Love Finds You in Treasure Island, Florida (5 page)

Lacy dropped the sandwich wrappers in the garbage and put her glass into the sink. “I think I’ll go to my room and work on the cutouts for the bulletin board. See ya in the morning.”

After Lacy left her alone in the kitchen, Amanda remained in her chair, staring out the window overlooking the street. The setting sun cast an orange glow on the horizon, which warmed the room with amber reflections on the wall and ceiling. She remembered how much her mother enjoyed walking down to the beach and watching the sunset on the Gulf each evening. Treasure Island had the most amazing sunsets. Her mother loved sitting outside and just staring at the western horizon until the last fleck of sun had disappeared into the water. Sometimes when Amanda visited her, they sat in silence and watched the sunset; yet other times, her mother talked about how different things would have been for them if the only man she’d ever loved had stuck around.

The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on Amanda. The barrier island off Florida’s West Coast was a favorite among vacationers who loved the serenity and charm. People came here to get away from the stress of life. However, this same charm and beauty served as a constant reminder that Amanda had taken over an adult role before she was ready.

Once the painful memories started flooding her mind, Amanda got up, cleared the table, and grabbed the wallet. She needed to stop by the shop to get the Simpsons’ current address, since the information inside the wallet had Mrs. Simpson’s permanent address in Atlanta.

Jerry couldn’t help but notice the surreptitious glances between his parents during dinner. At first, he tried to ignore them, but that became increasingly impossible when his mother started giggling. He should have been happy they were getting along for a change, but they weren’t acting right.

“Okay, you two. What’s up?”

His dad grinned and winked at his mother then turned to face Jerry. “What do you mean, what’s up?” He let out a brief snicker before he caught himself.

Jerry turned to his mother. “Are we going to play this answer-a-question-with-a-question game, or are you going to make this easier on all of us and tell me what’s so funny?”

She tried to hide her grin, but Jerry saw right through that. “Nothing’s funny. We just had a really nice time riding that wonderful bicycle-built-for-two.”

If it weren’t for the fact that his dad couldn’t control himself, Jerry might have believed his mother. He wanted to. But if they wanted to share a secret, that was fine. He wanted to believe it was something special between a husband and wife, but he was pretty sure they had something up their sleeves.

After dinner, he stood to clear the table. His mother got up to help, but he held out his hand to stop her. “Why don’t you and Dad go for a walk and enjoy some fresh air?” He paused and glanced at his dad. “Maybe you’ll find that treasure you’ve been looking for.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but his dad reached for her hand and tugged her toward the door. Jerry’s chest constricted as he was reminded of a happier, more carefree time in his life—back when his parents were still deeply in love and not at each other’s throats all the time. Before his father started showing signs of Alzheimer’s.

As soon as he heard the door close, Jerry didn’t waste any time before clearing the table and cleaning the kitchen. He wanted to relax and enjoy a little quiet time before his parents returned. He knew there would be a time—hopefully not for a while, but soon enough—when peaceful moments would be few and far between. His father’s doctor had told him that Alzheimer’s gradually took people’s independence, and life would get more difficult toward the end.

The end. What a concept. Even though he was a faithful Christ-follower, the very thought of losing his parents was like a swift kick to the gut. He couldn’t imagine life without them, although he knew it would eventually happen.

His eyes misted over as he remembered his childhood and how hard his parents had worked for him, his brother, and his sister. He knew his parents had sacrificed for their kids, but they never let on that they missed out on anything they wanted. They celebrated the kids’ accomplishments and were there during the rocky times.

Jerry felt like he owed his parents everything. Too bad his sister and brother didn’t share some of his concern. In fact, he hadn’t seen either of them since the last time they wanted something. When Jerry had talked to his brother about how their dad’s condition had begun to deteriorate, his brother made a few sympathetic noises but got off the phone as quickly as possible. Jerry’s sister, on the other hand, said she’d try to come home, but she had so much going on in her life with her job and her husband’s business commitments that it might be impossible.

As he rinsed the soap off the last of the pots and pans, Jerry thought about his own life and how differently things had turned out. He’d always assumed he’d find a nice girl, marry her, settle down, and have kids. Of course they’d attend church together. That was a given. He’d grown up in the church, so he couldn’t imagine not going—unlike his sister and brother.

His deep-set anger brewed and bubbled to the surface. His jaws ached from clenching his teeth. He finally put the last of the pans in the cupboard, and he shoved the door so hard, the noise reverberated throughout the kitchen.

“Who are you so mad at, son?”

He spun around to face his mother, who stood behind him with her arms folded, while she glared up at him. “How long have you been here?”

“Long enough to see you slam the cupboard door.” She shook her head. “We just got back, but I can tell you’re miserable. Are you sure this little vacation isn’t putting a strain on you?”

“Positive.” Jerry forced a smile as he gently guided his mother into the living room, where his father had already made himself comfortable in the rocker/recliner in front of the TV. “You know I’ve always been heavy-handed.”

She hesitated for a split second. “Did anyone call while we were out?”

Jerry frowned. “No, why? Are you expecting a call?”

She took a step back and quickly averted her line of vision. “No, of course not.”

Jerry squinted his eyes and stared at her. She was definitely acting suspicious. As if on cue, the sound of someone knocking on the front door sent Jerry’s mom scurrying.

He stood still as he listened to his mother greeting whoever was at the door. “Please come in,” she said, her voice dripping syrup. “Oh, thank you so much! You found it! I was so worried I might have lost it for good.”

Now his curiosity was piqued. He had to find out what was going on. The instant he stepped into the hallway between the foyer and the living room, he knew there was no doubt his mother was up to something, because there stood Amanda, the bicycle shop owner, right outside the condo on the doorstep. She cast a confused glance his way. All he could do was shrug.

“Please come in,” his mother urged.

“No, that’s okay. I—I just wanted to get this to you.” Amanda offered a shaky smile to Jerry before she looked at his mom. “I figured you might need it.”

When she took a step back to leave, Jerry’s mother reached out and grabbed her by the arm. “I have something for you.”

Jerry felt his lips twitch over the humor of the situation. He’d seen his mother in action before. This wasn’t her first foray into matchmaking, since she’d done it with his brother and sister.

He wasn’t about to fall for it, but he certainly didn’t want to embarrass Amanda. “Hey, Amanda,” he said. “I see you’ve experienced my parents.”

His mother shot him a glance of annoyance before turning back to Amanda. “Don’t mind my son. He can be such a pill sometimes. But he’s really a very sweet boy with the most loving heart you’ll ever know.”

“How was dinner?” Amanda asked.

“You remembered!” His mom rubbed her abdomen. “Jerry is a wonderful cook. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything so good. After tasting that, I bet he can cook anything.”

Hoo, boy, she was turning it on thick.

Amanda’s eyes widened, and she offered a forced smile. “I’m sure.”

“Hey, gorgeous!”

The booming voice from behind Jerry commanded all the attention. Everyone turned to face his dad.

“What brings you to our neck of the woods…um, I mean
beach
?”

They’d had so much practice they made it seem natural, and no one would have suspected they’d tag-teamed prospective children-in-law before. Jerry tried not to laugh, but a chuckle escaped his lips.

“Don’t just stand there laughing, son. Ask her if she wants some lemonade.”

“Dad, I don’t think—”

“I know you don’t think,” his dad whispered. “That’s what you have your mother and me for. Go invite the pretty girl in.” He gave Jerry a soft but powerful shove that would have sent him sprawling if he hadn’t already widened his stance.

Amanda fidgeted and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She clearly didn’t know what to do—or how to handle his expert parents. His heart went out to her.

He grinned down at her and winked. “Would you like some lemonade?”

“Uh…” Amanda glanced from him to his parents, who stood on both sides of her, locking her in. “Sure?”

Her tentative answer tugged at his heartstrings. Jerry had liked Amanda before, and now he appreciated what a good sport she was. He made a mental note to stop by her shop later in the week to apologize and see if there was any way he could make it up to her.

“I don’t know how I dropped my wallet,” his mother explained, as she gestured toward the sofa. “I’m always so careful about things like that. You never know what might happen.” Her cheeks were flaming red, and she avoided his gaze. “There are all kinds of dishonest people out there. I’m glad such a sweet, honest, caring person like you found it.”

Jerry heard his mother going on and on about the wallet, and he knew good and well it was a ploy. In fact, he was fairly certain the black wallet Amanda had handed over wasn’t even current. He remembered his mother pulling out a red one when she insisted on paying for the gas on the drive down.

When he got to the living room with the lemonade, he saw that his parents had occupied the only two freestanding chairs in the room, leaving the one spot right next to Amanda on the sofa. He handed her the glass, got a coaster and placed it on the table next to her—and chose to remain standing.

His mother frowned at him then turned and grinned at their guest. “So, Amanda, how long have you been in business?”

“About five years.”

“Why a bicycle shop?” Jerry’s dad asked.

Amanda hesitated for a split second—long enough to let Jerry know she was uncomfortable. “I thought it might be a nice thing to offer tourists, since there are so many places to ride.”

“Hey, Mom and Dad, speaking of Amanda’s shop, I’m sure she has better things to do than sit around here and play Twenty Questions.”

His mother looked hurt as she turned to Amanda. “Oh, dear, I’m so sorry if we’re keeping you from something…more important.”

Amanda looked stricken. “Oh, no, that’s fine.” When she turned to Jerry, his heart melted. He resisted the urge to physically reach out and comfort her.

They chatted for a few more minutes—long enough for his parents to give him familiar looks, letting him know he hadn’t been imagining things and they really were interviewing a prospective daughter-in-law. Finally, during a brief lull in conversation, Amanda stood and said she needed to get back home.

“Do come again,” his mother said as she walked Amanda to the door. “Jerry enjoys cooking, so perhaps you can have dinner with us some evening.” She tilted her head to the side and offered him a look that defied him to argue. “Right, son?”

Jerry stifled a chuckle. His mother was on her sales game, big-time. “Yes, yes, of course.”

He felt like part of an entourage as they followed Amanda to the door. Suddenly his mother turned to him and said, “Why don’t your father and I wait here while you walk Amanda to her car?”

“That’s—” Amanda began but clamped her mouth shut when Jerry nodded.

“I’ll be glad to. Why don’t you and Dad go on back inside?”

“But—”

“Really, Mom, I’ll be just fine. If I’m not back in…”—he glanced at his watch then looked up—“…fifteen minutes, then send a search party out looking for me.”

His dad let out a deep laugh, while his mom looked on, her mouth open and her expression one of horror. He quickly shut the door behind them.

As soon as he and Amanda were alone and out of earshot, he spoke. “Look, I’m really sorry about my parents. They mean well.”

Amanda looked up at him, her eyes wide, and a slight gust of wind blew a tendril of hair across her face. Jerry instinctively reached out, gently lifted her hair, and carefully tucked it behind her ear.

“I…uh,” she began as she took a step back. She seemed to be struggling with her words, but he wasn’t sure what to do. Finally, she said, “Your parents are very nice people. I understand.”

“Then you won’t hold them against me?” he teased.

She made a face. “No, of course not!”

“About something my mother said…” He glanced away for a bolt of courage and then focused on her face. “Would you like to come over for dinner sometime?”