California Dreaming: Four Contemporary Romances

by Casey Dawes

  Then she realized what was worse. “What if he turns out to be what James and Sally said—a good guy? What then? I’ll have lost my chance to be his kid. I could have had a happy childhood.” Tears started falling and she grabbed the nearby tissue box, clutching it to her chest like a favorite doll.

  Dr. Graham, as he often did, let her cry until she’d cried herself out.

  “I suppose,” she said when she’d recovered enough to speak. “If we all had perfect childhoods, we wouldn’t need therapists.”

  “I’m sure people would think of some other reason to be miserable and confused. We are a contrary species.” He smiled again, but this time there was sorrow in the smile. He uncrossed and crossed his legs again, and settled the legal pad on his lap. “The past is gone, Mandy, but you have a chance to make the future better now that you’re seeing life through a clearer lens. If your father is, as your friends put it, a good guy, then you have more of a family than you’ve ever had in your life. If not, you’ll know you tried and can put him in the same box as you’re learning to put your mother.”

  He was right. In addition to talking to James, she’d voluntarily called Lola, told her she was going to LA for the weekend, and managed to stay emotionally disconnected throughout the call using some of the techniques she’d worked on with Dr. Graham. Her mother had impacted her life far too long.

  “Sometimes I feel sorry for her,” she said to her therapist.

  He nodded. “She’s had a difficult time, but remember she’s caused some of that difficulty herself by not getting additional help over the years. It was a different world twenty-five years ago, so she may not have had the opportunities you’ve had.” He put both feet on the floor and leaned forward.

  The intenseness of his gaze made her shift on the couch.

  “You’re using your tools well, and I hope your young man turns out to be everything you’ve always wanted.” He looked at his notes. “White picket fence and all. Remember it’s your life and your turn now. Your parents had their youth. It’s time for you to claim your own.

  “You can do it, Mandy. I know you can.”

  So did she.

  • • •

  Mandy was tempted to take a nap after she finished her shift on Thanksgiving Day. Maybe if she put her feet up for a little while?

  Bad idea.

  Instead she slipped out of her white shirt and black pants and into more comfortable jeans and an emerald green tee-shirt she’d splurged on a few weeks before. The shirt was one of the most feminine things she owned other than her little black dress.

  As she pulled into Elizabeth’s drive, her phone rang.

  James.

  “Can’t wait to see you tomorrow,” he said when she answered.

  “Me either.” He heart beat a little faster hearing his voice.

  “My mother has your room all ready.”

  The beat slowed.

  “Oh. I thought I’d be staying at your place. I told you I loved you.” They’d delayed long enough. She was ready for something to happen. Her body ached to be satisfied.

  “Um. My mother’s idea.”

  “So change her mind.”

  “You don’t know my mother. You’ll see when you get here.”

  I’ll change the arrangements when I get there.

  “I can’t believe you’re being like this, James,” she said.

  “I know. I just want to be sure you’re sure.”

  “I am.”

  Someone yelled in the background. He chuckled. “My mother is putting food on the table which means I have a command performance. Have a great turkey day, Mandy. I’ll pick you up at the airport at baggage claim tomorrow morning. Miss you.”

  “Miss you, too.”

  As she slid the phone in her purse, she realized the statement was true. She did miss James. She smiled. She’d never had a man pick her up at the airport before.

  “He convinced her!” Sarah squealed when Mandy entered through the kitchen door.

  Mandy handed her the pies she’d made a few days earlier. “Who? What?” She shrugged off her coat.

  “My mom agreed to marry Marcos. You should see that ring she’s wearing!”

  Mandy smiled. It was about time. They’d been dating for close to a year, and Marcos had spent half of it asking Elizabeth to marry him.

  “How about you and Hunter? When’s he going to pop the question?”

  “I already have.” The war veteran walked into the room, little Hannah in his arms. A golden retriever trailed them.

  Sarah gave the dog a mock glare. “Traitor. You used to be my dog, but now you never leave Hannah’s side.”

  Hunter chuckled and handed the baby to her mother.

  “So,” Mandy said. “Let me get this straight. You’ve asked Sarah to marry you?”

  “Yep.”

  Mandy turned to her friend. “And you said?”

  “Not yet.”

  “What are you waiting for?”

  Sarah sat. Daisy quickly lay down at her feet. “Let’s get Mom and Marcos married first. Then we can worry about the younger generation.”

  Mandy laughed. The older generation was indeed hogging the wedding scene. Elizabeth’s best friend, Annie, had tied the knot with John last June, and now Marcos and Elizabeth were engaged.

  “When’s the date?”

  Sarah shrugged. “Mom keeps saying there’s lots of logistics for a two-continent wedding. I told her I’d be happy to return to Italy to see her married, but she’s determined to make it complicated.” She shifted the baby. “When are you off to see James tomorrow?”

  “The earliest flight possible.”

  Sarah studied her. “You look happy. Good. Have a good time while you’re there. Are you going to see your father?”

  Elizabeth and Annie whipped into the kitchen. “There you are!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “Come into the living room. I’ve got snacks and drinks set up there.”

  “Let’s see,” Mandy demanded.

  Elizabeth blushed and held out her left hand.

  Mandy wasn’t an expert on diamonds, but the stone on Elizabeth’s finger must have been expertly cut, because it glistened from every angle. “Beautiful! Where’s the lucky groom?”

  Sarah’s mother frowned. “He and John decided we needed a deep-fried turkey this year. They’re on the back patio wrestling the thing into the fryer.”

  Hunter peered out the window. “Actually, it looks like they’re drinking beer. I think I’ll join them.”

  As soon as he walked out the patio door, Sarah and Elizabeth laughed.

  “Men are predictable,” Annie said.

  A wave of jealousy passed through Mandy. Those were moments she’d never be able to share with her own mother. She envied her friend the easy camaraderie of friends and family. Would she be able to find the same with James in LA?

  “Where’s David?” Mandy asked about Annie’s son.

  “He’s with his dad. They’re serving the homeless at one of the local churches—something sponsored by AA.”

  “It’s good to know Fred’s still sober,” Sarah said.

  Annie nodded. “It’s good for David to see his father change for the better. I’m thankful for that.”

  The air hummed with gratitude for a moment.

  An hour later they were seated around the table, holding hands while Elizabeth said grace. As Mandy looked around the table, she was filled with love for her friends. They’d opened their hearts to each other and discovered their true loves. They’d also taken her into their lives and shown her she was worthy of being loved. She’d learned a lot about how to give and receive the heart’s greatest gift.

  For that, she was grateful.

  Chapter 26

  When Mandy stepped through the gateway doors to the glass and wood expanse of John Wayne Airport, she entered a separate California. The glitz of movies and nearby Disneyland made the airport as distant from the tech-oriented north as if she’d gone to Mumbai.

  How am I ever goi
ng to fit in here?

  She dragged her overnight case behind her, trying to exude the confidence of the passengers beside her. The hallways seemed endless, and the exit a distant goal. Finally, she emerged through the glass doors.

  James waited with a bouquet of yellow roses.

  She ran to him, pushed the flowers aside, and hugged him tight. “I missed you,” she whispered into his chest.

  He lifted her face to his and kissed her. His lips claimed hers, and she surrendered to the experience. Lost in the magic of two hearts meeting, she let her fears of future disappointment slip away, like the fog bank disappearing out to sea.

  “These are for you,” James said when he released her. He handed her the bouquet and took her luggage handle from her hand. “I thought yellow suited you—perky.”

  She laughed. “I think that’s a nice word for motor-mouth.”

  “Sometimes.” He grinned.

  He led her through more of the airport maze and parking lots until they reached his Explorer.

  “I’m ready for a nap,” she said as she climbed into the passenger seat. “It was an early flight.”

  “It’s only a short ride to my parents’.”

  “Really, James? Do I have to stay there?” Memories of their short tumble in Monterey had been flamed by their kiss in the airport. She could hear the wheedle in her voice.

  “I’m afraid so.”

  She stared at his capable hands on the steering wheel—hands she wanted on her body as soon as possible.

  When had she become so horny? Opening up her life to risk and her heart to possibilities had obviously dislodged other jams in her life. She chuckled to herself.

  “What’s so funny?”

  Her cheeks warmed. “Nothing.”

  “I bet.”

  James’s parents’ house turned out to be a low brown ranch about twenty miles south of the airport. Mandy’s nerves returned when she stepped out of the car onto the driveway.

  “Don’t worry,” James said as if sensing her feelings. “They’re going to love you. Remember how you handled the actors? And they were difficult. My parents, Jane and Henry, are easy.” He opened the front door. “Mom, we’re here!”

  “Kitchen!” came a call from the back of the house.

  James led her back to a large modern steel and granite space where a woman slightly taller than Mandy was whipping batter with a whisk. “Cake,” she said. “For later.” She put down the utensil, wiped her hands, and drew Mandy in for a hug. “I’m so glad to meet you.” She hugged James as well. “And I’m really glad my son isn’t an ass.”

  Mandy raised her eyebrows and looked at James. “What’s that about?”

  His cheeks reddened. “My mother had definite ideas about how I should approach you.”

  “You discussed me with your mother?”

  Jane laughed. “My boys have always come to me for advice. Since they didn’t have sisters, I was the only female around who could help them decipher the opposite sex. The other two are married and starting to produce grandchildren, but this one—” She wagged her finger at James. “He was always the contrary one.”

  “I had a plan.”

  “Ugh. The life plan.” Jane glanced at Mandy. “I suppose you’ve heard about this dreaded plan.”

  Mandy nodded and smiled, feeling an alliance with James’s mother, something she’d never experienced with Lola.

  “I’ve spared you the rest of the family tonight,” Jane said as she picked up her whisk. “But everyone will be here tomorrow for roast. They want to see the woman who’s caught James’s interest.”

  “Mom!”

  Mandy burst out laughing.

  Jane looked up at her and winked before turning back to her son. “James, show Mandy the guest room and let her rest if she needs it. Dinner will be around seven.”

  “Remember, I have an appointment with Sally at three,” Mandy said to James.

  “Are you going to see your father while you’re here?” Jane asked.

  “Um. No. I don’t think so.”

  Jane stopped whisking. “I think you might reconsider that. He’s the only father you’re going to have and from everything I’ve heard, he’s a good man.”

  “Sorry about that,” James said as they walked down the hall to the guest room. “My mother has opinions about everything, which is why you’re staying here.”

  “So I see. I’ll have to work on changing that opinion.” Guilt churned her stomach as she remembered her father’s impassioned plea to give him a chance, but she pushed it away to smile at James.

  • • •

  James got Mandy up in time for her meeting with Sally. The discussion went on for over an hour, which made James hopeful as he drank several cups of coffee at a nearby diner. After he picked Mandy up, though, she was close-mouthed about what had transpired. All she would say was she was still digesting the offer.

  By the time they got home, his father had arrived.

  James watched as Mandy interacted with Henry Lubbock. An engineer, he could be a bit long-winded about his favorite topics, subjects few other people understood. Intermingled with his arcane knowledge, however, he’d proudly recite the accomplishments of his offspring, and tell the world how much he loved his wife.

  Which subject was he forcing on Mandy? No matter, she probably needed rescuing.

  “How’s it going over here? Is Dad boring you with routers and gigabits?”

  Mandy smiled up at him, an expression that warmed her eyes, and made him wish they were alone. “No, he’s telling me about your brothers’ accomplishments. What happened with you?”

  Henry chuckled.

  James hated being compared to his brothers, one a doctor and one a vice-president in a tech firm.

  “James will do fine.” His mother, ready to champion any of her babies under attack, had come up by his side. “He’s a late bloomer, that’s all.”

  “I see,” Mandy said.

  “Dinner is ready.” Jane led them into the cozy dining room off the kitchen.

  Platters of leftover turkey, stuffing, and other trimmings were passed around the table. James took large helpings. Second Thanksgiving was even better than the feast on the holiday—good food without all the pomp and circumstance.

  “How did your meeting with Sally go?” Jane asked Mandy.

  Ugh. He loved his mother, but she could be a little pushy.

  Mandy handled it in stride, like she’d managed the more difficult personalities on the set. “We had a lot to discuss. She laid out her plan for the future. It will take me some time to decide whether or not I’m going to take her offer.”

  She’d neatly sidestepped his mother’s real question—was Mandy going to stay in LA?

  “What are you going to do tomorrow?” Jane asked.

  “I was thinking of going down to Laguna Beach,” James said.

  “Going to be crowded.” His father hated crowds.

  “Everywhere is crowded,” James said. He looked at Mandy. “We’ll get an early start, pick up breakfast on the way. Sound okay?”

  She beamed. “Sounds wonderful.”

  • • •

  James woke in his old bedroom to a cloudless and blue morning. His decision to stay at his parents’ delayed the conversation about going back to his place.

  Mandy grumbled when he prodded her awake. Misty and tousled, she stirred him even at that early hour. When she stood in her thin nightshirt, he gathered her in his arms and kissed her. Her body was soft and warm against his, and he felt her nipples harden against his tee-shirt.

  He groaned.

  “Told you we should have stayed at your place,” Mandy said before slipping out of his arms. “Bathroom.”

  Within a half hour they were on their way.

  “I know a great little diner in the town. We can get breakfast there if that’s okay with you.”

  Mandy raised the travel mug his mother had left out on the counter. “As long as I have this, I’m good to go.” She flipped o
n the radio and John Cougar Mellencamp came roaring out. “The ’80s? Really, James?”

  “I like it.” Would music bring them together or push them apart?

  She chuckled. “Thriller is one of my favorite all time albums. We’re in the same decade, at least.”

  He grinned and placed his hand over hers. She nestled hers into his palm.

  As his father had predicted, traffic was heavy on the 133 southbound, even at the early hour. James didn’t care. The sun shined, his favorite music was on the radio, and he had the woman he loved sitting next to him.

  He glanced at her, tapping her foot in time to the music, babbling about what she was seeing with the enthusiasm of a five-year-old. How could he get her to stay in LA? When would be the right time to ask her about the job with Sally?

  Why didn’t women make any sense to him at all?

  When they finally reached the beach town, he was able to nab a parking spot at the Mermaid Lot, not far from Café Anastasia.

  After they placed their orders, they stared at each other for a few seconds.

  Great. She didn’t know how to start the conversation any better than he did.

  Then she laughed. “You look so serious, James!”

  “It was easier to talk to you in Yosemite.”

  “That’s because you were bossing me around.”

  He grinned. “Maybe I should start that again.”

  “Not on your life,” she said. Her smile dropped from her face. “Thanks, James, for not pressing me about what went on with Sally.”

  “Doesn’t mean I don’t want to know.”

  She nodded. “We went over the details of what she’s offering. She knows I don’t have any money right now, but if I work for a couple of years, save up, she’ll give me a deal on the RV and her business contacts. That gives me a chance to learn the business and make new contacts myself.”

  Like most agreements, the devil was going to be in the details. “How is she going to value the business?” he asked. At her blank look, he explained what he meant—how was Sally going to determine the price of the business? He followed the question with several others.

  Even if Sally was a friend, no one was going to take advantage of Mandy on his watch, no matter how inadvertent it might be.

  “Whoa!” Mandy said and pulled out her lime green covered smartphone from her purse. "I need to get some of this down. I can see I have more questions for Sally.”