Perfect Alignment (28 page)

“My beautiful girl, I’m glad you’re home.”

“I’m glad to be home, Mom. I missed you.”

She settled in very quickly. It was after dinner while her parents were enjoying their coffees that her mother gave her a look. A very motherly, there’s-something-going-on-here look.

“You’ve met a man.”

Totally shocked, she just stared.

“Tell me.”

“Well. I mean, yes, sort of, but, I’ve met men before. Why would you say that?”

“You look troubled, but you haven’t told me about any problems. So it’s a man.”

“Huh.”

She took a drink of her water. “Well, I have met someone, but I’m not really sure there’s a future for us together, so I haven’t mentioned him.”

“He’s not good enough for you.”

Laughter bubbled out of her. “Thanks, Dad.”

He winked at her, but continued. “Seriously, if he’s known you for any length of time and doesn’t know that you would be the best thing that ever happened to him, I’m not sure I like his intelligence.”

“Well, he’s established, back in Massachusetts. He’s not a college kid, he’s a cop, he owns a house. He knows that I’ll be leaving this year.”

“What’s wrong with California?” her mother asked. “There are plenty of police stations here.”

“There are other issues, but I don’t want to get into it. We’re exploring things and I’ve recently come to the realization that I do want there to be a future for us. So I’m going to work on that when I get back. I’m just not sure how it’s going to go over, and I’m not used to being unsure.”

Her mother nodded. “Like your father, I agree that he should already know if you’re the perfect one for him. But, maybe it’s not so bad for you to have to do a little work to show him that he’s the one that you want. When it comes to boys, you have things too easy. Working for it will make it count for you.”

Again, she gaped at her mother. “Too easy with the boys? I can’t believe you would say that.”

Her mother rolled her eyes. “Not that you are easy,
mija
, but the truth is, you’re a beautiful woman who has confidence in herself. When you’ve been attracted to a boy and wanted to date, you’ve never had trouble making that happen.”

Emma frowned. She supposed that was sort of true. Really, it was that she hadn’t had many boyfriends, hadn’t met many guys she wanted to go there with. She wasn’t sure how accurate her mother’s portrayal was, but it didn’t really matter.

“Well. Maybe. I don’t know, Mom, but I know that when I go back, I’m going to step things up and see what happens. If it fails, at least I’ll know I’ve tried. And I’d really like it to work out. He’s a great guy.”

She managed to turn the conversation in other directions, though she knew her mom considered grilling her further. They talked about their plans for Christmas, and when she went up to bed, she went to send Drew a text, wanting to let him know that she was thinking of him. She realized she hadn’t turned her phone back on after getting off the plane, and when she did, she found a message from Drew.

Hope your flight went well. Let me know you're home safe? Miss you already.

Filled with warm fuzzies, she texted him back that she was home, that she missed him and that he should stay out of trouble while she was away.

He answered almost immediately.

Hard to get into trouble without you around. More worried about what you might get up to out there without me to keep you safe. No speeding!!

She responded,
Yes, Sir!
before going to bed, a big smile on her face.

****

Usually her trips home seemed to fly by too quickly. Now she was in the very weird position of feeling as if it was going too fast, but also not fast enough. It didn’t make any sense, but she supposed it didn’t really have to. It was how she felt. She sent Drew a few texts throughout the day, and so did he. It was by no means the manic back and forth that she’d seen some of her college friends go through with their new boyfriends. But that didn’t bother her. That just wasn’t them. They talked at least every other day, depending on Drew’s schedule and the time zones.

She spent time at the store and remembered how much she loved working there, seeing the families that she’d known her whole life, talking to strangers who were new in town, or just visiting. The general store was an important part of their town, a symbol of the way of life they were choosing to live. She looked around and felt a wrenching loss at the idea of leaving, though she tried to tell herself that there were other stores, other small towns, other ways of working and having the same love for her job. But she was afraid, really afraid, that she didn’t believe herself.

On Christmas Eve, just as she and her parents were sitting down to dinner, the doorbell rang. Her father answered it but then called for her. When she saw the amazing bouquet the delivery woman had brought, she actually had to fight back tears. The explosion of color was in a long, slim vase. She snatched the card up and opened it while her father carried the flowers into the dining room, placing them in the center of the table.

Not as gorgeous as you, but they were the closest I could find. Merry Christmas, Drew.

She smiled and handed the card to her mother, who was about to break something, trying to read the card over Emma’s shoulder. When she’d read it, she gave Emma a hug.

“This is a good start,
mija
.”

“Yeah.” Her smile was huge as she reached for the mashed sweet potatoes. “Yeah, it is.”

The next morning she made breakfast for her parents and then they opened their gifts. They weren’t extravagant, but a healthy mix of satisfying basic needs, thoughtfulness, and a touch of whimsy. When the last gift was opened and the last thank you said, she went upstairs and called Drew. He had agreed to work on Christmas day, so she knew if she managed to catch him, he wouldn’t be able to talk for long.

“Good morning, baby,” he said.

“Good morning, Drew. Thank you for the amazing flowers. I love them.” She'd texted him, of course, but she still wanted to say it.

“I’m glad you liked them so much. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas. I won’t keep you long, I know you have to get going, but will you open your present from me?” She’d given him an envelope with instructions not to open it before Christmas.

She heard the tearing of paper, then his breath blowing out.

“Jesus, Emma, tell me you didn’t spend this kind of money. These look like really good seats.”

She smiled. “I didn’t, I promise. Not like you think. And they are, lower level, courtside. I have a friend at school whose Dad has season tickets, and he sold them to me for a good price in return for giving his daughter some serious tutoring help.”

“I’ve never been to a Celtics game, this is fantastic.”

“I hope you can get the day off work, I figured February would be enough time to work the schedule.”

“Baby, if I have to call in sick to go see a basketball game courtside, that’s what I’ll do. But yeah, February shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Good. I’m glad you like them.”

“I love them. I will show you proper appreciation when you get home.”

Home. She both loved and hated that he thought of her coming back as coming home.

She was thinking of that as she exited the plane in Boston. It did, in some ways, feel like coming home. Returning to school always had. A temporary home. She’d spent the last few days in California working in the store and seeing old friends. On Michael’s birthday, she and her parents had gone to the cemetery and then to his favorite restaurant. It was sad, but they also had a good conversation, a good time together, and enjoyed telling stories about him, even though they all had heard or told them before. Still, her mom had cried at the gravesite and Emma had been pretty choked up herself. Her dad had wrapped his arms around both of them and they’d stood that way for some time.

She pulled her jacket out of her carry-on bag, shaking it hard to re-fluff some of the down that had been squished. Part of her, she supposed, would miss having real winters when she was back in California. But it wasn’t a very big part of her. It didn’t take long for her to get her bag and spot Caleb and Taryn, who had come to get her. Drew had told her on the phone the previous day that the department was having a very bad flu bug sweeping through, and there was no way he’d be able to get away to come get her. He’d sounded very sorry and worried about how she’d get home, but she’d assured him it wouldn’t be a problem. Someone she knew was bound to be heading into the city. A fast-paced texting session with Taryn had resolved the issue quickly. Taryn had taken the question as a sign from God that it was time for her to take a day off from the coffee shop and force Caleb to take her into the city for a day of fun.

Taryn wrapped her in a big hug, then pulled her to the car, chattering the whole time, interrogating Emma on her trip and telling her about their day in town. They stopped for dinner at Mama’s, where Richard joined them. She was exhausted and a little bit tipsy from only one glass of wine by the time she got to her apartment and called Drew. She got his voicemail, which most likely meant he was still working, poor guy.

She talked to him only once that day, and the phone call was quick. The next day she received a text and nothing else. Classes hadn’t started yet, so she had a couple of full day shifts at Grounded and tried not to worry about him having to work so many hours.

When the phone finally rang that night with the song she’d assigned as Drew’s, she tried not to snatch it up too quickly, but mostly failed.

“Hey, Emma.” How those two words managed to convey such exhaustion and yet pleasure, she hadn’t a clue.

“Hey, Drew. You okay?”

“Yeah. Thankfully, I’m not sick myself. Not so thankfully, half the department is or has been. I’m not even sure how many shifts I’ve worked this week.”

“Oh, poor baby! I’m glad you’re not sick, but that sounds pretty sucky.”

“It’s not the greatest thing ever. I’ve got the rest of the night and all the way until ten tomorrow morning before I have to go in. I miss you, baby, but I’m not sure when we’ll be able to get together, there’s still a shortage of able bodies at work.”

“Would you like me to come out there and make you some dinner, tuck you into bed? I wouldn’t mind.”

“That’s sweet, and part of me really wants to say yes, but honestly, I don’t think I’d even be awake by the time you got here, so there’s not much point. Get your own rest, because once I get a couple of days off in a row, I plan on doing whatever is necessary to fill up some of those hours with you. Even if that means driving out to your place and figuring out how to ravish you without your roommates catching us.”

She laughed. “Okay, it’s a plan. Get some rest and I’ll see you soon.”

After she’d hung up, she gave it some thought. He had sounded sincere when he’d said he’d like to see her. Maybe she should go ahead and drive up. If the lights were out when she got there, she’d turn around. The only thing she’d waste was a bit of time, and honestly she wasn’t going to get much done lying here worrying about him anyway.

If he was awake, she’d cuddle with him until he fell asleep. Maybe do a load of laundry, pick up around the place a bit. Chances were good that he’d only had enough time to make a mess, not pick up. That kind of thing would annoy him once he got enough sleep to be thinking about anything other than sleep and work.

Decision made, she grabbed her purse and jumped in the car. The drive seemed almost short as she worked through one of her Spanish exercises. Less than an hour after hanging up, she pulled down his long driveway. It was a surprise to see another vehicle in front of the house, and she frowned at the sassy red Miata. Her plan to drag Drew to bed and ease him to sleep with some tender loving care looked to be in jeopardy. Shutting the car door with her hip, she slung her purse over her shoulder and started toward the house. Before she reached the porch, the front door opened.

Drew appeared, a big-breasted brunette in too tight jeans right behind him. He didn’t react when he saw her approaching, but Emma still had the impression he wasn’t pleased.

“Miranda, I really appreciate your bringing the soup by, but as I said, I’m expecting company. And I’m not sick.”

The woman gave Emma a flick of a glance, not even bothering to assess her charms or lack thereof. Apparently Miranda had a healthy ego and wasn’t worried about the competition. Emma almost smiled at the frustration that flashed across Drew’s face.

Not sure if she was doing it to stake a claim or rescue her man, Emma pasted on a huge smile. “Oh good, I didn’t really feel like cooking. Soup sounds wonderful.” She moved to Drew’s side and wrapped her left arm around his waist, thrusting her right hand in front of the other woman. “Hi, I’m Emma.”

Miranda frowned and took Emma’s hand, but her gaze never left Drew’s. “You just let me know when you want to reschedule dinner, honey. I know you’ve been working yourself ragged. I want to do my part to keep our boys in blue happy and healthy.”

“That’s very kind of you, Miranda, but I’ll be fine. I know your brother was starting to look a bit feverish at the end of his shift, though. You might want to go see how he’s doing.”

The woman waved that away. “Momma took Scottie some soup already. Don’t worry, Drew,” she threw over her shoulder as she made her way to her car. “I’ll check up on you again later.”

Drew opened his mouth but then sighed and turned Emma toward the door, not bothering to wait until Miranda’s car began the journey down the driveway.

He pulled her in for a long kiss. “I should probably be mad you came, but I’m damn glad to see you.”

She smiled. “I missed you. I figured if all I did was tuck you into bed, that was better than nothing.” Lifting her chin in the general direction of the driveway, she asked, “Are you mad at me for that?”

Another sigh, and she wasn’t pleased to be on the receiving end of it this time. “No. She broke up with a fireman a few weeks ago. She likes her men in uniform.” His tone of voice said he was trying to joke, but she couldn’t find it in herself to smile.
When she hears you’ve left the state, she’s going to redouble her efforts, if she hasn’t snared anyone else by then.