Operation: Normal (16 page)

"Anything about me in there?" Zach asked, his tone light and teasing.

For a second, I didn't know what he meant. Then I laughed. "It's not a diary. Well, it is,
but that's not what I use it for. I actually keep lists in it."

"Did you say 'lists' as in more than one?" Zach held the elevator door open while we
stepped inside.

I nodded and punched the button for the first floor. "I'm a girl who likes to keep track of
things."

"I see. And how many of these lists do you have?"

"Several."

"Give me some examples."

"Traits of a good babysitter, pluses and minuses of the houses we've looked at--"

Zach grinned.

"--favorite TV shows, books, and movies; favorite foods; places I'd like to visit; changes
that would ensure Kayly a normal life--"

"Possible writers of threat letters?"

"Well, no, not yet." I looked up at him. "Should I add that?"

"Yes, and that Roy dude should be at the top of it--his motive, as yet, unknown."

When we got to Wal-Mart, Zach parked right beneath one of the mercury vapor lights
near the building and wouldn't let me get out of the car. Since I suspected his purchase might
have something to do with my birthday, I didn't argue too much. He handed me a case of CDs to
amuse me while he shopped, then activated the automatic lock mechanism from his key, securing
me safe inside the car.

Though I flipped through the case to check out his music preferences, I didn't actually
listen to anything. Instead, I sat there and thought--worried, really--about Dad and Adele. Of the
four relatives I actually knew, three were basically unreachable and the other was too young to
talk. So I wasn't doing so well in that department. Sadly, I couldn't really help any of them.

Thirty minutes after he left me feeling sorry for myself in the car, Zach returned with a
bag, which he put in the back seat without comment. We drove to his apartment, neither of us
talking much. When we got to Zach's floor, we could hear Chase and Becca laughing before we
even opened the door. We found the two of them sitting on the hardwood floor with Kayly, who
appeared to be in rare form.

Seated in her walker, she zoomed from one corner of the room to the other. I noted that
the coffee table had been scooted to the side and everything breakable had been put out of harm's
way. Duct tape covered all the electrical outlets, too. Obviously Becca hadn't been kidding when
she said she had three younger siblings. She knew the drill.

Kayly reached up when she saw me. Pleased, I took her. She immediately twisted her
fingers in my brand new earrings and attempted to yank them from my earlobes. I yelled. Chase
and Becca rescued me.

Zach, who'd disappeared down the hall the second we got inside the apartment, burst
into the living room. "What?"

"Kayly tried to borrow my earrings."

That made him laugh, just as I meant it to. There was no sense in both of us being in a
funk.

Chase and Becca left about fifteen minutes later. Zach and I watched television for a
while, talking little and channel surfing whenever a commercial came on. Kayly managed to stay
awake until nine, when she fell asleep in my arms.

"Where do you want us to bunk?" I asked Zach when I ached from holding her.

"My bed. Dang it! I knew there was something I needed to do. Sit right here while I
change the sheets, okay? I won't be a minute."

"But where are you going to sleep?"

"On the couch."

I gauged the length of it. "Your feet will hang off."

"I'll bend my knees."

I shook my head. "Let us sleep on the couch. No--" I held up a hand to stop his
instantaneous protest "--I'd really rather. It's plenty deep and very comfortable. I'll put Kayly on
the inside, and I won't have to worry about her falling off during the night. Believe me, if we
take your bed, I won't rest at all."

Though he clearly wanted to argue, he didn't. Instead, he disappeared down the hall for a
few minutes, then came back with sheets, a light blanket, a pillow case, and a pillow. I wouldn't
let him make up the couch. I handed his sister to him and did it myself. As I picked up the pillow
to change the case, I caught a whiff of Zach's after shave. Realizing he must've taken the pillow
right off his bed, I secretly stuffed the clean case out of sight and left the old one on. Once I'd
smoothed and tucked, Zach settled Kayly on the sheet. I put the pillow beside her as a safety
precaution.

Remembering my clothes in the dryer, I went to the laundry alcove and folded
everything, including Zach's and Chase's things. I put my stuff in my gym bag, which had aired
out a bit. We watched television until the news went off, which is when Zach caught me
yawning.

He immediately jumped up and, apologizing one time too many, left me alone with my
sister. I turned off the overhead light and, standing in the dark, slipped into my freshly laundered
sleep things. I also took out my earrings and stuck them in my purse, which I tossed onto a chair.
Soon I snuggled up to Kayly with Zach's pillow wadded under my head and his after shave
filling my senses.

I never even knew when Chase got home. The next time I opened my eyes, in fact, I
heard male voices. A glance at the Bud Lite clock on the nearby bookcase told me the sun had
risen hours ago. I rolled over to check on Kayly, but she wasn't there. With a gasp of horror, I sat
up and frantically searched the floor for her. But she wasn't there, either. That's when I heard her
giggle, coming from the vicinity of the kitchen.

I pulled a T-shirt over my cami, fixed the chain holding my diary key to where it didn't
hang down my back, and went looking for her, frantically finger combing my hair the whole
way. In the kitchen, I found the guys seated at the table. Chase was reading the paper. Zach was
feeding Kayly, who had peaches all over her face and his, too. I even saw some in his hair. I
noticed that her sippy cup had milk in it.

Since nobody saw me, I headed straight for the bathroom to brush my teeth and
otherwise make myself a little more presentable. I had to dampen my hair to make it behave, but
finally felt comfortable enough with my appearance to say something when I returned to the
kitchen.

"Good morning."

Both guys looked at me.

"'Morning," said Zach, adding, "Happy birthday. I'm about to make pancakes in your
honor. How many can you eat?"

"Four," I admitted, oddly pleased. I noted that he'd already set a cast iron griddle across
two of the burners on the stove. And I saw a plate of bacon on the table.

Zach scooted back his chair and got up with Kayly to walk to the sink, where he quickly
cleaned her up.

"Here you go," he said, settling her in her walker. He handed her the spoon and bowl to
keep her occupied, then looked at me. "Take a load off, birthday girl." He pulled out a chair.
"Java?"

Java. Geez, what a dweeb. But cute. Definitely cute. "Um, no thanks, but I would take a
Coke if you have one."

"Chase... "

Zach's roommate tipped his chair back, opened the fridge--the door really was covered
with slang words--and got a canned Coke, which he tossed to me.

Zach, now busy at the stove, hummed under his breath as he ladled batter onto the
griddle. Chase, who'd apparently already eaten, abandoned his paper and left us, headed down
the hall.

"How was the couch?" Zach asked.

"Perfect. How long has Kayly been up?"

"About an hour. You were zonked, so I rescued her." He flipped the pancakes, before
getting butter from the fridge and syrup from the pantry. He set them on the table. I noted that his
navy blue T-shirt and khaki shorts didn't have a speck of flour on them. I couldn't believe it. I
guess because I always make such a mess when I cook.

I reached for the newspaper and scanned the headlines, which is why I wasn't watching
when Zach took up the first batch of pancakes and ladled out another. In fact, I didn't look up
until he began to sing, "Happy Birthday" off key and set a dinner plate on top of my
newspaper.

My mouth fell open in surprise. Stuck in my pancakes were a bunch of candles, burning
brightly.

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed, truly touched, but trying not to gush. "That's so sweet.
You're an amazing cook."

"Maybe you'd better taste them first," Zach replied with a grin.

"Don't mind if I do." I blew out the flames in one whoosh! and began to lift the candles
from the pancakes, counting them aloud as I did. There were fourteen. I started to laugh. "Did
you run out?"

He tensed. "Why? Am I short?"

"Well, yeah," I answered, surprised. Did he really think I was only fourteen?

"How many?"

"Four."

Zach's jaw dropped. "How many?"

"Four. I'm eighteen, Zach."

"No way."

"Yes way."

"Eighteen?"

"E-i-g-h-t-e-e-n, yes. Just three years younger than you."

For a second, Zach just stared at me. "You swear?"

"I have to swear? Are you saying you don't believe me?"

"Well, you don't look that old."

"Maybe not, but I am." Damn that boob fairy for skipping my house.

Again, he just stared. "Could I see some ID?"

"You're carding me?"

"Please, Ally."

Huffing my justifiable outrage, I got up and began looking for my purse, which I found
laying open on the leather chair, right where I'd tossed it last night. I yanked out my billfold and
found my driver's license, then stalked back to the kitchen to thrust it at Zach.

The guy couldn't believe his eyes. I mean it. He just kept looking at it and shaking his
head, clearly at a loss for words. By now a little irritated, I snatched it back from him and stuck it
in my billfold again. I opened my purse to put it up, which is when I noticed my cell wasn't in the
side pocket where I usually keep it. Naturally, I began looking for it--on the floor, on the coffee
table, under the chair cushions.

"Lost something?" asked Zach, who'd apparently found his tongue. He got up and joined
me in the living room.

"My cell phone."

"I'll call you."

Before I could sputter a protest, he got his own cell out of his pocket and punched a
couple of buttons. Immediately "Accidentally in Love" blared from the denim shorts I'd taken off
last night and left on the floor.

Holy. Shit.

With a cry of total humiliation, I lunged for the phone, which I flipped open, then
snapped closed again to silence it. My cheeks burned hot enough to cook a lot more than
pancakes. I could barely make myself turn to look at Zach, who had walked up right behind me
and had the strangest expression ever on his face.

"Zach, I--"

"How did you know?"

"--swear it's not what you thi--" I caught myself, belatedly processing his question.
"How did I know what?"

"That I lo--" Zach suddenly inhaled sharply and went very, very still. "That song--"

I tried to laugh the whole thing off. "Yeah, stupid huh? Ha. Ha. Ha."

"It's about... You?"

What was I supposed to do? Lie to his very handsome face?

"The thing is--" I began. Then I stopped, my head suddenly spinning. Did he just
insinuate that he thought that I thought that he--

Suddenly, Zach sort of swooped in and kissed me, hard, right on the lips,
instantaneously erasing all doubt as to what he meant. My knees turned to mush, but that didn't
matter because he immediately engulfed me an embrace that lifted me right off my feet.
Somehow I tugged my arms free and wrapped them tightly around his neck. I also wrapped my
legs around his middle in a sort of monkey hug to keep him right where I wanted him.

"Whoa, dude! What are you doing?"

Chase's sharp cry of alarm broke us apart way too soon. I stumbled backwards when
Zach dropped me to my feet. He grabbed my waist to keep me upright.

"It's okay," Zach answered without looking at him. His gaze stayed locked with mine.
"She's eighteen."

"No freakin' way."

That did it! With a cry of complete outrage, I broke free from Zach and threw my arms
up in the air. "It's because I don't have any boobs, isn't it? I thought I'd grow some by now, but
no. Apparently I've inherited my dad's chest instead of my mom's, and--"

"Ally!" Zach's shout echoed loudly in the apartment and brought Kayly flying into the
room to see what we were up to.

"What?"

"I think you're perfect."

He did?

"He's telling the truth," chimed in Chase, further shocking me. "Believe me, this guy's
been loony-tunes since the moment you two met. He thought he must be a perv or something. He
was that hot for you."

I looked at Zach in amazement. "But that's when you said you'd never have sex with
me."

"I thought you were thirteen."

"Then are you saying you really would? Have sex with me, I mean? Because I lied, too.
I so would--"

"Guys, please!" exclaimed Chase, placing his hands over Kayly's ears. "There's a
b-a-b-y in the room."

Zach and I were both laughing when we kissed this time. And Chase was nowhere to be
seen when we finally came up for air. My baby sister, however, sat in her walker at our feet,
watching us intently.

"It's called love," I explained, bending down to ruffle her curls and desperately hoping
my impulsive admission wouldn't scare Zach away. But I couldn't keep my feelings to myself
one second longer.

With a groan, he kissed me again, and again, and again. Somehow we wound up
stretched out on that deep couch, me full on top of him, and I began to understand how feelings
for a guy can blind you to, well, everything else. Including consequences. Oddly enough, that
gave me sudden insight into my mom, who went with her feelings when maybe she shouldn't
have. Twice.

"I'm thinking it might not be such a good idea if Kayly and I hang out here all day," I
murmured into Zach's neck, which, I must say, smelled even better than his pillow.