I Want It That Way - Aguirre Ann - Страница 59

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“How would you feel if she came to live with us someday?” That was a huge leap, but maybe it was better to put it on the table, so Sam wasn’t surprised down the line.

“Would she stay in your room or mine?”

“Mine,” Ty said.

“Okay, then. But she has to make hot dog casserole.” As far as Sam was concerned, the conversation was over. “Push me higher!”

We stayed until past dark. And when we left, we went home together.

“I can’t believe you talked me into this,” Ty muttered.

The three of us took up a whole row on the plane, and Sam was beyond excited. We were heading to Sharon to spend the Fourth of July with my family, where they’d meet Ty and Sam for the first time. Ty had driven us to Ann Arbor, and until now, he was mostly silent, listening to Sam chatter about the plane.

“They’ll love you,” I said.

“So you claim. I’m expecting your dad to threaten me.”

“He might. Pretend to be terrified.” Amusement colored my tone as I smiled at him over the top of Sam’s head. “Oh, I have a brother, too. He’s more likely to pound you.”

“He has to catch me first.”

The flight was only a couple of hours, not long enough for Sam to sleep. But he was tired and grouchy when we disembarked. I cheered him up with dinosaur jokes as we waited for our luggage, then we headed outside, where my parents were parked and waiting. Mom bounded out of the car and ran toward the doors. Dad came slower, and I saw evidence of the Parkinson’s in the excessively careful way he moved. I also noticed that Mom was driving, something that never would’ve happened before.

“Is that your mom and dad?” Sam asked.

I nodded, hugging them both, then I said, “This is my boyfriend, Ty. And Sam, of course. He’s our pet leprechaun.”

“Nadia!” Sam yelped, but he was grinning up at my parents. Then he offered a small hand for my dad to shake, and I registered the exact moment he imprinted on their hearts, just as he had mine.

“We should get going,” Mom said. “It’s two hours to Sharon. Has Nadia told you anything about the place?”

Ty appeared to ponder, climbing into the car. “Only that it’s small.”

“That’s about the size of it,” my dad said.

On the drive, we made casual conversation, avoiding the topic of Dad’s illness. He grilled Ty politely, but he stood up to it well, I thought. Every now and then, my mom caught my gaze in the rearview mirror, and she smiled with her eyes. A couple of hours later, we reached the Sharon city limits, and I was actually glad to be back.

“The Fourth is a big deal around here. They put on a huge fireworks show at the county fairgrounds. People drive an hour or more to see it,” I informed them.

“Wow,” Sam said, obviously impressed.

Part of me couldn’t believe Ty was here with me, meeting my parents, pulling into the driveway of the house where I grew up. But he was looking around the neighborhood with interest. “That’s a craftsman bungalow,” he noted. “Those are usually fantastic in terms of both design efficiency and elegance.”

“I can probably get Jay Oliver to let you see the place,” my dad offered. “He and I aren’t real close, but when he finds out you’re studying architecture, he’ll want to show the place off.”

That was definitely an olive branch; Ty grabbed it with both hands. “That’d be great.”

At the house, Rob was waiting in the living room. Lauren was there, too, and I hugged her until her spine popped. She looked so much brighter, no shadows in her eyes and an easy smile that told me she’d made the right choice, no matter what the world thought.

“You’re in summer school?” I asked.

“Yep. Most of my credits transferred. I’m basically a sophomore, but I’m happier in computers. I can do something useful, something concrete. There are still problems, of course. I’m the only girl in a lot of my online classes and you wouldn’t believe how much crap I get.”

“And you dish it right back.”

She grinned. “Hells yeah, I do. So tell me, is Courtney your new best friend?”

“Friend,” I said. “Not best. That’ll always be you.”

Lauren hugged me, and Rob watched us from across the room. The attention was surprising; I’d never seen him so focused, and there was something about his eyes—but when Ty came up behind me, I lost interest in my brother, who was way less compelling than the guy kissing my neck. He wrapped his arms around me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder. I recognized this tactic; though he didn’t realize it, he was using me as a shield while he figured out the family dynamics.

Sam climbed up on my dad’s knee. “Tell me a story.”

“What kind?”

“Something awesome.”

That could be interpreted a lot of different ways, but for my dad, the answer was obvious. He used to tell this one to Rob and me, but it was brand-new for Sam, and since it involved a runaway backhoe, I suspected the kid wouldn’t budge until the end. By the time he left Nebraska, Sam might be obsessed with heavy machinery.

My mom called from the kitchen, “Are you guys hungry?”

I glanced at Ty, who nodded. “Yeah, we could eat.”

She fixed a quick meal of soup and sandwiches while Rob added the leaf to the table, since he and Lauren were staying to eat. At Thanksgiving, there had been definite tension between my brother and me, but tonight, he was easy, smiling, as the rest of us talked. That was a relief, even as I wondered about the shift.

Though I was afraid it might be awkward, my parents made it easy for Ty and Sam. Ty’s major fascinated my mom, and my dad took him to see the craftsman bungalow, as promised. When they came back, Ty was glowing with enthusiasm; he and Rob had a good talk about the merits of various building methods. By the end of the first night, it was like Ty and Sam had always been part of the family. But then, my mom was good at that; it was one of the things I loved most about her. She had a gift for making people feel at home. When she used that talent for Ty and Sam, I had to hug her. She squeezed me back, seeming surprised.

Then she whispered, “I’m sorry for what I said before. It’s crystal clear to me that you’re happy with Ty. And Sam is adorable.”

Lauren went home around nine, and Rob left soon after; apparently, he’d moved out a few months back. I took Sam into the backyard to count fireflies. He was really wound up, and I imagined it might take some work to get him settled down. Focusing on the fireflies helped, though; they flickered against the night in golden sparks. Ty stood on the back porch, watching us, but he didn’t come out into the yard.

“No, like this,” I said quietly. “Be really slow and gentle.” I showed Sam how to cup his hands. “Because they’re beautiful and we don’t want to smash them.”

It took almost twenty tries before Sam got a firefly between his palms, and then he stared down in wonder. “Can we keep him?”

“No. If we put him in a jar, he’ll die.”

“I don’t want to hurt him.” Then he opened his hands and wriggled his fingers until the insect took off. Five feet over Sam’s head, the firefly lit up.

As if it was a signal, others glowed all over the backyard like tiny Chinese lanterns. Sam spun in a slow circle. “It’s really dark out here.”

“That means you can see the stars better. Look up.” Kneeling beside him, I anticipated his gasp of wonder.

Maybe Sharon’s not so bad after all.

“Wow,” Sam said.

“Let’s get you inside. I think you need a bath and a bedtime story. It’s almost ten.”

“But I’m not sleepy.”

Smiling, I ruffled his hair, and he slipped his hand into mine. I led him back to the porch, where his dad was waiting. Ty took over, and I listened to the welcome sound of them laughing, splashing around in the bathroom, while my dad whispered to my mother in the kitchen. Their voices sounded conspiratorial, but it didn’t raise my hackles. They were definitely talking about Ty and Sam, but not in a bad way.

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