by Debby Mayne
Her tentative answer tugged at his heartstrings. Jerry had liked Amanda before, and now he appreciated what a good sport she was. He made a mental note to stop by her shop later in the week to apologize and see if there was any way he could make it up to her.
“I don’t know how I dropped my wallet,” his mother explained, as she gestured toward the sofa. “I’m always so careful about things like that. You never know what might happen.” Her cheeks were flaming red, and she avoided his gaze. “There are all kinds of dishonest people out there. I’m glad such a sweet, honest, caring person like you found it.”
Jerry heard his mother going on and on about the wallet, and he knew good and well it was a ploy. In fact, he was fairly certain the black wallet Amanda had handed over wasn’t even current. He remembered his mother pulling out a red one when she insisted on paying for the gas on the drive down.
When he got to the living room with the lemonade, he saw that his parents had occupied the only two freestanding chairs in the room, leaving the one spot right next to Amanda on the sofa. He handed her the glass, got a coaster and placed it on the table next to her—and chose to remain standing.
His mother frowned at him then turned and grinned at their guest. “So, Amanda, how long have you been in business?”
“About five years.”
“Why a bicycle shop?” Jerry’s dad asked.
Amanda hesitated for a split second—long enough to let Jerry know she was uncomfortable. “I thought it might be a nice thing to offer tourists, since there are so many places to ride.”
“Hey, Mom and Dad, speaking of Amanda’s shop, I’m sure she has better things to do than sit around here and play Twenty Questions.”
His mother looked hurt as she turned to Amanda. “Oh, dear, I’m so sorry if we’re keeping you from something…more important.”
Amanda looked stricken. “Oh, no, that’s fine.” When she turned to Jerry, his heart melted. He resisted the urge to physically reach out and comfort her.
They chatted for a few more minutes—long enough for his parents to give him familiar looks, letting him know he hadn’t been imagining things and they really were interviewing a prospective daughter-in-law. Finally, during a brief lull in conversation, Amanda stood and said she needed to get back home.
“Do come again,” his mother said as she walked Amanda to the door. “Jerry enjoys cooking, so perhaps you can have dinner with us some evening.” She tilted her head to the side and offered him a look that defied him to argue. “Right, son?”
Jerry stifled a chuckle. His mother was on her sales game, big-time. “Yes, yes, of course.”
He felt like part of an entourage as they followed Amanda to the door. Suddenly his mother turned to him and said, “Why don’t your father and I wait here while you walk Amanda to her car?”
“That’s—” Amanda began but clamped her mouth shut when Jerry nodded.
“I’ll be glad to. Why don’t you and Dad go on back inside?”
“But—”
“Really, Mom, I’ll be just fine. If I’m not back in…”—he glanced at his watch then looked up—“…fifteen minutes, then send a search party out looking for me.”
His dad let out a deep laugh, while his mom looked on, her mouth open and her expression one of horror. He quickly shut the door behind them.
As soon as he and Amanda were alone and out of earshot, he spoke. “Look, I’m really sorry about my parents. They mean well.”
Amanda looked up at him, her eyes wide, and a slight gust of wind blew a tendril of hair across her face. Jerry instinctively reached out, gently lifted her hair, and carefully tucked it behind her ear.
“I…uh,” she began as she took a step back. She seemed to be struggling with her words, but he wasn’t sure what to do. Finally, she said, “Your parents are very nice people. I understand.”
“Then you won’t hold them against me?” he teased.
She made a face. “No, of course not!”
“About something my mother said…” He glanced away for a bolt of courage and then focused on her face. “Would you like to come over for dinner sometime?”
“You don’t have to do this. I’m sure your mother was just trying to be nice.”
“Really. I mean it.” And he did. In fact, the prospect of seeing her again soon appealed to him more than ever.
“Well, maybe…sometime.”
He wasn’t about to let her get away without pinning down a time. “How about tomorrow?”
“I, uh, have plans tomorrow.”
“Then how about the day after tomorrow?”
As she tilted her head and looked at him, he had no idea what she was thinking. Then a slow smile spread across her lips, and she nodded. His heart sang!
“I’ll call you,” he said, before helping her into her car and closing the door.
Jerry remained standing there as Amanda pulled out of the condo parking lot; then he shielded his eyes to watch her drive down the street until she disappeared from sight. Thank You, Lord. He practically floated back to the condo.
All the way back to her place, Amanda thought about the things she should have said. Jerry’s parents were very sweet but over-the-top pushy. She was glad they hadn’t asked what she did before she owned the shop, because she hadn’t felt like explaining. Based on prior experience, once people learned one thing about her, it led to another. Her life was a thread she didn’t care to unravel.
Lacy greeted Amanda at the door when she got back to the house. “Where were you?” She pulled her head back and offered a questioning look. “Why do you have a weird look on your face?”
Amanda still didn’t feel like explaining anything—even to her sister. “I had to run out for a few minutes. I thought you had some bulletin board work to do.”
Lacy shook her head. “I forgot to bring home some of the stuff I needed. I’ll have to go in early in the morning.”
“Then why don’t we both go ahead and turn in? I have to get to the shop early and get the books ready for the accountant.”
Later that night, as Amanda lay in bed staring up at the ceiling after struggling for almost an hour to find sleep, she thought about her encounter with Jerry. His parents’ conniving efforts were rather charming, although overwhelming at the same time. Then her thoughts turned to their son.
She wondered if Jerry was aware of how he’d affected her when he touched her hair. The way he pulled his hand back left her with the impression that he’d acted instinctively. She didn’t want to like it…but she did. A lot.
Her mind spun back to the issue of Mrs. Simpson’s wallet. After spending almost an hour with the three of them, she was fairly certain it was a setup. It should have bothered her, but it didn’t. In fact, she was flattered. That took some planning on Mrs. Simpson’s part, and she had a feeling Mr. Simpson had had plenty of input, based on their exchanged glances.
Jerry had said he’d call, but was it to get his parents off his back? She hoped not, but she couldn’t be sure. She liked him, and there was nothing wrong with being friends, right?
Thoughts whirled and swirled through her mind until she fell into a fitful sleep. By the time the sun rose, she’d tossed all her pillows off the bed and the sheets looked like they’d been through the wringer.
“Ew, you look rough,” Lacy said as she trudged into the kitchen. “You need coffee.”
“Thanks,” Amanda snapped. “I appreciate the kind words.”
“You wouldn’t want me to lie, would you?”
“No, of course not.” But there were some things better left unsaid.
“I dread going to school today.” She sipped her coffee then set her mug on the counter. “Timmy makes me want to retire early.”
One thing Amanda could count on was that it was all about Lacy, and at times like this, she was glad. “It won’t get any better until you deal with Timmy. The sooner you talk to his dad, the better off you’ll be.”
Lacy picked her mug back up and blew into th
e cup. “I know, I know. I just hate doing it.”
“That’s why you need to do it today. Get it over with.”
After she made a few faces, Lacy downed the rest of her heavily creamed-and-sugared coffee. “I might call you later.”
“That’s fine,” Amanda said. “You know where I’ll be.”
After Lacy left for the elementary school in St. Petersburg, Amanda got ready to go to her shop. Like her sister, she dreaded going to work, but not for the same reason. She still didn’t have Jerry and his parents figured out. She wanted to climb back into bed and pull the covers up over her head so she wouldn’t have to worry about Jerry’s motive in asking her over for dinner.
Amanda took a quick shower, shook out her hair, and pulled on some bike shorts and her favorite T-shirt. She didn’t feel like messing with makeup just yet, so she tossed some lipstick and mascara into her shoulder bag and left for the shop.
The second she rounded the corner, she saw him standing by the front door. Her heart picked up an extra beat, and she swallowed hard. Why hadn’t she at least smeared on a little of that lipstick?
Chapter Three
“Hey,” Jerry said, as she pulled out the key and shoved it into the lock. “I wasn’t sure what time the place got busy, so I figured I’d get here first thing.” He paused until she pushed open the door. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Of course I don’t mind.” She heard the sharpness in her own voice and tried to soften it. “Really.”
He looked around as though he’d never seen the place before. “This is quite a nice business you have here.”
“Thank you.” She paused and cast a glance his way then quickly scurried behind the counter. His nearness unnerved her. But he was here, wasn’t he? That must mean something.
“I guess you’re probably wondering why I’m here.” He leaned on the counter while she prepared the register. “Mom thought I gave you the wrong idea last night.”
She must have imagined his attraction to her. Amanda’s heart fell with a thud, which annoyed her to no end. “What kind of idea did your mom think I had?”
Jerry shrugged. “She thought I came across like I didn’t really want to see you again.” He thrust his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “And she said I should take you someplace nice rather than the condo with her and Dad hanging around.”
“But I thought the whole point was…” She glanced down. “Never mind.”
“Yeah, I know. She acted like it was all about my cooking, but I figure it was all part of her ploy.” He chuckled. “Apparently their ploy. My dad keeps reminding me that I’m not getting any younger. He acts like forty-five is over the hill.” Another laugh escaped his lips. “I’m rambling. Sorry.”
She stilled for a couple of seconds, until she forced herself to speak. “That’s—”
“Don’t feel like you have to say anything. I just wanted to stop by and let you know that I’m really looking forward to doing something with you. And I think Mom might be right. Why don’t we go someplace fabulous and get to know each other better?”
Amanda opened her mouth to reply, but her breath caught in her throat. She was so confused now, she didn’t know how to respond.
“I’d love to be friends,” he added.
She forced a smile but still didn’t trust her voice to remain steady. She reached up and pushed her hair off her forehead.
A look of concern instantly covered Jerry’s face. “If you don’t want to, that’s okay. I understand. After all, once my mother gets started, she doesn’t let up.”
Amanda quickly recovered. “Oh, it’s not that. It’s just that…” How could she say what she felt—that ever since Eric jilted her, she’d been gun-shy when it came to relationships? She didn’t want to set herself up for another heartbreak, and with her track record, she’d given up on trusting men.
“Would you like to go to a nice restaurant somewhere in Treasure Island or St. Pete Beach?”
Even though there were plenty of nice restaurants, Amanda didn’t feel like going down that path again anytime soon. Sitting across the table from a man with just the two of them enjoying an intimate conversation over dinner would be dangerous. She slowly shook her head.
He held up his hands. “I give up. What’s going on? Do you want to go out with me or not?”
Their gazes locked as she felt the heat rise to her cheeks. “I think it would be nice to do something together, but not a fancy restaurant, okay?”
His hands came down and slapped his sides in obvious frustration. “So what would you like to do?”
“Well…” She thought for a moment. “The Sun, Sand, and Swing Festival starts tomorrow. We can go there.”
Jerry chuckled. “The Sun, Sand, and Swing Festival? I’ve seen plenty of sun and sand here, but where’s the swing?”
Relief flooded Amanda, and she laughed. “Music. Every kind of live band you can think of. On the beach. Lots of fun.” Lots of noise, kids, and insanity—everything she needed to keep her from focusing on him.
He rubbed his chin for a moment then nodded. “Music is good. Yeah, I’d like that.”
Her heart thudded at the thought of doing anything with him. “Then let’s go to the festival.”
“I think you’ll enjoy it.” She glanced at the screen on her computer then turned back to face him. “I have to work tomorrow morning and early afternoon, but I have a teenager coming in when she gets out of school.”
“Sounds good. Why don’t you give me your address so I’ll know where to pick you up?”
She wasn’t ready for that yet. “We can just leave from here.”
Jerry’s smile faded just a little before he caught himself and grinned even wider. “Is three o’clock okay?”
He’d been right about one thing. Amanda obviously didn’t want to hang out with his parents, and he couldn’t blame her. He wished he could talk to them about it and show them how intrusive their behavior was. But what was the point? If they hadn’t seen it in the lives of their other two children, he doubted they’d see it with him, so he didn’t bother addressing the issue. At least he wouldn’t abandon them like his sister and brother had.
He shifted his thoughts to how much he wanted Amanda to trust him. He liked her, even beyond the physical chemistry, which was powerful from the moment he’d touched her hair last night, and he at least wanted her respect and trust. It bothered him that she might think he was in on some scheme with his parents.
Trust is something to be earned, and it doesn’t come easily. Those words were spoken by his father years ago during a discussion about relationships, business, and life in general. It certainly held true now. For some reason, probably due to his parents’ obvious matchmaking plot, Amanda didn’t trust him enough to give him her home address. At least he had time and she wasn’t completely giving him the brush-off.
He tried to put it out of his mind, but that was all he could think about for the rest of the day. Thankfully he only had a few simple business details to take care of for work. He spent the time necessary to make sure the business flowed smoothly before shutting off the laptop and focusing on what to wear the next day.
As Jerry stood in front of his closet, he felt at a loss. What did a guy wear to a music festival on the beach when he wanted to make a great impression on someone he cared about? Someone who appeared to like him but didn’t quite trust him?
Since his wardrobe consisted mostly of khaki and navy chinos, there wasn’t much of a choice. “Why don’t you run out and pick up something new?” his mother asked from his bedroom doorway.
He shrugged and pulled out his favorite pair of khakis and a burgundy golf shirt. “I’ll be fine with this.”
“Bo–ring,” she crooned with a smile.
Was it boring? he wondered. Or, more importantly, was he boring?
“Since I’ve never attended a beach festival, I have no idea what to wear. This is probably safe.”
Jerry felt his mother’s gaze as she
tinkered with his confidence, so he turned to face her. She remained in the same position, arms folded, head tilted to one side.
“You think I’m too safe, don’t you?” he asked.
“Sometimes,” she admitted. “But that’s part of your charm.”
“So what do you think I should wear?” His arms dangled at his sides as he looked from his wardrobe to his mother.
She grinned back at him. “Never mind what I said earlier. I don’t think it really matters what you wear to this festival. I’m sure Amanda is just happy to be going with you.”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Positive. I hope she was okay with the change in plans.”
He didn’t tell her what he was pretty sure Amanda was thinking— that anything would be better than coming to the condo for dinner and having to suffer through an interrogation. “I hope so,” he said softly. “She acted like she really wanted to go to this festival.”
“Well, it certainly sounds like fun to me. Your father and I used to do all sorts of things like that when we were younger.” The sadness in her voice was evident. Ever since his dad had started wandering off and getting lost, they weren’t able to do much that involved large crowds. And now that his mom had Parkinson’s, she was at the mercy of an increasing amount of physical limitation.
A surge of guilt washed over Jerry. Why was he so worried about what Amanda thought? These were his parents, who’d been with him through everything. They’d never acted ashamed no matter what he did. He loved these people unconditionally.
Forgive me, Father, for the terrible thoughts and lack of respect for Mom and Dad. They’re special people, and I wouldn’t want to hurt them for anything.
He felt a little better, but there was still a tiny grain of remorse. Mom and Dad had never been embarrassed about him, even when he was on his worst behavior.
Guilty feelings aside, it was too late to do anything about that now. But next time—assuming there would be a next time—he’d work on his attitude and display his parents with pride.