When You Least Expect It (54 page)

             
Amanda sighed.  Deep down, she knew Blossom was right. “Thanks Blossom.  I love that you can help me see both sides to any particular problem.  You really helped.  So hey, when are you getting here?  I can’t wait to see you!”

             
“We’ll be there the day before.  I was talking to Leeza and she thinks we should all go out for a big dinner; maybe at a steakhouse?”

             
“That sounds fun.  I’ll make reservations. Ray ought to love that.  In fact, I’ll just invite everyone who wants to meet him, that way, by graduation day; it won’t be such a big deal.  What do you think?”

             
“Sounds like a great idea.  That should be fun!  We’ll eat steak and you can serve up Ray!” 

             
The girls both laughed.  “Yeah, all he’ll need is an apple in his mouth.”  The girls cackled with that image in their mind.  “I think I’ll leave you with that thought.  Goodnight, Blossom, thanks again!”

~~~

Back at Elisa’s, Alex was complaining to his sister.  “I want Mom to be happy, but why does she have to choose such weird men?  Tell me this, whose mom goes on the Internet, meets some weird nerdy guy who has nothing better to do than lurking the net for lonely women, then, invites him to a family occasion?  What the hell is that?  Mom is being such a loser!”

             
Elisa cackled her loud, throaty laugh.  “She is not, Alex.  Mom has had bad luck with men, and yes, this one seems especially out there, but he has to be better than Peter!  I’ve talked to him, and he seems nice.  She hasn’t been happy in a long time, Al, maybe this time she truly has found love.”

             
“Love is overrated.  She loved Dad, look what that got her.  We won’t even discuss Peter.”  He got up, angry all over again.  “Whatever!  As soon as I’m eighteen, I’m getting out of there, and then Mom can do what she wants.  I’m going to bed! Where am I sleeping?”

She looked up at her brother wondering why he was always so angry.  “Well, as soon as I get up, you’ll be sleeping right here.”

              “Great,” he said sarcastically.  He went to the closet, grabbed a blanket, wrapped it around himself, and plopped on the other end of the couch. He looked worriedly at his sister, his anger gone. “What if Mom moves to Maine?”

             
“She wouldn’t do that to you Alex, but if she did, you would go too.  She wouldn’t abandon you, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

             
Alex hid beneath the blanket.  “I will not be moving to Maine, no matter what.”

             
Elisa rubbed his head over the blanket.  “Don’t worry too much about it, bro, Mom isn’t going anywhere.  Goodnight.”

             
The lump on the couch stayed quiet as Elisa walked off, looking back when she stopped to switch off the light.  “I love you,” she whispered.

             
Once in bed, she thought about her mother.  She wondered exactly what it was that she was thinking; or planning.  She decided that it was time for a ‘girls’ night out’ so that she could find out.                                         

             
                                                        ~~~

             
Hilary and Blossom were discussing the tribulations that centered around Amanda now.

             
“I think she’s putting too much emphasis on this meeting. So, Ray comes to El Paso, meets her kids and almost the entire family, her friends; then what’s left?  It’s like she’s putting all her eggs in one basket, like she’s saying, this is me in a nutshell, take it or leave it.”

             
“Hilary, what’s wrong with that?  He lives thousands of miles away. Maybe this is her way of showing him this is what she’s about’ and making him decide if having this long distance relationship is worth it.”  Blossom shook her head on her end; she wondered silently why Hilary was so afraid.

             
“What if Elisa and Alex hate him? Remember how they hated Peter?”

             
“Oh for heaven’s sake, why can’t you let that nightmare go?  Your sister made a mistake, it’s now behind her, and we can’t keep comparing everything to that.  She knows what she wants with this relationship.  It’s not like she went looking for it, it found her for once.  She’s been talking to him for over a year!  Give her a break.  I think we should hold our opinions until we actually meet this guy, see them together, and see how he holds up against everything that he has in store for him.  It’s not like he doesn’t know what awaits him, yet he’s still coming.  If that’s not love, I don’t know what is!”

             
“Geez, Blossom, can you get off your soapbox now?  Why does everything have to be about love?” 

             
“Because Hilary, that’s what life is all about; finding love and someone to share your life with.  Mandy is no different from anybody else, including her kids.  What do you think Elisa is doing with Tom?  You think they’re just friends?”  She snorted.  “Get real.  You have a great life with Josh and Susie.  Mandy’s just having a harder time finding that, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t want it.  It’s harder for her, because she’s a package deal, so she needs to find someone who is accepting of her kids, and that her kids hopefully will accept.  Not an easy job.  I give her a lot of credit, Hil; she’s done an exceptional job with those kids, even with everything that she has happened to her.  She deserves some happiness, why don’t you want her to have it?”

             
Hilary was getting agitated at her cousin.  “I do want her to be happy.  In fact, it’s all I want.  She just seems to be screwing up in that area.”

             
“That’s it!” Blossom had heard enough. “You’d better get off your high horse, missy, and support your sister.  Meet this man with an open mind and try to see it from her point of view, and while you’re at it; put that thought into your niece and nephew’s mind.  Help your sister; stop fighting her!”

             
Hilary was silent, letting everything Blossom had said sink in.  She knew she was right, but didn’t want to admit it to her.  “I’ll meet Ray with an open mind, Blossom.  I can’t help but worry about my sister; she’s been hurt too many times.”

             
“I know that, but I’ll tell you what, so does she.  I doubt that she wants to fling herself into the frying pan before she knows how hot the oil is.”

             
Hilary groaned, sometimes the Texan in Blossom still came out, even if she lived in Arizona.  “Okay, enough with the ‘Blossisms’.  I get the picture.  I’ll be on my best behavior.  I have to be,
you’ll
be here!”

             
The cousins laughed and said their goodbyes, both lost in their own thoughts.

~~~

Amanda and Elisa had just finished dinner at Nene’s and were off to a movie.  Elisa hadn’t brought up Ray, or Alex, not wanting to ruin a good time. Once in the car, she decided to broach the subject.  “So Mom, have you and Alex made up?”

             
“We’re fine.”

             
“He was pretty upset.”

             
Amanda looked at her daughter.  “I know.  We’ve come to terms with it.  He doesn’t like it, but it’s going to happen.  I finally convinced him that meeting him is a good thing, and he says if he doesn’t like him, he’s going to tell him so.”

             
“Oooh…that doesn’t sound good.”  Elisa knew her brother would do just that.

             
“Whatever.  I’m glad Ray is coming, and I hope that you and your brother give him a chance.  I think he’s great, and I hope you might want to keep that under consideration before you maul him.  He’s a good man, and he’s very nervous about what you two think of him.”

             
“He is?  Well, I told Alex I thought he seemed nice, but he thinks Ray’s an Internet weirdo.”

             
Her mom laughed.  “I don’t think so.  He may not be Tom Cruise, but I think he’s sweet.”

             
“Do you love him, Mom?”

             
Amanda gripped the steering wheel, unsure of how to answer.  She knew how bizarre it would sound to her daughter if she said yes.   She decided it was a trick question.  “What do you mean?”

             
“Don’t play games, Mom.  You’ve been talking to Ray for a year, every night; for hours.  Your whole life seems to revolve around him, yet you barely know him, and he lives thousands of miles away.  Why?”

             
Amanda forged ahead hoping her daughter would understand.  “Because he’s my soul mate; he feels right, Elisa.  I can’t explain it.  He’s different from Peter and your dad.  I just know.  You know how you always hear about people ‘just knowing’.  That’s how I feel about Ray.” 

             
Elisa watched as her mom smiled to herself thinking about this.  Crazier things have happened.  “So you do love him, then?”

             
Amanda sighed, and patted Elisa on her knee.  “You just never give up do you?  I love him.”

             
Elisa’s thoughts went to Alex.  “Will you be moving to Maine?” 

             
“No.  We haven’t even talked about anything like that yet.  We just know we want to know more about each other, about each other’s lives.  No talk about anybody moving anywhere, so don’t worry about that.  You’ll be the first to know when and if that happens.”

             
“Does this really make you happy?  It seems like it would be so hard.”

             
Amanda mulled this over for a minute before answering.  “It’s the happiest I’ve been in a long time, Elisa, but then again, it’s the saddest I’ve been too.”

Chapter 40

Amanda ran around her house like a lunatic, giving it one final look-through before Ray arrived.  She couldn’t believe that he was going to be in her house today.  It seemed surreal.  She was meeting him at his hotel, so she flew out the door so she wouldn’t be late.

~~~

“Mandy, you look great!” He bear hugged her and told her how good it was to see her. 

             
“I’m so glad you’re here, Ray! Welcome to El Paso.”

They got in the car and just looked at each other.  He pulled her to him and kissed her.  The passion in that kiss showed her he had missed her as much as she’d missed him.

              She smiled into his lips as they continued to kiss, feeling like finally, she was whole.

             
              “Let’s go to my place, and then take it from there.” Ray agreed and went in Amanda’s car since she knew her way around. The desert was breathtaking and he was amazed as to how flat the land was.  It was so different from the East Coast, it was no wonder Amanda had felt so overwhelmed at her visit, especially in New York.

             
“Here we are, Ray, home sweet home.” 

             
Ray took in the small house they’d arrived at.  It was an attractive little southwest style ranch home, very different from what he’d imagined.  He said nothing as he got out of the car, noting how nervous Amanda looked.  He put his arm around her, “I can’t wait to see how you live.”

             
Once inside, the coziness of her home made Ray smile.  There were pictures of her kids everywhere, at all ages.  She had a few plants, and some southwestern decorations.  There was nothing Victorian, or Colonial about her home, again, something very different from Maine.  It was quaint and homey, and Ray loved it. 

             
              “It’s adorable Mandy, just like you.”  He bent over and kissed her.  The front door opened and startled them both.  Ray looked up to see a mini version of Amanda standing at the door.

             
“Is this the axe-murderer?”

             
“Elisa!”  Amanda reddened at their near miss.” This is Ray.  Ray, this is my infamous daughter.”

 
              Elisa walked up to shake Ray’s hand.  She liked his look, it was…harmless.  “I’m happy to finally meet you.  How is El Paso treating you?”

             
“I barely landed, but so far, so good.”

             
“Mom has been so excited, I’m glad you were able to come.” She looked at her mom, “I approve.”  Amanda and Ray both laughed at her cockiness. 

             
                                                        ~~~

             
              Ray had checked in to his hotel room and Amanda had been sitting on the bed while he was unpacking.  She was taking him to Nene’s, Hilary and Josh would be meeting them there.  Hilary being Hilary, didn’t want to wait for the steakhouse dinner to meet Ray, she wanted her own showing.