Skateboard Blues
Page 10
I blinked. "So you really think I should give him another chance?""
"Uh-huh. I might only be ten, but I know how these things work."
"What things?"
"Let me try to explain." Her voice turned apologetic. "I feel kind of weird about the way I've messed things up for you guys. So I decided to do something about it. But Cam will tell you the rest, if you'll only give him the chance." She clasped both hands on my shoulders and pleaded, "So get up! If you don't hurry, he might take off."
Her words baffled me, but on the other hand, this was so Angie. Nothing held her back.
I threw off the covers and started dressing as fast as I could. "Well, I have an idea how to prevent Cam from getting bored till I go downstairs. You keep him company, okay?"
I dashed into the bathroom. Quickly I brushed my teeth, splashed cold water on my face, pinched my cheeks to bring up the color, and added a trace of lipstick. My heart was slowing inching higher and higher into my throat. What was I going to say to Cam? What did he plan to say to me?
When I saw him sitting on our living room couch, his chin in his hands, I wanted to turn and run. He looked so gorgeous, even better than that first sunny autumn day I'd caught sight of him from my bedroom window. But now my stomach was churning so hard, I wasn't sure what to do.
"Hey." The word seemed to stick in my throat.
"Hey, Jessie." He stood up, rubbing his palms against his jeans, and darted a look at Angie.
"Uh...do you suppose we could go somewhere—?"
"Never mind!" Angie interrupted in a sing-song voice. "I'm leaving for Priscilla's house. You guys won't ever have to worry about me bothering you again." She flung her shoulder strap purse over a shoulder and lifted her brow. "That's a promise, guys."
Gaping, I watched her sail out the front door.
"That's some little sister you've got," he said with a chuckle. "She was outside banging on our door shortly before nine this morning."
"Brat," I mumbled under my breath.
He grinned, then continued. "When no one answered her, she walked around by my bedroom window and shouted at me. I was sound asleep."
"Angie did that?" I asked incredulously, and he nodded. "Well then, that makes two of us," I added. I'd heard my parents say she was precocious, but I'd never expect her to wake Cam up too.
"Uh-huh, she definitely gave me the old up-and-at-em routine. I think she's trying to play match-maker. She wouldn't quit hollering at me until I invited her inside."
"But what about. . ." I hesitated. ". . . what about your company? The cute little blonde and her folks?" In my rush to get downstairs, I hadn't bothered to notice whether the car with the California license plate was still parked outside his house.
He took my hand and pulled me back down onto the couch. "She's gone. She and her parents left last night after they stayed for a quick dinner." His gaze held mine. "I guess both you and your sister thought I had another girlfriend, but I don't, I swear. That's why Angie came over this morning. To give me a piece of her mind." He squeezed my hand. "I'm sorry this is such a mess. Will you please hear me out?"
"Well...yes." If only I could believe everything would be all right.
"That girl you saw was Pee-Wee. Remember when I told you about my best buddy's girl?"
"Uh, yeah. The one who works for the skate shop back in your hometown and does graphic artwork?" My taunt shoulder muscles began to relax. "That wasn't Mandy?"
"Yes, it was. Pee-Wee and Mandy are names for the same girl."
"What are you talking about?" Confusion wrapped around me.
"Pee-Wee's real name is Mandy. Mandy Crawford. But I always call her by her nick-name instead. Just for kicks. She's barely five feet tall."
"Oh...yeah." My face warmed with embarrassment. "I remember now. You did explain that." Visions of Mandy's letter surfaced in my mind. "But what about the letter she sent you? Why is your best friend's girl writing to you?"
He let go of my hand. "It's nothing like you're probably thinking. . ."
I settled back in the couch, taking in his pained expression.
"It was all my idea," he continued. "I asked her to stop by while she and her folks were passing through Portland. That's what the letter and the phone call were all about. It's spring break for the kids at her school, too, and her family had planned a ski trip in Oregon. Pee-Wee...er, Mandy was simply making a special delivery."
"And I suppose besides all her other talents, she works for the United Parcel Service, too!"
"Jessie!"
"Okay, okay. Sorry. Go on."
"Before I do, there's something I want to show you. This will help explain everything." He reached down behind the couch, pulled out a long rectangular package wrapped in tissue paper, and handed it to me. "Here, open this."
"What?"
"Open this."
Without further coaxing, I ripped off the paper. There before my eyes was a skateboard decorated with a gorgeous yellow-and-black butterfly in the center. Several smaller butterflies in shimmery blues and greens bordered the edges.
"Oh! It's wonderful!" I breathed. "Thank you."
"When I overheard you telling Tammy at New World Skates how much you'd like to own one, I figured if I could buy you a blank board, the kind without any designs, maybe Pee-Wee would agree to silkscreen it. It took several emails and a few snail mail letters—that's when her computer was acting up—to find just the right pattern."
I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. "Oh! It's beautiful. Absolutely perfect! And now I understand what you meant when you said Pee-Wee made a special delivery."
"Uh-huh, it would've been expensive to send it. Since her folks were planning to drive through our area anyway, it only made sense to drop it off instead."
I felt so stupid. I wanted to throw myself into his arms and forget I'd ever mistrusted him.
"Know something?" I said. "I have a confession to make too. The whole thing that got me started. . ." I hesitated, avoiding his eyes. "The whole thing that got me started being suspicious was when Rocky and Michael said you were using me."
"Using you?" His voice was barely a whisper.
"Yes. And I was gullible enough to give into it. They said that because my dad was about to become the new mayor, you were getting on my good side—Dad's too—so you could get the skate park you wanted. But I should've known better. One of the first things you said to the skaters when you came to town was to be courteous to the older people, to show you cared about them. It only makes sense that you'd want to help with Dad's campaign too."
Cam's eyes softened as he looked down at me. "I did want to help him. But not to use you. I like you so much it wouldn't have mattered to me who your dad is. Heck, I wouldn't if you were living alone on the streets of Portland. I love you because you're you."
My heart swelled with happiness. "Oh, Cam. This is too good to be true." I suspected the reason he'd been working so much lately was to earn extra cash for my skateboard. Maybe one of these days, I'd get up the nerve to ask him. But for now, I just wanted to keep looking into his eyes.
His lips came down on mine—softly, tenderly. Eagerly I slipped my arms around his neck and kissed him back.
"Know something?" I said after we'd finished kissing. "Maybe Preston's not such a bad place after all. I mean, there's been so many people who have helped us get our skate park. People I thought in the beginning didn't understand us at all." I sighed. "Just think. There's a good chance that by the end of the summer, our dream will have come true."
"Right. I'm really stoked." He sent me a lopsided smile. "And it was all worth it, wasn't it? I knew we could do it if were willing to work hard enough. And so did Fr. O'Riley. You did too."
As I smiled again into his eyes, I nodded silent agreement. Maybe there was more in life than freedom and adventure. Like knowing how to believe in the world around you, knowing how to believe in yourself.
Maybe that was the greatest adventure of all.
The End
Sydell Voeller Books from Books We Love
The Fisherman's Daughter
Sandcastles of Love
Summer Magic
Her Sister's Keeper
Free to Love
Daisies Are Forever
A House Divided
Dummy & Me!
Sydell Voeller Special Edition
The Heart Leads Home
About the Author
Sydell Voeller grew up in Washington State, but has lived in Oregon for over thirty years. Throughout her twenty-plus year writing career, her published novels for teens and adults have reflected her love for the Pacific Northwest’s ocean beaches, inlets and waterways, evergreen forests, and majestic mountains. Sydell resides in Oregon with her husband. They married in 1971 and have two sons and four grandchildren.
Pet lovers, the Voellers have provided a home for several cats, a dog, gerbils, hamsters, and a turtle—but not all at the same time! A small rodent cemetery still occupies one corner of their backyard. Sydell and her husband enjoy camping, reading, playing Scrabble trips to the Oregon coast, and spending time with their grandchildren.
When Sydell isn’t writing, she enjoys walking, amateur astronomy, gardening, and staying in touch with friends—Internet and otherwise! In 1987 after the publication of her first novel, she was named by the Washington County Mushaw Center, Woman of the Year in Communications.
Formerly a registered nurse, Sydell now teaches writing courses sponsored by the Long Ridge Writer’s Institute (a long distance course in writing short stories and articles) in West Redding, Connecticut.
Note From The Publisher:
Thank you for purchasing and reading this Books We Love eBook. We hope you have enjoyed your reading experience. Books We Love and the author would very much appreciate you returning to the online retailer where you purchased this book and leaving a review for the author. Best Regards and Happy Reading, Jamie and Jude
Books We Love Ltd.
http://bookswelove.net
* * *
Top quality books loved by readers,
Romance, Mystery, Fantasy, Young Adult
Vampires, Werewolves, Cops, Lovers.
* * *
Looking for Something Spicier
for Sexy Spicy Selections
Books We Love Spice
http://spicewelove.com