CHAPTER 14

“There’s a song in the air!”

—josiah g. holland, “christmas”

After spending most of the last hour not doing much except looking out the window and pacing, Gunnar suddenly muttered under his breath.

Jeremy was beyond glad about that. It had been the longest morning in the world—especially since Gunnar had kept making him clean the same stuff over and over. Jeremy was sure the kitchen countertops had never been as shiny as they were now.

“That’s her?” Jeremy walked to his side and stared at the sporty red SUV that had just pulled into their driveway.

“Yep.” Looking like he was about to head into battle, Gunnar pulled on his jacket. “Grab a coat, Jeremy. Let’s go help my mother unload. If she’s true to form, she’s going to have a ton of stuff.”

Jeremy did as Gunnar asked, but he was confused. “I thought you liked your mom.”

A line formed between Gunnar’s eyebrows. “Oh, I do. She’s great. I love her a lot.”

“Then why are you acting so freaked out?” Gunnar was acting weirder than when Melanie was there, and that said a lot.

“It’s just that . . . Well, you’ll understand in a minute or two.”

When he saw that Mrs. Law was still fussing and hadn’t opened her door yet, Jeremy paused. He wanted to see what the big guy’s mother looked like. Gunnar was acting too weird, so Jeremy figured he had better be prepared for anything.

But then he had to laugh when he saw her get out. Why, she was just a little thing. And, she looked pretty normal too, dressed as she was in jeans, a lavender sweater, and gold flats. She had shoulder length hair that was pulled into a ponytail. From a distance, she didn’t look much older than thirty or so.

“She looks nice, Gunnar.”

“She is. But get ready, buddy. My mom—well, my mother can be a lot.” Gunnar straightened his shoulders and walked down the steps. “Hey, Mama!”

“Oh, Gunnar. Gunnar Alexander, look at you!” she exclaimed before hugging him tight. Then she even patted Gunnar on the arm, which was hysterical, since Mrs. Law only reached his collarbone.

Feeling better, he slowly walked down the steps. He’d say hello and then go to his room.

Yeah. That sounded like the right thing to do . . .

“Jeremy!”

Caught off guard, he froze. Then, feeling awkward, he smiled, raised his hand, and waved awkwardly. “Hi, Mrs. Law.”

“No, no, no. I don’t want a wave,” she said as she waved him over. “Come give your new grandma a hug.”

His new grandma? He barely had time to give Gunnar a “help me” look before she pulled him into a fierce hug. “Oh, Jeremy. Aren’t you wonderful?”

Raising his hands, he kind of circled them around her and hung on, because she didn’t seem in any hurry to let him go. He was aware of the scent of sugar cookies and lemon and some kind of flowery perfume. The whole combination was intense, but not awful.

She was, well, a lot. Gunnar had described his mother to a T, that was for sure.

Just as Jeremy tried to crane his neck to look over at Gunnar in the hopes that he’d rescue him at last, Mrs. Law dropped her hands and stepped back.

He exhaled.

She might have been giving him space, but she was still staring at him like he was Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny rolled into one. “Oh, but you are so handsome,” she said. “Gunnar didn’t tell me that.”

“Thanks?”

“No need for thanks there. God gave you those looks, right?”

“Right.” He didn’t know what else to say, so he just stood there and hoped he could move out of her reach soon.

“Mama, I think you’re starting to scare the boy. Relax, would you?”

She chuckled. “Sorry. Now, don’t worry. We’ll get to know each other real well soon. It’s going to be so wonderful.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Now, go help your dad bring in my suitcases. Can you do that?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Mrs. Law looked around the yard. “Gunnar, you don’t have a dog yet, do you?”

“No, ma’am.”

“Good to know,” she said as she sailed right into the house.

When the screen door closed with a snap behind her, Jeremy looked over at Gunnar. “Is she like that all the time?”

“Nope. She gets quiet when she sleeps.”

Jeremy couldn’t help it. He cracked up as he reached down and grabbed the handle on a giant purple roller bag. “I can’t believe you two are so different.”

“I never needed to talk when she was around.” Picking up a tote bag and the handle on the other bag, he grunted. “Lord, but this is heavy. Be careful now.”

“I’ve got it.” But the thing had to weigh over fifty pounds.

“My mom tends to overpack. Always has, always will. My father used to say traveling with her was like bringing Kmart Supercenter on vacation. She seems to need everything on earth.”

Jeremy slowly wheeled the bag toward the house, listening raptly to Gunnar. “What was your dad like?”

“Quiet, like me. He loved her so much though. Always said she kept him on his toes. I promise, you’ll get used to her. She’s a lot, but she’ll grow on you.”

“What did she mean about a dog?”

Gunnar opened the door. “That, Jeremy, is a topic for another day.”

“Are you sure about that?” He was thinking if he and Gunnar were a permanent thing, a dog added to the mix would be awesome.

“I promise. You have no idea.”

* * *

Jeremy had expected Mrs. Law to be waiting for them in the entry way, but she wasn’t. “Where did she go?” he whispered, half-afraid she was going to bound out of a corner and hug him again.

But this time, instead of looking pained, Gunnar grinned. “She’s in the kitchen. Come on, boy. This is going to knock your socks off.”

Jeremy was too curious to even give him grief about the old-fashioned expression. He followed Gunnar through the living room, past the dining room, and then started smiling too. Because there was Mrs. Law with an apron on, already rooting around the pantry. And she had out a bag of chocolate chips.

“Do you like chocolate chip cookies, Jeremy?” she asked as she pulled out the sugar.

“Yes, ma’am.” Didn’t everyone?

She looked pleased. “I was hoping you would say that. I knew Gunnar wouldn’t have any chips so I brought a bag with me.”

“You travel with chocolate chips?”

“Only on special occasions.”

Gunnar was at the cupboard. “Want a glass of water, Jeremy? You might as well have a seat too. My mother is going to want to chat while she bakes.”

“Gunnar, I swear sometimes you make me sound crazy. All I’m doing is trying to get to know Jeremy here.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said.

Jeremy hopped on one of the barstools that lines the island and watched Mrs. Law pull out ingredients he had no idea were in the cupboards.

Gunnar handed him a glass of water, then curved a hand around Jeremy’s shoulder. “I’m gonna go take a shower. You keep my mom company, okay?”

He was getting left alone with her? “All right.”

“Take it easy on Jeremy, Mama. He’s new to you and to be honest, he’s looking a little afraid.”

Mrs. Law turned to face him. “Are you afraid of me?”

“No.”

Her slight frown turned into a bright smile again. “See, Jeremy’s going to be just fine. Go shower, Son. When you get out, we’ll discuss dinner and my first dance class.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

After he disappeared down the hall, Mrs. Law chuckled. “Jeremy, that Gunnar is kind of a pistol.”

This was news to him. “He is?”

“Oh, yes. He always says yes, ma’am, sweet as you please, then darts off and does his own thing. You should remember that.”

“I will.”

She pulled out an electric mixer, started beating butter and brown sugar and some eggs. Jeremy watched. His mother hadn’t really been around much and she hadn’t been one for cooking. But sitting here, sipping water, he was thinking that simply watching Gunnar’s mom wasn’t too bad. “Do you always start cooking the minute you get here?”

“No, dear. I just . . . well, I like to be busy sometimes. And I’ve been looking forward to baking you cookies since I woke up this morning.”

“Oh. That’s, um, real nice of you.”

After she poured in the flour and a couple of teaspoons of some other stuff, she opened up the bag of chocolate chips. Then her voice softened. “Gunnar told me that you’ve had a time of it.”

“Yeah.” His dad had never been around and his mother had never been around all that much either, and then she’d died. And then had come the series of foster homes. None of them had been horrible, but until Gunnar, he’d never really been too happy with any of them.

After putting a cookie sheet in the oven, she poured herself a cup of coffee that he hadn’t even realized she’d brewed. “Do you drink coffee?”

“Not really.”

“That’s probably good. It’s my vice. I love it.” When she sat down next to him, she said, “So, Gunnar was one of four kids. I had them all close together and sometimes felt like I was a cop on crowd control instead of their mother. My husband, you see, was always working so the kids would have shoes and such. Then, when he was around, he was a softie. Those kids could get away with murder.”

Jeremy grinned. “Gunnar too?”

“Gunnar . . . Gunnar was number three out of four. I don’t know how he managed it, but he became the most easygoing of them all. My eldest, Martin?” She waved a hand. “He loved getting his way. Still does, if you want to know the truth.”

“Who’s second?”

“Darcy. Darcy was our star pupil. We never had a lick of trouble with her. Now, she’s a physician’s assistant and is married out in Denver. She already has two kids and a nanny.”

“Wow.” He’d never met anyone who had a nanny.

“I know! I told her that she was acting pretty fancy for a girl from Spartan, but she told me to stop my fussing.”

“Then there is Gunnar.”

“Yep, and you know all about him. He’s as steady as can be.” She sighed. “And then there’s Andrew.”

“What’s wrong with him?”

“Oh, nothing much.”

“Much?” That didn’t sound too good.

“Don’t fret, child. He’s fine. He just doesn’t want to grow up. One day, though . . .”

“Don’t listen to my mom,” Gunnar said as he joined them, now clad in a thick pair of black fleece sweatpants and an old T-shirt. “Andrew is a sergeant in the Army and is stationed out in Colorado Springs. I promise, he’s plenty grown up.”

“He’s far from home. But every time I say that, he says that he could be farther.” She walked to the oven, slipped on a mitt, and pulled out a tray of perfectly baked cookies. Looking pleased, she glanced his way. “Do you like warm cookies, child?”

“I do.”

“Good. I’ll get you a plate and a glass of milk.” She gave him a hard look. “Don’t fuss about drinking milk.”

“I won’t.” If Gunnar hadn’t been there, he would have told her that Gunnar made him drink milk too.

As he watched Mrs. Law do just what she said, Gunnar poured himself a cup of coffee too.

“Sounds like Mom has been filling you in on everyone.”

“Yep.”

“I hope she told you the truth. How I’m the best of the lot.”

“She said you were steady.”

Gunnar didn’t look too impressed. “Gee, thanks, Mom.”

“Oh, stop. I gave you a compliment, and you know it. I’m real proud of you. Always have been, but don’t you go tell the other kids that I said that,” Mrs. Law said as she handed Jeremy a plate of five cookies.

“No, ma’am.”

“Now, what do y’all think about chicken and rice casserole?”

“It sounds good, but we should probably have it another time. It’s already getting late and I don’t want to run to the grocery store. The boy needs to eat soon.”

“It’s already made. I’ll pop it in the oven. Okay?”

Jeremy gaped at her. “You came with casseroles and chocolate chips?”

“She’s kind of like Mary Poppins that way, Jeremy. It’s easiest if you just kind of go with the flow.”

“I can do that.” Popping a second warm cookie in his mouth, he was kind of thinking that he’d put up with a lot of Mrs. Law craziness for food like that.

Gunnar laughed. “I thought I’d keep her culinary skills a surprise for you. She’s a great cook.”

Mrs. Law shook her head. “You make it sound like I’m doing something special. I’m not. Well, not for most people.”

“I never got the hang of cooking,” Gunnar supplied.

“How that can be, I don’t know. You can rebuild an engine but you can’t seem to follow the most basic directions in a cookbook.”

“It’s harder than it looks.”

“Jeremy, do you see what I have to put up with? Now, I not only have to find a good woman for Gunnar, but one who can cook too.”

“I don’t know if Kimber cooks, Gunnar,” he said before he realized that he probably should have kept his mouth shut.

Because Mrs. Law zeroed in on Gunnar like Jeremy didn’t even exist. “Kimber?”

Gunnar’s expression became a blank slate. “We don’t need to talk about Kimber right now.”

“Sure, we do. You know there’s no time like the present.” She looked at the clock. “We’ve got thirty-five minutes before supper is ready.”

“Because I don’t want to be grilled before you’ve even gotten settled in your room. Don’t you want to go do that?”

“Not especially.” Turning to Jeremy again, she said, “I guess you’ve met this woman?”

He stuffed a cookie into his mouth so he wouldn’t have to talk. But he went ahead and nodded.

“You’ve already brought her around the boy? It must be real serious.”

“For your information, Jeremy met Kimber before me.”

Mrs. Law looked his way. “How did that happen? Is this Kimber the mother of one of your friends?”

“No. She’s a volunteer at the elementary school library. I’m doing my community service credits there.”

She smiled at him encouragingly. “And you liked her so much that you introduced her to Gunnar?”

Feeling like he’d just swallowed a truth serum, he kept talking. “Um, not exactly. Kimber had car trouble one day after school. When Gunnar came to pick me up, he noticed that she needed some help. He helped her get a tow.”

“That was nice of you boys.”

“It was a little more involved than that, Ma,” Gunnar said. “In any case, we’re seeing each other a little bit, but it’s nothing serious yet.”

“She must be sweet if she’s a volunteer librarian.”

“She . . . is.”

“Is she pretty? And I’m only asking because I’m curious. But we both know that looks aren’t everything, boy. Do you remember me telling you that?”

“Yes, ma’am.” But he couldn’t keep his lips from twitching.

“You know what? I shouldn’t have even asked. I’m sure she’s real nice, no matter what she looks like.

Jeremy couldn’t help it, he started laughing.

Mrs. Law raised her eyebrows. “Jeremy, what is so amusing?”

“Nothing, Mrs. Law.”

She put her hands on her hips. “I not only raised four children, I can spot a lie a mile away. Try answering me again, if you please.”

“It’s nothing . . . except that she’s a model.”

“Say again?”

“Kimber’s a model,” Gunnar said. “She’s flat-out gorgeous . . . and she’s famous .”

“How famous?”

“Famous enough to be on the cover of more than one magazine.”

She turned back to him. “Jeremy, is he pulling my leg?”

“No, ma’am.”

Jeremy watched as Mrs. Law blinked. Blinked again. Then looked right at her son. “And she’s dating you?”

Then, he couldn’t help it. He started laughing so loud, the noise felt like it filled the whole house.

But to his surprise, Gunnar just walked over and rested a hand on his shoulder and laughed too.