Valentine Wishes (Baxter Academy Book 1) (10 page)

I
have
no idea when that text was sent but it was the first thing I saw when I unplugged my phone from the charger. These are creeping me out and I was just about to respond and ask who it is, even though Brett told me not to, but my grandmother calls up that breakfast is ready. Hopefully they’ll figure out they have a wrong number and go away.

Instead of eating, Theo’s pushing the scrambled eggs around on his plate. Like the day before, and the ones before that, he’s pale and there are circles under his eyes. “I wish you would take your meds.”

“Good morning to you too, dear sister.”

“Leave him alone,” my grandmother chastises. “We’re seeing the doctor on Monday. I’m sure there’s something to help with his headaches.”

“Maybe he should try the stuff he’s already been prescribed.” I know he hasn’t really given the meds a chance. I checked his bottles after our little talk. He maybe took about five of the pills, each. It’s like he’s not even giving them a chance and I know for a fact the one that is supposed to help with his depression isn’t an overnight med, but needs to build of up in the system to be any good.

“Did you read the files?” he counters in anger.

“Yes, I did.” I pour a cup of coffee and take a seat at the table. That was pretty much how I spent this past week, when I wasn’t out with the campers. Instead of learning names and art choice, I read everything the therapists need to know about these kids. It breaks my heart and I wish I didn’t know what some of them have been through, but I do get where Theo is coming from. “You’re right,” I finally say. “These kids deserve more than a few weeks in the summer. It’s not their fault their lives have been crap.”

Theo relaxes and his defenses disappear. I so do not want to fight with him today, or any day for that matter, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to let it slide that he’s not giving the meds a chance.

“So, you see why I think there should be a high school?”

“I do.” I get it and he is right. “I just don’t know how that would even be possible.”

“What school?” Grandmother puts a plate of pancakes and bacon on the table in front of me.

Theo explains, getting more excited by the moment with his idea, and that grandmother is intently listening to him while I butter my pancakes and pour syrup on them.

She nods, fills her mug with more coffee, and sits at the table. “You are so right, Theo.” Then her eyes mist and she smiles sadly. “Your grandfather would be so proud of your dreams.” She pats his hand. “I just don’t know how it would even be possible to create a high school. Or where to even begin.”

She looks to me. “I don’t know.”

“You’re in education. You should know.”

Just because I have a degree in education and I am qualified to teach high school history and social studies doesn’t mean I know the first thing about creating a high school.

“I’ll call a meeting of your aunts and uncles this afternoon. We can discuss it then.”

Theo and I share an alarmed look. She has plans this afternoon, even if she doesn’t know it yet.

Then she grins at me. “I know about the surprise cookout.”

“How?” Theo and I ask at the same time.

“After raising eight children, do you really think any of you can hide a thing from me?”

I swear, sometimes that woman knew what I was up to before I did. “Still, you don’t want to be discussing business matters at a celebration of your birth.” Besides, Brett will be there to meet the family, which kind of makes me ill. He’s not going to want to sit around as a meeting of the Baxter Foundation is formed. Anyone over eighteen is required to be at any family meeting unless they are out of the state or in the hospital.

“My birthday is not until Monday.” Then she looks at me and then Theo. “And, today would have been your grandfather and my forty-eighth wedding anniversary. He would like Theo’s idea, so in honor my husband, we are going to discuss it.”

“Wouldn’t tomorrow be better?” I ask, hoping she’ll change her mind.

Instead, grandmother narrows her gaze on me. “Did you forget what the Baxter Foundation is for?” she demands.

I shrink back into my seat, prepared for her lecture.

“Why have all this money if it isn’t used for the betterment of society? That is what we’ve always stood for and now Theo has presented another way to make a difference. Besides, we won’t have everyone tomorrow, but we will have them today.”

“Of course,” I finally admit. Theo is just sitting there grinning and all I can think about is how to explain all of this to Brett when every adult suddenly goes into a meeting, even if it is at picnic tables while eating ribs, while the older kids watch the younger ones, at a birthday celebration.

“Uncle Gary had me ask Brett to join us. Maybe I should cancel.”

“You will do no such thing,” grandmother snaps. She’s very adamant about that topic apparently. “He’s going to be a part of this family one day, mark my words, so he might as well know what he is getting now.”

I choke on my coffee. “I met him a week ago.”

“And I see the look in his eyes.” She wags a finger at me. “So don’t even think about arguing with me.”

“
It only takes a moment
,” Theo sings with a triumphant grin on his face.

I just glower at him. Only one more year and I can get a place of my own and nobody will need to know who I date, when I date, or if I even date.

“So, Mr. FBI is going to be here today.” Theo stands and grabs his cup and walks to the coffee pot.

“He’s coming by around one and we’re going to go hiking.”

Theo snorts. “Doesn’t know you very well, does he?”

“Hey!” I protest. “I can hike.”

He snorts again.

“It’s not like he wants to scale the side of a mountain. We’re taking the paths around the lake.”

He shoots me a disbelieving look. “You, on the paths?”

Instead of answering I grab a piece of bacon and bite into it.

“Just be careful and don’t go too far.”

What an odd thing to say. Since when was walking a dangerous sport?

“I don’t want him to have to carry you back when you get too tired. Seems like a nice guy and it’d be a shame if you screwed it up on something so stupid.”

Without responding, I throw my piece of bacon at Theo, but he ducks out the back door laughing.

I’m really not into hiking or fishing, but as it’s something Brett likes to do, I’ll go along with it. Besides, maybe it’s more fun with someone besides my family. Not that we ever did much of the outdoors stuff and the few times we tried, I was miserable.

The campers are just sitting down to lunch when Brett pulls in. Today he is driving his own car and not the classic. He stops and gets out. “Ready?”

“Yep.”

He walks around, opens the door for me, and I slide in.

“Did you eat lunch?” He asks after taking his seat.

“Grabbed a sandwich, why?”

“I just wanted you to have something of substance before getting ice cream.”

“I could live on a diet of ice cream.” Especially from the Ice Cream Shack.

He makes a face. “I’ll be sure and remember that.”

“What, there aren’t any ice cream badges in the Boy Scouts?”

“I doubt there are in the Girl Scouts either.” He laughs. “But, they do have a corner on the cookie market.”

“Thin Mints,” I groan. “It’s a shame we only get them once a year.”

“Supply and demand. Works to their advantage.”

The Ice Cream Shack isn’t overly busy and we both get vanilla cones dipped in chocolate, but don’t eat it there. “I thought we could eat while we walk.”

“Balance,” I respond.

He lifts a questioning brow as he puts on his seatbelt after handing me his cone.

“Like getting a fruit cup with biscuits and gravy,” I explain. “They balance or cancel each other out.”

Brett laughs and starts his car.

“We should probably park along Baxter Lane. I’d feel guilty eating an ice cream in front of the campers.”

He pulls down the road and parks where we did the night of our first date. Some of my aunts and uncles are moving the picnic tables together and setting up the fire pit.

“Should we help them set up instead?” Brett asks.

He’s going to get to know them soon enough. “They got it.” I wave at them and hand Brett his cone before starting off on the path. “This one will take us behind the camp and through the family cemetery.” I lick the drips that are coming from beneath the hardened chocolate. I need to eat this quickly so I don’t end up with sticky fingers. Love ice cream, hate sticky fingers.

“Lead on.”

As soon as we are out of sight of her aunts and uncles, I grab Jackie’s hand. It’s turning into a compulsive need to touch her whenever I can. She entwines her fingers with mine as we weave our way further down the path. It is so peaceful back here. The trees are fully leafed out and wildflowers are growing in clusters along the side of the path. It’s as if Jackie and I are alone in the world.

“Did you spend a lot of time playing back here when you were a kid?”

She chuckles. “No. My brothers, however, practically lived back here.” She glances around. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we come across former forts they built.”

“Tree houses?”

“Probably, along with a few of Grandpa’s missing hammers.”

“How far do these paths go?”

She frowns. “Not sure. They do meet up with paths that go through the state park. A lot of them interchanging.”

“Any camping grounds at the State Park?”

“Yep. Next to the lake, with a beach, docks for boats and fishing.” She wrinkles her nose in disgust.

“Not your cup of tea?”

“The beaches are.” Jackie grins at me.

I like it back here but should probably forget the idea of camping with Jackie, unless I can arrange a secluded cabin. And, I doubt she’ll want to hunt for dinner.

“So, how big is your family?” I figure I better be prepared before I meet them all. “Or, how many are going to be there today?”

“Thinking about making an early exit?” she teases.

“Just want to be prepared.”

“Let’s see. Thirteen aunts and uncles, and fifteen cousins.”

“Wow!”

“That’s not that big, is it?”

I shrug. “I guess not. There would be about that many if I got together with my cousins, on both sides of the family at once.”

“I guess when a couple has eight kids, there tends to be a lot of cousins eventually.” She turns onto a smaller path and walks down a short incline and stops at a stream. It must empty into the lake because the water is flowing in that direction.

A large tree has fallen and Jackie straddles it and sits. I do the same, facing her. I thought we were going to walk, but this is good too. “Damn you’re beautiful.” Shit, I meant to only think that.

The left side of her mouth quirks. “Thanks! You ain’t half bad yourself.” Her sage eyes twinkle with mischief.

“So, any of these close to your age, older, younger?”

Jackie rolls her eyes. “Unfortunately no. My dad was the oldest. The rest took their time having kids. Theo, is closest. Next would be Eric, Sean and Sophia, who are fifteen.”

“That leaves you in an odd place. Too young to want to hang out with the adults and too old to hang out with the cousins.”

“It used to be that way. But, now that I’ve gotten my BA, the aunts and uncles aren’t so bad. They treat me like an adult now.”

“Your cousins. They are the same age as the campers. Do they go to the camp too or is it just for the underprivileged?”

“It’s a requirement.”

They
make
their kids go? “Requirement?”

“My family is complicated.” Jackie just shakes her head. “I don’t want to talk about them. It’s bad enough that we have to spend the afternoon with them.”

I lean in and grin. “Does that mean you’d rather be alone with me?”

She moves closer and our knees are now against each other. “What do you think?”

The distance is so slight that I lean in and kiss her. She parts her lips immediately and I delve, tangling her tongue with mine. This is not the best angle to be kissing so I grab her ass and lift, pulling her closer until her legs are over mine. I’m still straddling the log and she’s straddling me. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea because all I can think about is getting inside of her. I did bring condoms, not really expecting to use them since I will be at a family picnic, but didn’t want to be caught unprepared again.