by Jill Sanders
He spent the next ten minutes getting everyone drinks. When he was done, he realized more people had entered. He was in the process of carrying several glasses into the living room when Amber walked in. She'd changed out of her uniform and was wearing a slick green dress that made him pause. She looked stunning. He was happy to see her there and immediately handed the drinks to someone and mumbled something about handing them out.
Then he was standing in front of her, and she was smiling at him. “You know, you'll never make any good tips that way.”
“Huh? Oh! Yeah, well. I wasn't made to be on my feet ten hours out of the day.” He smiled and took her hand. “You look wonderful.” He leaned in. “And you smell wonderful, too.” She laughed and pushed him lightly on the arm.
“It was so wonderful for your grandmother to invite me. She wasn't too clear about what the occasion is.” She looked around the room at all the people.
“She's saying goodbye.” His smile felt forced.
“Oh!” She looked at him. “Are you okay with this?”
He nodded. “You know, at first I was hesitant. But then I saw her smile and the peace in her eyes. She wants to do things her way. My grandfather didn't get to say goodbye to any of his family or friends. Who am I to tell her what she can and can't do? Besides, it's the happiest I've seen her in a while.” He nodded to where his grandmother sat with one of Megan's kids on her lap. The little girl was gently looking at his gran's necklace, something he'd always seen her wear.
“She does look happy. How's she doing?”
“She has her moments. Today is a good day.” He smiled and pulled her along the hallway towards the back room where he thought there were fewer people, but the room was just as packed. He wanted to be alone with her, but before he could figure out a place to go, Megan and Allison walked by, and before he knew what was happening, all three women walked off together, leaving him standing in the doorway alone.
He liked that Amber was friendly with all his friends’ wives, but he really did want to get her alone. Over the next hour and a half, he spent his time talking to all of his friends, playfully chasing small kids around the house, and trying to get Amber alone for a few minutes.
When families with small children started leaving, he was relieved that he finally got a chance to get Amber all alone. He'd seen her head down the long hallway towards the bathroom and he’d stood at the end, waiting for her. When she walked out, he smoothly maneuvered her up the stairs and through his bedroom door. His gran had given him the master bedroom after his grandfather had died. She'd told him she didn't need all that empty space to herself. Plus he knew she couldn't really maneuver the stairs well, so he actually had the whole upstairs of the house to himself. The master bedroom was huge, and spotless, thanks to his quick dash before everyone had started arriving.
She walked around his room looking at everything. “So,” you like video games?” She turned towards him, and he could see the frown on her face.
If Amber needed any more proof that it was a bad idea to get involved with Luke, all she had to do was take one look at his room. Everything was covered with video game images. Posters hung on the wall in glass frames. There was a huge cutout of several figures set in the corner of his room by the glass closet doors. A large desk with three of the largest computer screens she had ever seen sat on the far wall. The screen saver flashed images of game graphics, one after the other.
Yes, getting involved with Luke would end up just like her last few relationships. No more man-boys for her. When she turned to him he was smiling and walking towards her.
“Don't you like games?” The smile on his face told her he wasn't talking about computer games. Holding her hands up, she tried to ward him off.
“Sure, but there is a time and place for everything. I don't really enjoy sitting in front of the computer or television for hours playing a mindless game.”
“Mindless, huh? Who says they’re all mindless?”
“The last three guys I've dated are living proof that they are mindless.” She backed up some more, still holding up her hands, as he continued to walk towards her.
“You dated three gamers in a row?” When she nodded he continued. “Don't you know you're supposed to take a break between dating man-boys.”
“Exactly!” Finally, someone got her. But then she looked around again and remembered he was one of those man-boys.
“Amber, I'm not like those other guys you've dated. This,” he waved his hand around, motioning to his stuff, “is work. I suppose on some level it's pleasure as well. But for the most part it's how I make my living.”
“Oh great. Another one of those.” She felt defeated. He opened his mouth to speak, but just then there was a knock on his door.
“Yes?” He turned away from her.
“Oh, there you two are. Luke, your grandmother is a little tired and would like to lay down. Everyone else has left. Why don't you walk Amber home? We'd hate for her to walk all that way by herself.”
He turned back towards her with a grin on his face. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to walk home alone. She needed to clear her mind of Luke Crawford.
Five minutes later, Luke was helping her on with her coat. Even though the day had been warmer, when she stepped out on the front deck she was thankful she'd brought her long wool coat and gloves. She'd walked the seven blocks to his house because she'd looked and seen all the cars parked up and down the town streets. Now, however, there was just his truck and his car in the driveway.
“Are those sisters staying here?” she asked as they started walking. He'd put on his brown leather jacket and had grabbed her hand as he walked.
“Yeah. They've been my grandmother's best friends since they were children. Sad, none of them ever got married. I think they enjoy each other's company too much to let any men come between them.”
She giggled. “I'd never seen triplets before. I've seen plenty of twins, but not three women who looked so much alike.”
“I can tell you which one is Annie, but the other two?” He shook his head. “Not a clue.”
She chuckled. His hand felt warm in hers, and she enjoyed the closeness of him. She kept trying to convince herself that he was just another bad decision. He told her stories of his childhood as they walked. Pointing out a large oak tree, he told her he’d had his first kiss leaning against it.
“She was two years older than me. A freshmen in high school. I was so cool for having kissed a high school girl back then. The other guys worshiped me until Iian got to make out with Pam Steller in the back of his dad's car.”
She chuckled as he continued to tell her about his neighbors. She knew most of the people still lived in town. He even pointed to the houses along the way that had new families in them. All three of them. She was enchanted by how he told a story, painting a picture of the wonderful people around them.
By the time they made it to her place, she was having a hard time remembering that he was bad for her. He followed her up the stairs and she turned, with her keys in hand, to look at him. He stood a step below her which made them eye to eye. She could totally get lost in those copper eyes. She didn't realize that she'd leaned close to him until his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer. She could smell the crisp night air and felt his warm breath on her face. She wanted more than anything to lean in for a kiss, knowing he could and would take her to places she enjoyed.
“I can see your mind working.” He smiled at her. “What's holding you back?”
“Luke…” She placed her hands on his shoulders. “I've just come out of a bad relationship. You know my history. I just don't want to fall into the same pattern.” She tried to pull away.
“I've told you. I don't spend hours and hours playing games. It's a job.” He pulled her closer and buried his face in her neck. “You smell so good.” He started nibbling on her neck and she closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his hot mouth on her cooled skin. Her hands on his shoulders moved aroun
d until she was holding him to her instead of trying to push him away.
How could a man do this to her? She'd always stayed in control with the other men in her life. Sure, she'd fallen for some tricks here and there, but she didn't think Luke was trying to trick her now. His mouth traveled up her neck until he was kissing her, and she felt like her world was tilting. His hands moved from her hips to her back, rubbing circles under her coat. He pulled her closer until there wasn't a whisper of a breath between them. She felt his heart beat against hers and imagined what it would feel like to remove all the barriers.
She pulled back and looked at him, realizing she'd already crossed that line.
She knew he could see it in her face, because he took a deep breath and smiled. “You said something earlier today about having extra chocolate pie in your fridge?” He rested his forehead against hers as she chuckled.
“Yeah, how about I make us some coffee, and you can help me eat the rest of the pie?”
When she walked in, she rushed to the thermostat and upped the temperature.
“Why don't you leave that thing at a reasonable temperature? That way when you get home, the place is warm.”
“It's wasteful. Besides, I enjoy feeling the place warm up. It's kinda like inching your way into a warm bath. You have to do it gradually.”
“See, now you’ve got me thinking about you naked in a bath.” He chuckled. “Go, make us some coffee and get that pie before I take you into the next room; we both know it's too soon for that.”
She smiled and walked into the next room. Okay, so she had to give him props for being open and honest, something no other man had ever been with her. After all, he'd shared his whole life experience with her. She'd even broken her cardinal rule and told him about her family. She'd never done that with another man before.
When she walked into the living room a few minutes later, he was standing by the windows.
“You know, I never get used to how beautiful this town is during the holidays. I mean, look at it.” He waved his hand.
A few days back, a group of people had come and put up white lights which hung over main street. At night they lit up, so that she didn't even have to turn on her living room lights anymore. Instead the warm glow from the street lit up the room. Wreathes hung on every street light. There were small flags with turkeys on them that said Happy Thanksgiving. They had replaced the one's that had a jack-o-lantern for Halloween.
She supposed they would put the Christmas ones up the day after Thanksgiving. Maybe even add more lights here and there.
“Do they do a community Christmas tree?” she asked as she handed him a plate with a large piece of pie. She set his coffee cup down on her coffee table.
“Yeah, they put it up in the main square, across from the library and town hall.” He pointed to the left. “It's something to see.” He turned and she watched him take a bite of the pie.
“Chocolate, huh?” She smiled.
“What?” He licked a dab of chocolate off his bottom lip. She followed his tongue's motion, dreaming.
“Chocolate. You're a chocoholic, I think.” She smiled at him.
“Isn't everyone?”
“No, some people enjoy it, some people can't stand it, but you...every time chocolate is mentioned, your eyes light up and you get this goofy look that crosses your face.”
She laughed as he made the face. “Yes, that's it.”
He laughed, too. “Yeah, it's my kryptonite. Anytime I didn't want to do something growing up, my grandmother would just bake a batch of her brownies, and she'd have a slave.”
“I'm surprised you don't weigh more.” She laughed and took a bite of the pie. She'd been eating it all week long, but each bite was like heaven.
“Yeah, well, you can thank those weekly basketball games. I've got to stay in shape if I don't want to get myself killed. It's murder playing with that bunch. You should stop by sometime and watch a game. Some days we have a whole crowd there. Megan, Lacey, Allison, and the kids come every now and then.”
“I've always liked watching basketball. My favorite sport to watch is hockey, though. There's just something about a bunch of big guys in padding, beating each other up.” She grinned.
“Well, if you like watching that, you will definitely enjoy watching a bunch of sweaty guys, half of us shirtless, knocking each other around. Why do you think Megan, Lacey, and Allison make a point to show up?” They both laughed.
Chapter Ten
It was less than a week later that Amber received another call from her mother. This time she sounded more urgent.
“Amber, I know you don't care too much about me, but maybe you'd think about your father for a change. His health is failing inside the prison and all he wants is to be free. He has thirty more years on his sentence and this appeal is the only hope he has of getting out early. Give Mr. Malone a call, or I'll give him your direct number.”
The message machine clicked. She felt like walking over there and picking up the machine and tossing it across the room. There was no way her father was going to walk out of prison early because of her. If she showed up at all, she would make sure they kept him in that cell until the very second his heart stopped. She wasn't cold hearted, but after seeing the two sided face of her dad, she doubted he'd ever feel remorse for the crime. After all, according to him, the guard had deserved it working for a company that was killing the earth.
Sure, she was somewhat of a nature lover herself. But there was no way she'd ever condone anything like what her father and his group had been planning. The plans had just been a small part of the operations. After the investigators had found her father's friends, they'd found a large cash of bomb material. Apparently their goal was to blow up the main power facilities in Portland and Seattle, hitting both places in one night. They would have killed thousands of people, all in the name of saving the planet.
She decided it was early enough to head down to the market to finish getting the things on her shopping list. She knew she needed to take a trip into Edgeview soon. So far she'd traveled the twenty minute drive a few times. She enjoyed the winding ocean roads and liked Edgeview enough. They had a Walmart and other major stores where she could easily find what she needed.
But for tonight she just headed downstairs, feeling a little more worn out after listening to her mother's message.
When she walked in, she wished she'd waited five minutes. There at the checkout stood Patty chatting happily away with Ruth.
When she walked in, the two of them quieted down and looked at her oddly. She grabbed a basket and started down the closest aisle. When she reached the back of the aisle, she heard them chatting again. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she tried to focus on her shopping. When she had a full basket, she walked to the front with her head down, looking at the items, mentally checking if she'd gotten everything.
She didn't realized Ruth was still standing in the same spot until she almost bumped into her.
“Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I need to watch where I'm going. Don't you hate it when you think you've forgotten something?” She set her basket down and started emptying the contents onto the conveyer belt.
“Yes, well.” Ruth stood aside. “I was in Eugene last weekend, visiting my son. He and his wife have lived there for the last ten years. They have four of the best children. Anyway, I remembered that your mother lives there and decided to stop by for a quick visit.”
Amber could hear her heart beat in her ears, and felt all the blood leave her face and hands.
“Anyway, it had been some time since I'd visited Donna. I'd say about sixteen years. Of course the second I saw her again I remembered you as a little girl. Lone children can be so spoiled sometimes. That's why my Edward has four. Anyway...”
At this point Amber wished to be anywhere but where she was. She looked around frantically for something, anyone to help her excuse herself. There was no one else inside the store this late at night, except the three of them.
&nbs
p; “Anyway...” Ruth repeated. “Your mother told me the story of how your father was incarcerated, all because you told a fib.”
There it was. The ugly lie had spread. There was no way she'd ever feel welcome in this town again. She was finding it hard to breath. Her vision grayed around the edges and she knew, just knew, that at any moment she would hit the floor.
“Well, I want you to know I stood up right there in her florescent pink living room, set my tea cup down and said in a clear voice, 'There is no way the Amber Kennedy I've met would every lie about something so important. If she says that Frank Kennedy shot and killed that man seventeen years ago, then I believe her.' Then I told her that Frank Kennedy had always been a bad seed. I remember him in high school. That's where I know your parents from, by the way. Frank was always getting into trouble. Mouthing off, finding some good reason to do something stupid. Well,” Ruth took a deep breath, “I'll have you know your mother kicked me out of her house and told me to never come back.”
