When Mom Meets Dad

by Smith, Karen Rose

  They hiked into a hilly area, and Alex could see mountains rising up ahead of them. Soon he saw the counselors stop at the cave's entrance. Less than half of the campers and their parents had joined this group, most preferring the nature hike. He watched Amanda as she approached the cave, and he saw her hesitate. Some sixth sense that kicked in where she was concerned told him she'd rather not go inside. But then she gazed down at her daughter, and a look of determination came over her pretty face. He guessed she'd do anything in her power for Heather, just as he would do anything for Kristy. When they stepped inside the cave, the counselors handed each one of them a flashlight from a box on the cave floor. Alex noticed the cooler temperature immediately as one of the counselors who served as a guide explained that the caverns were a constant fifty-two degrees. It felt good to get in out of the hot sun. Their flashlights created both light and shadows as the children played them up and down the walls, and they entered a series of "rooms." When he looked back at Amanda, she was standing quite still, and he could swear she closed her eyes. But they soon moved on, and she laid her hand on Heather's shoulder.

  In one chamber, damp drops from above deposited calcite, one grain at a time, onto stalagmites on the floor. Flowstone slipped down the walls, creating formations that almost looked like pictures. The children pointed out imagined shapes of birds and animals they'd found earlier in the week. Kristy told him they weren't supposed to touch the formations on the walls because the oil from skin formed a barrier that prevented the flowstone from making further pictures.

  When the group moved into a larger room that had been dubbed "Community Hall," Amanda and Heather somehow ended up beside him. As he glanced at Amanda, she nervously fiddled with her flashlight. He let her and Heather precede him through a stone hall that led to a smaller chamber. Before them, was a pool of pure crystal water. Stalactites above reflected in its surface, making it seem deep and mysterious. But Kristy told him there was only about three inches of water there. He was amazed at the amount of information she'd absorbed about the different types of minerals and rocks that she could now identify. Though he listened, he was all too aware of Amanda in front of him. He saw her rub her arms, and he wondered if she was cold.

  Nothing about the caves had seemed dangerous or daunting up to this point, but he sensed a jitteriness about Amanda that was uncharacteristic. The counselor stopped them before they entered another hallway, explaining that the floor was sandy, and there were ropes along the sides. They should be careful and walk single file so they would all stay safe. Alex realized the inside of the cave would be blacker than the deepest night if they didn't have their flashlights. Everyone shone their beams straight ahead so they could see exactly where they were going. Kristy was ahead of him, and Amanda was ahead of her. The group thinned out as the hallway led into four separate chambers.

  Heather headed for the left, and said, "Wait until you see this, Mom. It's so cool. But you have to duck your head--"

  Suddenly Amanda stopped at the entrance to the small chamber, and as Alex lifted his flashlight to see what had halted her, he saw her face.

  "I can't, Heather. I can't go in there."

  "But, Mom..."

  Amanda looked stricken, and Alex immediately knew what was going on. He said to Kristy, "Take Heather and go over to the counselor. We'll meet you outside."

  "But, Dad..."

  "Do what I said Kristy. Amanda doesn't feel well. I'm going to take her outside."

  Heather looked up at Amanda. "Mom?"

  "Go with Kristy over to the counselor, Heather. I'll be fine. Really. I'll be fine." Her words were rushed, and she didn't look fine.

  Alex nudged Heather and Kristy to the other chamber and saw Amanda make a mad dash ahead of him back the way they had come, through children and the other parents.

  "Amanda," he called, but she kept going.

  Determined to keep up with her, he wove in and out of the group until finally she was running a few feet in front of him.

  "Amanda, be careful," he warned. But almost as soon as the words came out of his mouth, she tripped and fell hard, her flashlight flying away from her. When she tried to get up she winced, and she would have kept hobbling forward except Alex stopped her.

  "Alex, I have to get out of here," she said with tears in her voice.

  "I know," he murmured, sweeping her up into his arms and carrying her swiftly through the caverns, his flashlight guiding his way.

  Adrenaline pumped. Alex's heart pounded, and he couldn't bear the thought of Amanda being afraid or hurt. He could feel the tension and panic in her body and suspected she was holding her breath and trying not to cry. Holding her protectively against him, he could feel the beat of her heart.

  Finally he burst through the cave's entrance into the startlingly bright sunshine. Stopping a few feet away from it, he didn't put Amanda down. He felt her take a few deep breaths. Finally, her blue eyes found his, her face turned red, and she pushed against him so he'd let her down.

  But he decided he wasn't about to let her go. Not yet. His head dipped to hers, his lips covered hers, and he kissed her fervently. The kiss was filled with everything he couldn't say, everything he needed to say, everything he didn't want to say.

  This time she broke away and pushed at his shoulders again. Instead of looking panicked, she looked very indignant and confused. "You don't call, you don't come around for two weeks and then you kiss me as if--"

  "As if that's all I've been thinking about for two weeks?" he finished.

  One of the counselors emerged from the cave with Kristy and Heather, all of them looking worried until they saw Amanda in Alex's arms. Then the two girls grinned.

  Heather asked, "Are you okay, Mom?"

  "I'll be fine if Alex puts me down," she mumbled.

  But Heather noticed her mom's leg. "You're all scraped up."

  "I tripped as I was hurrying to get out. I'm sorry, Heather. I just got...claustrophobic in there. It just hit me."

  "It's okay, Mom. We saw most of the cave. And besides--" She looked up at Alex. "It's neat that Mr. Woodsides saved you."

  Alex chuckled at Amanda's expression of dismay, but then seriously in a low voice he said, "We have to talk, Amanda. But I think it would be better if we did it later, somewhere quiet when everybody isn't watching."

  She was stiff in his arms, and her cheeks were still rosy. "I think it's going to have to be a very long talk," she decided.

  As he set her on her feet, he couldn't help but smile, and it was the first he'd really felt like smiling since the picnic at his parents' house. Something had happened in the caverns when he'd seen Amanda panic and then fall, when he'd scooped her up and held her protectively. Suddenly risk didn't seem quite as terrible. He'd missed her smiles and her soft voice, her caring attitude, and everything else about her. He was denying himself the pleasure of her company for reasons that now didn't seem to carry very much weight.

  Hopefully he could explain it all to her. Hopefully she'd let him.

  Walking back to the campground beside her, she avoided his gaze. But he caught her glance at him once when she thought he wasn't looking. She hobbled slightly, and he bet her knee hurt like hell--it had taken the brunt of her fall. Yet she didn't complain.

  Heather ran ahead of them, leading them to her cabin. He followed Amanda inside. When she sat on Kristy's bunk, she still avoided direct eye contact, her hands going to her calf and rubbing it.

  "Let me look at your knee," he said.

  When his hands went to her calf, she practically jumped away from him. "Alex--"

  "I want to see how bad it is."

  She met his gaze then. "All right," she murmured.

  The curve of her calf in his palm tempted him to do more than examine her knee. But he sucked in a breath and gave her his opinion. "You're going to have to scrub it so it doesn't get infected. You fell on loose gravel."

  The screen door opened, and a counselor came in with another woman. "This is our resident nurse.
Would you like her to examine you?"

  Sliding to the edge of the mattress, Amanda shook her head. "I just need an antiseptic and some good soap. I'll be fine. I'm sorry I panicked like that. It's never happened before."

  The counselor looked at Amanda. "Have you ever been inside a cave before?"

  When Amanda shook her head that she hadn't, Alex just wanted to pull her into his arms and carry her off somewhere. He wanted to be alone with her, explain to her, kiss her... But all of that would have to wait. Parents' Day wasn't over.

  With no opportunity to really clear the air, Alex felt a wariness emanating from Amanda the rest of the afternoon and evening. After she took care of her knee, also using antibiotic cream and a bandage, he stuck close to her throughout the cookout, as did the girls. Since the dining hall had been set up for the program, the campers and their parents sat at weather-worn picnic tables under tall maples. After eating a hamburger, Amanda started to rise from the bench and winced.

  "What do you need?" he asked her.

  "I was just going to get another glass of punch."

  "I'll get it for you. Stay put."

  "Alex, I'm not an invalid."

  "I didn't say you were. A man can get a woman a glass of punch, can't he?" he teased.

  But her answer was guarded. "I suppose so."

  After they ate, the girls ran off to get ready for the program. Eventually he and Amanda made their way into the dining hall, and he sat beside her on one of the folding chairs. She didn't try to make conversation and neither did he. Too many people were milling about. But he caught her glancing at him again, and he hoped she wasn't too hurt or angry to listen to what he had to say.

  The parents applauded when the children gathered on the make-shift stage. The program began with them all singing a camp song. After that each child had chosen something he or she would like to do for the program. Several of them lip-synced to their favorite song. A few of the girls did short dance routines. When Kristy read a poem she'd written about what she'd seen in the woods, describing the lake, explaining how she'd made new friends, Alex's throat tightened. Heather told jokes, while a counselor held up cue cards. The audience laughed at the appropriate places, and Amanda clapped like a proud parent as her daughter took a bow. After the program, Kristy and Heather said good bye and hugged all the friends they had made. Then Alex and Amanda grabbed duffle bags and walked the girls to the parking lot.

  "Will you be okay to drive?" Alex asked Amanda.

  "I'll be fine. Fortunately I only need my left leg for walking, not for driving."

  At least she was joking with him, at least she wasn't avoiding looking at him. "Can I come in for a few minutes when we get back? Unless you're too tired..."

  "I'm not too tired," she responded with a slip of a smile.

  He breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. I'll see you in a little while then."

  ***

  Hoping she'd have a few minutes to change her clothes, Amanda saw that she didn't as Alex's car drove up in front of her house. He'd managed to follow her most of the way, even though interstate traffic had been heavy. It was as if he didn't want to let her out of his sight. She didn't understand what had happened today, any more than she understood his attitude for the past two weeks. If he thought they could just pick up where they'd left off...

  Except she wasn't even sure where that was.

  Kristy jumped out of Alex's car and ran across the yard as Amanda put her key in the lock and opened her front door. The inside of the house was hot from being closed up all day, even though she'd left the windows open. But Kristy and Heather went back to Heather's room, not seeming to mind.

  When Alex stepped inside, Amanda said, "We can sit out on the porch."

  He nodded and followed her through the kitchen and out the back door. When she sat on the swing, he sat beside her. The rose bush by the corner of the porch was in bloom, and its fragrance wafted toward the swing. As a hint of night air stirred, a car door slammed a few houses away, and Amanda could count each beat of her heart.

  "I'm not sure how to explain," Alex began, sitting close, but not quite touching her.

  She stayed completely still because she had no idea where this was going or what he was going to say. She was afraid to let her hopes take off again.

  At her silence, he shifted on the swing. "It's complicated, Amanda. Something happened to me when my parents said they were moving to Florida. I'm not sure what. I'm going to miss them. Kristy is, too. I hate the idea of them selling the house where I grew up, but I know that's illogical because they have to do what's right for them. And Kristy and I are getting used to the idea. We've even convinced each other it will be fun visiting them in Florida and having them visit us for a change. The thing is--their announcement acted like some kind of trigger. It reminded me of Kristy's mother, and how easily she walked away and gave up any rights she had to her own child. And suddenly the risk of getting involved with you just seemed too great."

  He was trying to tell her his turning away from her hadn't been personal, and yet it was...very personal. "Caring about anyone is a risk, Alex."

  "I know that. And I'm sorry if my abrupt about-face hurt you. I never meant it to. I thought not seeing you would be the best thing for all of us."

  She knew she had to be honest with him. "It did hurt, Alex. One minute you were kissing me as if--" She stopped, embarrassed and amended, "One minute you were asking me to meet your parents and the next you were treating me like a stranger."

  Reaching out, he captured her hand in his. When she didn't pull away, his shoulder brushed hers. "I don't want to treat you like a stranger. I don't want you dating Ted Livingston. I want--"

  She waited, holding her breath.

  "I want time alone with you. I want to take you to the movies, and to dinner, and to concerts. But most of all--"

  She felt him turn toward her, and as his hand caressed her cheek, she leaned toward him.

  "I want to kiss you, and hold you, and eventually make love to you. But only when you're ready."

  "Oh, Alex." Tears filled her eyes, and she realized how hard it was for him to say all this. "I've missed you," she said softly.

  When his mouth covered hers, she realized how much he'd missed her, too. The touch of his lips, the taste of his tongue drove the days of separation out of her mind. How could she not let him back into her life? How could she not understand the fear of giving yourheart away? Because that's where they were headed. They wanted to know if they could trust their hearts to the other's safe-keeping. Neither of them wanted to get hurt again. Both had their daughters' best interests as priorities. Alex's kiss asked not if she wanted to get involved, but if she wanted to be involved. And she did.

  There was something she had to tell him. When she pulled away from him, he asked, "Am I too late?"

  She shook her head vigorously. "No, Alex. And that's what I want you to know. I didn't go to the fireworks with Ted. He was just sort of there. I was just sort of there. So we watched them together. When he asked me out for Friday night, I knew I'd be missing Heather, and I was still angry with you. So I said yes. And he's a pleasant man, but he could never be more than a friend."

  "Did he kiss you?" The huskiness in Alex's tone said he cared if he had.

  "No, he didn't. He didn't even try."

  "Foolish man," Alex murmured as he bent his head to hers again and took her lips with a possessiveness that said he was the only man who should kiss her.

  As the kiss became flagrantly sensual, fueling desire and fantasies, and maybe even future dreams, Alex scooped her onto his lap, careful not to hurt her knee. The feel of his arousal under her thigh was enough to send a tremor through her body. He must have felt it because his tongue explored more seductively and his hands became more daring. Lifting her knit top, he reached under it and caressed her midriff. Shivers broke out on her arms as his hand rose higher, closer to her breast. He was right below it, and then circling it in a slow taunting motion that was driving he
r crazy. She just wanted to feel his hand on it, but he wasn't in any hurry, and she moaned.

  The sound stopped the thrusting of his tongue, and his hand stilled. He removed it from under her top and broke the kiss.

  "Alex, what--"

  "Believe me, Amanda, I don't want to stop. But I don't want to do anything you're going to regret, either. Our daughters are inside, and they could come out at any minute."

  How could she have forgotten? Even for a second?

  "Don't feel guilty. We deserve to have some fun, too." There was amusement in his voice, and she knew he was thinking about their daughters' week at camp.

  "Fun?" she asked, still feeling dazed by a passion she didn't understand.

  "In very loose terms." Then he kissed her again, but it was restrained. And she knew if she just said the word, he'd arrange complete privacy for them.

  But she had to be sure first, sure she was making the right decision for both her and Heather.

  Chapter Seven

  When Alex set himself a goal, he went after it, no holds barred. He wanted Amanda. On Sunday afternoon, after he made a call to his parents, he phoned her. "How's your knee?"

  "A little sore. But it will be fine."

  "Fine enough to spend the day with me? If Heather agrees, I thought we could take her and Kristy to my Mom's, then we could take a drive up to Gettysburg...or do some antiquing and have a nice dinner afterwards. What do you think?" Even after making out with Amanda last night, he wasn't positive she was going to let him into her life.

  "It sounds lovely, Alex. What time would you like to leave?"

  "The sooner, the better." He wanted to get as much time with her as he could today. "How about a half hour?"

  "Let me ask Heather what she thinks about staying with your parents."

  A few moments later Amanda returned. "She likes the idea. Are you sure they don't mind keeping the girls all afternoon and evening?"