Across the Creek (7 page)

Robbie held open the door for her. She stepped inside, letting in a blast of fall. Then she flashed a quick smile—but it lasted only a moment. Something wasn’t right. “I’m sorry I’m late.”

Robbie grabbed the paper sack she was holding. “I was startin’ to worry. Everything all right?”

She looked down and nodded.

“Felicia,” Robbie said, not buying it. “What is it?”

Felicia took a few steps closer and placed a chilly hand on his cheek. She gently rubbed his stubbly jaw with her thumb. Her eyes scanned his face.

“Now you’re starting to freak me out,” Robbie said. “What’s goin’—”

She placed her fingers on his lips, silencing him. Robbie noticed a shine in her eyes he hadn’t seen before. She said, “I love you.”

The words hung in the air. Three words they hadn’t yet spoken to each other, although Robbie had felt them. Having never spoken these words to a woman outside of his mom and aunt, he waited for the right moment. And there she stood, the first woman he had ever loved. Large green eyes, olive skin, and long wavy hair the color of night. This was it. The moment he had been waiting for.

Just as he was about to say those three little words, the gravity of her lips pulled him into her. His eyes shut and his lips opened, welcoming the warmth of her kiss. Their tongues danced gracefully inside of his mouth, intertwining to the harmony of the emotion they both felt. He placed his free hand on the side of her neck, sliding his fingers up until he felt the muscles in her jaw flex as she pushed further into his mouth.

Robbie knew if he didn’t stop now, there would be no stopping him from taking her upstairs and to bed. He pulled back slowly, breathed deeply, and prepared to say the words that were burning a hole into his heart.

Felicia stopped him from speaking again, but not with a kiss. Instead, she placed her magical speech-removing fingers on his lips. Then she shook her head. “Please, don’t feel like you have to say anything right now. I told you this because it’s what I was feeling the moment I walked through this door. I don’t want you to feel as though you have to respond.” She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tightly. Robbie placed his free arm around her and took in the sweet smell of her hair, not wanting to ever let go.

Robbie understood completely. If the situation had been reversed and he had said
I love you
first, he would have wanted her to wait for a moment when she felt ready, instead of obligated. But he didn’t feel obligated. He felt it, too, as real as the kiss they had just shared. He swallowed, looked into her green eyes and—

“So,” she said, pulling away. “Are you hungry?”

Robbie looked down at the brown bag in his hand, feeling the moment pass.

“I’m starved.” He gave the sack a few gentle bounces up and down. “What’s in here?”

“Lasagna. You said it was your favorite.”

“It feels like you brought the whole pan.”

“What can I say? I’m starving too. Besides, you can have the leftovers.” She rubbed Robbie’s stomach.

“I’m not sure this is considered training food.”

Robbie placed his arm around Felicia and led her up to the loft. He paused before opening the door to the breakroom. He had never brought a girl to meet his Aunt Sherry. He wondered if Felicia was more nervous than he was. “Are you ready?”

“I am if you are.”

Robbie opened the door and found his aunt sitting at the round wooden table in the center of the room. A crossword in front of her, the eraser end of a pencil was pressed to her lips.

“Aunt Sherry,” Robbie said.

She simply held up a finger, eyes still locked on the puzzle.

Felicia looked at Robbie and he whispered, “She’s a bit eccentric, but she’s awesome.”

Robbie may have bumped heads with his Uncle August growing up, but Aunt Sherry had always been the one who never gave up on him. And he always admired the way she dismissed what others said about her, and what they had said about him.

“Lunar valley?” Aunt Sherry looked up at Robbie. “Four letters.”

“What?” Robbie asked.

“Mare,” Felicia answered.

Aunt Sherry wrote down the word. “Well, I’ll be.” Both Robbie and Aunt Sherry looked at Felicia. “Robbie told me that you were beautiful. But he never mentioned how smart you are.”

Felicia looked at Robbie. “Is that so?”

“You
are
full of surprises,” he said. Brains and good looks—he wondered what she even saw in him.

Aunt Sherry stood up and walked over to them. Felicia’s smile brought light into the room. Given its welcoming power along with her charming personality, Robbie knew right then that Aunt Sherry was going to love her.

“Aunt Sherry, this is Felicia,” he said.

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Felicia said, extending her hand.

Aunt Sherry waved it away and pulled her in for a hug. Without missing a beat, Felicia welcomed his aunt into her arms, as if she had been expecting it. “It’s so nice to meet you. Robbie has told me so much about you.”

“He has?” Felicia sounded surprised.

Aunt Sherry pulled back, leaving her hands on Felicia’s shoulders. “She’s gorgeous,” she said, looking at Robbie.

“Robbie’s told me a lot about you, too,” Felicia said.

“I just bet he has,” she said. “Well, let me tell you something about Robbie.” Aunt Sherry leaned into Felicia and whispered, “He’s a sweet boy. Don’t let those grizzly tattoos and tough guy demeanor fool you. He’s all heart.”

“Oh, I’m not fooled. I saw him for the softy he really is after spending just five minutes with him.”

Still looking at Felicia, Aunt Sherry placed an approving hand on Robbie’s shoulder. “Things haven’t been easy for him.” She turned her gaze to Robbie. “But he’s a diamond in the rough.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Felicia said.

“Anyways,” Robbie said, hoping to change the subject before Aunt Sherry started sprouting tears. “Felicia made lasagna. Are you hungry?”

Aunt Sherry looked at the sack Robbie held. “Lasagna. Sounds good, but I can’t. I’m on that Atkins Diet. You know, the one where you can only eat bacon.”

“I think you mean meat,” Robbie corrected.

“Of course, that’s what I meant. And bacon is a meat, isn’t it?” She looked at Felicia. “I just can’t get enough of bacon. It’s
so
delicious. And I think the diet’s working. I started the diet this morning and I’ve already lost a pound.”

Robbie rolled his eyes.

“It was so good meeting you, Felicia.” She gave her another hug and then squeezed Robbie’s cheek. “You be good to her. I can tell she’s a keeper.” She gave Robbie a wink before opening the door.

“It was nice meeting you too.” Felicia waved as Aunt Sherry walked out of the breakroom.

When they were alone, Robbie said, “Sorry about that. I should’ve warned you about her.” He pulled out a chair for Felicia. Then he set the sack of lasagna down on the table and took a seat in the chair next to hers. “She can be a bit much for some people.”

“I like her. She’s sweet.”

“Sweet is one of the many words that you could use to describe her. But she’s a good person to have in your corner when you need someone.”

Felicia removed two plastic plates, forks, and the pan of lasagna from the bag.

“Smells delicious.” Robbie removed the lid from the pan. “And it looks just as good as it smells.”

“So, you’re a diamond in the rough, huh?” Felicia asked as she dished out two squares.

Robbie rolled his eyes. “She’s talked like that ever since I was a teenager. I don’t know where she gets that stuff.”

“I can see where she gets it. You are different from most men I’ve dated.”

“Really?” Robbie’s chest swelled with pride.

Felicia nodded. “You do have a hardened shell,” she said. “Probably something you developed as a way to protect your soft center.”

“Hey, my center is anything but soft,” Robbie said, slapping his hand to his gut. “These abs don’t come natural, you know. I work out.”

Felicia chuckled. “That’s not what I meant.”

Robbie took a bite of the lasagna and closed his eyes. “Oh my gosh, this is good.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“I think this is the best lasagna I’ve ever tasted,” he said, pointing his fork to the plate. “You should sell this stuff.”

“Thank you,” Felicia said. She sliced into her piece with a fork but left it sitting on the plate, as if it were too heavy to lift.

“What is it?”

Her eyes remained fixed on the fork of lasagna. “I’m sorry that I was late.”

Robbie sensed that something more was bothering her. Although she had prevented him from responding when she had said that she loved him, he wondered if she was upset that he still hadn’t said anything. “Are you not hungry?” He wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“I actually left work early today because I wasn’t feeling well,” she said. “I took a nap and ended up sleeping longer than I thought I would.”

“You didn’t have to come tonight.”

She turned her gaze toward Robbie. He noticed an unusual seriousness in her eyes, as if she could cry at any moment. “We’ve been dating for a few months now.” She paused. “And it’s been great.”

“It has,” he agreed.

“What I said earlier. When I first showed up tonight. I didn’t want you to feel like—”

“Wait,” he said, interrupting her. “There’s actually something that I’ve been wanting to tell you for a few days now. Something that I’ve never told another woman. Aside from my mother and my aunt, of course.” Robbie took Felicia’s hand in his. Her warm and delicate fingers fit perfectly in his large calloused hands. His heart pounded harder at the thought of putting a ring on her finger someday. “Felicia, I love you.” As he said it, the weight seemed to lift from her shoulders.

Felicia’s eyes lit up. “Robbie, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What’s that?” he asked, wanting so badly to hear the sound of her voice when she said those three words again.

She straightened in her seat. Tears welled in her bright green eyes. “I’m pregnant.”

And just like that, with two simple words, the weight of the world took its place back on Robbie’s shoulders.

Jesse

Jesse’s little red S10 truck came to a squeaking halt across the street from Sarah’s apartment. He sat for a few minutes staring at the shadowy figures that crossed back and forth in the windows on the second floor. Sarah’s floor. His shaking hands reminded him of his senior prom. Poor Tina Mincy. Her brand new prom dress had a bright red stain from where Jesse had accidentally spilled his fruit punch on her.

Get it together
, he told himself.
It’s just a surprise birthday party
. For Sarah’s
fiancé
. A concept he still hadn’t gotten used to. It gnawed at the back of his brain like the elusive answer to a trivia question.

Jesse popped a piece of gum into his mouth and got out of his truck. “Here goes nothing.”

The sun’s fading light cast shadows across the apartment building’s weathered stone, giving it a classic look. Although the buildings looked two hundred years old, they appeared to be well maintained with updated light fixtures and nicely groomed landscaping.

Jesse pulled out the note that Sarah had given him and double checked the address. Then he moved forward, climbing the two flights of stairs leading to Sarah’s apartment. Each step brought more butterflies until they tickled the walls of his stomach.

He wrapped his fingers around the large brass knocker that hung from her door and paused.
It’s just a party
. One hour, two tops, and he could leave. But the tornado of butterflies within his stomach weren’t convinced. He drew in a deep breath and knocked twice.

The door opened a few inches and Sarah’s crystal blue eyes peeked out. She gave him a quick smile before opening the door the rest of the way. “It’s okay,” she shouted over her shoulder. “It’s not Kevin.” A cluster of people hiding behind furniture and the open-style kitchen counter stood up and let out a huge sigh of frustration.

“Come inside,” Sarah said, waving him in.

She looked stunning. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders, spilling over a silky white tank that clung tightly to her body. As Jesse followed her to the kitchen, it took a lot of effort not to stare at the shapely legs her jean skirt failed to conceal.

He felt dozens of eyes staring at him, like he was the new kid in class. Sarah led him through the living room, introducing him to people as they passed by. Her introductions were quick, not lingering long enough for them to know more than Jesse’s name, leaving him to believe that most of the people there were probably Kevin’s friends. Everyone seemed nice, but Jesse noticed a certain confidence in their eyes. The kind of confidence that came with a life of few struggles and possibly money, both of which were not afforded to Jesse growing up.

Sarah led Jesse into the open-style adjoining kitchen, which gave the tiny apartment a spacious feel. She introduced him to a group that was gathered behind the kitchen counter. They seemed different from the rest. Their clothes were more casual and they seemed younger than the people in the living room. All were shy, bar one: Rachael Miller. “Can I get you something to drink? A beer or a margarita?” she asked.

“No, thank you.”

“Are you sure?”

Jesse nodded. “I’m positive.”

“So, Sarah tells me that you own a pet store.” Rachael lifted herself onto the kitchen counter next to where Jesse was standing. Her mini jean skirt covered only the necessities. And her tight t-shirt left little for the imagination. Jesse knew Rachael’s type well, and given a different time and place, he’d probably be inclined to ask her out.

“It’s just a small shop in Old Town that I run with my brother and aunt.” He watched Sarah out of the corner of his eye as she made her way through the crowd, checking on everyone, making sure they felt at home.

“I think that’s so cute.” She smiled at him, stringing gum in, out, in, out from her mouth. The smell of alcohol and grape bubblegum turned Jesse’s stomach. Her thick makeup reminded him of one of those hundred-year-old houses that been painted about fifty times over.