Fixer-Upper (Spinning Hills Romance 3) (16 page)

“Do you mean Marconi and McNeely, the pharmaceutical giant?” Brian asked.

Marissa turned to him. “Yes. They have a fund.” Brian simply nodded.

“We’ll be meeting some of the kids next Saturday, won’t we?” Dan asked.

Marissa hesitated. She hadn’t had a chance yet to tell Brian about the change in next Saturday’s plans. They were supposed to spend the next two weekends looking at houses.

But Brian was typing into his phone at the moment and not paying attention.

 

Later that evening, after Michelle Medina had stuffed them with dessert, Marissa got the chance to tell Brian about the change in plans.

“The
loco
brigade?” Brian smiled and shook his head. They were sitting on a bench in the garden outside Marissa’s parents’ house. Brian was leaning against a tree, she was snuggled in his arms, the moon was high and bright, the night was warm, and a feeling of contentment was slowly soothing Marissa’s earlier turmoil. Johnny had promised he’d said his piece and would now leave her alone.

“Come with me. You’ll get to meet my kids, and I promise it’ll be fun. Marty said he’ll help out till four, and my dad, Sam, Johnny and Dan, and Ruby and Abuela Rosa are coming, too. I don’t even know how they found out.” She laughed. “And Sherry’s staying behind to run the café and fix us all lunch.”

“Marissa . . .” Brian’s arms slackened. “I get that you’re new to this job and got caught up in wanting to help out, but I work hard all week, too, and I’m going to be the one driving down to meet you from now on, to start house-hunting and to plan the wedding. And you’re leaving for Ecuador a few days after we move in together, and you won’t even reconsider going. I’m going to have to do most of the unpacking and organizing myself... I’m sorry, but I can’t commit to scraping and painting an entire school, too. We really need to get moving on locating some housing
now
.”

“I’m sorry. You’re right.” Marissa’s mind raced, looking for ways to keep everyone happy. Brian was right, they needed to start planning their future and he was the one with the long drive, and she’d be leaving at an inconvenient time, but she wanted him to understand why she’d gotten so caught up. It wasn’t just that she was new. “It’s just—the kids were so excited about helping out, and having pride in their school is good for them. I need them to see me as part of it, so they know they can count on me.” She paused. Brian didn’t respond. “How about you pick me up before lunch? That way, I can work alongside them all morning, while you can sleep in and rest, and maybe research wedding planners and places to live, and then you can meet the kids, and we can spend the rest of the day together.”

Brian hesitated. “I think it’s better if I just meet them another day. If I meet them next Saturday, I’ll just look bad for stopping by, but not helping out, and that’s not fair to me. Besides, you’ll need to get cleaned up anyway.”

Marissa straightened and turned to look at him. “You won’t look bad. I’ll explain. And the school is only fifteen minutes away. We can come back and I’ll get cleaned up in a jiff.”

“Try to meet me in the middle here. I’m not asking you not to go—even though it sounds like you have more than enough people helping out. I get that you want to be there, and I get that you want me to meet them, and I will. All I’m saying is I don’t want to meet them next Saturday, okay?”

Marissa looked out into the night. He was being logical and fair. She’d been the one to cause the change in plans and he
was
meeting her in the middle . . .

But she felt like she was giving up something important. It didn’t make sense. Her feelings were trying to tell her something was off, while his facts were telling him he was being fair. He wasn’t wrong, and yet... “Do you promise to meet them soon? They mean a lot to me.”

“Of course I promise. If it’s important to you, it’s important to me.”

 

Johnny spent the entire weekend working on the Cursed Lover. By Sunday evening, he’d torn off the rotted siding. One of his brother’s crews would be tearing down what was left of the second floor and installing the new metal roof that week. To his surprise, his brothers had agreed it would be a different, but good look for the house. Plus, there were a lot of mature trees around the structure, and aluminum would protect the house from falling branches better than traditional materials.

He was standing on the would-be roof when he heard someone shout, “We heard you’re putting in a hot tin roof!”

Johnny nearly lost his balance. He looked down to see Ruby, Rosa, and Sherry all gazing up at him. A light breeze flowed through Rosa’s long brown hair and Ruby’s flowing dress. Sherry stood almost eerily still. With the setting sun casting long shadows behind them, they looked like spirits from beyond come to haunt him. Except he knew they were very real and it was more like they’d come to hunt him.

“You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that. You could cause an accident.” He climbed down to greet them.

“We didn’t sneak. We walked,” Sherry said, her eyes twinkling. “Our shop is only a ten-minute walk away. Maybe you should’ve considered that before buying the property.”

“Maybe.” Johnny laughed. “Still, I would’ve at least expected thunder and lightning to announce your arrival.”

Rosa’s look told him she was not amused.

“Where are those puppies?” Ruby asked, looking around. “We’ve been dying to meet them, but you haven’t brought them by.”

“I thought you were all mad at me,” Johnny said as he led them out back to where he’d crated the pups.

“Awwww. Have you ever seen anything so adorable?” Rosa gushed and picked one up before turning to glare at him. “We
are
mad at you. Especially me. And every time I think I’m over it, new, disturbing information comes into our shop.”

Ruby and Sherry picked up puppies, too. Only Pepito and Biggie were left in the crated area, and feeling sorry for them, he took them both out, sat on the grass, and put them on his lap for a petting session. It was also a strategic move on his part. Not only did he not want any of his dogs growing up with inferiority complexes, but it would be hard for the three women to rail at him when he was looking up at them while playing with cute puppies. He’d had enough railing from Marty, and he still hadn’t been able to process everything that was said.

He glanced up. Ruby was rolling her eyes at him, and Rosa was giving him a look that told him she knew exactly what he was up to.

“Don’t try to pull on our heartstrings, they’re wound too tight today and just might snap and slap you hard across the face,” Sherry said.

Johnny sighed. What was it Marty had said about trying to save people from awkward situations? Hell, he couldn’t even manage to save himself. Not even today, when he was feeling particularly low and didn’t want to have it out with any more friends.

He sat back and decided to try to just let things run their rocky course.

“First, there was taking on five orphans,” Rosa began. “Then, you go and buy this godforsaken shack, and after that, you sing a telling song in front of the world.”

Johnny hadn’t expected them to know anything about the song. Before he could get a word in, Ruby looked down at him and said, “Oh yes, we know.”

“What do you think you know?” he managed.

“All
you
need to know is that
we
know and we are
not
going to help you the way we helped your brothers with Holly and Cassie,” Rosa declared.

Johnny’s heart sank. “You’re not going to help me the way you helped my brothers. What, exactly, does that mean?”

“It means you shouldn’t expect any advice from us,” Ruby said.

“Or expect us to talk to her about any of it, because we won’t,” Sherry added, her expression more serious than usual. “We love you, but this situation is different. There’s no way we’re going to help break up a happy couple. And even if they’re not right for each other, it’s up to them to figure it out. Besides, we’re not sure you’re right for her, either.”

“So, you’re saying you’ll stay completely out of it and not interfere at all?” Johnny looked at each woman in turn.

Ruby narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re acting as if you’re happy we don’t want to help you with Marissa.”

Johnny hesitated. Hearing her say Marissa’s name out loud drove the truth home. No, he didn’t want anyone interfering with his pathetic love life. But the fact that so many people thought he was bad for Marissa rankled. He grew serious, too. “I get that you’d never help break up a happy couple. I wouldn’t either. And maybe I shouldn’t be so sure Brian
won’t
make her happy. But why do you think
I’m
so wrong for her?

Rosa sighed and sat down on the grass in front of him. Johnny had never seen her sit on the ground before. “Marissa has always said she needs someone with a serious head on his shoulders, Johnny.”

Johnny looked Rosa in the eye. “You know, when I told you I wanted to be a school psychologist you encouraged me, saying it made sense, that the kids would be lucky and that you couldn’t imagine anyone better. Half the town said the same thing. You all trust me with kids, and yet you all treat me like a screwup most of the time.”

Rosa put her hand on his knee. “That came out wrong and I apologize. What I mean to say is, you and Marissa are both guided by your hearts, more than most people. That’s great for the kids you work with, and great for your friends and family, but it might not be so great for you as a couple. She has hammered it into her brain that she needs someone who has more head than heart to balance her out, to make her aware of the big picture so she doesn’t make mistakes that end up hurting those around her.”

Johnny frowned. “Maybe she’s right. Maybe I’m not for her. I respect that. But it would be really nice if she and everyone else stopped to revise their long-held opinions. People grow up. And I have a better head on my shoulders than you all give me credit for.” He paused to gather up Biggie, who’d gotten a little away from him and was trying to suck on an acorn. Everyone was used to seeing him like Biggie, the runt of the litter, always getting into trouble. “Nobody stops to think about everything I’ve accomplished. None of it just happened. I thought. I planned. I moved ahead. I still get into trouble sometimes, because I’m still trying to figure it all out, but it’s never been my intention to hurt anyone and intentions matter. Motives matter.”

Sherry knelt in front of him, her expression more sober than Johnny was used to. “We’re not saying you’d be bad for Marissa, we’re saying we just don’t know.” She sighed and squeezed his knee. “I never talk about it, but Mac . . .” she began, mentioning her late husband, but her voice cracked and she was quiet for a moment. “Mac and I had a grand love. He was always laughing, and always happy, like me, mostly, and that’s what everyone remembers. But Mac had an addictive personality, and I wasn’t strong enough to find him help back when it mattered most. As you know, our daughter went down the same path, and now I have three beautiful granddaughters, all paying the price. Sometimes a grand love is overrated.”

Ruby came over to put a hand on Sherry’s shoulder. Johnny knew Sherry’s only daughter, Laura, was an alcoholic who’d died of liver failure, but he’d thought her granddaughters were doing all right.

“Obviously, you and Marissa wouldn’t have the problems Mac and I did. But I get that Marissa wants to look out for her future by selecting someone who will balance her out. I’ve seen people live very happy lives without having that grand love too many of us are taught to dream about and pursue. Of the three of us, only Rosa had a truly happy marriage, and she was the only one of us who chose with both her head and heart. Intentions matter, but they’re not enough.”

“And I don’t know where you left your so-called good intentions when it comes to Brian.” Rosa folded her arms and lifted an eyebrow.

Johnny sighed. “I’m not crazy about him, but I swear I don’t want him to get hurt, either. It’s just—no matter how many times I tell myself I don’t know anything and I could be wrong, little things about the past keep coming back to me and I can’t shake the feeling they’re not right for each other. Finding out later would be worse for both of them, don’t you think?” He looked at them. They didn’t answer. He blew out a breath. “I’m biased. I know.”

Rosa, Sherry, and Ruby exchanged long glances—it almost looked as if they were having a telepathic conversation. Rosa turned to Johnny again . . . as if something had been decided? He shook his head. “We said we wouldn’t help you the way we helped your brothers, but we didn’t say we’d stay completely out if it.”

Johnny gave them a look. “That’s what I’m afraid of. What, exactly, are you planning on doing?”

Ruby ignored his jab. “We’ll probe her a bit. To make sure she knows what she wants.”

“Probe?” he repeated. He looked over at Sherry, who still had sadness in her eyes. “Are you three going to beam Marissa up to your spaceship and run tests? I’ve always wondered where you guys hid that thing.” That made Sherry smile.

But Ruby raised her eyebrows at him and said, “You know, you won’t get anyone to take you seriously if you keep making a joke of everything.”

Ouch.
And from Ruby, of all people.

M
arissa was glad to be back at school on Monday morning. She and Brian had looked at fourteen houses that weekend. They hadn’t agreed on a single one. Their Realtor told them it was perfectly normal, especially so early in the house-hunting process, which made sense. They were combining two people’s needs and wants, after all. But it had been stressful.

She got out of the car and checked her e-mail on her smartphone as she made her way across the parking lot. There was only one new message. And Marissa had to read it three times.
They’d made it to the second round.

They’d made it!

She ran into the building, burst into the office, and yelled, “We did it! We made it!” Mrs. Simmons, Harold, Amy, and Johnny were all there. One moment they were standing in stunned silence, and the next they were cheering, hugging each other, and laughing. Marissa hugged everyone in turn, but hesitated when she got to Johnny. Since she’d hugged everyone else anyway, she gave him a quick hug, too. What else could she do? She was still furious with him, but they were at the school. Here, she needed to be on good terms with him.

Their eyes met for one quick moment. His expression held a silent thank-you for not leaving him out. She nodded and looked away. Over the weekend, she’d worked on separating helpful and knowledgeable school psychologist Mr. A from the Johnny who was trying to push her buttons in her personal life. She’d been so mad she hadn’t thought she could do it. But standing there, surrounded by their coworkers and sharing in the good news they’d all had a hand in, it felt like a different life from the one she lived outside and it felt doable.

“The kids are going to be so excited.” Amy’s eyes were shining.

“Let’s gather them in one room and tell them together,” Harold suggested.

“Can we all be there when you tell them?” Mrs. Simmons turned to her.

“Of course! We’re all in this together.” Marissa was so happy, she could barely contain herself. Her eyes widened as she looked over at Amy. “It’s on, Amy. It’s really on.”

Amy grabbed her hand. “Let’s go hit the
submit
button on that grant.”

A short time later, the summer staff was standing in front of the classroom, watching thirty-two kids either hop up and down and scream, or pretend they weren’t impressed. But nobody was fooling anyone. The light in their eyes showed how proud and excited they all were, no matter how they chose to react.

Now planning the musical took on a new, more intense energy. There was a new feeling that hadn’t been there before. A mix of nerves and excitement. They had a shot now.

Throughout the morning, opinions were hotly debated and consensus was harder to reach in both classrooms. And Johnny had his most challenging day yet. Major disruptors were being sent to him on a consistent basis.

Desks were kicked, swear words were used, and more than one kid had walked out. But being stuck with Johnny in his office meant not being able to participate in the musical, and for most, that was punishment enough.

Except for Isaac. Something that had nothing to do with the musical was going on with him. He and his best friend, Javier, had gotten into two big arguments that day, and Isaac, who was usually the follower, had been the instigator. “You’ve stayed longer than anyone else in my office today,” Johnny said. “The others couldn’t wait to go back to the classroom and have their say. It’s nice to finally have someone stay.”

Isaac scowled. “That reverse psychology sh—stuff don’t work with me,” he said, but it was telling that he’d backed down before using a cussword.

Johnny bit back a grin. In truth, he’d only been trying to get the kid to talk, but his response was pretty slick. Isaac spoke better English than most kids in the class, but he wasn’t a strong reader. He also had very caring parents, and he wasn’t normally a troublemaker.

Johnny tried a different approach, knowing he’d get a similar response. “I got into a fight with my best buddy this weekend, too.”

There was a spark of interest in Isaac’s eyes, but it was gone in an instant. “And now you doing the thing where you pretend you get me.” Isaac rolled his eyes and folded his arms over his chest.

Johnny leaned forward. “No. I’m being serious here. We got into a huge argument. But we’ll be all right.”

A short silence. Isaac shuffled his feet. “Was it over a girl?”

Johnny nodded. “It was over a girl. Is that what’s up with you?”

“You doing it again.”

Johnny held his palms up. “I’m not. Trust me, there’s no way I’m telling you all about my girl troubles just to get something out of you.”

Isaac’s lips twitched but he didn’t say anything for a while. The clock ticked, he looked up and began getting antsy. “Do I gotta talk to go back?”

“Yes. Miss Medina doesn’t want to have to take anyone out of the musical, but there’s a three-strikes-you’re-out policy she has to enforce, or she won’t get anywhere. If you go back in there, still angry, and you get into another fight, that’ll be your third strike. I won’t be doing you any favors by sending you back in there with the same attitude that got you here in the first place. I can only send you back if I think you won’t disrupt the class anymore.”

“I won’t.”

“I know you know that’s not enough, Isaac.” He paused. “Look, you don’t have to tell me your private thoughts. I get that they’re private. But you do need to tell me your plan for staying out of trouble—how you’re going to stop your anger so that you don’t disrupt the class.”

Isaac looked down. “I can’t look at them together,” he finally said, his voice full of grief. “It makes me mad.”

Johnny nodded and was quiet a moment, trying to see how much he could figure out on his own, without having to pry every single word out of Isaac’s mouth. “Javier and Aleksandra?” he asked.

Isaac looked away, but his throat was working. The boy was in pain. “I don’t wanna be pissed at Javier. His dad left his ma for this woman Javier hates . . . then his mom left, too, ’cause she so hurt.”

Isaac’s words hit Johnny so hard, he had to close his eyes a moment. Isaac was mad, but he didn’t want to hurt Javier. Had Johnny thought of Brian at all in his quest to make Marissa ‘see the light’? No. He’d felt justified because he didn’t think Brian could make Marissa happy. And he couldn’t help it, he couldn’t get rid of the idea that Brian was the type to hurt someone like Marissa, but . . . Marty was right. It wasn’t his business. He’d thought his intention of doing the right thing was enough, but the look on Isaac’s face was teaching him a lesson. If a kid knew enough not to butt into someone else’s relationship, what was Johnny doing?

Johnny opened his eyes and studied the smart, sensitive kid in front of him. “Look, I know you’re on to all of my tricks, but I’m still going to try the one where I tell you something about me so you see that I
do
get you,” Johnny said. Isaac looked at him again, and there was so much misery in his eyes, Johnny knew he was ready to talk. “Here goes: I know how you feel, Isaac.”

Isaac gave him a ghost of a smile. “I know you know that’s not enough, Mr. A.”

“I know.” Johnny smiled back. “But I know what it’s like to hurt, deeply, over a girl. I know how powerless and frustrated it can make you feel when you think someone doesn’t return your feelings. But we can’t let those feelings control us. When we let those bad feelings control us, we lose. Every time.” Johnny met Isaac’s gaze. “I’ll send you back to the classroom as soon as you tell me how you’ll stop your feelings from completely controlling your actions. Take some time to think about it, and we’ll discuss it to make sure it’s a good plan for you. I can also tell you about some of that psychology stuff you love so much. There are some tricks that could help you get started. We all need to do this sometimes, you know.”

Isaac rolled his eyes again, but this time, he added a little shrug.

Soon, Isaac was ready to go back. But Veronica and Lizzy, another one of Marissa’s students, were waiting outside. And Johnny got his very first taste of a Facebook feud.

It was bitter.

“She no have to put it on the wall!” and “If I no look, Mr. A, how I know what she writing on me?” were among the shouts coming out of his office.

By Wednesday, he’d handled two Twitter feuds, as well. Johnny even e-mailed his favorite professor about it, telling him they seriously needed to add a class on social media feuds to the school psychology program. His professor responded that maybe Johnny should write his thesis on it. Now there was a scary thought.

Electronic devices were a great tool for Marissa’s class in particular. The kids were able to take notes, look up translations, definitions, and lyrics, but they could also insult each other on social media when they didn’t agree on something. So far, the three-strikes-you’re-out threat was working for that, too.

The promise of holding afternoon dance-offs with the kids if they met their goals also seemed to work. They loved seeing ol’ Mr. A break out his moves.

 

Marissa’s and Amy’s mornings had been full of triumphs and headaches. The headaches that bordered on migraines they sent to Johnny’s office. There was no other choice. The kids had to concentrate, collaborate, make choices, and keep moving forward. But disagreements and arguments kept setting them back.

But as focused as Marissa was on guiding the kids and keeping them on task, a little piece of her brain kept wandering over to Johnny’s office, wondering what went on inside those walls.

One thing was becoming very clear. Johnny was great at his job. Whatever he was saying to the kids, it worked. It was hard to stay angry at him for singing that song on Friday evening when he was making the school day so much easier. And it was hard to feel awkward when Johnny was such a monkey every afternoon. The kids loved watching him making a fool of himself dancing. Marissa’s only worry was that Johnny seemed to really believe he was a good dancer...

At least he was getting tons of likes on the kids’ Facebook pages, where they’d uploaded some of their dance-offs. By the time the school year came around, every kid in school would know who Mr. A was.

 

“Are
you
on Facebook?” Amy asked Johnny that Friday at lunch. It was a beautiful day and he, Marissa, Amy, and Harold were having lunch outside. He and Marissa were on friendly terms at school, and he would be eternally grateful for her understanding and forgiving nature. He just had to treat her with respect and true friendship. It was hard and he still struggled, but it would have to be enough for him. He simply had to treat her the way he treated friends he
wasn’t
in love with . . .

He took a quick look around to make sure no kids were listening before answering Amy. “Heck, no. Too many ex-girlfriends on there for me to be even the slightest bit tempted to join.”

“I hear ya!” Harold said. “But for a widower like me, it’s a good thing. Gets lonely sometimes. It’s good to know some ladies never forgot you.”

Amy laughed.

“You two are so full of yourselves.” Marissa rolled her eyes.

Amy turned to Johnny. “Why are you so afraid of your exes? Were you that much of a cad, or are you worried they’ll stalk you? You seem like a good guy, so I’m guessing you’re worried they’ll stalk you.”

Johnny took a bite of his sandwich, but didn’t answer.

Marissa gave him a look. “You’re not hard to get over, you know.”

“You wouldn’t know,” he teased. Amy and Harold laughed.

 

Heat crept up Marissa’s neck, but she willed herself to cool off before it could reach her face. She sometimes forgot Johnny had no idea she’d once harbored strong feelings for him. So many people had teased her about having a crush on him when they were younger, she’d always thought he’d caught on, despite her denials. “I grew up with you, I know at least half a dozen of your ex-girlfriends, and I know for a fact they’ve moved on.” She went to her phone and looked up her own Facebook account to show him how happy some of his old girlfriends were.

“You’re on Facebook?” Johnny cast a pretend look of disdain her way.

“Of course. I don’t feel the need to hide from anyone.”

He laughed and leaned over her shoulder to look at her phone, but Marissa gasped the moment she looked down at it. “It’s the Marconi and McNeely Fund. I friended them on Facebook, and they posted that they’ve made their decisions and have sent out e-mails.” She then practically threw her phone at Amy and covered her eyes. “Look at my e-mail messages for me. I can’t do it myself.”

Amy looked just as nervous. “No. I can’t look, either. There’s too much at stake. You look!” Amy slid the phone over to Johnny and clutched her stomach.

Johnny chuckled, took the phone, and searched for her e-mail application. But the laughter died on his lips when he saw that Brian’s picture was Marissa’s screen saver. With a deep breath to steady himself, he clicked on the e-mail icon. “There’s a message here from Marconi and McNeely. Do you want me to read it?” he asked. Marissa looked so anxious, he could practically feel her nerves playing Ping-Pong against him.

“Yes. Please. Is it normal that I’m such a coward?”

“You’re fine. Let’s see . . .” He cleared his throat before reading out loud. “Dear Ms. Medina, we are pleased to inform you that your project proposal has been awarded a grant in the amount of eight thousand dollars—”

Both Marissa and Amy whooped, and Marissa jumped out of her seat and hugged him before he could finish reading the letter. He hugged her back and whispered, “I’m so proud of you.”

She looked over at Amy and Harold, intending to hug them next, but they were both staring at her and Johnny with funny expressions on their faces. Marissa paused, feeling strange and exposed for a moment, but she shoved the feelings away, refusing to let them take root and ruin her peace of mind. She ran around the table and bear-hugged them.