44
They took Liesl’s Ford Explorer to Austin, leaving early Friday morning and stopping in Fredericksburg for lunch.
“So, Uncle Jim’s kind of a dork,” Clara remarked as they sat finishing the french fries they’d split. “How’d you wind up with a guy like that?”
Liesl laughed. “He was definitely not a dork when I met him. He carried a gun and a badge and he was gorgeous. Aviator shades, the whole nine yards.”
“Hot stuff,” Clara said, grinning.
“Oh, he was way out of my league. I was immature and sheltered and had no style.”
“I’ve seen pictures. You were cute.”
“I was cute, but I wasn’t hot stuff. Luckily, he didn’t seem to notice. He quit the FBI for me, you know. He said he didn’t want to make me a cop’s wife.”
“He wanted to stick you out on a ranch and keep you pregnant.”
Liesl’s smile was a tad smug. “Yes, he did.”
Clara wasn’t exactly envious of her aunt’s happily-ever-after, but only because she knew how hard ranch life was. “You’re lucky that you were both on the same page.”
“We got on the same page eventually, but we didn’t start out on the same page. What kind of future do you envision for you and Jesse?”
Clara had envisioned many futures with Jesse, and she felt she would be happy with any of them—as long as it wasn’t the one with all his trophy wives. She was even okay with the demands of his job, and liked the idea of providing him with steady moral support. Jesse had a calling that was physically and emotionally difficult, but it was part of who he was and she loved him. “I don’t know. When I’m being realistic, I don’t think we have a future.”
“Well, that’s certainly a negative outlook.”
“It’s too complicated. He can’t seem to handle complicated,” Clara explained.
“Really? I thought he was a brilliant surgeon.”
“That’s different from emotional stuff. I’m not blaming him; he had a horrible childhood, and then we forced him to be a member of this giant, loving family—and that took time, remember? He was very resistant—and then an evil girlfriend made him think everyone abandoned him again. I think he’s kind of emotionally traumatized.”
Liesl said nothing, but she looked pensive.
“Anyway, now that he finally has his family back, maybe he won’t want to risk alienating everyone by admitting that he’s interested in me.”
“Do you think he is? Interested in you?”
“I know he is,” she said. “And I know he’s not thrilled about it. I just don’t know if it’s enough to make him act on it, you know?”
“Hmm. What does your ‘strategist’ say?”
“He doesn’t think I have anything to worry about. That’s the only bright spot in all of this.”
“Well, if Jesse can meet us tonight after the play,” Liesl said, “I’ll let you know what I think. But I’m inclined to trust your father’s judgment.”