Love Finds You in Treasure Island, Florida

by Debby Mayne

  Before she opened the cabinet to show Timmy her display, Amanda squatted down next to him. “Do you know what an antique is?”

  His eyes widened, and he shook his head no. “What’s a ’tique?”

  Amanda smiled. “An antique is something that’s really old. Some of my bicycles are antiques.”

  “Why do you have old stuff?”

  “Because it’s valuable. It was owned by someone who really liked it, and now I have it because I really like looking at it. Sometimes really old things are breakable, though, so we have to be very careful with them.”

  “Can I see?” His eyes were wide as he turned to the cabinet.

  She hesitated. Had she made a mistake? Too late now, she thought with a tinge of regret. “You can look, but don’t touch them.”

  “Okay.”

  As Amanda slowly opened the cabinet, Timmy’s eyes grew even wider. “See that one in the corner?”

  He nodded.

  “It was my grandfather’s. He used to build bicycles for a company up north, and they gave him that for helping design a new model.”

  “Wow.” He turned to her with a quizzical expression. “Do you ever play with them?”

  “No,” she said. “I’m afraid I’m too clumsy, and I might break them. I just like to have them to look at.”

  “But why?”

  Good question, coming from a five-year-old. “Do you have anything you like to look at in your room?”

  She smiled at his cuteness when he propped his chin on his finger and scrunched his face in thought. Suddenly his forehead crinkled, and he smiled. “Yeah! I have some BMX posters.”

  “So you like bicycles, too?”

  He nodded. “I love bicycles. Daddy took my training wheels off and showed me how to ride a two-wheeler.”

  Brad just jumped a few notches in the parenting department. “That’s great, Timmy! Maybe one of these days you can come see me at my store.”

  “You have a store?”

  She nodded. “A bicycle store. I sell and rent bicycles and skates.”

  “Cool!”

  Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that they weren’t alone anymore. She turned and motioned for Lacy and Brad to come in.

  “Hey, Daddy, ya gotta see Amanda’s cool bicycles!” Timmy crossed the room, took his dad by the hand, and led him over to the cabinet. “But you can’t touch them because they’re ’tiques. They’re just to look at.”

  As Brad turned to her, Amanda saw the look of amazement behind his smile. “I’d love to see them.”

  Timmy told his dad all about how Amanda and Lacy’s grandfather used to work for a bicycle company and how he got the miniature replica now displayed in Amanda’s cabinet. Now that she had confidence that he understood the value, Amanda took a step back and let him look for a few more minutes.

  Brad finally took her aside. “I don’t remember the last time he was this calm,” he admitted to Amanda. “What did you do?”

  Amanda shrugged. “I just answered his questions and explained why I never touch this display.”

  Brad exchanged a glance with Lacy, who’d stepped up beside him. Timmy turned around.

  “Daddy, I’m hungry.”

  “But you just ate,” Brad replied.

  Amanda sensed a temper tantrum, so she made a quick decision.

  “I have some oatmeal cookies in the kitchen. Want some?” She paused for a second then offered an apologetic look at Brad. “That is, if it’s okay with your father.”

  “Yes, of course,” Brad replied. “That is, if it’s not too much trouble.”

  “No trouble at all.”

  As Amanda led Timmy to the kitchen, she overheard Brad speak to Lacy. “Do you think your sister would consider being a nanny?”

  “Not a chance,” Lacy replied. “She’s always at her shop, and she doesn’t have much time for anything or anyone else…not even me.”

  Ouch! That’s harsh.

  Timmy squirmed in the chair as Amanda got his cookies and milk ready. The second she placed the plate in front of him, he grabbed one and shoved it into his mouth. The boy needed some manners, but she didn’t think he’d learn them from his dad, who seemed overwhelmed by being a single father.

  She took a cookie for herself and sat down at the table across from him. “So how do you like school?”

  He swallowed his cookie, took a sip of milk, and offered a milk-mustache smile. “I’m gonna be a first-grader soon.”

  “That’s wonderful!”

  Lacy and Brad appeared at the door together. “You’ll be a first-grader if Miss Burns passes you,” Brad said.

  Lacy rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Yeah, like I’m not gonna pass a kindergartner.”

  Amanda cleared her throat to get their attention. When she was sure Timmy wasn’t looking, she drew her finger across her throat, letting them know they didn’t need to be discussing this in front of Timmy. Lacy looked puzzled.

  “I can’t believe you didn’t lay one on her.” Harold sniffed. “You let a prime opportunity slip by.”

  “Harold! That’s not the way to court a girl.” Jerry’s mother scowled, but his dad didn’t back down.

  “It worked with you,” he said.

  Jerry shook his head. “Too much information, folks. I don’t think ‘laying one on her’ is such a good idea right now. We’re still just friends, and I’m not sure if that’ll ever change.”

  “Humph! Friendship is overrated.”

  Jerry cast a warning glance at his mother. It was obvious that his dad was spoiling for an argument, and Jerry wanted it to stop. Thankfully, his mother didn’t respond.

  “So what do you plan to do now?” his dad asked.

  Jerry had to be honest. “I’m not sure.” But now that the subject had surfaced, he needed to think about what was best for both him and Amanda.

  He decided to back off for a few days and let Amanda have her space. But it was difficult because he really wanted to see her.

  On Monday, while running errands for his mother, he took the long way home so he could drive by Amanda’s shop and possibly catch a glimpse of her. The glare on the window prevented him from seeing inside, so he just kept going.

  Tuesday, he took a walk along the beach to do some thinking—and his thoughts kept taking a turn back to Amanda. He hadn’t planned for his feelings to be so strong for her; after all, this was vacation, and he wouldn’t be on Treasure Island much longer. Too bad his parents kept forgetting and every chance they had, they mentioned her name.

  By Wednesday, he couldn’t take it anymore. He had to see Amanda, so he took off toward her shop. On his way there, he rehearsed what he’d say and how he’d ask her out for the evening. He charged through the door and stopped when he saw the teenage girl—what was her name again?

  She glanced up at the sound of the bell on the door and grinned. “Looking for Amanda?”

  “Uh…yes, is she here?”

  The girl glanced up at the clock on the back wall. “She had to run to the bank and then over to her mother’s place to water some plants and feed the cat. Want me to call her?”

  “No, that’s okay,” he said, feeling dejected. “I’ll just come back tomorrow.”

  “I think she’d like to know you’re looking for her.”

  What did she mean by that? He shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels as he thought it over. What did he have to lose? He exhaled. “Okay, I’ll wait while you call her.”

  It took her all of three seconds to have Amanda on the phone. As soon as she mentioned that Jerry was in the shop, she lit up with a smile and held the phone out for him. “She wants to talk to you.”

  “I hope you don’t think I’m stalking you,” he said into the receiver.

  She laughed. “Why would I think that? Tiffany just said you were looking for me. What’s up?”

  “I was wondering if you were doing anything tonight after work.” There. He’d said it. Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?


  “Just a minute, okay?” He heard the muffled sound of her talking to someone as she placed her hand over the mouthpiece. She was back on the phone a few seconds later. “Whatcha got in mind?”

  He hadn’t settled on anything yet, so he threw the ball back in her court. “What do you normally do after work?”

  Again she let out a laugh. “I normally just go home, eat supper, and watch a little TV. Once in a while I walk over to the beach and watch the sunset.”

  “Hey, that sounds like a plan,” he said. “Why don’t we find a spot on the beach and watch the sunset?”

  Chapter Seven

  “Okay, that’ll be fun.” She paused for a moment. “It sets about an hour and a half after I get off work, so why don’t we meet at the beach-access sign at seven?”

  He wanted to tell her that he didn’t mind picking her up at her place, but he thought better of it. He was just happy to have plans with her.

  “Can you put Tiffany back on the phone?” she asked.

  Tiffany. He’d almost forgotten the teenager’s name again. Amanda did that to him—muddled his mind so much he would have forgotten his own name if people didn’t keep saying it. He committed her name to memory. “Sure thing. See ya at seven.” Then he handed the phone back to the girl who hadn’t taken her eyes off him the whole time he’d talked to Amanda. “Thanks, Tiffany.”

  She grinned. “No problem.”

  On his way back to the condo, he stopped off at a market and picked up some flowers for his mother. Maybe that would ease some of the tension. It seemed like nothing either of his parents did could make the other one happy.

  His parents were watching TV when he walked in. “Mom, I brought you something.”

  She smiled as she slowly rose from the chair. He’d noticed how much more difficult it was getting for her to do that, so he made a mental note to look into special-needs furniture. He’d seen a TV commercial featuring a chair with a motorized lift, and he wondered if she’d be open to it.

  “Those are beautiful,” she said as she took the flowers and carried them to the kitchen, shuffling a little more than usual. “I made salads for dinner. Yours is in the refrigerator, so you can eat it whenever you’re ready.”

  He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek before opening the fridge and pulling out the large salad on top. “Thanks, this is perfect. After I eat, I’m going for a walk and meeting Amanda on the beach.”

  His mom’s hand stilled on the vase as she slowly turned to face him, a look of concern in her eyes. “Are you getting serious about this girl?”

  “No, of course not. We just enjoy hanging out.”

  She relaxed and chuckled as she resumed arranging flowers. “Back when I was your age, if a girl and a boy hung out this much, they were as good as engaged.”

  “Is that what happened with you and Dad?”

  “Your father couldn’t stay away.” She turned to him and rolled her eyes in a comical manner. “He was smitten the moment he first laid eyes on me.”

  Jerry actually knew that to be true. His dad had said he knew Rosemary would be his when they met.

  He pulled his salad from the refrigerator and set it on the table. “Dad seems rather depressed lately.”

  “Yes, and I don’t quite know what to do about it. He’s getting increasingly difficult to manage.” She put the vase of flowers on the kitchen table in front of Jerry’s salad and spun around to face him. “It has nothing to do with control, either, Jerry. I think you’ve gotten a small taste of what I’ve been dealing with, but you haven’t experienced him wandering off and getting lost yet. We’re getting close to needing a different level of care, I’m afraid.”

  Jerry’s gut clenched. The very thought of his parents becoming so dependent on others was more painful than he’d ever imagined. His beautiful mother, who’d been active all her life with gardening and running around tending to everyone who needed help, could barely get out of a chair. And the father who’d protected the family was becoming more confused and depressed. He felt helpless.

  “Just remember, Jerry, it’s all part of what happens in life. We brought you into this world and helped you become a confident, productive adult. Then we had several years of freedom before our age caught up with us.”

  He hesitated before pulling out the chair so he could eat. “I know, Mom, but it’s hard watching this happen—especially with Dad.”

  “Yes, sweetheart, but we’ve accepted it. I know how miserable we must appear. Really, though, it’s not that bad.”

  Jerry swallowed hard. “I want you to promise to tell me if there’s anything I can do.”

  “There is,” she said with a smile, “and you’re doing it. Thank you for being here for us.” Then she let out a snicker. “Oh, and one other thing.”

  “What’s that?” Jerry would do anything for the people who’d been so good to him.

  “If you feel something for Amanda, don’t let her get away.” She pulled a bowl of homemade salad dressing out of the refrigerator, set it in front of him on the counter, then pointed. “This is fresh. I made it an hour ago.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Did you hear what I said?”

  Yes, he’d heard it, but he’d hoped he wouldn’t have to respond. No way was his mom letting him off that easily.

  “Jerry?” She leaned against the counter, folded her arms, and glared at him. “I’m serious about Amanda. Girls like her are rare. If you like her, you need to take action.”

  He ladled some of his mother’s dressing on the salad and carried it to the table. “That would be difficult since we live in Atlanta and she’s clearly tied to Treasure Island.”

  “But you said it yourself—you can do your work anywhere.”

  “I know, but you and Dad are in Atlanta, and I’d never leave y’all.”

  She grinned. “There’s nothing that says we have to stay in Atlanta.”

  Jerry sat down before turning to his mother. “That’s where your friends are, so I think that’s a moot point. We’re on vacation now, and we’re leaving in a couple of weeks. I just want to have some fun while I’m here.”

  “Okay, son, but don’t ignore something that’s obviously meant to be.” She poured herself a glass of iced tea and joined him at the table.

  Perfect time to change the subject. “So what are you and Dad planning for the evening?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know about your father, but one of the ladies on the second floor said that a group is heading down to the beach to see what they can do about helping the loggerhead turtles, and I was thinking about joining them. There’s some concern that these turtles might be getting close to extinction if we don’t do something about it.”

  Jerry was puzzled. “We?”

  She looked away. “Well, somebody.”

  “Are you taking Dad?”

  “If he’ll go and keep his opinions to himself.”

  Jerry laughed. “That’s not likely.”

  “Maybe I’ll tell him we’re hunting for treasure.”

  “That might work,” Jerry agreed. “Or I can invite him to join Amanda and me.”

  She tilted her head forward and gave him one of her familiar “you’ve-got-to-be-kidding” looks. “You really know how to turn a girl’s head, don’t you, son?” She made a clicking sound with her tongue. “I don’t know where we went wrong with you.”

  Could anything be more romantic? Amanda remembered sitting on the beach with Eric, talking about their future together as the sun melted into the Gulf.

  Now that she thought about it, the deep, abiding love hadn’t been there. The beach setting had been much more romantic than the relationship. Eric was handsome enough, and he had goals in life. The fact that he went to church regularly was important, as well. But besides that, what had been the bond between them? It obviously wasn’t strong enough to hold them together. Then her thoughts drifted to the present.

  Why would Jerry want to watch the sunset with her? She didn’t want to risk giving
him the wrong idea. And she certainly didn’t want to risk her heart with someone after what had happened with Eric.

  She gave herself a mental shakedown. That was Eric, and it was a long time ago—and she needed to quit dwelling on the past. Besides, watching the sunset hadn’t even been Jerry’s idea. She was the one who mentioned it.

  “Earth to Amanda.”

  The sound of her mother’s voice startled Amanda. “Sorry. I didn’t realize you were back.”

  “Obviously.” Her mother smiled. “So what’s on your mind?”

  Amanda tried to put Jerry out of her mind. “Not much. So tell me about your trip.”

  That was all it took to get her mother’s mind off her and onto the cruise. She went on and on about the size of the ship, the number of activities from dawn to dusk, and the abundance of food.

  “I must have gained at least ten pounds,” she added, patting her tummy.

  Amanda smiled and shook her head. “Well, I certainly can’t tell. I think you look fabulous.”

  Her mother grinned back. Amanda knew just the right thing to say to make her mother happy.

  “So how’s Lacy doing? Poor girl was having a problem with some little troublemaker. Sometimes you can just tell when you have a juvenile delinquent in the making. After all the things Lacy’s said about this little boy…what’s his name? Tommy...or Timmy? I bet he’s one of those kids who’ll wind up in jail before he even graduates from high school.” She shuddered.

  “Um, Mom, I don’t think he’s all that bad.”

  “How would you know?” As Amanda’s mom tilted her head, a strand of straight gray hair slid across her face. She pushed it behind her ear. “Have you met him?”

  “As a matter of fact, yes, I have.” Suddenly Amanda wished she hadn’t admitted so much. She couldn’t lie to her mother, but it wasn’t her place to discuss her sister’s relationship, and she wanted Lacy to tell their mother about Brad. She had to quickly think of a diversion. “I’m meeting someone at the beach in a little while.”

  Her mother tilted her head to the other side and started to smile. Oops! Wrong diversion. Before she jumped to conclusions, Amanda knew she had to nip this in the bud.