"Can I drive?" she asked, running to catch up to him. Harry laughed and didn't feel so bad. "Remember, no peanuts," she cautioned as she climbed into the passenger seat of Matt's truck.
Chapter 9
By the time they reached Ann Arbor the whole crew was worn out and grumpy. The first stop was at the Knight's to unload. CJ took charge. "Throw it all in the garage," she snarled. "We'll sort it out tomorrow. You WILL be back to help lay things out to dry and re-pack them," she informed everyone. Once the camping items were unloaded, she pointed to Matt. "Don't even say it- just take her and get out of my driveway or I'll slaughter you all!"
Amanda gave a sniff and climbed into Matt's truck. Sady moved to the small back seat and Matt didn't even complain. He drove the tired women to their apartment building and when he parked in the garage, they all let out a sigh of relief.
Amanda rolled out of the truck with a groan, holding her head. "I don't think it was worth it," she told Matt. "Why didn't you tell me to call Pops sooner? Then I wouldn't have had to drink so much and you wouldn't have had to drive the motor-home."
Sady bounced out of the back seat and grabbed Matt's arm when he went after Amanda. "If you say a word, you're just going to be here longer," she cautioned. Matt gave Amanda a snotty look, but he kept his mouth shut. Sady helped Amanda get her bags to her first-floor apartment. When she returned to the truck Matt sat with the tailgate down and his feet dangling. Sady hopped up next to him and leaned against his shoulder.
"Remind me that the words north, job, and Amanda should never be part of the same sentence, Sady." He sounded tired, and she slipped her arms around his waist to hug him.
"I'm just glad to be home," she said. "Hot water, a toilet that flushes, real food, sirens, the sounds of traffic... ahhh!"
"It wasn't all bad," he admitted as he pulled her closer to his side. "You're very good when it comes to poacher catching. Would you like to show me again how that's done?"
Sady gave a snort of laughter. "No, not on the hard ground, I wouldn't!"
"How about the bed of my truck?" he suggested nuzzling her neck.
She laughed again and hopped off the tailgate. Picking up her single bag she said, "Hooray for light packing! I have a hot bath, hair conditioner, real food, and a good mattress... and you're offering me the truck bed? Guess which one I choose," she giggled as she walked to the lobby of the building.
"Hey, wait up!" he called. "I like your suggestions better. Can we start with the bath?" He grabbed his bag and followed her. They waved to the security guard when they entered. He held his nose and pointed to one of the elevators. That was guard talk for 'The Davis children just used that elevator and it stinks.' They waited for the other one.
"Ooh, even the elevator feels good," Sady said.
"And you're complaining about the bed of my truck?" Matt asked.
"Nope. I'm appreciating life's little bits of goodness," she smiled. "And I'm so happy to be home... finally! You know, Amanda was right the whole time." He raised a brow, and she continued, "City girls don't camp! Don't ever let me forget that."
They exited on the tenth floor and Matt laughed when Sady unlocked her door and hollered, "Hello, I missed you!"
"How about that bath?" he asked.
She giggled and shoved him down the hall. "That's what I had in mind."
"I could help you scrub your back," he offered.
"I have a bath brush for that," she countered.
"How about your hair?"
"Sorry, I have a comb... and a bottle of deep conditioner," she smiled.
"What was next on the list?" he asked.
"Food!"
"Darn, I was hoping it was the mattress," he leered teasingly. They both turned when the elevator door opened and a woman stepped out. Sady smiled at the stranger and Matt's mouth dropped open. "Mom? What are you doing here?"
"Matt- surprise! I've come to spend a few days." She rushed down the hall to give him a hug. He seemed to have forgotten about Sady, but his mother looked her over. "Is this your friend or your girlfriend?" she asked. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"
Matt looked horrified. "Hell, no!" he yelped instinctively. His mother scolded him for his language and Sady's brows snapped down.
"I'm just the neighbor and co-worker," she said in an acid tone, her eyes narrowed to slits. "His girlfriend lives on the first floor. Her name is Amanda!" Sady slammed the door to her apartment in Matt's astonished face. Before it clicked Sady overhead his mother huff about her rudeness.
Uh, oh! Matt rushed his mother to his apartment and fired off a text to Sady. "We need to talk!"
He knew he was in trouble when he received a response nearly a half hour later. "No, we don't. Friend's talk, so save it for your girlfriend! Make sure your mother knows how much Amanda loves children."
Sady anticipated the knock on her door. She didn't expect a young woman to call out, "Delivery!" Sady opened the door looking puzzled and the young woman smiled, holding out a pizza. At Sady's look the woman asked about the address and Sady confirmed it was correct but she hadn't called.
The delivery woman sighed. "Great. My boss is gonna hit the roof!"
Sady took a sniff and said, "If it doesn't belong to anyone I'll take it."
She paid for the pizza, and they were both happy until the woman left with, "Thanks Mrs. Meadows!" Sady's eyes burned holes through the pizza box. Well! That explained it. Mr. "Hell, no!" ordered a pizza in his name and gave Sady's address for delivery. He must have been planning a fun evening. She marched down the hall with the pizza and banged on his door.
Matt smiled when he opened the door and saw her. His smile slipped when he saw the look on her face. "Pizza delivery for Mrs. Meadows," she hissed, shoving the box into his stomach. He held out his hand for her to stop but she was on her phone as she left.
"Amanda? Pizza at Matt's. Bring the booze." With a final dirty look at Matt she entered her apartment and slammed the door again.
A short time later Matt ignored the pounding on his door, hoping his mother would as well. "Are you going to answer that, or shall I?" she asked. With a sense of dread he opened the door and Amanda pushed her way into the apartment.
"Where's Sady?" she demanded.
"Amanda, Sady's not here. And she was kidding about the pizza," he said, making an attempt to push her out the door.
"Amanda?" Matt's mother rushed to greet her. "So your Matt's girlfriend! I'm Ellen, Matt's mom."
"Stubbles, are you kidding? I can see you're lying about that pizza, but me as your girlfriend?" Amanda huffed and turned to Matt's mom. "I already have a potential husband somewhere and a part-time fiancée. What do I need him for?"
Ellen narrowed her eyes and Matt's world slowly spiraled out of control.
Amanda grinned at Ellen and asked, "Hey, do you have a picture of Stub... Matt at his prom? He told us all about it and I'd love to see it!" Ellen's eyes lit up, Amanda's eyes sparkled fiendishly, and Matt closed his. He didn't open them when he heard Amanda's laughing/coughing spell.
"Well, it looks like little Matt is all grown up now, huh?" she asked Ellen. "Did you bring any women for him to meet?" With a sigh, Ellen told Amanda how picky he was and how she'd never get him married off.
Then Amanda offered to help Ellen and his already tilting world got shoved onto the fast track to a bad place. It really hit the fan this time. Now, how was he going to repair his relationship with Sady, without his mother ruining it? He groaned, thinking the worst few days of his life weren't behind him. They cruelly stared him in the face.
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City Girls Don't Camp Page 8
