“I’m not sure. I guess it’s because . . .”
“Because he seems like such a goof-off? Like everything’s a party?”
“No!”
“You sure about that?”
“Well . . .” Gabby trailed off, and Stephanie laughed again.
“He’s a goof-off, and a worldly young man . . . but underneath, he’s really just a small-town boy like the rest of them. Otherwise he wouldn’t be living here, right?”
“Right,” Gabby said, not sure whether an answer was even needed.
“Anyway, you’ll love it. You’re not afraid of heights, are you?”
“No. I mean, I’m not thrilled with them, but I’m sure I’ll manage.”
“It’s no big deal. Just remember you have a parachute.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
In the distance, a car door slammed, and Stephanie sat up straighter.
“Here come the Clampetts,” Stephanie remarked. “Or, if you prefer, the Brady Bunch. Brace yourself. Our relaxing morning is about to end.”
Gabby turned and spotted a rowdy group rounding the side of the house. Chatter and shouts rang out as the children ran in front of the adults, moving in that wobbly way that made them seem as if they were constantly on the verge of falling.
Stephanie leaned closer. “It’s easy to distinguish them, believe it or not. Megan and Joe are the ones with blond hair. Laird and Allison are the tall ones. And Matt and Liz are . . . less thin than the others.”
The corners of Gabby’s mouth curled up slightly. “Less thin?”
“I didn’t want to call them plump. But I was just trying to make it easy for you. In theory, I’d hate being introduced to a bunch of people and forgetting their names a minute later.”
“In theory?”
“I don’t forget names. It’s kind of strange, but I never do.”
“What makes you think I’d forget their names?”
Stephanie shrugged. “You’re not me.”
Gabby laughed again, liking her more by the minute. “How about the kids?”
“Tina, Josie, and Ben. Ben’s easy to figure out. Just remember that Josie has the pigtails.”
“What if she’s not in pigtails the next time I see her?”
Stephanie grinned. “Why? Do you think you’ll be coming over regularly? What about your boyfriend?”
Gabby shook her head. “No, you misunderstood what I meant—”
“I was teasing! My, you’re touchy.”
“I’m not sure I can keep them straight.”
“All right. Try these memory association tricks. For Tina, think of Tina Louise from Gilligan’s Island. Ginger? The movie star? She has red hair, too.”
Gabby nodded.
“Okay, for Josie, think of Josie and the Pussycats. And for Ben—who’s kind of big and square for his age, think of Big Ben, the giant clock in England.”
“Okaaay . . .”
“I’m serious. This’ll really help. Now, for Joe and Megan—the blonds, imagine blond GI Joe fighting a megalodon—you know, one of those giant prehistoric sharks. Really picture it, okay?”
Gabby nodded again.
“For Laird and Allison, imagine a supertall allosaurus stuck in his lair. And finally, for Matt and Liz . . .” Stephanie paused. “Oh, I know . . . imagine Elizabeth Taylor lying on a porch mat, eating fried pork rinds. Are you really picturing it?”
It took Gabby a minute—and Stephanie had to repeat the descriptions more than once—but when she was ready, she quizzed Gabby on the names. Amazingly, the names stuck, and Gabby couldn’t hide her surprise.
“Neat, huh?”
“Very,” Gabby admitted.
“It’s one of the areas I study at UNC.”
“Do you do this with everyone you meet?”
“Not specifically. Or rather, not consciously. For me, it comes almost naturally. But now you’ll really impress them.”
“Do I need to impress them?”
“No. But it’s fun to impress people anyway.” Stephanie shrugged. “Think about what I just did for you. But I’ve got one more question.”
“Go ahead.”
“What’s my name?”
“I know your name.”
“What is it, then?”
“It’s . . .” Gabby’s mouth opened soundlessly while her mind froze.
“Stephanie. Just Stephanie.”
“What? No memory tricks?”
“No. That one, you’ll have to remember.” She rose from her seat. “Come on, now that you know their names, let me go ahead and introduce you to them. And pretend you don’t already know who they are, so that way you can impress them, too.”
Introductions were made to Megan, Allison, and Liz while they watched the kids chasing one another; Joe, Laird, and Matt, meanwhile, had strolled down to the dock, loaded up with towels and coolers to greet Travis.
Stephanie hugged each of them, and the conversation turned to her progress at school. Amazingly, the memory tricks continued to work. Gabby wondered whether she should try it with some patients before she remembered she could read their names on the charts beforehand.
With some of Kevin’s co-workers, though . . .
“Hey! Y’all ready?” Travis called out. “We’re good to go, here.”
Gabby trailed a step behind the group, adjusting the T-shirt she’d worn over her bikini. In the end, she’d decided that, depending on what the other women wore, she could either take off her shirt or shorts—or maybe neither—and convince herself she hadn’t been listening to her mother.
The men were already in the boat when they got to the dock. The kids were dressed in life jackets and were handed to Joe; Laird held out his hand to help the women into the boat. Gabby stepped in, concentrating on keeping her balance amid the rocking, surprised at the size of the boat. It was longer than Travis’s ski boat by a good five feet, with bench seats that ran along both sides, which was where most of the kids and adults seemed to congregate. Stephanie and Allison (the supertall allosaurus) had made themselves comfortable at the front of the boat. At the . . . bow? The stern? . . . Gabby wondered, then shook her head. Whatever. At the back of the boat was a large platform and crank, along with Travis, who stood behind the wheel. (Blond, GI) Joe was untying the line that held the boat in place, while Laird (lair) rolled it up. A moment later, Joe moved to a spot near Travis, while Laird approached Josie (and the Pussycats).
Gabby shook her head, thinking it amazing.
“Sit by me,” Stephanie commanded, patting a spot beside her.
Gabby sat, and from the corner of her eye, she saw Travis grab a baseball hat he had tucked into a corner compartment. The cap, which she always believed looked goofy on grown men, somehow suited his carefree demeanor.
“Everyone ready?” he called.
He didn’t wait for an answer, and the boat rumbled forward, working through the gentle swell. They reached the mouth of the creek and turned south, into the waters of Back Sound. Shackleford Banks loomed ahead, grass threaded along the dunes.
Gabby leaned toward Stephanie. “Where are we going?”
“Most likely Cape Lookout. Unless the sound is relatively clear of boats, we’
ll probably make for the inlet, then out into Onslow Bay. Afterward, we’ll either picnic on the boat, on Shackleford Banks, or at Cape Lookout. Kind of depends on where we end up and what everyone’s in the mood for. A lot of it depends on the kids. Hold on for a second. . . .” She turned toward Travis. “Hey, Trav! Can I drive?”
He raised his head. “Since when do you want to drive?”
“Now. It’s been a while.”
“Later.”
“I think I should drive.”
“Why?”
Stephanie shook her head, as if marveling at the stupidity of men. She rose from her spot and whipped off her T-shirt without a shred of self-consciousness. “I’ll be back in a little while, okay? I have to talk to my idiot brother.”
As Stephanie made her way toward the rear of the boat, Allison nodded toward her.
“Don’t let her scare you. She and Travis always talk to each other that way.”
“I take it they’re close.”
“They’re best friends, even if both would deny it. Travis would probably say that Laird was his best friend. Or Joe or Matt. Anyone but Stephanie. But I know better.”
“Laird’s your husband, right? The one holding Josie?”
Allison couldn’t hide her surprise. “You remembered? You just met us for a second.”
“I’m good with names.”
“You must be. You know everyone already?”
“Uh-huh.” Gabby rattled off each of the passengers’ names, feeling smug.
“Wow. You’re just like Stephanie. No wonder you two hit it off.”
“She’s great.”
“Sure, once you get to know her. But she takes a little getting used to.” She watched Stephanie lecturing Travis, one hand on the boat to steady herself, the other hand gesturing.
“How did you and Travis meet? Stephanie mentioned you live in the neighborhood.”
“We live next door to each other, actually.”
“And?”
“And . . . well, it’s kind of a long story. But to make it short, my dog, Molly, had some trouble when she had her puppies, and Travis was kind enough to come over and treat her. After that, he invited me to come.”