Chapter 12
Clay sat waiting for Andie on the bottom step outside their duplex, still trying to figure that woman out.
They’d argued in Bud’s lot over renting the motorcycle. Clay had thought she was feeling guilty again for Payton getting stung on her watch.
Andie had told him, in the end, he could throw away as much money as he wanted on a “stupid rental,” but she wouldn’t ride it if he paid her.
That was the stubborn woman he was familiar with, and the one he eventually decided to listen to.
The door behind him opened and he stood.
She wore light blue jeans that hugged her legs and ass but yet weren’t so tight or worn that his parents would think them inappropriate.
On top, she had a white short-sleeved shirt mostly unbuttoned and a jade-green tank beneath it.
The only signs of the Harley girl were the boots and the numerous earrings.
Even her tattoos were pretty much hidden.
“You clean up well,” he said as she descended the stairway.
“Go ahead and say it. I can hear what you’re thinking.”
“Say what?”
“I clean up well for a biker girl.”
He tried not to stare at the alluring way her shirt opened just right so he could catch a glimpse of the curve of her breasts above the tank.
“I didn’t think that,” he said. “Well, not much.”
“You said your family would be there. I do have the sense to try to dress appropriately.”
It was more than appropriately. It was… She was hot, and it was hard to forget that as he followed her out to the carport.
“You didn’t have to buy her a gift,” Clay said, gesturing toward the box Andie carried.
“Are you kidding? I can’t show up at a four-year-old’s party without a present.”
“You’re good to her,” he said, moved more than he wanted to be by the gesture. “Thank you.”
This was a terrible idea…bringing Andie to the family party when all he wanted to do was sneak her away and peel those appropriate clothes right off of her.
But Payton was ecstatic that Miss Andie was coming, along with Miss Macey, who’d be working at the bar during the party but had promised she would come out and join them on the beach as often as she could.
They parked outside the Shell Shack, in the same spot Clay had when he knocked over Andie’s bike, and unloaded all the necessities he’d packed while Andie had changed clothes.
They set up the mini grill close to the sea wall below the Shack and put the two large coolers—one full of meat and the other with drinks—in the shade.
A few more trips and they’d brought bags of chips and deli-made side dishes, the presents from Clay and Andie, lawn chairs, and a beach blanket.
Macey had stowed the rainbow-and-butterfly, pink-frosted cake in the bar’s kitchen earlier.
Clay tensed as his parents came down the concrete steps to the beach.
“Hey, Mom,” he said as she hugged him. His dad gave him his usual nod.
“Where’s the birthday girl?” Vince asked, glancing around and setting down two camp chairs. He looked right over Andie in the process, and that set Clay on edge.
“Bridget took her to that princess movie that’s out. They should be here any minute.” He relieved his mom of the presents she carried and set them with the others on the blanket. “Mom, Dad, this is Andie Tyler. She’s renting the lower unit from us and has become friends with Payton.”
“It’s nice to meet you, dear,” his mom said warmly, shaking Andie’s hand. “She’s a special little girl, isn’t she?”
“Yes, ma’am. She teaches me some of the frillier, girlier points I missed as a child.”
Clay saw his dad subtly inspect Andie. Andie either missed it or wasn’t bothered by it.
“Mr. Marlow,” she said, offering her hand. “You have good taste in baseball teams.” She glanced up at his Cubs hat approvingly.
Clay couldn’t have planned that better. If there was a way to his dad’s heart, it was baseball.
“You a fan?” he said, his gruff voice soft around the edges.
“I am.” She launched into a rehash of last night’s game, impressing both Clay and his dad. He wouldn’t have figured she could follow sports very well the way she traveled so much.
Clay and his mother moved to the grill to warm it up just as the birthday girl herself came bouncing down the steps at full speed.
“Grandma! Grandpa!” Payton ran to each of them and threw her arms around their legs.
“Sorry we’re late,” Bridget said, following at a more normal pace.
After hugging her grandpa, Payton grabbed Andie’s hand and told her all about the princess movie. To Andie’s credit, she nodded as if she’d been dying to hear all about it.
“Payton, what’s that on your arm?” Clay asked, removing his sunglasses to get a better view. She wore her brand-new orange-and-white-striped dress with cap sleeves and white sandals. It was tough to miss the large black blob on her upper arm.
“It’s a tattube, Daddy. Three butterflies. Like Miss Andie’s.”
“Where’d you get that?”
“In the birthday card from Miss Andie.”
“I picked up a book of temporary butterfly tats at the fair last night,” Andie explained. “I thought Payton would like them.”
He groaned to himself. What would his parents think? A tattoo…
“We need to wash that off, Payton,” he said sternly. “You’re too young for tattoos.”
“Aunt Bridget said it was okay. She has one too.”
Clay’s sister held up her ankle sheepishly, showing off the outline of a flower.
“Didn’t know it would be a problem, big guy. Sorry.”
“How do those come off?” Clay asked Andie, rubbing his daughter’s arm with his thumb.
“No idea,” Andie replied. “Mine don’t come off.”
The artwork didn’t smear or fade in the least at his touch.
“Oh, let her have a little fun, Clay. Your sisters used to love tattoos.” His mom inspected it more closely. “It is a pretty design, Payton.”
His mom disapproved of him trying to clean his daughter up. He suspected if he’d ignored the tattoo, his dad would disapprove of the way he raised Payton. Clay closed his eyes. He could never win.
“What do you need body art for, pumpkin?” his dad said, strolling over. “You’re perfect without it.”
“Miss Andie has tattubes, Grandpa.” She pointed at Andie and Clay cringed. “Lots of ’em.”
“What’s so special about this Miss Andie?” his dad asked. “Besides that she cheers for the right team.”
“She saved me.”
No. She did not just say that.
“What do you mean, she saved you, honey?” his mom asked, bending down to Payton’s level.
“She called the am-blu-lance to take me to the hospital.”
His mom looked up in alarm at him. “Clay?”
“Yeah. Uh, Payton got stung by a couple of bees. Turns out she’s allergic to bee stings. Andie was babysitting her and called 911 right away.” He couldn’t help smiling gratefully at Andie yet again.
“Bee stings? My lord, Payton.” His mom hugged the child to her. “Clay, why on earth didn’t you call us?”
“I didn’t want to worry you. By the time I could get to a phone, she was okay.”
And there was the part about him not wanting to hear how he might’ve handled things better or how he could’ve avoided the problem or what he’d done wrong. There was always that.
“So what happens with a bee-sting allergy?” his mom asked, studying Payton’s face as if to make sure she showed no signs of lingering problems.
“Her airway started closing up,” Clay said gravely. “Payton’s fine. Let’s talk about happier things. It’s her big day.”
His mom wasn’t ready to let it rest yet though. She hugged Payton close. “I’m so glad you’re okay, honey.”
Clay’s dad ambled closer to Andie. “Must’ve been quite the experience,” he said to her. “How’d you know what was happening?”
Was it Clay’s imagination or did his dad doubt Andie’s heroism?
“Scared the…scared me to death,” she said nervously. “I’d seen a similar reaction once before in someone else.”
Vince merely nodded and rubbed Payton’s head affectionately.
“I’ve got happy news,” Bridget said, and Clay instantly realized where she was going. Couldn’t she wait for another time? One that wasn’t supposed to be his daughter’s big day?
“Reid wanted to be here for this, but he had to work tonight.”
“What’s going on, Bridget?” his mom asked.
His sister looked around the circle at all of them. “We’re expecting a baby.”
Their mom squealed and hugged Bridget while their dad gauged Clay’s reaction.
“She told me earlier,” Clay confirmed.
Bridget looked at their dad expectantly.
“When are you getting married?” he asked.
Clay listened while Bridget went through the same spiel she’d given him a week ago, relieved, at least, that Payton wasn’t paying attention. Andie extracted herself from the intimate group and joined his daughter.
Not surprisingly, their father shook his head.
“This isn’t like my situation, Dad,” Clay said, feeling the need to try to help his sister out. “Bridget and Reid chose this. They’ll be in it together.”
“You think it’s okay?” his dad asked in disbelief.
“I think they’ll be fine.” It wasn’t a lie, even if it was dodging the true question.
“Clay chewed me out when I told him,” Bridget said. “He thinks we should get married. He said you’d blame him for this, but Clay has nothing to do with it.”
Vince paced away, shaking his head some more.
“He’ll come around, honey,” their mother said. “He’ll love that grandbaby and forget everything else, just like he does Payton.”
“He doesn’t forget everything else,” Clay said without thinking.
“I must confess, I don’t understand why someone would choose this, Bridget. But another grandchild…” Their mom rubbed her hands together and smiled widely. “Why don’t we go set things up. We have a lot of celebrating to do tonight.”
“Come on, Miss Andie,” Payton said, dragging Andie to the group and taking her grandma’s hand on the other side. Bridget hung back with Clay at the grill.
“Thanks for trying to stick up for me,” she said.
“Just trying to keep the peace on my daughter’s birthday,” Clay grunted.
“Suddenly Andie’s her best friend,” Bridget said in a low voice. “Do you think that’s wise?”