Hot Pink Heels (The Street Series) (16 page)

Jackson berated himself as he followed his mother down the hall to the kitchen. She tidied up an already neat kitchen, wiping gleaming appliances and a sparkling countertop while she waited for Jackson to speak.

“I can’t get her off of my mind,” Jackson admitted. He sat in the nearest chair, tipping it back on two legs as he did so often as a teenager. Frowning, Laura motioned for him to lower the chair, which he did with a sheepish grin.

“Well, that’s a start,” Laura smiled at him as she set a mug under the automatic coffee maker. The water was already hot, and the push of a button started the brewing cycle as she turned to face him. “At least you can admit it. Are you in love with her, son?”

Jackson sat straight up at the question. “Mom, that’s crazy,” he began, but at her knowing look, he stopped short. “Maybe. I don’t know. I’m so confused.” Running his hands through his hair, Jackson sat back, looking at his mother expectantly.

Knowing he was waiting for her words of wisdom, she shocked him when she burst out laughing. “Jack, I love you, but I’m not going to tell you what to do,” she said. She leaned against the counter after putting the rag in the sink. “So, tell me why you’re so confused.”

Laura brought the steaming mug of coffee to the table and placed it in front of him before taking a seat across from Jackson. Then she waited.
“I know that I like her,” he started. “I like her a lot and that’s gotten me in trouble a bit. She’s gorgeous, and I can’t seem to remember what she does for a living when I’m around her.” He paused for a sip of the scalding beverage.

“She’s funny too, and although we’ve spent a lot of the time fighting, when we’re not fighting or jumping over my standards, we’ve actually had quite a few laughs together,” Jackson continued, remembering their short interlude before getting fast food on the night of the fundraiser. He chuckled, and his dad chose that moment to come in from the garage.

“What’s funny?” Chuck set his helmet on the counter went straight to the cupboard and pulled down his own mug before heading to the coffee maker. Selecting his pod, he pushed the button and turned around, folding his arms across his chest as he waited for an explanation.

“Jack is in love with Amanda,” Laura said, as Jackson spit his coffee across the table.

“Mom!” Jackson looked at her and shook his head. “I told you I don’t know for sure how I feel.” He rolled his eyes, but his dad just grinned.

“Anybody with eyes could tell that you’ve got the hots for that girl, but anyone who really knows you can see the truth behind your stares and blushing, son,” Chuck said, picking up his mug after spooning a hefty amount of sugar into the dark liquid.

“Dad! Okay, you two, seriously, get a grip and stop dreaming of grandchildren,” Jackson said, getting to his feet. “This conversation is not helping me at all. After talking with you last night, dad, I checked out Hosea again this morning.” He paced around the kitchen with his coffee before stopping in front of the cookie jar.

The faded paint and chipped ear had been left just the way it was during his childhood, a testament to the rough and tumble lifestyle he’d shared with his younger sister. The
fat pig sat smiling, waiting for him to slip his hand in for the familiar chocolate chip cookies his mother constantly kept in the jar. He still couldn’t resist the pig.

He bit into one of the cookies as he contemplated what to say.
“I am falling for Amanda,” he admitted. “But she’s not a believer and she doesn’t seem interested in any of the things that are important to me when it comes to that side of my life. And I’m certainly no Hosea. I know God can work in her life, but I don’t know how to set aside my attraction to her since every time I’m around her I just want to kiss her senseless, and I’m pretty sure God’s not telling me to marry a hooker.”

“Well, I guess we need to pray about that then,” Chuck said. Laura and Jackson nodded and leaned forward to join him.

Amanda was loitering under the hot water, letting it pound away at the kink in her neck while she put her brain in gear. What was she going to do next? Jackson was definitely attracted to her, but he was obviously fighting it. Every time they were together, that electric charge was in the air, but there was more to him than that.

Laura and Chuck reminded her of her own parents and what she’d given up when she ran out on them. She was starting to believe she’d made a mistake in leaving in the first place. What had been so important about getting to Hollywood that she couldn’t finish college first?
You had to be right
.

When Bill and Susan couldn’t see her point and support it, she hadn’t stopped to ask why. She’d just bolted with nothing more than the clothes on her back and the money from her savings. She’d gone straight to the bank to withdraw the money and then headed for the Greyhound station for a one-way ticket to Los Angeles.

Amanda thought back to that day, remembering the call from her older sister just hours after she’d gotten on the bus.

“Mandy, you’ve got to come back,” her sister Angela pleaded, tears thickening her voice. “Mom is a wreck and Dad isn’t speaking to anyone. Please! Brandon is on his way home from Dallas right now to be with them, but this is
not
like you. Please come home.”

“No, Angie, you know I can’t do that,” Amanda said, determined to keep her emotions at bay. She hadn’t seen Brandon in three months, since Christmas, but she knew how he would respond too. “I’m going to
L.A. and that’s that. I’ll call you when I get there. Don’t worry about me. Don’t call me.”

“Mandy, please, you don’t—“ Angela’s voice was cut off in mid-sentence when Amanda flipped her phone shut. It immediately rang again, but she punched the button to silence the phone and slipped it inside her purse. When she’d arrived in L.A., her purse, including her phone, had been stolen within moments and she’d never looked back.

Snapping herself back to reality, Amanda stepped out of the shower after turning the water off. She grabbed one of the thick towels rolled up in the basket on the shelf and wrapped it around herself before wrapping another one around her head.

She combed her hair, brushed her teeth and pulled on Melanie’s shirt and jeans before padding barefoot out to the kitchen. Her lack of heels allowed her to approach the kitchen unnoticed, and she realized that once more, she was interrupting Jackson and his parents during a prayer.

These people pray all the frickin’ time! And they’re praying for
me
again!
Amanda listened closely after she heard her name, but then she realized Laura’s words were also for Jackson’s benefit.

“
Just keep him in line, Lord, and help him to be a good example to Amanda,” Laura said. “Whatever your will is, we want it to be done, but we sure do like this girl, whether she likes us or not. Please help us show your love to her, so she can see how much you really love her and want something amazing for her. Amen.”

The three raised their heads in unison, but Jackson was the first to see Amanda
frozen in the doorway. “Amanda, hi.” He jumped up and moved towards her, but made no effort to touch her.

Chuck stood up and walked right over to her and put his arm around her. She stiffened, but he acted like he didn’t even notice. “Good morning, hon,” he said.
“What do you feel like doing this afternoon?”

“Well, I guess if I’m gonna live with you for free in exchange for cooking and cleaning, I better find out what you like to eat and how you like things cleaned,” Amanda said. She sighed, took a seat, and poised herself for the onslaught.

Laura and Chuck exchanged a surprised glance, and Jackson could tell they had no idea what to say to her. “Um, why don’t we take our coffee outside and let mom and dad talk about your chores, I mean, duties,” he said. “Wow, that still didn’t come out right. Let’s let them talk about how you can help them out.”

Amanda shrugged, but she followed him outside, accepting the mug he offered her when the coffee was done brewing. They sat at a picnic table that was perfect for backyard barbecues, but neither one could figure out what to say. Her fingers itched to touch him, but Jackson was keeping a solid distance between them.

“So,” he said at last. “Dad and I were planning to head back in to get your stuff this afternoon if that’s okay with you.”

Amanda sat up quickly. “I’m going with you,” she said. Jackson was already shaking his head, so she placed both hands on the wooden
tabletop and stood up, giving her a position designed to stop him in his tracks. As usual, it didn’t work.

“Amanda, you know I can’t let you do that,” he started. “It’s too dangerous, because Billy knows where you live now. If he sees you there, it will just make things worse, but dad and I can be in and out in five minutes.”

“But you don’t know where everything is,” Amanda argued. “Plus, if the landlord sees two guys going into my apartment, he might call the cops, even if you have a key.”

“What do you mean, we don’t know where everything is? I thought it was a fairly simple and small apartment from the way you described it the other night,” Jackson said.

“I have my cash hidden, and I have a special necklace that belonged to my great grandmother,” she said.

“Okay, that’s simple enough,” Jackson said. “Tell us where they are and we’ll get them, I promise.” Chuck stepped out onto the porch as Jackson continued to argue with Amanda.

“Amanda, you’re not going,” Chuck said simply, her mouth dropping open in shock. “I don’t like leaving Laura here alone at the house for that drive into the city two nights in a row. I need you to stay and keep her company.” He said it in such a way that she felt like a jerk for even thinking about arguing with him. And that’s when she knew she was falling for Jackson’s family almost as hard as she was falling for him.

Jackson had made a quick exit after the discussion about returning to collect Amanda’s belongings. She’d explained in detail where everything was and they were certain they could pull it off with no problems. Jackson returned to work with a few words about coming back around 5:30 that afternoon.

Chuck nodded in agreement as Laura joined them on the porch. Jackson hugged her and then slapped his dad on the back. As he walked by Amanda, he reached out to touch her, but he pulled his hand back as if remembering his limits. Pausing, he looked at her and then lifted his hand again, brushing his knuckles lightly across her cheek. “See you later, Amanda,” he said softly, before stepping inside.

That soft touch was almost as effective as his kisses, and it had her knees trembling. Chuck and Laura exchanged a glance that went unnoticed by Amanda. She sat back down, determined to remain nonchalant.
Laura joined her at the picnic table. Clearing her throat, Amanda got down to business.

“Okay Laura, what can I do this afternoon?” She looked around the immaculate yard, realizing her duties would not include yard work, at least not today. Chuck brushed a kiss across the top of Laura’s head and mumbled something about reading the paper before skipping out on the ladies.

Laura leaned forward, her eyes sparkling. “Well, I really need a pedicure,” she said with a smile.

“You want me to give you a pedicure?”
Amanda was surprised. She’d thought she was signing up for domestic work like cleaning and cooking, not personal attendant duties such as massages and manicures.

“No, silly girl, I want you to go with me and get a pedi with me!” Laura leaned back, her mug in her hand. “It’s been a long time for me, and I bet with those crazy shoes you wear that your feet could use a good massage too, right?”

Amanda was surprised for the second time in as many minutes. “Well, I don’t really have the money to spend on that, but I guess I could go and keep you company,” she said half-heartedly. Her heart hurt as she thought about the time she had gone to the mall with Angie and their mom to share laughs while getting pedicures together.

“Oh dear, nothing I ask you to do with me is going to cost you anything,” Laura assured her. “I want to go get pedicures with you because it’s something that’s more fun when you go with someone else. I want that someone else to be you this time.” She raised her eyebrows, waiting for an answer.

“Oh, wow, okay, well that would be nice,” Amanda answered. “The last time I had one of those was with my mom and my sister.” Laura’s heart leaped as she realized it was the first time Amanda had volunteered anything about her past life. She had to be careful not to scare her off.

“Oh, then it must’ve been a very long time indeed,” Laura mused. “What is your mother’s name?” She hoped she hadn’t pushed too far already, but she had to start doing some digging if this woman was going to be her future daughter-in-law.

“Susan,” Amanda said quietly, and Laura knew she had to let it go at that for now.

“Well, let’s get ready to go,” Laura said, linking arms with Amanda as they headed inside. There was so much she wanted to know about Amanda, like what happened when she went for the abortion, where did she come from, what she planned to do now, and Laura knew she would have to be patient to get to all of that.

They could start with a late lunch at her favorite spot in town, Caprice Café on State Street.