Love Finds You in Treasure Island, Florida

by Debby Mayne

Harold greeted her at the door the instant she walked in. “Well, did you tell him?”

  “No, I couldn’t do it.”

  He chuckled. “I didn’t think you could. You always did feel like you had to walk around on eggshells with that boy.”

  “You have to admit, Harold, he’s always been careful with us. I don’t know why he thinks we’re so fragile.”

  “Maybe because we are,” Harold replied. “Face it, Rosemary, we’re a couple of old folks now, and we break easily.”

  She playfully swatted at him with her magazine. “Speak for yourself.”

  “I’m just sayin’, maybe I better go over there and just let him know we’re sick of living here in Atlanta and we want to join the rest of those old folks in God’s waiting room down in Florida.”

  “Don’t put it like that.”

  He grinned and pulled her in for a hug. “Well, it’s true.”

  Jerry stretched and stood up from his small desk in the corner of his den. He’d tried to make an office out of his second bedroom, but he felt secluded all the way at the back of his apartment. He much preferred being in the den, where all his memorabilia from Florida were on display. He’d just polished off a heaping plate of his mother’s homemade baked chicken, sweet potato soufflé, and turnip greens, with cornbread on the side. After carrying his plate to the sink, he called his mom.

  “Thanks for the food, Mom. It was good.”

  “I’m glad you liked it. Here, let me hand the phone to your dad. He wants to talk to you.”

  He heard the sound of a whispered argument, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying. Then his dad was on the phone.

  “Your mother and I are worried about you, son.”

  “I know. Mom told me. And I’ll tell you the same thing I told her. Don’t be worried. I just have a lot of catching up to do. I fell behind on a couple of things while we were in Florida.”

  “If you ask me, you’re falling behind on something much more important than work. When was the last time you spoke to Amanda?”

  “Why?”

  “Just tell me.”

  He glanced at the picture of his parents on the side wall. “Dad, I know you mean well, and you’re worried about me because you care, but you seriously need to get any notion of Amanda and me being more than friends out of your mind.”

  “Your mother and I were talking—”

  Jerry interrupted him. “You don’t need to keep discussing my love life…or lack of it.”

  “Let me finish. We weren’t talking about you.” He paused. “We’ve decided to move.”

  Jerry felt as though someone had cut a hole into the floor beneath him. “What?” He furrowed his brows. “Where?”

  “There’s a place in St. Petersburg that we’ve been looking into. We saw some advertisements on the Internet. I think it’ll be much better for us than where we are now.”

  “But I thought you loved your place. You always said it was convenient because they offer assisted living, and with you and Mom, well, you know…” Jerry couldn’t finish his sentence because the mere thought of either of his parents not being independent seemed unfathomable.

  “We do like it, but we feel like the weather and beach in Florida are healthier for us. There’s a reason people go there when they get old, ya know.”

  “What about all your friends? Can you just pick up and leave them?” His parents had made a few comments about moving, but they’d always decided to stay put because Atlanta was home—where both of them were born and they had lifelong friends. Jerry didn’t want them to uproot for the sake of his love life.

  “We won’t be the first to move. The Jacksons moved down to Ft. Lauderdale to be near their children, and Harvey Shram is in Macon now.”

  “But I’m here.”

  “What’s keeping you here besides us? The way you do business, you can go anywhere. And since you sold your condo in Marietta, you don’t have to worry about selling property. We think this is the perfect time to make the move—before something serious happens to either your mother or me and while you’re still somewhat unencumbered.”

  “I don’t know, Dad.” Jerry rubbed the back of his neck. “Since you just sprang this on me, I haven’t even thought about it. Give me some time, okay?”

  “Don’t take too long. We’ve already given our notice here, and they’ve contacted the next person on the list to move in. We’re ready to put a deposit on a place in St. Petersburg.”

  “Dad…” He let his voice trail off as he tried to think of a way to ask whose idea it was—his dad’s or his mother’s.

  “We’re determined to make this move even if you don’t.”

  Jerry heard the firmness of his dad’s voice, reminiscent of the tone he’d used when Jerry was much younger. “I wish you’d discussed this with me first.”

  “We tried to, but you kept talking to us like we were children.”

  “I didn’t mean—”

  “No, I realize you didn’t mean to come across that way, but we know when we’re being patronized.” His dad cleared his throat before continuing. “Your mother and I want to enjoy the time we have left. We want to be happy.”

  “And moving to Florida would make you happy?”

  “Yep.”

  Jerry let out a breath he just realized he’d been holding. “If you’re sure that’s what you both want, I’ll do everything I can to help you.”

  “Your mother thinks you might want to move down there with us, but I told her she needs to let you make your own decisions. Quite frankly, I think you should stay here. Having you so close will be a royal pain in the—”

  “Harold!”

  His mother’s shrieking voice in the background made Jerry smile. “I get the picture. Sorry if I’ve been so intrusive.”

  “Then stop doing it.”

  Just like that, huh? “I’ll try. So tell me about this place you saw on the Internet.”

  “Your mother found it. I’ll send you a link. Looks pretty nice. They have a swimming pool, a billiards room, and a nice dining hall on the first floor.”

  “That sounds good. Maybe I should consider moving there.”

  “You can’t. You’re not old enough.”

  “Just kidding, Dad.”

  “I figured you were, but I’m never sure about these things.”

  Jerry heard his mother’s voice in the background. “What’s Mom saying?”

  “She wanted me to tell you they even have a beauty shop, a library, and a game room. I’ll never see her.”

  That might be a good thing. “Let me know what I can do to help, okay?”

  “You might want to drive us down there. Your mother hates interstate driving.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  After he hung up, Jerry sank down in his chair and stared at the wall. He had an odd sensation that his world was shifting and nothing would ever be the same. This must be what parents feel like when their children leave the nest.

  All sorts of other thoughts swirled through Jerry’s mind. His mother was right—he could pick up and move whenever or wherever he wanted. He still had some business interests in Atlanta, but he had minimal contact with them—only two or three times a year. That definitely wasn’t an insurmountable obstacle if he wanted to follow his parents to Florida. Then he thought about his dad’s reaction—that he was a royal pain. Jerry chuckled. Yeah, when he thought about it, he knew he certainly could be that. He’d caught himself a couple of times…no, make that numerous times, bossing them around during their vacation. His parents were aging, but they were still fully capable of making their own decisions.

  Then he thought of Amanda. He had no doubt his mother would jump right into the middle of Amanda’s life and stay there unless Amanda told her to leave. And knowing Amanda, she’d never do that— even if she wanted to.

  His heart warmed at the very thought of the cute little bicycle shop owner—the one with blond hair, big blue eyes, and an athletic build. She could run circles around most
male athletes, but when she smiled, she lit up the room with her feminine charm. And Jerry wasn’t immune.

  Somewhere along the way, he’d fallen in love with Amanda. Perhaps it was at church, or it could have been when she rushed to his parents’ side after the accident. He thought long and hard for a moment. He remembered feeling a little tug at his heart when they’d walked down the street during the festival on the beach.

  Another telltale sign was the kick to his gut every time he saw Matthew anywhere near Amanda. He had no reason to believe she was lying about her feelings toward Matthew, but he knew the way men thought. If she gave Matthew the slightest hint of romantic interest, he wouldn’t waste a minute before claiming Amanda for his own. As one guy watching another guy, Jerry knew the signs. The way he looked at her, and the way he always seemed to be there when she needed someone, told more than words could ever say.

  There was no way Jerry would let that guy continue to be Matthew. Suddenly determined to take control of his love life, Jerry tapped his laptop out of sleep mode and did a search for places to stay in Treasure Island. The condo they’d rented had another family coming a couple of days after he and his parents left, so he knew it wasn’t available.

  Hopefully there would be something else in the area. Immediately after he got his parents situated and comfortable in their retirement village, he was going to take care of his own love life.

  It took him several clicks before something finally popped up. Perfect! This was a three-month rental in a high-rise, and it wasn’t too far from Amanda.

  He called his parents again, and his mother answered. “When do y’all plan to make this move?”

  She chuckled. “By the end of the month.”

  “So by August first, you’ll have a Florida residence?”

  “Yes,” she replied. “That’s the plan. Why?”

  “I needed to know so I can help you with the move.”

  Silence fell over the phone line for a couple of seconds before she finally spoke. “We’ve already made arrangements to have our stuff moved.”

  Jerry felt as though someone had stabbed him. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “I know. We just didn’t want to disrupt your life any more than we already have.”

  “How about your car? I need to drive you down there.”

  “We’ve decided to sell the car and try to live without one for a while. Auto insurance is expensive.”

  “Are you sure about that?” he asked. “How about the times when you need to do grocery shopping?”

  “We’ll be within walking distance of a grocery store and pharmacy, and the exercise will be good for us. Since we’ll eat most of our meals in the dining room downstairs at the village, we won’t need much.”

  The only person truly disrupting Jerry’s life was Amanda—and she hadn’t asked him for a thing. “I still want to help.”

  “I understand. I’m sure we can think of something.”

  Now the only thing he had to decide was whether to let Amanda know he was coming, or surprise her. He pondered both choices and decided it might not be as big of a deal to her as it was to him, so he’d contact her once he was situated in the rental. His lease was up in his current apartment at the end of August, so there was no point in breaking it just to save a few bucks, but he needed to help his parents get settled in.

  “Jerry? Are you still there?”

  Her voice snapped him back to the moment. “Oh, sorry. I’ll rent another condo for a few weeks, so I can be around to help you out.”

  She laughed. “Your dad said you wouldn’t let us do this by ourselves, and he was right.”

  “Have you told Steven and Jennifer yet?”

  “No,” she admitted. “We’re trying to figure out a way to break it to them.”

  “Just come out with it.” He thought about it for a couple of seconds, and an idea came to him. “Why don’t I call and let them know?”

  “It might not be pleasant.”

  All the more reason for him to do it. “I’ll call them.”

  “Okay, if you insist. Just a minute, let me tell your father.” She covered the mouth of the phone, but he could still hear part of what they said. His dad started out arguing, but his mother let him know that Jerry had insisted. Finally, she removed her hand. “Go ahead and talk to them.”

  “Oh, and do me a favor, okay?” he asked. “Don’t let Amanda know we’re coming.” He knew his mother loved surprises.

  “This’ll be fun!”

  “I figured you’d enjoy sneaking up on her.”

  “We’re not exactly sneaking up on her, but I can hardly wait to see her face. I bet she’ll be delighted.” Suddenly, her voice grew more somber. “When you talk to Steven and Jennifer, don’t let them get to you. Have them call your father if they have any questions.”

  No doubt his dad would set them straight. While his mother had coddled all the kids, his dad had reminded them that they were adults and they needed to start acting like it—which was probably why, when they weren’t able to ask for money anymore, they didn’t come around as often.

  His first call went to his sister. Her reaction was different from what he’d expected.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “I figured they’d eventually do something like that,” Jennifer said. “What are you gonna do without them?”

  “I just found out, so I haven’t had time to work through anything yet.”

  Jerry avoided a direct answer; he didn’t want to admit he’d been thinking about following them to Florida because she’d assume it was to be under their mother’s wing. But it wasn’t. It was more to be closer to Amanda. He’d never asked for a dime from their parents like his siblings had, but she wouldn’t understand that.

  “Have you talked to Steven yet?”

  “No,” he replied. “I called you first.”

  “Well, brace yourself. He’s pretty upset with Dad at the moment.”

  Alarm bells sounded in Jerry’s head. “Why? What happened?”

  “Steven’s been wanting to break out of the corporate world, so he asked Dad for some start-up money.”

  Typical. “And Dad turned him down, right?”

  “Not outright. He offered a loan with interest.”

  “That sounds reasonable to me.” Jerry didn’t understand Steven even thinking about taking money from their dad.

  “The way he sees it, they won’t be around much longer and they don’t need all that money sitting in a bank account. He wants to put it to good use.”

  Jerry felt his blood pressure rise. “You don’t agree with him, do you?”

  “Well…if Steven gets any money from them, it’s only fair that they give some to you and me.”

  Before he let her know what he really thought, Jerry decided to end the call. After they hung up, he gave himself a few minutes to cool off. How could his sister and brother be so selfish? Their parents had worked hard to instill good values in them.

  He bowed his head in prayer for guidance before talking to Steven. Jerry wanted to give his brother the information without blowing his stack.

  When he was certain he could maintain his cool, he called Steven’s cell phone. The phone rang twice, so he started thinking of a message to leave.

  “You don’t have to tell me anything,” Steven said without a greeting. “I just talked to Jenn.”

  Anger instantly rushed through Jerry, but he took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He shouldn’t have expected anything else from his sister.

  “Did she tell you the details?”

  “What details? They’re spending our inheritance to live the high life in Florida, right?”

  If they’d been talking in person, the only thing that would have stood between Jerry’s fist and his brother was Jerry’s faith in Christ. However, Jerry couldn’t hold his tongue another second. “That is the most selfish thing I’ve ever heard. How dare you expect anything from two people who gave you everything you needed and almost everything they could af
ford?”

  Steven laughed. “Is that what you think? Maybe that’s the way it was when you came along, baby brother, but when Jenn and I were kids, we got most of our clothes from garage sales and secondhand stores. We didn’t get anything new until we had our own jobs and could buy them ourselves.”

  “Why are you holding that against them?” Jerry asked. “They did the best they could.”

  “They always gave you new stuff.” Steven’s jealousy came through loud and clear. “I guess that’s because they were ashamed of the fact that you were an ‘oops’ baby and they had to act like they were happy with the little surprise.”

  Jerry’s temples pulsed as he gritted his teeth. Nothing could be further from the truth. Maybe his parents hadn’t planned to have him, but in God’s world, there were no “oops” babies.

  “So what do you plan to do?” Steven asked. “Move down there with them so you can hold their hands all the way to the grave?” He belted out a sinister snort. “That ought to earn you a nice slice of the inheritance.”

  “You’re totally out of line, big brother. Until you get past your pettiness, you won’t see that. When you feel like discussing our parents’ move, give me a call, but I’m not going to keep talking to you now.”

  “Fine. Tell them I hope they’re happy.” Click.

  Jerry punched the Off button on his phone, held it out, and stared at it. His brother’s behavior was even worse than it had been the last time he’d talked to him. Just goes to show how bitter people can become without the Lord in their lives.

  He knew he needed to be praying for a change of heart for Steven and Jennifer, but it was difficult watching them hurt his parents. As Jerry bowed his head, he added a request for forgiveness for himself.

  The days began to fly by as he made arrangements for the upcoming trip. He secured a three-month lease on a condo in Treasure Island. In addition to getting his personal belongings packed and ready for the move, he had to work ahead to account for the days he’d be out of commission. Then a couple of days before they were due to leave, his parents called and said they wanted to go early. The manager of their apartment building had someone lined up for their place, so he offered to let them stay in the guest unit until they were ready to go. The moving company had already come for their belongings. For once, he had to tell them no.