Sweet Reunion

by Melanie Shawn

  “Ah, good point,” she said in triumph, “Amanda Jacobs, I dare you – I double DOG dare you – to go upstairs and get that note.”

  Amanda sighed, outmatched, and dragged herself up the stairs to retrieve the note. She brought it back down, and unfolded it for the other three to see.

  It was crumpled, and well-worn. It had obviously been handled many hundreds, if not thousands, of times over the years.

  Lauren eyed the note suspiciously, “How often do you take that out and look at it?”

  Amanda hedged, “Sometimes.”

  Lauren raised her eyebrows and stared her down. Amanda sighed. “Fine. So, I guess I kind of....um....sleep with it under my pillow?”

  Lauren's jaw dropped, “Is that a question?”

  Amanda shook her head in defeat, “No. I sleep with it under my pillow, OK? What do you want from me?”

  Lauren sighed. “OK. Wow. I can see we have some talking to do first.”

  And they did talk, all of them, about anything and everything, until the wee hours of the morning. Until they fell uncontrollably into deep, wine-and-gossip soaked sleep, and never did get around to burning the note.

  In fact, when Justin came in to get a glass of water at four in the morning, that's where he found them all, sprawled out in various places on the floor and furniture of the den, the fire nearly burned out, the room chilling over.

  As he was crossing to the linen closet to get blankets to cover them all up, he saw the slip of paper clutched in Amanda's hand, and went over to her and gently grasped it. He pulled it out of her hand, held it up to the meager light of the dying fire.

  His eyes widened. It was the note that he had written to Amanda on the night he had left ten years ago.

  “Amanda. Forget about me. Justin.”

  Wow. He hadn't remembered his 21-year-old self being such a dick. He couldn't believe that he hadn't tempered those harsh words with a little bit of kindness. He had been in so much pain himself, he guessed that it had spilled out into the curtness of the message. He supposed age had matured and mellowed him, and suddenly, he couldn't bear to look at the paper for one more minute, and he didn't want Amanda looking at it either. He didn't want to think about the fact that it had ever even existed.

  He crumpled it up and shoved it into his pocket, guiltily stealing back out the kitchen door.

  Chapter 20

  Saturday morning dawned bright and cheerful, and Justin felt instinctively that this was a good morning for new beginnings. Today was the day that he was going to be spending with Noah, getting to know him. And this morning was also the morning, he decided, that he was going to see just exactly how upset Amanda really was with him.

  He crossed the expanse between the front door of the bunkhouse and Amanda's back porch with a slight amount of trepidation, but his overwhelming emotion was hope. When he thought back on that kiss – that amazing, glorious kiss – it was confirmation that Amanda's romantic loyalties were shifting away from Geoffrey and towards him.

  It was almost too sweet to think about, so he didn't allow the thoughts to linger in his head. God knows, he'd been wrong about what she was thinking enough times in his life. He didn't want to take the chance that he'd get attached to the idea that something could happen between them, only to have to feel the bitter sting of rejection when she decided to stay with Geoffrey.

  Of course, to Justin's eyes, Geoffrey was a pompous ass, a wimp, and an all around sleazy guy. But many times women saw these things differently. Even Justin had to admit that Geoffrey's refined looks and manners did hold a certain worldly appeal that Justin himself could never offer. And obviously Amanda had seen something in him at one time, or they would have never gotten together in the first place. Justin shrugged to himself. No accounting for taste.

  He knocked on Amanda's back door and waited for a response, smelling the heavenly aromas of baking dough and frying bacon through the wood and glass. The curtain which covered the window in the back door was drawn aside, and there was Amanda's angelic visage. He could never get over his first reaction to her beauty, every single time he saw her. The tousled cloud of silky golden hair surrounding her head like a halo, her perfect milky complexion, her startlingly large and clear sapphire eyes, and the pale pink touch of rosiness which colored her cheeks and lips. Every time he saw her lovely face, he was tempted to reach out and brush his fingertips along her jaw line, because he just couldn't convince himself that she wasn't too gorgeous, too perfect, to possibly be real.

  Amanda opened the door and gestured him inside. He thought that he might see a small smile tugging at the sides of her plump lips and hoped that he was correct.

  “Morning, glory,” he quipped, one of their old jokes. She smiled. YES! Mission accomplished.

  “It's a gorgeous day,” Amanda responded, “What are you up to? Maybe taking some other young unsuspecting maiden on a hike and then slipping her the tongue?”

  “You're the only young unsuspecting maiden in my sights,” he replied in the same teasing tone, and ended with a wink, but he sensed that they both knew that there was something deeper being communicated here. They were feeling each other out, trying to find out where the other person stood. Justin knew that Amanda would be weighing her options. Justin versus Geoffrey, Geoffrey versus Justin. He knew that the one factor he didn't want her to give a second thought to was whether or not Justin was interested, he wanted her to be crystal clear on that point.

  But, by the same token, he didn't want to be too overt, too forward. He didn't want to scare her off, to break the magic of what was happening between them. He had tried that route up at Hope Falls, with the bold statement of feelings and the kiss. And, oh my God, yes it had been wonderful – but the end result was that it had sent her scampering off down the path away from him. So, for now, these oblique teasing exchanges would have to do.

  “In all seriousness, what are your plans for today?” Amanda inquired.

  “Well, that's a little crazy, to tell you the truth,” he responded, “and I'm glad, actually, to have the chance to talk with you before I go. I'd like to get your take on it.”

  Amanda definitely looked intrigued.

  “When I was in town a couple of days ago, I stopped by to say hello to coach, and I was introduced to someone else that was very eager to see me. My brother.”

  Amanda looked surprised, “You've never met Noah before? Why not?”

  “I didn't even know he existed.”

  At this, Amanda looked just plain shocked. “How is that possible? I mean, I know you've been out of touch with me, but I guess I just assumed that your father would have told you that you had a brother. It's such momentous news.”

  “He didn't know how to contact me. I didn't want him to know.”

  Amanda shook her head. “Whoa. That is so strange. It must have been so odd, to find out like that.”

  “It was,” Justin agreed, “And now I'm supposed to spend the day with him today. With Noah. I don't even know where to start. What do kids like to do?”

  “Well,” Amanda advised, “I don't know about kids in general. I assume that kids are pretty much like adults in some respects, meaning, each one likes different things. Why don't you just ask Noah what he wants to do when you pick him up? Maybe he'd like to go down to Tahoe, there's a lot more to do there. Mini golf, movies...it's a much wider selection of activities than go hiking or eat at Sue Ann's.”

  Justin laughed, “Well, those just may be our choices, because it's a pretty long walk to Tahoe from here.”

  Amanda waved this off, “Don't be ridiculous. You'll take my car.”

  “Are you sure?” Justin looked incredulous.

  “Absolutely!” she exclaimed. “You can't let the first day you spend with your brother consist of walking around Hope Falls on foot. You want to impress him with your big brother prowess.”

  “Oh, God,” Justin groaned, “what if I don't have any of that?”

  Amanda smiled at him softly, “I was a couple of yea
rs younger than Noah when we met. I remember how you appeared to me then. I worshiped you. You'll be fine.”

  Justin sighed apprehensively, “Yeah, but I was still basically a kid then, too. What if there's some kind of kid secret handshake that you lose and forget about when you're an adult? What if he spends five minutes with me and decides I'm a total dweeb?”

  Amanda laughed, “Justin, seriously, what made me worship you had nothing to do with some magic kid world that we both inhabited, and that you still knew the secret to. It was because you were you. Just be you, and there's no way he won't adore you.”

  They were silent while Justin considered this and took it in.

  “Maybe don't use the word 'dweeb' though,” Amanda finished, and they both laughed. Justin felt much better. The tension was broken. He was ready to take on the challenge. Talking things over with Amanda had always had that effect.

  Amanda headed out of the room, calling over her shoulder, “Let me go and get those keys for you. Be right back!”

  As Amanda exited, Teddy lost interest in his previous project, which had been begging for the food he smelled her cooking. He padded excitedly over to Justin to greet him. As Justin scratched his head and tousled his ears, Teddy grew more and more excited and playful.

  “Oh, you wanna play, do you boy?” Justin laughed, jostling the mutt's head back and forth lightly as Teddy nipped at his hands playfully and pranced around his legs. Justin faked a lunge forward, causing Teddy to scamper backwards, lunge, and bark happily at Justin, tail wagging.

  Teddy then galloped forward towards Justin, standing up on his back paws when he reached him, front paws landing on Justin's shoulder. Justin grabbed him up in a bear hug and the two quickly ended up on the ground, tussling happily.

  Amanda came running back into the room, breathless. “What's wrong, what's going on?” she asked anxiously.

  “Oh, nothing,” Justin said playfully, as he and Teddy continued their romp, “Just a little combat sport. It's a man thing, you wouldn't understand.”

  Teddy barked loudly, and Justin laughed, “See? He agrees with me.”

  Amanda said, “No, Justin, don't play with him like that. I don't mean to be a wet blanket, but he's too old to play like that, he'll get hurt.”

  Justin looked at Teddy, shocked. “Did you hear what she said, boy? Too old?” Teddy barked in affirmation that, yes, he had heard the insult. “Are we going to take that, boy? Are we gonna let her call you old?” Teddy barked his disapproval of the idea of letting Amanda get away with calling him old.

  “Let's show her old, boy! Let's get her!” Justin called, and he and Teddy ran toward Amanda.

  Amanda didn't know whether to shriek or laugh at the tangle of arms, legs, and paws she saw coming at her, so she settled for a combination of both.

  Soon the three of them were all happily running around the kitchen – laughing, pushing, wrestling – until Amanda found herself backed up against the sink, with Justin facing her, standing only a couple of inches away. She felt the floor drop out from underneath her feet, and reached behind her back to steady herself with the counter.

  Justin smiled and said, “This feels familiar.”

  He started to take a step forward, closing the gap between them, when they heard the front door open.

  “Manda Bear! Is that cinnamon bread I smell baking?” came Henry's booming call from the entryway.

  Justin stepped back, catching his breath and trying to gather his thoughts, and he saw Amanda trying to do the same.

  “I'd better get out of here before Henry sees me, and jumps to the wrong conclusion,” Justin said, scooping up the keys from the counter where she'd tossed them.

  “Or the right one,” she said wryly.

  He held up the keys and winked at her as he slipped out the back door. He felt suddenly lightheaded when he thought, God...if we were together, if this were our home, this cozy little morning routine – it could be mine every morning. This could be what my life was like.

  It seemed almost too amazing to contemplate.

  Chapter 21

  Amanda walked around the living room of Renata Blackstone, admiring all of the beautiful baskets, rugs, and art pieces which were displayed on shelves and walls.

  It had been a decade since she had been in the home of Karina's grandmother, since she and Karina had been friends in high school, and she had forgotten how talented an artist Renata Blackstone was. In fact, possibly as a teenager she hadn't even been able to appreciate the depth of the woman's skill, and the true artistry that went into every single piece that was displayed in her home.

  Renata entered the room and the four girls greeted her. Karina's grandmother was a tall, formidable woman. She had shining onyx-black eyes and long black hair that she had worn in the same braid down her back since before Amanda was born. Amanda noticed for the first time that her braid was now shot through with a significant amount of grey. She wondered if Karina noticed the same thing, or if she was particularly sensitive right now to the idea of the fragility of her elders because of her father's death.

  After exchanging greetings all around, Renata gestured towards the couch, and the four girls sat. Renata settled in an armchair which sat angled toward the couch, clearly getting ready for a nice long visit.

  Amanda had always been comfortable and felt at home in this house, which was where Karina had grown up. Although Renata was a formal woman and not given to emotional displays, she also had a warm manner that was never judgmental.

  “Amanda, I didn't get a chance to speak with you at your father's service,” she began, “and I did want to tell you personally what a great man he was, how much he did for this community.”

  “Thank you so much,” replied Amanda sincerely, “Dad loved Hope Falls with all his heart, and I know that he respected your work in the community tremendously. He would have been really honored to hear you say that.”

  Renata gave a slight, elegant nod of acknowledgment. “How are you holding up?” she inquired.

  Amanda smiled a melancholy smile, “Well, the first week was torture. I didn't honestly know how I was going to make it through, let alone pull it together enough to get on with my life, and run the business.”

  She stopped and gave Karina, Sam, and Lauren a grateful glance, “But then your granddaughter showed up with Sam and Lauren, and I've been feeling a lot more in control since then. I've really been feeling like things are going to be okay.”

  Karina said, “Plus, Grandmother, there's something else. Justin's back.”

  Amanda blushed. She really didn't want to get into a discussion of her love life with Karina's grandmother.

  Renata nodded. “Yes, I had heard the young man was back. I can see by your face that he is still important to you.”

  “He is,” Amanda admitted, “How important he ultimately ends up being remains to be seen currently, but yes. It's been very eye-opening having him around.”

  “It's been very towel opening,” Karina laughed.

  Amanda's jaw dropped and her cheeks flamed, “Karina!”

  “Oh, what?” Karina laughed, waving her hand dismissively, “She's my grandmother, you think she doesn't know what I'm like?”

  Renata gave a small half-smile. “Do you think that Justin is who you are meant to be with? Is he your destiny?”

  Amanda brushed the hair back from her forehead and laughed softly, “Oh, Lord, I don't know at this point. I mean, if it were up to me, I'd say, sure...I've read enough books and seen enough movies to be able to spot the ending a mile away: he's the one. But this is real life, and there are so many factors to consider. Does he even want to stick around and stay with me, for one? That's a big consideration.”

  “You should just flat out ask, and don't stop until he gives you a straight answer, that's what I keep saying!” Sam exclaimed.

  Amanda shook her head, “No way. Not giving him enough space is how this mess got started in the first place. I am determined to let the chips fall where they may this
time. Besides, Sam, contrary to what you might think, not every interaction has to be a competition!”

  Sam smiled, “Ah, but then how will you know who the winner is?”

  “My only definition of winning here has to be that I preserve my sanity and, if possible, my dignity. Any other aspect is out of my control.”

  Renata nodded approvingly, “Yes, this is right. It's a good attitude to have. Love is like the powerful spirits who inhabit Cave Rock, the Water Babies. Very powerful, but this power can be used to heal, or to destroy. Which course will be taken depends upon the respect and the deference shown.

  “If you show respect to love like you would to the Water Babies, then it can cause your life to flourish and bring you great abundance. But if you try to capture love and use its power for your own ends, then it can be the cause of your undoing, as well.

  “Yes, Amanda, it is best to let your love run its course, whatever that course might be.”

  Chapter 22

  Justin pulled up in front of his childhood home and waited a moment before switching off the engine. He stared at the facade of the house disbelievingly for a moment. He glanced up and down the street to make sure that he was oriented correctly. He rechecked the house number. Yes. This was definitely the house he grew up in, although it bore almost no resemblance to that ramshackle structure.

  This home, although it had the same general shape and outline, was covered in brand new siding and wore a fresh coat of bright paint. The roof, which had sagged and leaked in Justin's day, was now strong and straight and covered in fresh new shingles.

  The front yard was neatly kept, and there was even a small flowerbed underneath the front window, next to the small stoop.

  This house was a home that Justin would have been proud to admit was his own as a child, in contrast to what the reality had been – which was that he never let himself be dropped off anywhere within a block's radius of the place because of shame and humiliation.

  Well, he supposed reasonably as he switched off the engine and climbed out of the car, Rick Barnes was a contractor by trade. Of course, he had never worked as one when Justin was growing up, he had scraped by on small odd jobs. But Justin figured, if he really were sober as he claimed to be, he could probably be holding down a steady construction job, as well as have done the majority of this work himself. Justin begrudgingly admitted to himself that it was impressive.