by Mimi Barbour
“I’m glad you like it. If you strap the purse across your chest, and zip your phone into it first, you won’t drop anything while your scratching around in that huge bag you bring to the office,” he told her.
“Oh, right. Makes sense.”
She picked up the purse and placed the strap across her chest the way he’d described, and twirled around. “Like this?”
“Exactly. No more mangled technology.”
Niagara sat down on the sofa and placed the purse back into the box, after giving it one last admiring glance. “Okay, you’ve made your point. Is there any way we can eat dinner soon? It smells divine in here. The leather, the chicken.” She closed her eyes melodramatically, and pretended to swoon against the cushions.
Jace thoughtfully stroked his chin, although his immunity to Niagara’s dramatics was tested. She was too funny. “Absolutely. I just have one question.”
“Ask away,” she replied. “I’ll do my best to be truthful.”
“I can’t help but notice your focus is a little off kilter these last few days. Is there anything on your mind?”
Niagara fidgeted, and then heaved a sigh. “I’ve been dreading doing the meet and greet with your parents for a while, way before we discussed this the other night.”
“But why?”
“Maybe it’s because I’ve been on my own for so long, who knows? I’m glad we talked it over, though, and I’ve put my nerves to bed, so forget it, okay? Now, can we eat?”
Jace stood and held out his hand. “Yeah, come on. Let’s have a relaxing evening and enjoy the rest of our weekend. The Giants are on tomorrow.”
“Oh, goodie,” Niagara smirked as they adjourned to the kitchen. “Hope you have some fab game appetizers in mind.”
“I think I can rustle something up,” he said with a leer.
Chapter Five
Learning Curves
On Wednesday when Niagara arrived home from work, Axelrod was sitting in the living room with Jace, an untouched glass of ice tea on the table before him.
Jace rose and gave her a quick smooch. “Everything go okay at the office?”
“The new software was delivered today. Our IT guy will be around sometime tomorrow morning to install it,” she replied, and then turned to her brother. “How are you today, Axelrod?”
He scowled. “My roommate told me I have to pick up my dirty clothes and put them in the hamper again. I forgot, forgetting is not something I do, not usual for me, no,” he replied, toying with his beeper.
Her brown puckered with a tiny frown. “Does your roommate do your laundry?” she asked.
Axelrod nodded vigorously. “Cody, his name is Cody, he takes care of the apartment and Cody makes my meals. We eat together, Cody and me.”
Again the couple waited until his nodding subsided. Jace mouthed, “Caregiver,” at her and she gave him a brief thumb’s up.
Niagara took a deep breath. “Do you have your birth certificate with you today?”
Axelrod took it from his shirt pocket and placed it on the table next to his drink.
“Don’t you like the tea?” asked Jace.
“No,” he replied. “I drink lemonade on Wednesdays, we always have lemonade on hump day.”
Niagara picked up the birth certificate and, this time, read it carefully.
She smiled. “Your birth certificate says your name is Axl Rodney Heatherton. Why do you call yourself Axelrod?”
A quick shout of laughter escaped him, and just as quickly disappeared. “My mother and father named me after a singer in a rock band. His name is Axl. She told me one of his songs was playing on the radio the night I was born. When I was naughty, she’d shout, ‘Axelrod, behave yourself.’ That’s all.”
Jace sent her a grin he couldn’t help. “The parents, yours and his, seem to have had neat senses of humor with your names,” he said, an amused gleam in his eyes.
“Never mind,” she warned. She cupped her hand along side of her mouth and whispered, “That’s the longest paragraph he’s said yet.”
Jace gave her a brief nod and she returned her attention to Axelrod. “Do you have a telephone at the apartment?”
Her brother brushed his hands across his thighs once more. “Yes, there’s a telephone, but me, Axelrod, doesn’t like talking on it. Cody talks on the telephone, yes, Cody, he likes the telephone.”
“Can your sister Thelma have Cody’s phone number?” she asked cautiously.
“1-908-555-2397.”
“Wait, I need a piece of paper.” She pulled a checkbook and a pen from her purse and opened the check register. “Can you please tell me the number again?”
Axelrod repeated the phone number at least twenty times, until she said, “We’re good, I have it, and will add it to my contacts on the cell. Thanks.”
Axelrod checked his watch. “My car will be here and Cody is making stew for dinner. Because it’s Wednesday and we always have stew on Wednesday.” He rose and danced his little cha-cha on the way to the door.
“Um, Axelrod, Jace and I are going on a little vacation in a few days. Is it okay if we call Cody, to ask how you’re doing, while we’re away?”
The car pulled up out front and honked. Axelrod looked out the front door window, snapping his fingers to the beat of a song only he could hear.
“Yes, yes, call Cody, yes. Let him know, that’s cool, while you’re away.”
By now Niagara knew her brother didn’t like to touch, or be touched, so she held back the hug she’d been ready to bestow.
“I hope to see you soon,” she said as they both walked out. “Take care.”
Just before he got into the car, Axelrod turned to the house and looked at the clear, blue sky.
“Is Thelma, my half sister, coming back?” he shouted.
Tear sprang into her eyes. “Yes, I’m coming back.”
Nodding vigorously, he got into the car.
Chapter Six
Parental Guidance
The day before they were due to leave for his father and stepmom’s house, and to fetch the motor coach, Jace found his love sitting cross-legged on their bed, an anxious expression on her face.
Despite the fact he’d never seen Niagara completely lose her poise before, even when she found out about Axelrod, the dainty turquoise bra and bikini panties she wore completely stole the show.
His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth as he beheld the sight before him. He wasn’t sure if he should jump his woman’s bones, or inquire why she sat dejectedly on the bed.
He chose the latter – their discussion the previous Friday over martinis and jambalaya fortified the fact she was still white water rafting in unfamiliar rivers, regarding the meet and great, and the trip.
“How come you’re not getting ready yet? Something wrong?” he asked in a nonchalant manner that belied his sexual arousal.
“I don’t know what to pack for our trip,” she fretted. “I mean, can we bring our martini fixings and the shaker? Do we bring towels, sheets? Should we pack a cooler with food?”
Jace watched in fascination as horror splayed over her lovely features. “Oh, my God, will we have to share the bathroom?” she cried.
He burst out laughing and Niagara sent him a baleful scowl. “What the hell’s so funny?” she demanded. “I’ve never shared a bathroom with a man before. Thank God we have two here.”
“I promise we’ll make the potty privileges work. Men can hold it forever.”
Niagara laughed in spite of herself. “You could always pee outside. I wouldn’t want you to be in pain.”
Jace blew an awkward sigh. “Speaking of potties, if you need to bring along those lady things you use once a month, you can’t flush them down the toilet in the RV. They’ll clog up the pipes.”
She blushed at first, but noting how her man looked more uncomfortable than she, sent him a nod. “All right, I’ll figure something out with those lady things – they’re called tampons, by the way.”
Jace almost choked. “
Good,” he swiftly relied. “Now let’s chat about what your packing.”
He walked over to the dresser and withdrew the vinyl pouch where they kept their important papers.
“Aside from clothing and your personal items, you’ll need to bring your passport,” he replied, waving the pouch in her direction.
“My passport? How come?”
Jace rocked back and forth on his heels, sporting a wide grin. “I thought it might be cool if we viewed the falls from Ontario this time. To enter Canada, you’ll need your passport.”
Niagara hopped off the bed to give him a huge hug. “That idea’s absolutely brilliant,” she replied with a happy smile. “Do you think I can still take a boat ride, from that side of the falls?”
“Why not? I’ll Google an itinerary in a few minutes and book the necessary reservations. I already have a map of New York State and Canada in my overnight bag, marking the route. This trip will be fun, you’ll see.”
“You didn’t answer my other questions, about what else we need to bring,” she pointed out.
“You just leave that to me, babe. By the time tomorrow morning rolls around and we’re ready to leave, I’ll have everything under control.”
She leaned up and gave him such a hot kiss he forgot all about itineraries, maps, and passports.
He picked her up in his arms and carried her back to the bed. Lying next to her, he proceeded to return the favor, and then some.
***
The next morning while Jace got their supplies together, Niagara was in their room selecting a going-to-meet-the-parents outfit.
Each time she thought her mind was made up, she’d holler for Jace and ask his opinion.
“You look fantastic,” he’d told her on the three occasions she’d changed into something else.
And, those were the times he knew of…
Jace finished packing the car and went into the house. He checked his watch and sighed. “Aren’t you ready yet?” he called. “I’d like to be on the road before the sun goes down.”
“You don’t need to be sarcastic,” she shouted from the bedroom. “I’ll be right out.”
Minutes later, when Niagara emerged from the bedroom, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. She wore skinny jeans tucked into red and navy blue work boots, with a navy and green, cashmere tunic sweater. She’d tied a black and white polka dot scarf around her head, leaving her long hair loose the way he liked it best.
Jace whistled. “Jesus, girl, you take camping to a whole new level.”
Niagara gave him a grateful smile. “It’s not just the parents and camping I’m worried about. There are other concerns, like what if Axelrod showed up here, because there’s a small inheritance, although I’m beginning to think he truly doesn’t have a clue. He seems too sweet. Maybe the state got wind that one of his relatives has money.”
“I doubt the guy’s trying to horn in on your inheritance. He doesn’t seem that type of a person. As for the state, we’d have to see if Axelrod would submit to a DNA test when we get back, to make sure he’s really your half brother. Somebody, or an agency advocate, must have been supporting him since his mom died. Now, shall we go? Everything’s ready.”
She raised her chin and straightened her shoulders. “Yeah. I’m not going to dwell on the state’s agenda, or let Axelrod’s sudden existence spoil our plans. I’m ready. Shall we go, or do you want to stay here yammering?”
Jace shook his head as he opened the passenger door for his lady, and she quickly climbed in.
As Niagara got into the SUV, she regretted her sharp words. Her heart gave a painful pang, and deep in her soul, knew Axelrod wouldn’t be jeopardizing her life style.
Just the opposite - by welcoming his presence into her life, he might just enrich it further.
***
After Jace pulled the SUV into his parents’ driveway an hour later, the soles of his feet felt the floor of the vehicle shaking.
Looking towards the passenger seat, he saw Niagara’s left leg doing the jitterbug, and placed a firm hand on her thigh.
“Stop. Lord knows you’ve had enough to send your brain into a tailspin this past week, but meeting my parents isn’t going to be one of them. Trust me?” he asked.
Niagara stretched both legs and sent him a weak smile. “Of course.”
Hand in hand, they strolled up the sidewalk. Before Jace could ring the bell, the door opened to reveal his dad and stepmom smiling in the doorway.
“Hey, you two, come on in,” invited Jay DeMatteo, as he opened it wide to admit them.
A small, monkey faced dog barked excitedly from her perch on the window seat, until Jace’s father said, “Shush.” The dog jumped onto the floor and sat quietly next to her master.
Jace and his father shared a bear hug until Jay pushed him aside. “So, this must be the young lady who captured my son’s heart this past spring,” he said with a wink as he took both of her hands into his much larger ones. “Jace didn’t exaggerate when he told us how beautiful your are. Pleased to meet you and welcome to our home.”
Niagara giggled self-consciously. “Oh, I don’t know about that,” she demurred, “but the pleasure is all mine.”
Cindy stepped forward with a charming smile, but gave her husband on light smack on his rear. “Step aside, Jay. Okay with you if I get in on the action?”
Niagara and Jace laughed, as his stepmom first embraced her stepson, and then gave her full attention to the lovely girl beside him.
“I’m so glad we finally got to meet you, Niagara,” she said as she gave the girl a warm hug. “Why don’t we all head for the living room? I’ve made us a light lunch, and I’m sure Jay’s eager to pop open a bottle of bubbly to celebrate.”
Jay cast a fond eye upon his wife as they all adjourned further into the house, the little dog following. “Remind me to tell you about the time Cindy nearly poisoned me with seduction and champagne,” he teased. “Oh, by the way, the dog’s name is Phoebe. She’s a Brussels Griffon and a lover of humans.”
Jace and Niagara exchanged amazed glances as they both sat down together on one of the loveseats. Phoebe decided it would be cool to make friends with Niagara, and placed her muzzle on the girl’s thigh.
Cindy took her husband by the arm and yanked him towards the kitchen. “Forget about that, darling. I’m sure they don’t want to hear about my failures. Help me bring out the food, and then we can get down to the business of chatting a bit, so these two can begin their motor home vacation.”
Once the older couple was out of earshot, Jace and Niagara burst out into giggles, while she stroked the dog’s soft fur. “Sounds to me like those two still have it going on,” she said, trying to compose herself.
“You’d never guess this is their third marriage, the way they flirt with each other all the time,” her man shared. “I guess it’s never too late to find true love.”
“How come your dad and mom broke up?”
“I was only little at the time, but the way I understand it is that my parents were incompatible. Their divorce was fairly civil, and didn’t wear much on my siblings or me.”
Niagara sighed. “I wonder if I’ll ever be able to find out if my father had an affair with Axelrod’s mother, or he was born before he and my mom married.” She gasped. “God, I don’t even know how old he is.”
“Why don’t you call his caregiver while we’re on the road later and ask him? You should probably introduce yourself anyway.”
She patted his knee. “Great idea.”
Niagara was about to follow up with a kiss, but his stepmom had returned with the goodies, a sweet smile on her face. She placed two pizza-sized trays on the coffee table, which had already been set with small plates, napkins, and tableware. One of the trays bore an Italian antipasto, with meats, cheeses, marinated vegetables, and fried eggplant rollatini.
The other held tiny sandwiches of salmon and cucumber with dill, chicken salad, and Jace’s favorite, peanut butter and jelly.
Jay fo
llowed close behind his wife, holding a hot tray with a potholder in one hand, and an ice bucket with champagne in the other.
Light lunch? Niagara mused. There was enough food here to feed ten people.
Niagara’s eyes widened as she absorbed the delicious aromas circulating the room. She pointed to the tray Jay had just deposited in front of her. “What in heaven’s name is this? Smells divine, like nothing I’ve ever eaten before.”
Jace grabbed two slices and took a bite out of one. “Better grab a few of these before the parents do,” he suggested, his eyes glazed with delight as he chewed. “That’s Cindy’s pepperoni bread. She’s famous for it.”
Jay took a piece, held it up to his nose and sniffed with devout appreciation. “I didn’t know my wife could conjure up such a delicacy when I first met her, or else I would’ve proposed months earlier. Manga!”
Niagara took her turn at sampling the bread and blissfully closed her eyes. Phoebe looked longingly at the bread the woman was enjoying, and licked her chops. A stern “No,” from Cindy ended the dog’s begging, and she curled up next to the young woman with a sigh of canine dejection.
The foursome filled their plates, hardly making a dent in Cindy and Jay’s offerings.
“So, Jace told us you’re an only child?” Cindy asked, as her husband handed them each a glass of champagne.
Niagara accepted her glass with a nod of thanks, and sent Jace a wry smile. “Well, I used to be.”
Cindy turned confused eyes towards her stepson, who made a don’t-bother-asking gesture with his hand.
Jay cleared his throat. “So where are you kids traveling to with the RV?”
***
After Cindy had packed up the rest of the food and tucked it into a cooler for the young couple to take with them, Niagara bent down to pet Phoebe while she waited for them to complete their tasks.
Jace took the cooler from his stepmom, with a kiss of thanks and headed outside with Jay. He unpacked their belongings from the SUV, and together, he and his dad loaded their luggage and other supplies into the motor coach.
