Sweet Reunion (22 page)

Amanda opened the door and gestured him inside. He
thought that he might see a small smile tugging at the sides of her plump lips
and hoped that he was correct.

“Morning, glory,” he quipped, one of their old jokes.
She smiled. YES! Mission accomplished.

“It's a gorgeous day,” Amanda responded, “What are you
up to? Maybe taking some other young unsuspecting maiden on a hike and then
slipping her the tongue?”

“You're the only young unsuspecting maiden in my
sights,” he replied in the same teasing tone, and ended with a wink, but he
sensed that they both knew that there was something deeper being communicated
here. They were feeling each other out, trying to find out where the other
person stood. Justin knew that Amanda would be weighing her options. Justin
versus Geoffrey, Geoffrey versus Justin. He knew that the one factor he didn't
want her to give a second thought to was whether or not Justin was interested,
he wanted her to be crystal clear on that point.

But, by the same token, he didn't want to be too
overt, too forward. He didn't want to scare her off, to break the magic of what
was happening between them. He had tried that route up at Hope Falls, with the
bold statement of feelings and the kiss. And, oh my God, yes it had been
wonderful – but the end result was that it had sent her scampering off down the
path away from him. So, for now, these oblique teasing exchanges would have to
do.

“In all seriousness, what are your plans for today?” 
Amanda inquired.

“Well, that's a little crazy, to tell you the truth,”
he responded, “and I'm glad, actually, to have the chance to talk with you
before I go. I'd like to get your take on it.”

Amanda definitely looked intrigued.

“When I was in town a couple of days ago, I stopped by
to say hello to coach, and I was introduced to someone else that was very eager
to see me. My brother.”

Amanda looked surprised, “You've never met Noah
before? Why not?”

“I didn't even know he existed.”

At this, Amanda looked just plain shocked. “How is
that possible? I mean, I know you've been out of touch with me, but I guess I
just assumed that your father would have told you that you had a brother. It's
such momentous news.”

“He didn't know how to contact me. I didn't want him
to know.”

Amanda shook her head. “Whoa. That is so strange. It
must have been so odd, to find out like that.”

“It was,” Justin agreed, “And now I'm supposed to
spend the day with him today. With Noah. I don't even know where to start. What
do kids like to do?”

“Well,” Amanda advised, “I don't know about kids in
general. I assume that kids are pretty much like adults in some respects,
meaning, each one likes different things. Why don't you just ask Noah what he
wants to do when you pick him up? Maybe he'd like to go down to Tahoe, there's
a lot more to do there. Mini golf, movies...it's a much wider selection of
activities than go hiking or eat at Sue Ann's.”

Justin laughed, “Well, those just may be our choices,
because it's a pretty long walk to Tahoe from here.”

Amanda waved this off, “Don't be ridiculous. You'll
take my car.”

“Are you sure?” Justin looked incredulous.

“Absolutely!” she exclaimed. “You can't let the first
day you spend with your brother consist of walking around Hope Falls on foot.
You want to impress him with your big brother prowess.”

“Oh, God,” Justin groaned, “what if I don't have any
of that?”

Amanda smiled at him softly, “I was a couple of years
younger than Noah when we met. I remember how you appeared to me then. I
worshiped you. You'll be fine.”

Justin sighed apprehensively, “Yeah, but I was still
basically a kid then, too. What if there's some kind of kid secret handshake
that you lose and forget about when you're an adult? What if he spends five
minutes with me and decides I'm a total dweeb?”

Amanda laughed, “Justin, seriously, what made me
worship you had nothing to do with some magic kid world that we both inhabited,
and that you still knew the secret to. It was because you were you. Just be
you, and there's no way he won't adore you.”

They were silent while Justin considered this and took
it in.

“Maybe don't use the word 'dweeb' though,” Amanda
finished, and they both laughed. Justin felt much better. The tension was
broken. He was ready to take on the challenge. Talking things over with Amanda
had always had that effect.

Amanda headed out of the room, calling over her
shoulder, “Let me go and get those keys for you. Be right back!”

As Amanda exited, Teddy lost interest in his previous
project, which had been begging for the food he smelled her cooking. He padded
excitedly over to Justin to greet him. As Justin scratched his head and tousled
his ears, Teddy grew more and more excited and playful.

“Oh, you wanna play, do you boy?” Justin laughed,
jostling the mutt's head back and forth lightly as Teddy nipped at his hands
playfully and pranced around his legs. Justin faked a lunge forward, causing
Teddy to scamper backwards, lunge, and bark happily at Justin, tail wagging.

Teddy then galloped forward towards Justin, standing
up on his back paws when he reached him, front paws landing on Justin's
shoulder. Justin grabbed him up in a bear hug and the two quickly ended up on
the ground, tussling happily.

Amanda came running back into the room, breathless.
“What's wrong, what's going on?” she asked anxiously.

“Oh, nothing,” Justin said playfully, as he and Teddy
continued their romp, “Just a little combat sport. It's a man thing, you
wouldn't understand.”

Teddy barked loudly, and Justin laughed, “See? He
agrees with me.”

Amanda said, “No, Justin, don't play with him like
that. I don't mean to be a wet blanket, but he's too old to play like that,
he'll get hurt.”

Justin looked at Teddy, shocked. “Did you hear what
she said, boy? Too old?”  Teddy barked in affirmation that, yes, he had heard
the insult. “Are we going to take that, boy? Are we gonna let her call you
old?”  Teddy barked his disapproval of the idea of letting Amanda get away with
calling him old.

“Let's show her old, boy! Let's get her!” Justin
called, and he and Teddy ran toward Amanda.

Amanda didn't know whether to shriek or laugh at the
tangle of arms, legs, and paws she saw coming at her, so she settled for a
combination of both.

Soon the three of them were all happily running around
the kitchen – laughing, pushing, wrestling – until Amanda found herself backed
up against the sink, with Justin facing her, standing only a couple of inches
away. She felt the floor drop out from underneath her feet, and reached behind
her back to steady herself with the counter.

Justin smiled and said, “This feels familiar.”

He started to take a step forward, closing the gap
between them, when they heard the front door open.

“Manda Bear! Is that cinnamon bread I smell baking?”
came Henry's booming call from the entryway.

Justin stepped back, catching his breath and trying to
gather his thoughts, and he saw Amanda trying to do the same.

“I'd better get out of here before Henry sees me, and
jumps to the wrong conclusion,” Justin said, scooping up the keys from the
counter where she'd tossed them.

“Or the right one,” she said wryly.

He held up the keys and winked at her as he slipped
out the back door. He felt suddenly lightheaded when he thought, God...if we
were together, if this were our home, this cozy little morning routine – it
could be mine every morning. This could be what my life was like.

It seemed almost too amazing to contemplate.

Chapter 21

Amanda walked around the living room of Renata
Blackstone, admiring all of the beautiful baskets, rugs, and art pieces which
were displayed on shelves and walls.

It had been a decade since she had been in the home of
Karina's grandmother, since she and Karina had been friends in high school, and
she had forgotten how talented an artist Renata Blackstone was. In fact,
possibly as a teenager she hadn't even been able to appreciate the depth of the
woman's skill, and the true artistry that went into every single piece that was
displayed in her home.

Renata entered the room and the four girls greeted
her. Karina's grandmother was a tall, formidable woman. She had shining
onyx-black eyes and long black hair that she had worn in the same braid down
her back since before Amanda was born. Amanda noticed for the first time that
her braid was now shot through with a significant amount of grey. She wondered
if Karina noticed the same thing, or if she was particularly sensitive right
now to the idea of the fragility of her elders because of her father's death.

After exchanging greetings all around, Renata gestured
towards the couch, and the four girls sat. Renata settled in an armchair which
sat angled toward the couch, clearly getting ready for a nice long visit.

Amanda had always been comfortable and felt at home in
this house, which was where Karina had grown up. Although Renata was a formal
woman and not given to emotional displays, she also had a warm manner that was
never judgmental.

“Amanda, I didn't get a chance to speak with you at
your father's service,” she began, “and I did want to tell you personally what
a great man he was, how much he did for this community.”

“Thank you so much,” replied Amanda sincerely, “Dad
loved Hope Falls with all his heart, and I know that he respected your work in
the community tremendously. He would have been really honored to hear you say
that.”

Renata gave a slight, elegant nod of acknowledgment.
“How are you holding up?” she inquired.

Amanda smiled a melancholy smile, “Well, the first
week was torture. I didn't honestly know how I was going to make it through,
let alone pull it together enough to get on with my life, and run the
business.”

She stopped and gave Karina, Sam, and Lauren a
grateful glance, “But then your granddaughter showed up with Sam and Lauren,
and I've been feeling a lot more in control since then. I've really been feeling
like things are going to be okay.”

Karina said, “Plus, Grandmother, there's something
else. Justin's back.”

Amanda blushed. She really didn't want to get into a
discussion of her love life with Karina's grandmother.

Renata nodded. “Yes, I had heard the young man was
back. I can see by your face that he is still important to you.”

“He is,” Amanda admitted, “How important he ultimately
ends up being remains to be seen currently, but yes. It's been very eye-opening
having him around.”

“It's been very towel opening,” Karina laughed.

Amanda's jaw dropped and her cheeks flamed, “Karina!”

“Oh, what?” Karina laughed, waving her hand
dismissively, “She's my grandmother, you think she doesn't know what I'm like?”

Renata gave a small half-smile. “Do you think that
Justin is who you are meant to be with? Is he your destiny?”

Amanda brushed the hair back from her forehead and
laughed softly, “Oh, Lord, I don't know at this point. I mean, if it were up to
me, I'd say, sure...I've read enough books and seen enough movies to be able to
spot the ending a mile away: he's the one. But this is real life, and there are
so many factors to consider. Does he even want to stick around and stay with
me, for one? That's a big consideration.”

“You should just flat out ask, and don't stop until he
gives you a straight answer, that's what I keep saying!” Sam exclaimed.

Amanda shook her head, “No way. Not giving him enough
space is how this mess got started in the first place. I am determined to let
the chips fall where they may this time. Besides, Sam, contrary to what you
might think, not every interaction has to be a competition!”

Sam smiled, “Ah, but then how will you know who the
winner is?”

“My only definition of winning here has to be that I
preserve my sanity and, if possible, my dignity. Any other aspect is out of my
control.”

Renata nodded approvingly, “Yes, this is right. It's a
good attitude to have. Love is like the powerful spirits who inhabit Cave Rock,
the Water Babies. Very powerful, but this power can be used to heal, or to
destroy. Which course will be taken depends upon the respect and the deference
shown.

“If you show respect to love like you would to the
Water Babies, then it can cause your life to flourish and bring you great
abundance. But if you try to capture love and use its power for your own ends,
then it can be the cause of your undoing, as well.

“Yes, Amanda, it is best to let your love run its
course, whatever that course might be.”

Chapter 22

Justin pulled up in front of his childhood home and
waited a moment before switching off the engine. He stared at the facade of the
house disbelievingly for a moment. He glanced up and down the street to make
sure that he was oriented correctly. He rechecked the house number. Yes. This
was definitely the house he grew up in, although it bore almost no resemblance
to that ramshackle structure.

This home, although it had the same general shape and
outline, was covered in brand new siding and wore a fresh coat of bright paint.
The roof, which had sagged and leaked in Justin's day, was now strong and
straight and covered in fresh new shingles.

The front yard was neatly kept, and there was even a
small flowerbed underneath the front window, next to the small stoop.

This house was a home that Justin would have been
proud to admit was his own as a child, in contrast to what the reality had been
– which was that he never let himself be dropped off anywhere within a block's
radius of the place because of shame and humiliation.

Well, he supposed reasonably as he switched off the
engine and climbed out of the car, Rick Barnes was a contractor by trade. Of
course, he had never worked as one when Justin was growing up, he had scraped
by on small odd jobs. But Justin figured, if he really were sober as he claimed
to be, he could probably be holding down a steady construction job, as well as
have done the majority of this work himself. Justin begrudgingly admitted to
himself that it was impressive.