Chapter Eleven #2
When they finally pulled down the dead-end street where her parents still lived, next door to his grandparents, he let out a big breath of relief. When they got out of the car, he glared at her.
“Whose idea was it to have a party on the Cape on a Saturday in the summer?”
She made a face at him. “First, it’s the second week in September, not really summer. And second, I didn’t tell my parents when to get married. They did that before I was even born. You have to blame them.”
He made the same face back at her. “I’d rather blame you. Your parents are too nice.”
“Are you saying I’m not nice?”
Those innocent eyes gleamed her way. “I never said that. Here come your parents though, so we should both be nice.”
Twisting around, she greeted her mom and dad with a big hug each. Once her mother gave Evan a hug, her father started in on baseball talk, both of them pulling out their phones for stats and whatnot.
“Leave them to their fun,” her mom said. “Let’s get your bag in the house and you can help me with a few things.”
Mercedes took her bag from the back seat of her car, which was more compact and had better gas mileage than Evan’s truck, and followed her mother inside the house.
“Your father will talk all day about baseball. We have better things to do.”
She laughed. “I’m not sure either of them would agree there’s anything better than baseball. Evan is quite the player. I’ve seen a number of his games, and he almost always has several runs batted in and a good catch or two to get the other team out.”
Her mother tipped her head as she took a bowl of dough from the fridge. “Help me roll these cookies into a ball so I can bake them.”
As they worked side by side to get the dough on the cookie sheet, her mother chatted more about Evan. Was it something Mercedes should worry about?
“Are you also becoming fixated on baseball now?”
Mercedes shrugged. “Not really. I simply want to be a supportive roommate to Evan, and the games are only around the corner from the apartment. It’s a nice break on a Saturday afternoon.”
“What else are you normally doing on a Saturday afternoon?”
“Sometimes laundry or reading a book. It’s great that I get to check out any of them from the college library.”
“Like father like daughter. How’s the roommate situation going so far?”
Mercedes shook her head. “Everyone’s been asking us that question.
It’s going well. He’s cleaning better than I thought he would.
Of course, I threatened to toss him on the streets if he didn’t.
I do most of the cooking, but I also did with Carli because I get home earlier.
Plus, I love cooking. Something I have in common with my mom. ” She grinned at the woman next to her.
“And your relationship hasn’t changed at all?”
“Changed how?” Was her mother implying what she thought she was?
“Anything between you two? Not that I’d say anything to anyone, especially his grandparents. They’re old school and quite old fashioned in that way.”
“No, there’s only friendship there.”
Her mother stared intently at her. Had she given something away?
“You sound almost disappointed.”
Her mother always taught her to be truthful. “Maybe I am. Can you blame me? Look at him.”
Her mother got a devilish look in her eyes. “Yes, he is scrumptious.”
“Mom!”
“For you, dear. I’ve got all I can handle with your father around.”
Once the cookies were in to bake, her mother set the alarm on her phone. “Let’s go see if we can get the boys to do something besides baseball talk.”
Evan’s grandparents had come outside and were chatting with him and her father.
They both knew some signs, though were hardly as fluent as the rest of the family.
However, since their son was deaf, they’d taken the time to learn a language he could use.
Unlike many hearing parents with deaf children.
She’d heard lots of stories from the Jamesons about friends whose parents never learned ASL and had difficulty communicating.
Gram and Pops, as Evan called them, knew enough to get by. They also made sure to face the person and pronounce their words clearly.
“Mercedes, it’s wonderful to see you again.” Gram pulled her in for a hug, then she got one from Pops, too.
“Thanks for letting Evan bunk with you tonight. It meant I didn’t have to drive all this way by myself.” Even though they were hearing, she hated to talk in front of Evan without signing.
Pops grinned. “He’s welcome anytime, and he knows it. Too busy with his job and friends to visit the old people.”
Evan looked chagrined. “Sorry. I’ll try to visit more often.”
“Your grandfather is only giving you a hard time, sweetheart,” his grandmother said. “I’m sure it’s hard to tear yourself away from someone as lovely and engaging as Mercedes.”
Evan grinned, then arched his back. She knew exactly how he felt. “Sitting in the car too long.”
Mercedes mimicked his pose. Her mother waved at her and Evan. “Why don’t you two go for a walk and stretch your legs? Unless you want something to eat first. Your father and I ate before you got here.” Mercedes translated for Evan.
“We ate already, too,” his grandmother said, frowning. “But I can fix something up real quick.”
“Better yet,” Pops said, reaching into his wallet, “Go buy your girl a nice meal on me.”
Evan’s face stiffened. “Thanks for the offer, Pops, but I have money to buy a meal. I wouldn’t mind stretching my legs.” He turned to Mercedes. “Would you like to grab something to eat and go for a walk along the harbor?”
She would, but she’d better check to see if she was needed at the moment. “Mom, what do you have planned for me?”
“Nothing right now. When you get back, you can help me cut the rolls for the finger sandwiches. Your brother arranged for the rest of the food. Said he didn’t want me to have to do too much for my own party.”
“Okay, and I’ll help you tidy the house and yard tomorrow morning.” If it was possible, her mom was even neater than she was. There wasn’t likely to be much to do. Smiling at Evan, she said, “I’m all yours.”
They got back in the car and skirted around the harbor until they found a place to park. There was a great little clam shack on the water, so they went there. It had been a while since she’d had good fried clams. Evan got a fisherman’s platter loaded with fries and onion rings.
As she snitched an onion ring from his plate, he scowled at her. It was hardly fierce. “I’m going to charge you for those.”
“Really? How much?” With a grin, she leaned closer to his face. It would be amazing if he answered that he wanted a kiss for each one she stole. She’d pilfer the entire plate.
The way he looked at her was intense, like he was thinking the same thing. Doubtful. He saw her as a little sister. Except that almost kiss last week. The one they’d studiously avoided talking about. Had that all been in her imagination? Had she blown it into something bigger than it was?
His glance flicked to her lips, then popped up again. “I’ll call it even, if I get your coleslaw.”
She sat back and handed over the small plastic container. She didn’t like the stuff and he knew it. Had he said that to avoid the obvious attraction between them, or had she been making that up as well?
By the time they were finished, she was stuffed and more than needed that walk.
Placing his hand on the small of her back, he guided her away from the clam shack and in the direction of the harbor.
The sound of the water was soothing, and she loved hearing it.
She felt bad that he couldn’t hear it, though he never had been able to.
One time, he’d told her that you didn’t miss something you never had. Guess that made it a little better.
She held her face up to the setting sun and let the breeze blow her hair around her face. That was something he could experience. Her expression made him smile, and he tilted his head up, too.
“I love being around water. Of any kind,” she said. “It’s so peaceful and relaxing.”
“As long as you aren’t drowning in it,” he teased, his expression ridiculous.
They kept walking, and Mercedes loved how Evan noticed things, often things about her, which sent a flutter through her chest. But he used all his other senses more intently than most. His eyes darted around, taking in everything.
He sniffed the salty sea air and smiled at the scent.
He walked with the loose confidence of someone who knew where he belonged.
When he was in his world, with people who understood him, he stood tall and proud.
As they strolled along the harbor, his eyes caught every person nearby, every movement on the busy worksite ahead.
A front loader rumbled as it picked up large chunks of concrete and dirt and deposited them in the back of a huge dump truck.
It was too hot to be working a construction site today. She’d bet Evan was happy he was off.
Several families with young children had stopped to watch the large equipment rolling over the dirt.
They stood behind tall orange cones, and the boys boisterously waved at the driver.
Evan slowed when they got near, his head tilting to one side.
Was this the kind of machine he used for work?
She knew he got very dirty but had never asked any specifics about his job. Maybe she should.
His hand brushed against hers as they picked up the pace, away from the noise and the dust. Then, he paused again, his eyes examining the machines working in the hot sun. Those eyes narrowed as he stared at the bucket of the machine, hefting the heavy load.
“Stay here,” he growled, not even taking the time to sign.
He dashed across the street and grabbed onto the two little boys right as the arm of the machine gave a terrifying pop and the bucket suddenly dropped, dumping the entire load onto the ground.
Debris and dust floated up, and pebbles spattered the small crowd.
Her heart beat loudly as Evan crouched just out of harm’s way, his back to the loader, the two boys held in his arms. His broad shoulders heaved with his heavy breathing, but his expression showed him to be calm and grounded, his eyes alert, making sure the danger was over.
The shocked parents surrounded him, saying something he couldn’t hear.
She dashed over to them, checking that Evan wasn’t harmed.
Aside from dirt and some tiny rocks in his hair, he seemed okay.
“Are you all right?” The mom hugged one crying son while the father clung to the other. The boys couldn’t have been more than six or seven.
Mercedes dove into Evan’s arms and squeezed him as tightly as she could. She wanted to scold him. He could have been killed, after all. But if he hadn’t run over here, those boys would have been crushed by the rubble.
The construction crew scrambled around, yelling, cursing each other for being careless. One of them trotted over.
“Are all of you okay? We’re not sure what happened.”
Evan stood and squinted at him. “Have you been running this machine all day?”
The man stared at Evan due to his less than perfect speech, though he seemed to get most of what he’d said.
“He’s deaf. I can interpret if you want.”
“How did he know what was going to happen?”
Mercedes signed and Evan responded. “It’s a hot day, and I noticed the bucket was up the entire time we were eating. The heat makes the hydraulic fluid expand. The pressure builds up in the hoses and can cause them to malfunction.”
When Mercedes told the man what Evan had said, his eyebrows slid closer. “I know that. We didn’t think it was that hot today. It’s Friday, and we all want to go home for the weekend.”
“The rhythm of the bucket was off. It was too jerky and shook in the wrong way. You get to know the feel of the machine once you use it enough.” Mercedes explained what Evan had said.
“We’re so glad you knew what to do,” the mom said, her voice shaky with gratitude. “You saved our boys. We want to thank you so much.”
When Mercedes interpreted, though Evan seemed to get the gist of what she was saying, he merely shrugged. “I’m glad they’re okay.”
The dad thrust his hand out and shook hard. “We want to repay you for saving them.”
Evan waved him off. “I work with this kind of equipment every day. It was second nature.”
The dad dug in his wallet, extracted a business card, and handed it to Evan. “Our family owns a restaurant here on the Cape. Please, stop by and get a free meal on us. It’s the least we can do.”
Mercedes glanced at the card. It was one of the nicer, more expensive restaurants in town. She’d only been there once, years ago, for some big celebration. They didn’t often spend that much for meals. She interpreted and Evan took the card.
“Thanks. I’m glad I was able to help.”
The family stumbled away, the boys still whimpering.
When Evan turned to look at her, his eyes held a quiet intensity.
She couldn’t believe he’d rushed in to rescue that family so quickly.
He’d never even given a thought to his own safety.
Her heart was still pounding after the rush, and she smiled at him. “You scared me.”
“I’m sorry. There wasn’t time to explain. I didn’t want you in harm’s way, and I needed to get the boys away from there when the arm came down.”
“It still amazes me that you knew. The people running the equipment apparently weren’t aware.”
He lifted one shoulder. “Like the guy said, it’s late on a Friday, and they all want to go home.
My guess is they’re running behind schedule and didn’t take the necessary breaks the equipment needs in this weather.
But I also feel things a little differently than others because I can’t hear. I have to use my other senses.”
Hadn’t she just been thinking that? “That makes me extra lucky to be with you and your super senses. Like a superhero.”
He raised his eyes to the sky and smirked. “Hardly a superhero. I don’t have a cape, and I definitely can’t fly.”
“I can make you a cape. It can match my cheerleader outfit. And flying is so outdated. Rescuing people is the new deal.”
Before he could respond, she jumped into his arms and hugged him.
His arms automatically surrounded her, and she reveled in the feel of them on her back.
When they eased back, she leaned in to kiss his cheek, but he must have been about to say something because he turned his head.
Their lips met. It was only an instant before they both jumped apart and started walking back to the house.
His lips had felt heavenly, and she wanted more, but suddenly things between them were awkward as heck.