispered. "Please?"
Ginny stared at him, refusing to look away. "We’re… more than friends, yes," she admitted. "And that has nothing to do with you."
"Jesus," he muttered. "I can’t believe this." He turned his back on her and Ginny was tempted to go to him, to comfort him, but he shrugged her hand away. "Was I that bad in bed? Jesus, you had to replace me with a fucking woman?" he yelled.
"Phil, this has nothing to do with you. It just… happened."
"But you’re not a… a goddamned lesbian," he whispered.
"If what I feel for her makes me a lesbian, then yes, I guess I am." She took his arm and this time he didn’t pull away. "I don’t expect you to understand, Phil. I don’t understand it myself."
"That’s why you cried last night?"
She nodded and shoved her hands in her pockets. "I wasn’t ready to accept this, I guess. I didn’t know for sure that I could be in a… a lesbian relationship like this. But she’s what I want."
"So, it’s over? Just like that?" he asked, his tone hurt again. "Because some dyke came on to you?"
"Stop calling her that," she said sharply. Then her voice softened. "Don’t you see? This has nothing to do with you. I tried, Phil. That’s why I let you come up here. But it’s me. Something was missing with us. That’s why I ran. I just didn’t know what it was."