“When you said you won,” she turned and gave me a sour look, “I didn’t think you’d need to claim your victory quite so soon.”
I laughed as I put the truck in drive. “You should know me better than that by now, Jessie Nickleby.”
“Nickleby mad,” Jade chirped from the back seat.
“You’re just as guilty as him, girlie.” Jade looked over her shoulder. “I was sure you’d like the diamond mine the best.”
In the rearview mirror, I could see Jade’s sly little smile, but she didn’t look up from her book.
“So.” Jessie grimaced. “Where are we going first? A monster truck rally? Some nasty, stinky gym?”
“Close.” I turned the music up and gunned the engine. She just rolled her eyes and shook her head, but a small smile played on the corner of her lips. And I smiled, too. Today was a good day. And I prayed that by the end, it would be even better.
I was rewarded for my prayers when we parallel parked downtown.
She looked at me like I was drunk. “We’re going to Dugan’s Pub?”
“Would you just wait and see?” I pulled Jade from her car seat. She sighed but to her credit, quit guessing until we had walked about three blocks and turned twice. Finally, we were across the street from a wide brick structure with a curved silver roof. And I was rewarded for my scheming when she looked genuinely surprised.
“The farmer’s market?”
“Jade likes it.” I stooped down and hefted my sister onto my shoulders as we crossed the final street. “And since it’s not absolutely boiling out today, I thought we’d start here.”
The pleasure in her face was impossible to miss as we made our way through the market. We browsed charm bracelet stalls, bought a box of blueberries to snack on, and I stopped to sample some flavored beef jerky. Though browsing wasn’t my preferred form of shopping, doing it with Jade and Jessie was fun. That feeling I’d gotten back at the picnic intensified as I watched them explore a hat display together, and my chest tightened.
How do I convince her that this is how it could be? I prayed. Let her see that she doesn’t have to be afraid.
I ended up buying a bag of beef jerky. I felt kind of guilty spending twenty bucks on beef jerky, but it was amazing, and sharing might win me back some points with my dad. Then I turned to look for the girls.
“Oh, Jade!” Jessie’s voice rose above the general din of the covered structure. “Isn’t this lovely?”
They were still in the hat display, and I found them both trying on the same hat. Well, Jade’s version was much smaller, but the hats were identical. They were giggling in front of a mirror while the woman running the stall was spouting to Jessie all the wonders of homemade hats. And while I didn’t care a bushel what was in my hats, the girls were really a pretty sight. Jade had a light in her eyes I didn’t often see, and Jessie was all rosy cheeks and sparkling green eyes.
“Let’s get them,” I said.
Jessie quit giggling with Jade, and her mouth fell open a little. “But you don’t even know how much they are.”
“My day,” I reminded her as I pulled out my credit card and handed it to the woman. “I get to pick.”
Jessie blushed even harder as the woman ran the card through her little phone extension and handed me the phone to sign. I had to keep myself from cringing at the total, but even as I signed, I knew it was worth every penny. If I wanted any chance at keeping Jessie, I would have to change some of my ways.
“All right. We need a picture with you two and these ridiculous hats.” I pulled the girls out and posed them in front of the river. Jessie gave me a funny look but smiled for the camera. For once, Jade smiled when asked, and as soon as I looked at the picture again, I decided it was going to be my phone’s background image until I died.
Jessie never took her eyes off me as we rejoined the throng of market-goers.
“You’re spending an awful lot of money for someone who’s supposed to be saving every penny he gets to travel one day.”
“You forget. Amy’s gone, so I can do what I want.”
She didn’t argue, but the look she gave me told me that she wasn’t convinced. But that was okay. If I had to spend my entire travel savings to convince her, I would.
We ended up getting several jars of berry preserves, a homemade lavender candle that Jessie seemed almost as attached to as she had been to the hat, and smoothies because the day was getting hotter. And every time I made a purchase or insisted I pay, she gave me that same calculating look. But as she didn’t actually object, I hoped that was a good thing.
My theory was tested when we crossed the street again. Instead of going back to the car, I led us into the old triangle skyscraper on the corner with a sign that said, “River Market Books and Gifts”.
“I love this place!” Jessie squealed and immediately ran to the elevator, dragging Jade along behind her. Then we spent an hour in the children’s book section, where Jessie found eleven picture books, among which were two different versions of Beauty and the Beast, and five minutes in the classical literature section, in which she found an old copy of Pride and Prejudice. She probably would have stayed all day if I hadn’t dragged her out, promising her that the next thing would be just as good.
“I doubt it.” She pursed her lips as the man behind the counter bagged up the books. “The library’s used bookstore is pretty hard to beat.” She met my eyes. “And I’m still waiting for that underground fight club to make an appearance.”
“Well, what do you know?” I grabbed the bags and pulled the girls back out to the sidewalk. “We’re doing that next.”
“And we’re taking Jade?” Jessie glanced up at our little charge.
“Hey, it’s not like I’m taking her to some abandoned mine.” I gave her an evil grin as she stuck her tongue out at me.
Nope. This was nothing like hanging out with Amy.
Our next venture had cost a pretty penny. But I would have paid more than twice as much to see the look on her face when we pulled into the parking lot.
“No.” She looked at me like she’d seen a ghost. “You didn’t.”
“Well,” I closed my door and went to open hers. She’d been so awestruck she’d forgotten to even open it, which gave me the chance to play the gentleman. “Last I checked, this is where the fight club is supposed to be.” She glared at me through slitted eyes, and I laughed. “But if something else is being shown, I guess we can stick around.”
“But this…this is the event arena” She got out of the truck slowly, her eyes focused on the giant canvas sign hanging over the entrance in the distance.
“And?” I asked.
“Beauty and the Beast is here right now.” She turned to look at me. “But these tickets are impossible to get.”
“Just call me your fairy godmother.”
“Wrong fairy tale.”
“Does it matter?” I held out my hand. It was a gamble. But whether it was because she needed help walking, due to her shock, or because she simply wasn’t paying attention, she took it, and I was rewarded with the soft warmth of her skin on mine. And it was like a shot of an energy drink straight to my veins. Bolstered with this new confidence, I led us through the Blue Parking Lot and into the crowd that was slowly moving toward the six sets of double doors at the front of the building.
I was personally not a huge fan of people in costumes skipping around on a stage and singing at random points in the story. But Jessie was glued to the show. Jade was interested at first but fell asleep somewhere between the dinner scene and the wolf scene, which was probably for the best. If we’d watched that, she would have forced me to pretend to be a wolf for the next month.
Feeling unusually bold, I waved down one of the workers selling those plastic roses edged with rainbow fiber optics. And for a moment…just a moment, when I quietly handed it to Jessie, the look in her eyes, one of fear and wonder and something else I couldn’t name, made me wonder if maybe…maybe I could really could change her min
d.
She was silent on the ride home, aside from a few comments about the show. But the way her face glowed and the far-off look in her eyes kept me from being too nervous. It also gave me the courage to take the next step when we got back to my house.
Jessie started to get out, but I locked the doors as I pulled my phone out and hit the call button.
“Dad?” I asked quietly, as Jade was still asleep. “Can you come out and get Jade?”
“You can just drop me off at my house,” Jessie whispered, seeming to finally snap out of her daze. “That way she can just get her afternoon nap in the car.”
I just shook my head as my dad came out and walked toward us. “Don’t worry about it. Dad’s got her. Besides, we’re not done.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “We’re not?” She looked back at Jade in confusion. “But you’re dropping her off.”
I allowed myself a slight smile. “Wasn’t our bet for all day?”
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out as she frowned. “I…I guess so.”
“Good.” I grinned outright. “Because I’m not done having fun.”
She folded her arms and sat back to stare at me. “There is no way this morning and afternoon made up your ideal day.”
By this time, my dad had Jade out of her car seat and the door shut, so I let out a loud laugh. “I think I’m the one who gets to decide what I do and don’t enjoy.” I leaned forward slightly. “So you game for some more?”
She studied me for a long moment, and an icy fear crept into my veins that she might actually say no. But then she smiled slightly. “Fine. Where to next?”
31
So Much
Jessie
I did my best to keep a neutral expression as we drove back across the river, but my heart was pounding in my chest. Today had been…well, a dream. It was exactly my idea of a perfect day. Derrick had planned it better than if I had won. But the obvious question was one that rang in my head until I nearly had a headache.
Why was he doing all this? Had my mom told him I was rethinking the rule about airmen?
There had been a moment in that dark arena during the show when I could have sworn he’d looked at me like…like he wanted me. Me, with all my obsessive habits and Scroogish scrimping and self-imposed rules. My natural lack of style. (My mother had forced me to go shopping when she heard about the picnic, and I’d come home with far more clothes than I would ever be able to wear.) My obsession with children and my parents and fairy tales.
But that, I’d argued with myself for the remainder of the show and the entire trip back to his house, was impossible. It was too soon for him to be over Amy and looking at anyone else like that. And yet, that look he’d given me was one I’d never seen on his face when he talked about Amy.
I was fast in danger of following him around like a puppy, and that made my entire brain scream at me that I was out of control and needed to take it back. I’d nearly ended our time there in the truck. To keep us both safe. The invitation, however, was too enticing after what he’d planned for that morning. And so I’d said yes. And now we were hurtling south on the 440 going who knew where at seventy miles per hour with The Scorpions blasting on the radio and a very handsome man sitting in the seat across from mine.
No one, not even me on my most curmudgeonist day, could deny he was handsome. He wasn’t in his uniform, but instead of his usual snarky cartoon t-shirt, he was wearing a dark blue Polo shirt and khaki cargo shorts. He hadn’t shaved that morning, leaving just enough shadow to make him look very…manly. And responsible. Like a really hot, responsible man. Like he could easily be a dad or husband driving a family to dinner or church or a wife on a date.
My heart tripped over itself as I recalled the way it had felt again in the farmer’s market. We’d felt like a family. And as much as the part of my brain that clutched the rules to its chest screamed at me to collect my senses, I’d been unable to ignore that feeling. And a longing had planted itself in me that I’d never known before, especially when he’d taken my hand in the arena parking lot. Sure, I’d always wanted a family of my own. And the perfectionist in me that had pushed me through college and now toward my master’s had always said later. We’ll find that later. But I wanted it now.
I wanted this now.
And that terrified me more than Derrick’s strange behavior.
We finally pulled up in front of an outdoor shopping mall. Derrick, all the gentleman, got my door open before I’d pulled all my stuff out of Jade’s backpack.
“Thanks.” I got out and stood awkwardly next to him, not sure what to do as he closed the door and locked the car.
“So…what are we doing?” I asked, hoping I didn’t sound as dorky as I felt.
“I decided I felt like a little window shopping and then some dinner.” He paused. “And then some sight-seeing.”
“Okay.” I held my hands up and let them fall to my sides again. Wow. As if he had needed more reminders that I was not the smooth, sexy lady he’d left behind in Colorado. But he didn’t seem to mind. Instead, he smiled and held his hand out toward the crosswalk.
“Shall we?”
At first, I was just as nervous as I’d been in the car. But Derrick made it easy to relax. We went in and out of shops, and he spent most of the time making fun of expensive accessories and clothes. I could see the manager in one of the stores giving us dirty looks, which made me giggle nervously and only encouraged him more. Then he launched into a diatribe about how bad the acting was in the show, which, of course, brought out the fight in me, which in turn, chased away the rest of my nerves. Arguing with Derrick was easy. I knew how to do that.
But as we passed a jewelry store on the corner, I saw the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in the entire world.
“What?” he asked as I stood there, hands pressed against my heart. Then he looked at what I was staring at. “Oh, boy.”
“It’s the Beauty and the Beast rose,” I whispered as if that explained it. But it was truly breathtaking. The rose itself was made of rose gold with a red ruby that glittered in the center. The leaves curled out to where they met the gold ring itself.
“That’s your dream ring?” he asked, an amused smile on his face.
“It’s incredible,” I whispered. Then I remembered who I was talking to and laughed. “I’m afraid to know the price, though. It’s why I never go in places like this. But it’s just so pretty to look at.”
He looked back at the ring, but instead of making fun of it the way he’d made fun of the shoes I’d liked at the last store, he just said, “Huh.”
Eventually, I dragged myself away from the display window and we went to dinner.
“Have you ever been here?” he asked as he led us toward a little Euro bistro with an outdoor eating area visible over a short wall. A live band played catchy jazz songs, and the smell of breadsticks filled the air.
“No, but it looks good,” I said as I followed him inside. There was a waiting area in the lobby. I stood in line to check in as Derrick went to get us menus to look at.
“Are you sure you want to eat here?” I glanced at him over my menu. “You’ve spent a lot of money today.”
“Jessie!”
I looked up to see Madison and Sam and a few second grade teachers already standing at the front desk. Madison ran over to hug me, and Sam followed. But he looked far less thrilled, and judging by the way Derrick was returning the look, the feeling was mutual.
“What are you doing here with him?” Madison turned around so Derrick couldn’t see her face. “I called to see if you wanted to join us tonight, but you never returned my call.”
“I’m sorry, I’ve been busy all day.” I glanced over her shoulder at Sam and Derrick, who were still sizing each other up. “Derrick won that bet I told you about, so he’s been picking what we do all day.”
“And you’re here?” She looked at me in disbelief. “I would have thought you guys were going to a fight club or something.”
> I was about to answer her when Sam stepped toward us.
“Sam,” I said, pasting a smile on my face. “This is Derrick, Jade’s older brother. Derrick, this is Sam Newman, one of my neighbor teachers.”
Sam’s face tightened slightly, and Derrick looked just a tad smugger.
“Sam, party of four and Derrick, party of two,” the waitress called, and I let out a deep breath as I started to follow her away from the awkwardness.
Derrick, however, shocked me by raising his hand. “Excuse me,” he called politely. “If you have a big booth, we’d love to sit with them.”
I looked at him incredulously, as did Sam, but the waitress went back and looked at her little blueprint of the seats before nodding. “I think we can squeeze you all in. Follow me.”
This evening was turning out weirder than I could have imagined it. And yet, I obediently followed and slid into the outdoor booth then waited as everyone else crowded in, too. And who else could I be doomed to sit between but Derrick and Sam?
I was suddenly all too glad of the menu as I held it up like a wall to keep me safe from the rest of the table. Madison kept sending me frantic looks, but it wasn’t like I could tell her or even text her anything. Not with Sam and Derrick sitting right next to me.
“So, you’re Jade’s brother,” Sam said. “I hear you’re also engaged. Congratulations.”
I started scanning the wine section.
“Nope.” Derrick grinned and put his hands behind his head, elbows angled out comfortably. “Single as they come.”
Sam’s face darkened slightly.
“What schedule do they have you on right now? I can’t guess that’s easy, taking care of your sister and working full-time.”
Oh, Sam. Just stop. Please. For all our sakes.
“It’s actually not bad. I work night shift right now, which means I get home in time to spend time with Jade and Jessie. Then when my parents get back from work, I sleep until it’s time to leave again.”
My Little Rock Airman Page 19
