Jesse's List: A Beach Pointe Romance

by Mysti Parker

  “Sure.”

  “We know everything about each other. And I know she has a thing for you, which surprised me at first. Actually, it shocked the hell out of me. But then I realized she’s attracted to brokenness. That’s why she wants to be a counselor. She needs to know she’s not the only one with problems, and it makes her happy to help people. It makes her stronger. I’ve always worried she’d get stuck with some nut like Mitch, but she knows the risks. She’s taking a risk on you. You know that, right?”

  Jesse nodded. Surely Leigh hadn’t told her about their conversation last night.

  Avery stared him down, shoulders squared, an intimidating five feet and some change. “Which is why I’m telling you now… I think you need to add another name to that list of yours.”

  “Um…she told you about the list?”

  “Yes. She didn’t go into specifics, but I’ve heard people talking about all the nice-guy stuff you’ve been doing.”

  “Okay, so whose name am I missing?”

  “Leigh’s.”

  “I don’t understand. I only met her a few weeks ago.”

  “No, you two crossed paths a few years back. Remember senior prom?”

  Jesse scratched his eyebrow. “Yeah, I remember. I wasn’t allowed to go. My grades were too bad.”

  “But you went anyway, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah, sort of. What’s that got to do with Leigh?”

  “She was there too.”

  “I thought she was homeschooled.”

  “She was. I took her as my ‘date.’ Her hair had grown back, but it was really fine and patchy. She didn’t think she was beautiful, and I had to show her that she was. We arranged her hair so that none of the bare spots showed. She was scared, but happy. The way her face lit up when she saw herself in the mirror with her dress and shoes—I’ll never forget that. Then we got there.”

  A sinking feeling settled in the pit of Jesse's stomach. That night had been just one venue for his many sins. He’d been angry, ashamed, and jealous of all the other kids who could just be normal kids and have dates and corsages and cummerbunds. They had parents to buy all that stuff. Parents who gave a shit, who cringed at the price of a prom dress or tux rental while oohing and aahing as they snapped pictures of their babies awkwardly posing with their equally awkward dates. But he didn’t know Leigh back then, had no idea she was there or the risks she had to take to be there. Truth be known, he wouldn’t have cared back then anyway.

  Avery continued, “The disco ball, the decorations, music, and lights mesmerized her. We stood there in the foyer, her taking it all in and me taking in her excitement. We put on our lipstick, high fived, and headed for the action. That’s when the fire alarm went off, then the sprinklers on that end of the gym. Leigh and I were both drenched. Her makeup ran. Her hair came loose from the pins so everyone could see the bald spots. When they started to stare, she ran back outside. I had never seen her so disappointed and embarrassed. Later we heard that you were to blame. She didn’t know you, but she hated you for that. Which is why I’m surprised that out of all the guys she could meet, you’d be the one to steal her heart.”

  At a loss for words, Jesse rubbed the back of his neck and averted his gaze. What had seemed like just another of his stupid stunts now speared him with guilt. Finally, he worked up the courage to reply. “I was expelled for it, but I think that’s what finally woke me up. A few months later, I got my GED and started training for this job. But I’d never really owned up to all the hurt I caused until I started seeing Leigh for counseling.”

  “Yeah, you were a total dickhead there for a while. But hey, the past is the past. You can’t wallow in guilt forever.”

  “You’re right. I have to do something for her. And since you're on my list, too, what can I do to make it up to you?”

  "Tell you what. You do good by Leigh, and that's good enough for me. But you have to go big or go home on this one, big boy. Got it?"

  "Got it." A rack of dresses in every color imaginable caught his eye, as well as the sign above it that read Prom Clearance Sale. “I have an idea.”

  “Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?”

  He grinned.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  The smell of bacon drifted into Leigh’s nose and woke her up. She blinked and looked at the clock. 10:00 a.m. She hadn’t slept that late on a Saturday for a long time. Going to bed after midnight the past two nights might have been the culprit. The hours had flown by on Jesse’s couch, curled up against him watching The Princess Bride and then Titanic last night. They’d had popcorn and talked and simply enjoyed each other’s company. She couldn’t imagine anything more perfect.

  Another smell, this one sweet and fragrant, drifted through her room. Sniffing, she sat up, stretched her arms above her head, and saw the source. A big vase of pink roses sat on her dresser. Leigh smiled, threw back the covers, and rushed over to check them out. The card read:

  Date tonight at 6:00 pm - dress up nice - I'll pick you up.

  Love, Jesse

  She huffed a laugh at the rather demanding tone. But it was hard to be mad with the pink, velvety petals of those gorgeous roses and their amazing scent right under her nose. Still, he could have asked her about it last night, the bugger.

  Leigh made her way to the kitchen, where the bacon smell made her mouth water, as did the smell of fresh brewed coffee. Jo stood at the stove, manning their sizzling breakfast.

  “Morning, Leelee. Sleep well?”

  “Very.” She went straight to the coffeepot and got a mug from the cabinet.

  “Did you see the roses?”

  “How could I miss them? They’re beautiful. Who delivered them?” Leigh poured her coffee and added cream and a little sugar.

  “Jesse.” Jo slid a sly glance at her while flipping the bacon.

  “What? Why didn’t you wake me? Didn’t he want to give them to me in person?”

  “He had some early morning plans.”

  Leigh sank into a chair at the table and set her coffee down. She tapped her nails on the mug, unsure how to feel at the moment. On one hand, he’d brought roses, but then he’d sort of demanded a date and didn’t bother giving her the roses himself. Did he still have a hint of bad boy left in him?

  “Don’t be mad at him, Leelee.” Jo set a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast in front of her.

  “I’m not, I’m just…”

  “Scared?” Jo sat down with her own plate. A soft, sympathetic smile deepened her laugh lines.

  “Yeah. Is it possible that he could have been playing me this whole time?”

  “I can’t be sure, but I’ve been around a while. I think he’s the real deal.”

  Leigh picked up her fork, speared some eggs, and ate them. Their taste didn’t register. She and her mum had always been able to talk about anything. Yet, talking about this ranked up there with her most difficult counseling sessions in terms of dread.

  She picked at a piece of bacon, watching Jo eat with her usual perfect table manners. She cut each piece with a knife and fork and drank tea between bites, her pinky stuck out daintily.

  “What is it?” Jo asked when she caught her staring.

  “Do you think I’m making a mistake? In getting involved with any man, I mean? I don’t know where it will lead, but what if it leads to marriage?”

  “What if it does? Have you been honest with him?”

  “Yes. I told him everything. Well, not everything…”

  “What did you leave out? We can start there.”

  “I haven’t told him about the prom. I don’t think he even knows that I was there.”

  “He was a different person back then. But would you feel better if he knew?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe. I’m so confused.” Leigh slumped on the table, chin propped limply in her hand.

  “Do you love him?”

  She hesitated, unsure how to step into this unchartered territory. Most young women had already been “in love” a t
ime or two since high school. Leigh never imagined she’d be having this conversation with anyone, much less her mother.

  Finally, she nodded. “Yes.”

  “In that case, tell him. It’s better to get things out in the open so you can face them instead of holding them inside where they fester into resentment. Your father and I have had to learn this over the years.”

  Leigh smiled. “That’s what I tell my clients too.”

  “Then practice what you preach. If he’s the one, he’ll come through for you in ways you never expected.”

  That sounded odd. Nibbling on some toast, Leigh watched Jo’s expression turn stoic as though afraid to show any emotion at all. Jo focused on her plate and even hummed a little tune as she finished her breakfast.

  Leigh looked around the room and down the hall. “Where’s Dad?” He didn’t usually work on Saturday mornings, preferring to go to the car lot in the afternoon to help his salespeople when the weekend browsing hit its peak.

  “He went in early.” Jo stood quickly and took her plate to the sink. “More coffee?”

  “Not yet.”

  Jo spun around, grinning like the Cheshire cat. “Let’s go have a little mom and daughter pampering before your date tonight.”

  “Pampering?”

  “Yeah, we’ll get manicures, pedicures, facials, massages, maybe even do some shoe shopping. What do you say?”

  “Do I have a choice?” Leigh winked then took a bite of crispy bacon.

  Jo laughed. “No.”

  “Then pampering it is.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Jesse looked over his list, wrinkled and slightly faded from handling. He now had eleven names. Four of them left to cross off. He looked out his windshield. The wipers swished away misty rain. Beach Pointe Cemetery looked much the same as it had since he was a kid, except now it housed several more gravestones. How many of those older ones had he spray painted and knocked over? Too many to count, but whoever took care of the place had diligently repaired every stone.

  As eager as he was to desecrate the graves back then, he was equally as hesitant now to do what he’d come to do. Sixteen years ago on this very day, one desperate decision had changed his life forever.

  But he had Leigh waiting for him to pick her up. He let that be his motivation to step out of the truck and walk to the southeast corner. No one really talked about it, but this section contained a few rows of simple, flat stones with minimal engravings. They sat six feet above Beach Pointe’s black sheep. Thieves, murderers, child abusers – losers most folks would rather forget. A lucky few had a single artificial flower poked into the dirt at their edges. The rest had no indication that anyone cared to pay their respects.

  He stopped short when he noticed a man in a nice suit kneeling at a familiar stone. It took Jesse only a second to recognize him. Kneeling beside his brother, Jesse took a deep breath, unsure what to say. He hadn't visited his father's grave since the funeral. He wondered how often Jack visited.

  “I talk to him sometimes,” Jack said, not showing any surprise over the unexpected company. “I talk to him like he was a good father, like one who played ball with us and taught us to drive. Does that sound crazy to you?”

  “No, not at all.”

  “Yeah, well, I know he wasn’t any of those things, and he sure as hell doesn’t deserve our attention.”

  Jesse swallowed past the stubborn lump in his throat. He was grateful for the cool, light rain that fell on his face and kept his emotions at bay. “But he was our dad.”

  Jack nodded. He stood and brushed his hands on his trousers. Jesse stood, too. Hands in their pockets, they stared down at the stone. Jesse remembered what he’d come to do, and pulled an artificial flower from inside his jacket. He knelt again and stuck it in the ground at the edge of the stone. It was blue. Their dad had always liked blue. It was the only way Jesse knew to apologize for taking his life.

  When he stood up again, he felt Jack’s eyes on him.

  Jesse shrugged. “It’s not much. Not enough, I guess, but I can’t change what happened.” He made himself look Jack in the eyes. “I’m sorry that I pulled that trigger, but I can’t pretend that I’m sorry for protecting you. I’m not. You’re my brother, and that’s what brothers do. They look out for one another. I’m just sorry it had to be like that.”

  Jack sniffed. Rubbing the back of his neck, he sighed heavily. “I know. I just couldn’t understand why you became such a heathen. It was like I’d lost my mom, dad, and my brother.”

  “You had every right to hate me.”

  A sad smile quivered on Jack's lips. “I’ve never hated you, Jesse. Not really. I’m the big brother, you know. I was supposed to protect you, and all I could do was hide in a fucking closet like a coward.”

  Cool rain washed the hot tears from Jesse’s cheeks. He was surprised Jack didn’t have an umbrella. Maybe he needed the rain too. “You weren’t a coward. You were a kid, and you did the only thing you could think of at the time.”

  “That sounds awfully wise coming from you.”

  “Someone taught me that it’s okay to let go of the past and embrace what’s in front of you now.”

  Jack stared at the grave for a few seconds, then gave Jesse a tentative hug that became tighter when Jesse hugged him back. That was all they needed to say. The wall between them, built brick by brick with regrets, had fallen. Yeah, Jesse could cross another two names off his list, but that didn’t matter right now. He finally had his brother back. He couldn’t have asked for anything more.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  At five thirty, Leigh stood in front of her dresser, admiring the handiwork of the day spa artists. French manicured nails, makeup, hair swept up and held back with a sparkly headband. Jo had insisted she get a stylish hairdo. It sure didn’t go with her T-shirt and shorts. Jesse would be picking her up in half an hour, so she had to wear something that fit her pampering better.

  The longer she browsed through her wardrobe, however, the more she groaned. Work had been her priority for so long that most everything she had could be classified as business casual. She finally settled on a black silk blouse that could pass as less business and more casual without her usual blazer. It would go well with her jeans. The new black strappy heels would look good with it too.

  "Comfortable yet fashionable, and not too tall in the heel, please," Jo had insisted to the shoe store clerk.

  The poor guy had looked confused, and after a half dozen tries, he eventually emerged from the stock room with just the right ones. Leigh wouldn’t be able to wear them for hours on end without her feet hurting, but they were some of the most comfortable heels she’d ever worn. Granted, she didn't wear heels often.

  “Not bad,” Leigh said, giving herself a final check in the mirror. She grabbed her black clutch purse and came into the kitchen.

  Jo and Roscoe were deep in quiet conversation at the table. They both looked up and beamed smiles at her.

  Then Jo shook her head, frowning. “You can’t go out like that.”

  “Yeah, that’s all wrong, young lady. We can’t allow it.” Roscoe was trying to sound stern, but a smile flickered on his lips.

  Leigh stared down at her clothes and shrugged. “What, did I miss a button or something?”

  “No, you look lovely, Leelee, but you’d look even lovelier in this.” Jo stood and took a garment bag off the hook behind the door. She cleared her throat, and Roscoe got up. He held the hanger while Jo unzipped the garment bag. Inside hung a plum, off the shoulder evening dress.

  Leigh’s jaw dropped. She tentatively touched it, sliding her fingers down the cool, smooth fabric. “How fancy is this place Jesse’s taking me? I don’t think there are any restaurants in town that require this kind of dress code.”

  “Time’s wasting,” Jo said, turning her around and pushing her back toward the hallway. “Let’s get this on you. I’ll help you zip up.”

  “I haven’t tried it on,” Leigh protested. “How do we kno
w it’ll fit?”

  Jo didn’t answer, which was all the answer Leigh needed.

  “Avery sent this, didn’t she?”

  “Of course.”

  Not a surprise that her fashion-obsessed friend would be in on this. Whatever this was. She insisted on keeping Leigh’s measurements up-to-date for fashion emergencies. Though Leigh didn’t know how this would qualify as an emergency. It was just a dinner date at a restaurant that probably used cloth napkins and had bathroom attendants. They'd have to drive to Louisville to find a place like that. She smiled. A two-hour ride with Jesse? She could think of worse ways to spend a couple hours.

  Five minutes later, Leigh was tucked inside the elegant dress. It fit perfectly, thanks to Avery’s OCD quarterly measurements. Jo finished zipping it up and stood behind her at the dresser. Jo’s eyes welled with tears. She rubbed Leigh’s shoulders and sighed.

  “Oh, Leelee, you look so beautiful.”

  “You think so?”

  “I know so.”

  Truth be known, she hadn’t worn anything like this since the disastrous senior prom. Her eyes told her she did indeed look great in it, but her mind kept bringing up memories of being drenched and running from the embarrassment. This time, though, her hair wasn’t fresh off remission. She’d spent a long time growing it out and giving it so much TLC, it didn’t have a choice but to be full and healthy.

  “It is a beautiful gown,” she admitted. “But obviously, you know something I don’t. Spill it, Mum.”

  “I plead the fifth.”

  The doorbell rang. Both women jumped.

  Jo giggled and bounced up and down on her tiptoes. “He’s here!”

  “How do I look? Am I missing anything?”

  “Not a thing. Let’s go greet your date, shall we?” Jo hurried down the hall, calling over her shoulder. “Hurry, you’ll be late.”

  “Late for what?” Leigh knew running was out of the question thanks to her amateur heel-wearing status. She fast-walked as best she could, wobbling a bit, but able to stay upright so she didn’t do a face-plant in front of Jesse.