Chapter 3
Chapter Three
She was on the road early the next morning. As much as she dreaded the drive, it really wasn’t that bad with her playlist blasting. She was on the freeway most of the time, and there was hardly any traffic. She made a stop for coffee and a quick breakfast about halfway, and that was when she realized she hadn’t actually told her mother she was coming home for the weekend.
Her mother’s house didn’t really feel like home anymore. The time between visits had stretched out, until she was lucky just to make it back for the holidays and she’d actually missed Thanksgiving and Christmas the year before because of a crushing deadline. Dropping in without warning felt strange now, especially since her mother’s social life was a lot more active than hers.
She called as she was getting back in the car. It rang so long that she expected it to go to voicemail, but finally there was a click as the phone connected. “Mom?”
“Jamie? Well, this is a surprise. Is it my birthday already?” The snarky tone wasn’t lost on Jamie.
“Ha-ha. It hasn’t been that long since I called,” Jamie retorted.
“Three months actually.” The fact that Alice Allard knew immediately how long it had been since her last call wasn’t a surprise. She tended to keep track of things she could complain about.
She might have been wrong, but Jamie tried to think back and honestly couldn’t remember. “Sorry, Mom. It’s just that work has been hectic lately. I feel like I never get a minute. You could have called me, you know.”
“I did, last month. You never called me back.” The acid in the voice wasn’t getting any lighter.
Whoops . “I could have sworn I…” She sighed. “Sorry. I saw the missed call, but you didn’t leave a voicemail, so I figured I’d just call you back when I had time, but…”
“But you never have time. I get it, Jamie. I know you’re busy.”
“I hope it wasn’t anything important. Did you need something?” She’d get on her mother’s good side before announcing the trip.
“No, nothing like that. You had an invitation for your high school reunion, and I thought you might be interested.”
“Oddly enough that’s why I called. It’s this weekend, and I kind of decided, spur-of-the-moment, to come home for it.”
“Oh.” There was a long silence.
Finally, Jamie said, “Mom? You there?”
Her mother laughed. “Yeah, just… well it’s ironic that you’re finally making a visit and I’m not going to be there.”
Jamie’s brow furrowed. “You’re not?”
“Nope. Jerry and I went away for the weekend. You remember Jerry?”
Did she? She was almost certain that her mother had been dating a guy named Rick last time they’d talked. But it was hard to keep track. “Uh, maybe?”
Her mother made an exasperated sound. “He’s the helicopter mechanic from the base. I’m sure I told you about him.”
It wasn’t ringing any bells, but it was going to be faster just to agree. “Oh, right. Sure.”
“He’s such a sweetie, and so romantic. Anyway, I’m sorry, but I won’t be there.”
Damn. It wasn’t a major issue, but it did put a hiccup in her plans. “That’s too bad. I can get a hotel for the weekend, no problem, but I was really hoping to see you.”
Her mother snorted. “Don’t be silly, Jamie! Why would you need to get a hotel? Your key still works, obviously.”
She hadn’t seen the key to her mom’s house in ages. It wasn’t like she carried it around on her keychain. “I didn’t bring it with me, Mom. Figured you’d be there.”
There was a tsking sound. “Jamie, life doesn’t stop when the kids grow up. You can’t expect me to be home, when you didn’t even give me warning you were coming.”
“I know th?—”
“And besides I’m not an old lady, you know? I was young when I had you, and I still have a lot of life to live. Hell, I’m not even fifty yet.”
“Mom…” She muted the call so she could let out a long sigh. It was always like this between them. She loved Alice, but the simplest things turned into an argument. It was one reason to avoid going home often.
“I know you don’t approve of me dating, but you’re not a kid anymore. You have to recognize that adults have needs too and?—”
Jamie cringed and tuned her out. The last thing she wanted to think about was her mother’s ‘needs’. Ugh . She let the woman wind down to take a breath, and then jumped in quickly with, “I know, mom! I totally approve. You should be out there dating. You’re still a young woman.”
That seemed to short-circuit the lecture and Alice went silent for a few seconds. When she spoke again, some of the wind had been taken from her sails. “Well, uh, good. I’m glad you agree.”
“I do. You deserve a weekend of fun, Mom.”
“I really do. Between you and me… I think Jerry might be the one.”
There had been a few of those over the years, but it never seemed to stick. And it wasn’t really their fault. Her mother was smart and fun, everyone liked her. The fact that she was also beautiful meant she could have almost any guy she wanted.
But Alice was picky. She had high standards, and the men she dated always seemed to meet them, at first, but after a while, she’d become unhappy, unsettled. Eventually, she’d send them on their way.
Jamie used to feel bad for them. They always seemed so… confused, about what had gone wrong. Some of them were really great guys too, but that didn’t seem to matter. She no longer bothered to meet them or remember their names.
Alice had noticed and had decided that Jamie didn’t want her mom to date. Letting her think that was easier than arguing with her about it. “I hope so, Mom. He sounds like a keeper,” was all she said.
“Thanks, baby. I’m really happy with him.” Her tone was noticeably warmer now. “Anyway, you know where the spare key is. Just go ahead and let yourself in. I’m sorry we missed each other, but I’m sure you’ll be busy enough with your friends anyway.”
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
“Of course it is. Just don’t make a mess and don’t have any boys over.”
Jamie’s mouth dropped. “Mom! Boys? Really? I’m almost thirty.”
She laughed. “Just kidding, sweetie. Well, not about the mess part. If I come home to a pile of dirty dishes, I’ll murder you, but as far as boys, well, just remember what I always told you: make sure you’re being safe, and don’t count on them to bring the protection.”
“Moooom.” Her voice rose as she drew the word out in horror.
“What? I know how reunions can be. I’ve had a few myself, don’t forget. Too many drinks, an old crush, and before you know it, you’re in the backseat of?—”
Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. It was mortifying. Having sex in her mother’s house was definitely not on the agenda. It would just feel weird.
She did her best to tune out whatever details Alice was happily sharing, quickly said her goodbyes, and got off the phone. “Why is she like this?” she muttered as she let her head fall back against the seat, staring blankly at the soft gray roof for a few minutes, before she sighed and started the car.
Thanks to the reunion she’d been thinking a lot about the past. Now her mother, with her awkward comments, had added a new edge to her thoughts and she spent the rest of the drive thinking about Oliver, remembering, and wondering.
It was still morning, barely, when she pulled up in front of the house. It looked… different. At some point her mother had made changes, and for a second, she thought she’d stopped at the wrong address.
The white box she remembered had been replaced with a sunny yellow home that seemed smaller. Green shutters framed the windows, and flower beds now bordered the front. It looked great, but it didn’t mesh with the memories. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so jarring, if she hadn’t been thinking about the past all the way there.
Especially when she walked around back to find the key. Jeez , it’s only been a year since I was here last. The old swing set that had occupied her and Oliver for so many hours was gone, replaced by a flagstone patio. To be fair it had been slowly rusting away for years, but it was still a shock.
Unfortunately, the old clay plant pots on the steps were also gone, and one of them had held the spare key. Shit . She tried calling her mother, but there was no answer.
She stood there, uncertain of what to do. It wasn’t too late to go find a hotel, but now she kind of wanted to go inside and see what else had changed.
Her mother was always forgetting her key, so there was going to be a spare hidden somewhere . She just had to find it, which turned out to be easier said than done. After half an hour of searching, she gave up and started trying the windows.
The one she put off until last, was the only one that was unlocked. Despite all the changes and upgrades, her mother still hadn’t gotten around to fixing the wonky lock on the downstairs bathroom window. The problem was that Jamie’s hips were considerably wider than the last time she’d climbed through that window, thirteen years ago, and it had been a tight fit then.
She stared at the opening dubiously and sighed as she waffled over her choices. Finally, after too much wasted time, she decided she might as well make the attempt. That… turned out to be a mistake.
Halfway through the window she got stuck. She couldn’t go any further in, and when she tried to wiggle back, that didn’t work either. “Fuck!” she shouted into the empty bathroom. Her legs kicked wildly as she tried to move one way or the other, and in the process, she slammed her knee into the siding.
That caused a long stream of curses, which didn’t really help and just left her out of breath. Fear was starting to set in. What if she couldn’t get free? Her mother wouldn’t be back for days. That song about ‘dumb ways to die’ was playing on repeat in the back of her head.
“Well, this isn’t something you see every day.”
She jerked, startled by the sudden voice behind her and then winced as her stomach scraped against the frame. “Help me, I’m stuck!” She didn’t know who it was, and she didn’t care, as long as they got her out of the window.
“Alright, hold on a second.” There was a long pause. “Um, I’m going to need to touch you. That okay?”
Was he… was he really asking for consent right now? “Yes, of course you can,” she said through gritted teeth.
“Just checking. This is going to get a little personal.”
A large pair of hands settled on her hips and gripped, as an embarrassed heat crawled up her neck and flooded her face. It had been a while since anyone had held her like that, and the situation had been very different.
He started by tugging gently to one side, and then the other, trying to work her back through the frame, but she was wedged pretty tightly, and all it did was chafe her skin.
After a few minutes of that, she protested, “That’s really starting to hurt.”
“Sorry about that.” He stopped pulling and was quiet.
She could almost feel him staring at her ass. The position was so vulnerable, and it made her twitchy. “Maybe you could push me through?”
“Worth a try.”
He planted his hands directly on her ass cheeks, and a panicked squeaking sound burst from her. “Hey!”
“Sorry to get handsy, but I’m not sure how else to do it.” He didn’t sound sorry. If anything, he sounded amused, but she couldn’t blame him.
She hadn’t really thought out the logistics of being pushed through the window, or how much more personal his hands would have to get. Now she was rethinking it. “Wait, maybe—” But just then he pushed, and she actually felt her position loosen as she slid forward. “Don’t stop! It’s working!”
He pushed again and she wiggled another inch forward. “Wish we had some lube,” he commented.
Her mind went to the wrong place, but then she realized what he meant. It wasn’t any less embarrassing, just more appropriate for the situation. “I think we’re getting there though. This is helping.”
“I have an idea.” His hands left her ass and a second later, he had grabbed her ankles and was lifting her legs. “Keep wiggling forward,” he suggested, in a strained voice.
With her legs now even with the windowsill, it shifted her center of gravity and suddenly she was able to pull herself straight through with no trouble at all. He held on until her knees were inside, and then he let her go.
She fell forward onto the floor with an ‘Oomph!’ that was muffled by the fluffy bathmat pressed against her face. She took a second to just lie there and consider the choices that had led to this situation.
“Are you okay?”
Oh right. The guy. She rolled over and sat up, knowing her face was bright red, both from exertion and embarrassment. He was leaning his arms on the sill and had poked his head through to look at her.
“I’m good. Thanks for the uh, assist. I’m not sure how I would have managed if you hadn’t happened—” She stopped and frowned as a thought occurred to her. “Um, not to be ungrateful… but why are you in my mother’s backyard?”
He laughed, and it was familiar sounding somehow. “Lucky timing, I guess? Actually, I came over to see if you were here. Someone told me you’d be in town for the reunion, so I figured I’d come say hi. I was about to knock, when I heard someone swearing like a drunk soldier on leave, so I came around to check and… saw the most interesting sight.”
Her face couldn’t get any redder, but it tried. She could just imagine what she’d looked like, stuck the way she’d been. And that thought was so all-consuming that she didn’t immediately understand the rest of what he’d said. Then it clicked.
He’d come to see her . That meant he wasn’t a stranger at all.
She hadn’t actually taken a good look at him until just that second. He was gorgeous, with thick, though short, dark hair and deep blue eyes. His jawline looked like it had been carved out of stone, and there was just the slightest shadow of stubble to give it depth.
But it was the faint scar, bisecting his right eyebrow, that clued her in. She knew that scar, because she’d caused it with a badly aimed swing of a stick, during an invented game with…
Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped and hung open as she stared. She tried a couple times to speak, and when she finally did it came out barely more than a whisper. “Oliver?”
“You do remember me! I was starting to wonder.” He grinned. “Hey, brat, I missed you.”