Plain Jayne (35 page)

I didn't worry about my mom meeting Levi. I knew she'd love him.

The houselights were on when we pulled up in my mom's driveway. They cast dappled light patterns on a car to our left.

My sister's car.

“Beth wants to meet you.”

“Oh?”

I nodded toward the Subaru Forester with the telltale booster seat in the second row. “She's here.”

“Isn't it late for your niece?”

“With any luck, Beth came by herself.”

“I'm not afraid of them.”

“That's good. That's very good. Hang on to that. Beth can be a pain when she wants to be, but her meds seem to be kicking in lately.”

“I'll stand up for you.”

“I know.” I clasped his hand. “Shall we go in?”

“Want to grab bags first?”

“If my sister's going to be here late at night to scope you out, she may as well help carry luggage.”

“I don't have that much—”

“Yeah, but because of your sister, I do.”

“How is your bag Sara's fault?”

“Have you met her? I'm barely qualified to wear my clothes, much less choose them and pack them with the care they deserve. So I bring everything
these days. Sara's doing, all the way. When I went to stay with your parents, everything I needed fit into my motorcycle panniers.”

“And then Sara.”

“And then Sara.”

“I think your clothes always look good.”

“I've been letting Gemma pick out stuff for me lately.”

He rolled his eyes. “Trying to compliment you here. Are we going to sit in the car and talk about your wardrobe or go inside?”

“I have a choice?”

“Jayne—”

“Because I can talk buttons.”

“Let's go.” He leaned over and pressed a quick kiss on my lips before opening his door and stepping out.

I sighed and opened my own door.

He held my hand on the way up the walk. When we arrived at the door, I knocked.

Loudly. Because I could.

Two footfalls and the door opened. I had to wonder if
someone
was peering out the kitchen window.

“Jayne!” My mother's face glowed. “Come in, both of you.” She closed the door, shutting out the wisps of the damp night breeze.

Levi extended his hand. “I'm Levi. I'm very glad to meet you, Mrs. Tate.”

“It's very nice to meet you, Levi.” She clasped his hand. “May I take your coat?”

“Oh, thank you,” Levi shrugged out of his jacket. When his back was turned, Mom winked and gave me a thumbs-up.

She liked him. I knew she would.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Beth and Gary in the living room.

Poor Emilee. With any luck, she was asleep upstairs, curled up with Beth's old stuffed dog, Sniffy.

The rundown of the following events:

Gary shakes Levi's hand. I admire Levi's firm grip.

Beth eyes Levi, presumably checking him for, I don't know, suspicious rashes. When he turns to greet her, her face transforms into the smiling visage of the girl-next-door.

Emilee stumbles in, hair mussed, eyes half shut. She must have conked out on the couch.

Levi kneels and introduces himself. The women in the room not already in love with him are now.

Or at least, they ought to be.

“We should be going,” Beth said. “We just stopped by because Mom said the car's brakes were making noise.”

Yes. And what better time to check them out than eleven p.m. on a Friday night? She probably mentioned the car to Gary at least a week ago.

“I just need to replace the brake pads,” said Gary. “I'm going to come back over and work on them tomorrow.”

“Want a hand?” Levi asked. “I've spent some time under cars.”

“I never turn down free help.”

“I'll throw in lunch,” Mom said. “I don't expect you to work on the car for free.”

Beth pulled Emilee's coat from the closet and began the fastening process. Gary reached for his jacket.

“We'll walk out with you,” I said innocently. “We need to get our luggage.”

“We can help with that,” Gary volunteered. “Come on, Beth.”

Score.

The men left for the bags. I stayed inside with the warmth. “Are you ready to go home and sleep, Miss Emilee?” I knelt and tugged on Emilee's left braid.

She shook her head. “I'm not sleepy.”

“She'll fall asleep in the car.” Beth pulled the hood to cover Emilee's head.

“No, I won't.”

“Okay, you won't.” Beth patted her back.

“If the guys are working on the car tomorrow,” I started, wondering how such words could trip from my mouth, “would you all like to go shopping with me?”

“Of course,” Mom answered right away. “I'd love to.”

“Shopping?” Beth said the word as if I'd just suggested a skinny-dipping trip off a jetty.

“I could use some new items…and help picking them out.”

Beth tilted her head and studied me.

I refused to flinch under her gaze.

“I can be there as long as Emilee holds out. She can be a pretty good shopper. Can't you, Emilee?”

Emilee nodded absently.

Maybe she was right. She wouldn't fall asleep in the car, but on the way to the car.

I never felt like this with Shane. I scrubbed my face in my mom's guest bathroom, door closed, washing off the day's makeup and travel grime. The feeling of vulnerability was new to me. I didn't know how I felt about it. Would I be able to sleep knowing he was down the hall?

A knock sounded on the door. I cracked it open, mouth full of toothpaste foam.

“You okay in there?” Levi asked.

I wanted to smack the look of amusement right off his face, but it might have caused the toothpaste to splatter. I nodded instead.

“Can I brush my teeth at some point?”

I spat into the sink. “Sure. Of course. I'm about done.”

“Really.”

“You know, there are other bathrooms in this house.”

“I didn't want to dirty up another sink. I thought you'd be done…” he checked his watch. “Twenty or so minutes ago.”

“I'm done.”

“Am I making you uncomfortable?”

I tucked my hair behind my ear, noting its slight oiliness. “Why would you think that?”

“Because you've never struck me as the kind of girl to hold herself hostage in a bathroom.”

“You think you're so funny.”

“You're not answering my question.”

“You grew up around girls who never spent any time hogging a bathroom. Your parents don't even have a mirror in there.”

“You weren't like this when I stayed at your apartment.”

I put my toothbrush down. “It's just kind of weird.”

“My being here? How is that different?”

I shrugged.

“If you want me to leave, I will. I won't be mad.”

“No—not at all. I'm sorry, Levi.” I folded my arms across my chest. “We're just so…new. When you were at my apartment before, we weren't, you know, together. I mean, we had our first dating kiss just a few hours ago.”

“Still doesn't make sense, but okay. What can I do to help you feel more comfortable?”

“Tell me something embarrassing about yourself.”

“I used to have the same haircut as my brothers.”

“That's not embarrassing. That's who you were.”

“I found a toy in town and kept it hidden from my parents. I realized a couple years ago it was just a little McDonald's toy with a cartoon character.”

“You don't have any embarrassing stories, do you?”

“Wanna go for a drive?”

“Right now?”

“Sure.”

“It's almost midnight.”

“You're all keyed up. I doubt you'll sleep anytime soon.”

“My teeth are all brushed.”

“The car won't change that, unless you find gummy bears under the seat.”

“Mom's already in bed.”

“Leave her a note. You're not seventeen.”

“Not seventeen, Amish, and climbing out of windows with boys? I almost pulverized one of Sara's callers.”

“He probably had it coming.”

I forced my shoulders to relax. “Let me throw on my coat.”

“You're okay working on the car tomorrow?” I asked, as we curved down Highway 101.

“I like to be helpful. I want to get to know your family. It seemed like a good place to start.”

“This whole night-drive in your pajamas is very comfortable. You should try it sometime.”

He squeezed my hand.

The sky had grown even darker, but this time I could just make out the line of ocean foam against the sand as we drove down the coast. The rain had lessened and the sky had cleared. A couple of stars peeked out from behind black clouds.

I'd forgotten how dramatic the Oregon Coast could be. After moving to Portland, I'd spent much of my time reviling my roots. Now I found comfort in them.

We didn't talk during the drive. Before I knew it, I felt a gust of cold air and strong arms reaching around me. My eyes opened, which meant they must have been closed.

“Was I asleep?” I asked, except that I'd been sleeping, and I wasn't quite awake, so it came out “Wha ay as-eep.”

With horror I realized I had a line of drool on the left side of my chin.

If Levi noticed, he didn't say anything. “You relaxed.”

I nodded, and surreptitiously swiped at my chin.

Levi helped me the rest of the way out of the car, borrowed my key, opened the front door, and gave me an arm up the stairs.

“Are you ready to go to bed? Anything else to do in the bathroom?”

To his credit, there was only the tiniest shred of irony in his voice. I shook my head.

He nudged my bedroom door open with his foot. I leaned into the door-frame while he turned my bedcovers down. When he finished, I shrugged out of my coat, sank into the bed, and nestled my head into the down feather pillow.

I think he may have brushed a kiss against my lips, but I could have been dreaming.

The next thing I knew, it was morning.

Morning, and someone was using tools. Loud tools. Either loud tools, or Mom was having it out with a cast-iron pan.

Against the wall.

What was so important that it had to make this much noise on a Saturday morning at…I checked my watch.

A quarter till eleven? I checked again.

Still quarter till. How did that happen? I never slept that late.

I pulled the covers back and sat up. Too fast—I laid back down. Sat up again, this time slower. Okay so far. Two feet on the ground…check. I stood with unsteady legs.

I checked the lower half of my face for drool. Negative.

The noise continued. It was lower than the sound of a cast-iron pan. It sounded like a hammer. A hammer being used by someone with a steady swing.

My mom didn't handle a hammer like that, unless her upper-body strength had suddenly increased overnight. Protein-enriched night cream, that sort of thing. Not likely. That left…