It’s a ten-hour drive, honey.” Marla Jean listened to her mother’s soothing voice over the phone line. True to his word, Lincoln called their folks at the crack of dawn, and now her mother wanted to reassure her that help was on the way. “We’ll leave first thing in the morning,” her mom said, “so we should be there by dinner time tomorrow night.”
Marla Jean was still in bed, half asleep and groggy from the late night and pain pills, but at her mom’s last announcement, she sat straight up and threw off the covers. “I can’t wait, Mom. Y’all be careful.”
She hung up from the conversation with her mother, her thoughts bouncing around like a pinball while she went over everything that would have to be done before they arrived.
Lincoln appeared in her bedroom doorway eating a doughnut. From the yellow goo on his chin, it appeared to be a lemon-filled. “Good morning, sis. How are you feeling?”
“I’m feeling like you better grab a mop and a bucket and get busy cleaning.”
He scrunched up his face in a give-me-a-break look. “Oh, relax. The house looks fine.”
“The house looks fine by our standards, but it’s not fine by ‘our mother is going to be here by dinner tomorrow night’ standards.”
Dinah stuck her head around the doorframe. “Oh, damn. I didn’t think about Bitsy and her white glove. You better get to work, Lincoln. I’ll help Marla Jean get dressed, and we can make a plan.”
“Can I at least finish my doughnut?”
She shoved her husband toward the kitchen and said, “Run, don’t walk, mister. There are a million things to do.”
As soon as he was out of earshot, Dinah, her face shining and eager, plopped down on the end of the bed and rubbed her hands together. “Tell me everything. Don’t leave out a single detail.”
Marla Jean pushed her hair out of her face and frowned. “About what?”
“Don’t play dumb with me. Lincoln came home fit to be tied last night. At first he wouldn’t tell me why he was upset, but I have ways of making him talk.”
Marla Jean made an “ew” face and then sighed. “So, what did he tell you?”
Dinah leaned forward and whispered, “He said he found you in bed with Jake.”
“Well, there you have it. Now you know everything.”
“Oh, come on. What? Why? How? I mean, we are talking about Jake, and if you think I’m going to rest until I get the particulars then you have severely underestimated me.”
“It’s no big deal, Dinah, and Lincoln is overreacting. Just like he has been ever since my divorce. Does he expect me to sit home and take up knitting?”
Dinah shrugged and said airily, “ ‘No big deal’ isn’t the phrase that comes to mind when I think of Abel Jacobson.”
“And you a married woman. I’m shocked.”
“I’m married, not blind, and Linc is only concerned that you are overcompensating for what Bradley did to you.”
“This has nothing to do with Bradley. It has to do with sex.”
Dinah’s eyes bulged, and she bounced up and down on the bed. “Oh my goodness. So you actually did have sex with Jake?”
Marla Jean shook her head. “No, I’m beginning to think the universe and my brother have conspired to make sure I never have sex again as long as I live.”
“Well, you know Jake has a reputation for avoiding serious relationships.”
“For the ten millionth time I’m not ready for anything serious. Do you really think I’m emotionally prepared to trust another man right now?”
“Okay, okay.” Dinah flapped her hand like that part wasn’t important. “So, what did happen?”
“I had a nightmare, and he tried to wake me up. One thing led to another, and the earth was on the verge of moving when Jughead walked in on us.”
Dinah giggled. “Poor Lincoln.”
“Poor Lincoln? What about me? What about Jake?”
“Oh, you two can always take up where you left off if you want, but I think Lincoln is permanently scarred.”
“Good. Maybe he’ll quit being such a busybody, and right now we’ve got a ton of work to do. Why don’t you go see what kind of mess Linc is making while I take a shower?”
Dinah jumped up and grabbed some crutches that were leaning against the wall. “I’ll have you know your big brother climbed up in the attic this morning and found these.”
Marla Jean stood and gave the crutches a trial run over to the bathroom door. “I guess I’ll have to thank him, won’t I?”
“Yes, he braved cobwebs and spiders just for you.”
“That barely begins to balance the scales,” she said before closing the bathroom door. After a quick shower, despite her newfound mobility, she was installed on the living room sofa with her foot propped up on a mountain of cushions. From that vantage point she was still capable of bossing her brother around, which suited her just fine.
“Linc, we have to get my stuff out of Mom and Dad’s room and drag that old daybed out of the attic and put it back in my room, so I’ll have a place to sleep.”
“Attic? I already went up into one attic today.” He shuddered. “Why can’t you just sleep on the couch while they’re here? It’s not like they’re moving home permanently.”
“Are you going to argue with me about everything? I’m not sleeping on the couch, and your old bedroom is still full of exercise equipment.”
The doorbell rang, and Dinah went to answer it. She returned with Harry on her heels.
“Hey, Harry.” Marla smiled at him from the sofa.
“Good morning, Marla Jean. I wanted to stop by and see how you were doing.” He held out a big box of candy. “I thought you might want something sweet to take your mind off your foot.”
“Oh Harry, that’s so thoughtful.” She looked at the box. “Turtles are my favorites.”
“Harry, my man, you have perfect timing.” Lincoln pounced on him before he had a chance to sit down. “I could use your help hauling a bed for Marla Jean down from the attic. Come with me.”
Before he could protest or ask any questions, Lincoln swept him away toward the garage. Dinah started back to the kitchen to resume boiling and bleaching and scalding every surface before her mother-in-law saw them, but before she could make it out of the room, the doorbell rang again. “My, my, you’re a popular woman.”
When she reappeared this time Donny Joe was right behind her, carrying his cowboy hat in one hand and a big bunch of yellow daisies in the other.
“Woo-ee woman, look at you. I heard you were laid up.”
“Word sure travels fast in this town.” Marla Jean let out a resigned sigh as he handed her the bouquet. “Thanks for the flowers, Donny Joe. They’re beautiful.”
“Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman.” He winked, pouring it on thick. “Yep, you were all anybody was talking about at the Rise-N-Shine this morning.” He grinned and leaned in to examine her bandaged foot. “You really did a number on yourself, didn’t you? Can I do anything to help?”
Dinah didn’t give Marla Jean a chance to answer. She grabbed Donny Joe by the wrist and started pulling him toward the kitchen. “I’m so glad you asked. How do you look in an apron, big boy?”
“Pigs-in-a-blanket?” Jake’s Aunt Libby waved a tray under his nose. “They used to be your favorite.”
Before he could respond his mother cut into the conversation, demanding, “Libby Comstock, for the last time, what happened to your face?”
His mother had asked him a similar question when he’d picked her up for dinner that evening. The blow Marla Jean had gotten in the night before had turned his eye a nice shade of purple. He’d made up some story about walking into a wall, and while it was clear she hadn’t believed him, she hadn’t pressed him, either. There was no way he was going to tell her that Marla Jean had taken a poke at him.
Jake remembered the way he’d cringed when his aunt opened the door to welcome them, and he’d gotten a good look at the aftermath of her run-in with Marla Jean and the bathroom door. Both of her eyes were slightly blackened and her nose was swollen and red. Marla Jean was going to get a reputation as a real brawler if word got out that she was responsible for all this carnage. But Aunt Libby acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary, so he’d played along. His mother didn’t have the same reservations about being a buttinski where her sister was concerned.
Libby flapped a hand at her older sister. “It’s nothing, Ellie. You know how clumsy I can be.” She held out the tray of appetizers again. “Go ahead, Jake. Try one.”
Jake smiled and took two. “Thanks, Aunt Libby. I haven’t had these in years.” He popped one in his mouth and chewed. Libby watched him with the expectant look of a kid waiting for puppies to be born.
After he swallowed he said, “Mmmmm, these are great. Just like I remember.”
His aunt beamed and patted him on the head. He reached for another and his mother piped up. “Not too many. You’ll ruin your appetite.”
“Oh leave him alone, Ellie. He’s a growing boy, and I don’t get a chance to spoil him like I used to.”
Jake and his mother had arrived right on time for the dreaded dinner party, and he was doing his best to be civil. His mom had been on his case all the way over about being nice to Bradley, about how much this get-together meant to his aunt, and about how she was really happy he wasn’t making her go alone.
When they’d pulled up in front of Bradley’s house he’d squeezed her hand and promised to behave. Now that they were there, she seemed a lot more anxious about the evening than he did. And the sight of her baby sister’s battered face clearly had her worked up.
Jake sat on a big brown leather sofa, while Libby perched nervously on an ottoman. Jake didn’t believe for a minute that his mother had given up on getting every detail about how her sister came to have two black eyes, but for the moment she sat at the other end of the couch engaging in innocent small talk. “This is a lovely room,” she said.
Bradley walked in at that moment carrying a tray of drinks. “Yes, Marla Jean had a nice eye for decorating.”
Libby’s smile slipped a bit.
Jake looked around the place again with new eyes. He’d been trying to forget it had been Marla Jean’s home not that long ago. In fact, he’d done his darndest not to think about Marla Jean at all today. He’d tossed and turned all night on the lumpy twin bed at his parents’ old house. He should have driven home to his own bed in his own apartment, but that was way across town. And even though he knew if she needed anything she wouldn’t call—Lincoln would make sure of that—he still felt better being across the street, two doors down.
All day, like gate crashers, memories of the way she’d felt last night, soft and yielding under him, her hands moving over his body like she wanted to learn every inch of him, would barge into his head at the most inappropriate times. Like right now. Holy hell, even now his body tightened remembering. And then it was almost impossible not to think about what could have happened if Linc hadn’t walked in on them. About what almost certainly would have happened.
Linc. Shit. He would have to talk to him soon, straighten things out, but best friend or not, he didn’t think he could bring himself to apologize. He could promise to keep his distance, though. He’d already concluded that staying away from her from now on was the best way to handle things.
After he talked to her. After he made sure she was okay.
Oh man, the look on her face when the lights came on had been like a punch in the gut. Her dark hair fanned out on the pillow, her eyes slumberous with lust as they met his, and her smart, sassy mouth, wet and bruised from his kisses.
In that moment, she had the look of a woman who knew she was desirable and sexy and gorgeous and hot, even wearing that old, faded hockey jersey and an ACE bandage on her leg. But thanks to Bradley and his aunt, he also knew she had plenty of moments when she still felt a little bruised and a lot cast aside. The last thing he wanted was to add to those feelings.
But he was probably overthinking everything. More than likely, Marla Jean would agree. Nothing like that should ever happen between the two of them again. And then she could go her merry way, and he’d go his.
He shook his head, making an effort to refocus as Bradley chattered on. The man didn’t seem to realize the bucket of ice water he’d dumped over the group’s mood when he mentioned Marla Jean. “But once Libby moves in, she’s got a free hand to redo the whole place. I want it to feel like it’s her home.” He put the tray on the coffee table and gave Libby a kiss on the cheek.
Part of Jake had to admire Bradley for not pretending the specter of Marla Jean wasn’t sitting in the big middle of the room like the ghost of first wives past. On the other hand the guy was never going to win any sensitivity awards.
Libby stood and turned to her sister. “Ellie, why don’t you come help me in the kitchen. If you gentlemen can entertain yourselves, dinner will be ready in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.”
Bradley smiled and handed Jake a beer before sitting down in a big leather recliner. “Sounds good, sweetheart. Jake and I will hold down the fort.”
The women hurried off to get dinner on the table, and Jake racked his brain for a neutral topic of conversation. He needn’t have bothered because as soon as the women were out of earshot, Bradley leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, an expression of earnestness on his face. “Jake, I was hoping to get a minute alone so we could talk man to man. There’s something I’ve been wanting to discuss with you.”
Jake scratched his neck and shifted uncomfortably on the leather cushion. He really hoped Bradley wasn’t going to start getting all mushy about his feelings for Aunt Libby. Even though he’d promised his mother he’d be nice, he wasn’t the greatest actor in the world, and if he was going to ask for his blessing or some other nonsense, he wasn’t sure he could hide his real feelings about the situation.
Bradley leaned closer. “What do you know about Marla Jean and Donny Joe?”
“What?” The question caught him off guard.
“Marla Jean and Donny Joe. I’m worried that she’s getting mixed up with the wrong kind of men.” He whispered the statement from the side of his mouth.
Jake frowned. “That’s not really any of your business anymore, is it? And why are you asking me?”
“Well, Jake, I know she always thought of you as a big brother, and I’ve heard the rumors about you and Donny Joe getting into that fight over her. I figured you must not think too highly of the idea of Donny Joe sniffin’ around her, either.”
That image of the way she’d looked last night, all mussed up and well-kissed, popped into his head again. He fidgeted around in his seat and didn’t look Bradley in the eye. “I don’t feel comfortable discussing this with you, and for my aunt’s sake, I really wish you would drop it.”
Bradley sat back, drumming his fingers on the armrest. “I wouldn’t hurt Libby for the world, but I still feel some responsibility for Marla Jean’s predicament.”
Jake raised an eyebrow. “Predicament?”
Bradley held both hands up like it should be obvious. “You know, being single again. Out honky-tonking every weekend.”
“Because you dumped her.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, but he wasn’t sorry. The man had some nerve, Jake would give him that.
Bradley’s cheeks flushed a baby pink and his nostrils flared. “That’s a little harsh. We came to a mutual understanding that we weren’t right for each other anymore.”
Jake could feel blood pounding in his temples. All the promises he’d made to his mother were about to fly out the window. “Was that before or after you started sleeping with my aunt?”
“Now listen here, Jake—” Bradley stood up, his fists clenched at his sides.
Jake stood up, too, trying to hold onto his temper. The little weasel was asking for it, but for his aunt’s sake he counted to ten, and because his mother would tan his hide, he counted to ten again. He forced himself to take a calming breath and held up his hands in a conciliatory manner. “Okay, okay, I was out of line. Let’s just drop it. Besides, Harry Beal is the one I’d worry about if I were you.”
Bradley took a moment but seemed to simmer down as well. “Harry. Yeah, he’s had a crush on her since junior high. God, he made an ass of himself at the game last night, didn’t he? With that crazy-assed flower thing?”
Jake didn’t know why, but he felt the need to defend Harry. “I don’t know. He’s a nice guy, and he’s making his move. He’s single. She’s single. Game on, right?”
Bradley seemed to consider it. “I guess. Do you think Marla Jean likes him?”
Jake didn’t answer as a flurry of high heels clacking against the hard wood floor snagged his attention. A second later his mother rushed into the room pulling a protesting Libby along behind her by her elbow. “Let’s go, Jake. We aren’t staying in this house a minute longer, and Libby is coming with us.”
“Let go of me, Ellie. I’m not going anywhere.” Libby jerked away from her sister’s hold.
“What’s going on?” Bradley demanded.
Ellie grabbed her purse and said in a shaky voice, “Once we were alone I asked her again what happened to her face.” Her voice rose in volume, and she was glaring at Bradley with enough heat to light him up like a Tiki torch. “And do you know what she said?”
Jake walked over and put a hand on his mother’s arm, trying to calm her down. “Hang on, Ma—”
Ellie was in no mood to be soothed. “She insisted that she walked into a door. A door! I mean I lived with an abusive man long enough to spot the signs a mile away, and Libby, you are not staying here another minute. Let’s go.” She started marching toward the door as if she expected everyone to follow.
Libby stood her ground. “I did walk into a door, Ellie, and I’m not going anywhere.”
Jake’s mother whirled around. “What did he say after he hit you? That he was sorry? That it would never happen again?”
During their exchange, Bradley had been standing with his mouth open, but now he jumped to his own defense. “Wait a minute. You think I hit Libby? Is that what this is about? I wouldn’t hurt a single hair on her head.”
Jake tried again to get his mother’s attention. “Ma, listen to me. I was there when it happened.”
His words seemed to sink in, and she deflated like a kid’s punctured swimming floatie. “You were where?” she asked.
“At Romeo’s pizza place after the game Friday night. Aunt Libby ran into the bathroom door as someone was coming out of it.”
“She did? You did?” she asked turning back to her sister. “Why didn’t you say so?”
“I did say so, Ellie, but you were so ready to believe the worst about Bradley that you wouldn’t listen to me.”
Bradley walked over and wrapped his arm around Libby’s shoulder. “It’s okay. Ellie was just looking out for your best interest, and I admire that.”
“She owes you an apology,” Libby maintained staunchly.
“Not at all, sweetheart.” Bradley kissed her on the cheek. “Ellie, this isn’t exactly how I planned to say this, but I love your sister. And if she’ll let me, I’m going to do my best to make her happy. As her family, it’s important that you and Jake know that.”
Libby smiled so big Jake thought her face might crack and fall off. His mother looked ruffled as if she was having trouble making the switch from potential abuser to devoted loving man in her head that quickly.
Then Bradley got down on one knee, and Jake’s eyebrows shot to the top of his forehead and stayed there. Bradley took his aunt’s hand and spoke sincerely, “I was going to wait a while, but I can’t think of a single reason not to do this now, Libby.”
His Aunt Libby’s eyes resembled bouncing beach balls and her cheeks flushed to a feverish shade of pink in anticipation. She put a hand over her heart as if she needed to hold the beating organ inside her chest, and then exhaled his name in a quavering voice, “Oh, Bradley.”
“Libby, I don’t want you to just move in with me. I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me?” Little beads of sweat popped out on his forehead. The man actually looked like he might be nervous.
“Wait a min—” Jake started to protest, but his mother grabbed a couple of pigs-in-a-blanket from the nearby tray and chunked them into his open mouth before he could speak. He had no choice but to chew. Apparently, all of his mother’s doubts evaporated as soon as the man popped the magic question. What was it with women and marriage that made them go all gaga?
Aunt Libby screeched like a Buick with bad brakes and launched herself at him. “Of course I’ll marry you, Bradley. Yes, yes, yes, yes.”
Good God, thought Jake, his mouth still full of sausages. The two of them were making a spectacle of themselves down on the floor, laughing and kissing without any consideration for those having to watch. His mother had tears in her eyes and beamed like she’d orchestrated the whole thing. God help him, he’d never understand women in a million years. He finally swallowed and grabbed his beer to wash down the rest.
Bradley stood up and helped Libby to her feet. “Well, now we really have something to celebrate, don’t we? What do you say we eat dinner, and we can talk about setting a date while we’re at it?”
“Oh, my. I’m so excited. I’m so happy. And I love you, Bradley.” Libby kissed him once more and then giggled before dancing off into the kitchen to dish up the food. Bradley was all puffed up and pleased with himself as he herded Jake and his mom into the dining room. He laughed like a little kid before kissing Ellie on both cheeks and helping her to her seat. Then he slapped Jake on the back hard enough to dislodge fillings, but he seemed so happy Jake didn’t have the heart to complain.
Not until he said, “Hell, Jake, I just realized something. I’m going to be your brand new uncle. Come here and give me a hug.”