Mom shrugged. “Once or twice.”
I shook my head, my mouth gaping in disbelief at her attempt to downplay their turbulent history. “Try six.”
“How do you even remember these things?”
“How could I forget? The last time you were arrested, I got to watch him dragging you away from Ironwood High’s campus in handcuffs, while my classmates were pointing and laughing. It’s the kind of traumatizing event that sticks with a person.”
A wounded look moved over my mom’s face. “I was just backing you up.”
I sighed. “Yeah, I know.”
My senior-year editorial decrying the high school’s abstinence-only policy as a joke and calling for distribution of condoms in the nurse’s office had not been received well by the school administration. When the vice principal had refused to let it be printed in the school paper, Mom pinned condom wrappers all over her body and marched down to the school to protest the violation of my first amendment rights.
Things had gotten out of hand. They always did.
Mom brought her hands together before her. “Look, things change. People change. Yeah, our history is a little… colorful, but if we can look beyond it, then why can’t you?”
I raised a brow. “Colorful? Is that what you’re calling it?”
Mom’s eyes flashed. “Basta! Enough! I’m starting to really care about this man, so if you can’t be polite and respectful, I’ll ask you to leave. Capisce, cara mia?”
I sighed. There was no arguing with her when she channeled Nonni Rossini. “Yes, mother.” Mom brows lifted in warning, and I forced a smile. “Capisco, Mamma.”
Mom fluffed her hair with her fingers and then opened the door with great flourish. “Nathan, I’m so sorry about that.”
“Not a problem,” he assured her, appearing in the doorway. He held out the wine and flowers. “For you.”
My mom melted as she received his gifts. “Oh, how thoughtful of you.”
Chief Breckenridge’s eyes flickered my way before he leaned in to give her a chaste kiss on the cheek.
Mom giggled, reminding me of one of Ian’s bimbos. She motioned him inside. “Where’s your boy?”
Chief Breckenridge closed the door behind him. “He got held up at work and wanted to run home for a quick shower.”
“He got the job, then?” My mom clapped her hands together. “Wonderful news!”
Chief Breckenridge nodded, then tipped his head in my direction. “Hello, again, Ivy.”
My mouth twitched in a fake smile. “Hey.” I caught my mom’s stern look of warning and went on. “I’m sorry I slammed the door in your face. I was just a little…” Shocked? Disgusted? Revolted? “…surprised,” I finally settled on.
“It’s quite all right.” He ran a hand through his thinning sand-colored hair. “We thought this might throw you for a bit of a loop.”
Understatement.
“Just a bit,” I admitted. I walked over to my mom and held out my hands. “How about I go put these in some water?”
“Why, thank you, dear, that would be lovely.”
I tried not to roll my eyes. Mom only spoke like that when she was trying to impress a boyfriend, as if using words like “dear” and “lovely” made her seem more matronly or something.
Once in the kitchen, I put the bottle of wine on the counter and retrieved a vase from under the sink for the flowers.
“So, I’m a tight-ass hick pig, am I?” I heard the Chief say as I neared the living room. I cringed.
I stopped in the doorway and observed them with a frown; Chief Breckenridge stood behind my mother with his arms around her waist, and they were sort of swaying to a tune only audible from within their bubble of infatuation.
Mom chuckled. “You always were wound tighter than a pocket watch.”
“Angela, I was just doing my job.”
“Perhaps. But you still drove me crazy.”
“Like now?” he asked, nuzzling her neck.
Mom’s face flushed with pleasure. “Well, that’s a different kind of crazy.”
I felt my insides soften just a little. Mom was glowing, and Chief Breckenridge was gazing down at her with candid adoration. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad choice. Mom had certainly dated worse. At least he had a job, had gentlemanly manners, and would never slap her around. I couldn’t say the same for some of the other pieces of crap she’d taken up with in the past.
Now that I had recovered from the shock of seeing Chief Breckenridge with my mom, I even supposed I could see some of the attraction there. Chief Breckenridge wasn’t a bad-looking man: a lean, wiry body, nice gray eyes and a warm smile. Strangely enough, he looked younger than I remember him always being. Still, the idea of them together made little sense – my mother was an unpredictable activist, who didn’t care about silly things like laws getting in the way, and he was a man who’d taken an oath to uphold the law. How could that possibly work out in the long term?
The doorbell rang and Chief Breckenridge reluctantly withdrew his arms. I was making my way into the room when my mom turned to face him. “I should get that,” she told him in a low voice, brushing her lips over his.
“Ack! Parental PDA!” I complained as I wandered back into the living room. “Do I need to tell you two to get a room?” I gave my mom a small smile.
My mom rolled her eyes, but she took my comment as the peace-offering it was. “Oh, Ivy, really.”
I crossed the room and leaned over to put the flowers on the coffee table.
“Come in, welcome!” I heard my mother say.
My smile froze when she led the newcomer into the room.
Jayden? I gasped in disbelief.
After getting all dolled up that morning, I’d gone down to the garage, hoping to make a better impression than I had the day before, but he hadn’t been there. When I casually asked if I could speak to him, I was told he was out on an errand. I was sure I’d never see him again.
But here he was, standing in my mother’s living room. Oh, and he was looking incredibly fine, too, in an untucked hunter green dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of comfortable-looking jeans. The crazy hair I’d seen the day before was neatly brushed back and curling over his forehead.
“I’m so happy to finally meet you,” my mom was saying when it occurred to me I was gawking.
“Likewise,” Jayden returned with a polite smile. He glanced around the room and his gaze landed on me. His eyes lit up and his polite smile widened.
And there I was, still leaning over the table with my ass in the air. I jerked into an upright position, turning around so quickly that my swinging hand knocked into the vase. I spun back to right it before it spilled, then turned back to look at Jayden with a mortified squeak.
His smile turned into an amused grin.
My mom walked over and tugged on my arm, nudging me forward. “Jayden, this is my daughter--”
“Ivy Rossini,” he said for her.
He remembered! “Hi.”
My mom’s smile was bemused as she looked between us. “How do you know each other?”
I tore my gaze from Jayden’s bluish-grey eyes. “Jayden fixed the air conditioner on my car.”
“No kidding? What a small world.” Mom squeezed my arm. “Now, who would like a little of that wine?”
Chief Breckenridge patted his belly. “I could be persuaded to have a glass.”
“I’ll get it.” I wanted a moment to collect my thoughts and calm down.
“I’m not much of a wine drinker,” Jayden said. “Do you have anything non-alcoholic?”
“I have some delightful oolong tea in the fridge and I believe there are still a few cans of Coke in the garage,” Mom said. “Ivy can show you were they are.”
So much for taking a moment.
I motioned for him to follow me. “Just so you know, I recommend the tea. That Coke has been there since my graduation party.”
“Good to know. How’s the AC working for you, by the way?”
“It’s great. Nice and cold.” I looked over my shoulder at him with a shy smile. “Thank you.”
We entered the kitchen and I cleared a space on the counter, feeling his eyes on me.
Jayden broke the silence with a low chuckle. “Okay, how weird is this? Our parents…?”
I met his eyes and grinned. “So weird. Especially given their history.”
His looked intrigued. “What’s their history?”
I reached up into the cupboard and carefully pulled out three fluted wine glasses and a tumbler for his tea. “My mom has spent a good portion of her life crusading against ‘The Man,’ and your father has spent a good portion of his career putting her behind bars.”
“No kidding?”
“Your dad never mentioned it?”
Jayden laughed. “No, he left that part out.” He held up the wine bottle. “Corkscrew?”
I rummaged in a drawer next to the refrigerator. Locating one in the back, I handed it over. Our fingers brushed and my face heated. Looking away, I cleared my throat. “So, yeah…our parents…I thought they hated each other.”
Jayden laughed as he rotated the bottle opener into the cork. “Who knows? Maybe the crusades and arrests are their cat-and-mouse game. Extreme foreplay?”
“Okay, I’m going to forgive you using the word ‘foreplay’ in reference to our parents.”
Jayden tossed his head back and laughed. He had a great laugh. “Sorry, you’re right.”
Ick-factor aside, it was an interesting theory. Could the Chief’s harassment of my mom have been a ploy to gain her attention? And what about my mom? Could all her ranting and raving about the stick-in-the-mud-Chief have been a cover up for deeper feelings? The more I thought about it, the more I didn’t wonder if Jayden wasn’t spot-on in his assessment.
Mom and I were so going to have a conversation about this.
I poured Jayden’s tea and returned the jug to the fridge. “My mom said you just moved to Ironwood?”
He filled the last glass of wine and nodded in confirmation. “This past weekend.”
“From where?”
“I’m an Army brat, so I’ve lived all over the world. I’ve spent the last six years in L.A., though.”
“This must be a big change for you, then. What do you think of our fair town?”
“Doesn’t seem like there’s much to do here.” He glanced up. “But I have to say, I’m enjoying the scenery.” The flirtatious glimmer in his eyes gave me the very distinct impression that I was part of that scenery he referred to. He held my eye for a moment before returning his attention to the glass.
I bit my lip and looked away, trying to hide my hot cheeks. To busy my anxious hands, I reached for a dish towel and wiped down the spotless counter.
“I was disappointed I missed you this morning,” Jayden said in a quiet voice as he re-corked the bottle.
“Oh, yeah?” My stomach gave an anxious little flip. Be cool.
He nodded. “Well, since I’m new in town and I don’t know my way around, I was hoping you might be willing to give me a tour.”
My smile dimmed. A tour?
“And,” his mouth curved to the side, “if that tour happens to bring us to your favorite restaurant and, later, to a local movie theater or club, that would be cool, too.” He looked over and his hopeful smile was so infectious, I couldn’t help grinning back like a fool.
Hells yes! I shrugged. “Sure, why not?”
***
Ian’s mouth gaped as I entered the studio that night. “Is that what I think it is?”
I nodded as I held up the foil-covered paper plate in my hands. “Yep.”
“For me?”
I held it out of his reach. “Only if you agree to do the panel.”
“Agreed.”
That was fast. I decided to amend my previous statement: When all else fails, appeal to his stomach. Looked like my mom had it right all along.
“Then, yes, this is for you.” I presented the heaping plate with a huge smile.
“You are a goddess of the highest order, and I worship the ground you walk on.” He planted a loud, smacking kiss on my cheek and slipped the plate out of my hands.
I giggled and wiped my cheek. “As you should.”
“I already decided to do the panel, just so you know, so don’t go feeling too smug.”
“You did?” I frowned. “What changed your mind?”
“It seemed important to you.” Ian shrugged and lifted the plate to his nose and his eyes rolled in ecstasy as he inhaled. “Oh, man. I think I just came.”
I flopped down in my chair and reached for my headphones. “I’ll be sure to let Mom know.”
Ian smirked. “Yeah, I bet she’d love to hear that.” He uncovered the foil and moaned as he shoveled the first bite into his mouth. “Man, your mom is one hell of a cook.”
I nodded. Nonni taught her well.
“So,” he said after swallowing, “How was dinner with the new boyfriend?”
“Oh!” I sat up straight. Only Ian could truly appreciate my disbelief, having spent a fair amount of time in my home growing up. “My mom is dating…” I paused for effect, “Chief Breckenridge.”
Ian swallowed abruptly and started choking. I slapped his back and handed him the bottle of water I’d brought with me.
“Thanks,” he gasped after a long drink. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked at me with watery eyes. “You’re bullshittin’ me, right?”
“Nope.” I saw Amery enter the engineer’s booth and waved.
“How the hell did that happen?”
I shrugged and brought my knees up to my chest. “I don’t have the faintest clue, and I didn’t get a chance to ask. All I know is that they’re totally crazy for each other.”
Ian shook his head and took another bite. “That relationship has a shelf-life of two weeks, tops. Mark my words.”
“They’ve been dating for longer than two weeks, already,” I pointed out. “And it seems to be getting kind of serious. It was actually kind of sweet.”
“If you say so.” Ian looked far from convinced. “Anything else exciting happen?”
“Well…” I couldn’t stop a smile from splitting my face. I chewed on my pinky nail as I recalled my discussion with Jayden in the kitchen earlier that night, and later, our goodbye; the only times during the evening we’d been alone to exchange numbers.
All through dinner Nathan had regaled us with outrageous stories about Mom’s activism, and Mom had countered with stories about Nathan’s draconian police practices and her arrests. I hadn’t laughed so hard in ages, but Jayden and I hadn’t had a moment alone. Once or twice I excused myself to check on my laundry, but Jayden had failed to take the hint and follow me. It wasn’t until I was putting the last load in the bag – it was already ten-thirty and I needed to get to the station – that he finally seemed to catch on that we had some information to exchange.
Ian looked sideways, waiting to be let in on the joke. “Why are you smiling like that?”
“Do you remember that guy from Gallo’s yesterday? Jayden?” I don’t know why I asked; I doubted he’d forgotten.
Ian’s reflexive scowl told me he hadn’t. “What about him?”
“He was there tonight. He’s the chief’s son.”
“I wasn’t aware Chief Breckenridge had a son.”
“I know, right? He grew up with his mom and just moved here from L.A. to spend time with his dad.”
Ian tossed his half-empty plate on the console and turned to the computer screen. “L.A., huh? Well, that explains all the sleazy phoniness. No wonder he makes such a good mechanic.”
I rolled my eyes in exasperation. “What does his ability to work on a car have to do with sleaziness?”
Ian shook his head. “I’m not talking about his mechanical skills; I’m talking about his ability to dupe women. Remember what I told you yesterday? Mechanics rake in the money by taking advantage of the fairer sex, and he rolls in wit
h his fake, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry,’ and ‘Oh, it’s not my fault,’ and you bought it – hook, line, and sinker.”
“He’s not fake. He’s a nice guy.”
“If you say so. But I’ve got to tell you, your naiveté astounds me.”
That stung. “He asked me out tonight,” I blurted, “so that proves he wasn’t just charming me out of my money.” Crap. I hadn’t meant to tell him that much.
A deep crease formed over Ian’s brow. He looked down at the ring on his middle finger and spun it around. “You’re actually interested in him?” he asked. He removed the ring and rolled it around in his fingertips before looking back up at me.
My chin shot up. “Yes, I am.”
Ian shook his head and pushed the ring back into place. A devilish smile pulled at his lips. “You do realize that if your parents get married, you’ll be committing incest.”
I sneered. Is he kidding me? “It’s not incest if there’s no blood relationship.”
“Says you.”
“Says everyone!”
“Oh, yeah?” Ian’s eyes narrowed with determination as he flipped on the mic, three minutes ahead of schedule, and mid-song on the pre-recorded music reel. “Good evening, my horny little listeners. I know we’re a tad early tonight, but my lovely co-host and I were just having a rather fascinating debate.”
I slapped him on the arm and practically threw myself on the mic, covering it with both hands. “What the hell are you doing?”
He batted my hands away with an insolent smirk. “But what is this debate about, you ask?” he continued mysteriously. “Well, allow me to tell you. Our mutual friend – let’s call her Eevie, shall we? – has just found out the object of her sweaty, thigh-clenching lust is none other than the son of her mom’s new boyfriend.”
My eyes bugged out so far I thought they might fall right out of my head. Eevie? Could he have been any more freaking obvious? What if Jayden had decided to listen in? He had been really intrigued when the topic of the show came up at dinner and said he’d be interested in hearing it. I prayed he didn’t know the frequency of the campus station.
The Truths about Dating and Mating Page 7