pick you up at your place,” he offered. “Or if you’re not comfortable with us doing that…” His voice trailed off.
Since he’d put it that way, she didn’t want to say no. However, it now seemed an awful lot like a date.
“That’s fine.” She gave him her address as Lacy stared at her, looking smug.
Once she got off the phone, Lacy smirked but didn’t say a word. That drove Amanda even crazier than if she’d had to endure her sister’s relentless taunting.
“Okay, so I’m going out with Jerry and his parents. Are you happy now?”
Lacy quirked an eyebrow. “The question is, are you happy?”
Amanda looked away. “Stop it. Let’s get this shopping thing over with so we can get back home.”
“For once, that sounds like an excellent idea,” Lacy said. “As much as I enjoy shopping, your love life must come first.”
“Wait a minute!” Amanda felt the heat rise to her face as she thrust her fist onto her hip. “No one said anything about a love life.”
“Then don’t get so worked up. I just made a comment.”
Lacy was right. “Okay, we can let it drop then.” Amanda had gotten way too worked up over a silly little comment.
“Besides, Brad and Timmy are stopping by a little later. They’re taking me to dinner.”
“Do you think that’s such a good idea, with Timmy being one of your students?”
Lacy looked genuinely puzzled. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
Jerry went out onto the balcony to read the Sunday paper. He heard the sliding glass door and turned to face his mother. “Did you get enough rest?”
“Yeah, until the bear’s snoring woke me up.”
“Mom, seriously, you and Dad need to stop this sniping at each other.”
Her shoulders sagged as she stared out over the Gulf. “Yes, you’re probably right. We’ve gotten into a bad habit, I’m afraid.”
“Then just break it.”
She looked at him and smiled. “It’s not as easy as all that. We’ve been doing this for years—since you kids grew up and left.”
“I’ve been around you enough to know it hasn’t always been this bad. Last year when we came here on vacation, you actually seemed to enjoy each other.”
“Anyone can behave for a couple of weeks,” she said. “If you think back, your father and I barely spoke to each other during the whole vacation last year.”
Now that he thought about it…
“We made a pact to not talk so you wouldn’t worry. But this year, we didn’t. I figured you needed to see how things really were.”
Jerry was puzzled. “But why would you ever hide anything from me? I’m your son. I love both of you no matter what.”
She leaned down and gave him a brief hug but quickly straightened up. “We love you, too, and that’s why we tried to protect you from the ugly truth.”
Worry coursed through him. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
She shook her head. “Nothing you haven’t already seen on this trip. Your father is getting more and more difficult to live with, and we haven’t gotten along in a long time. I’m not sure how much longer I can control him.”
Jerry looked out over the water as he inhaled deeply and slowly blew out his breath before turning to face her. “Have you thought that maybe you shouldn’t try to control him?”
“You’ve seen him. He wanders off, and he gets mad at the slightest thing.”
Jerry nodded. “Yes, and you fuss at him all the time. Maybe you should try a different approach.”
She folded her arms. “Like what?”
He shrugged. “Maybe smile a little more and let him know you love him.”
With a flip of her hand, she backed into the condo. “He knows I love him. I wouldn’t put up with his nonsense if I didn’t.”
After she closed the door, he lowered his head and prayed for his parents. Yes, things were getting increasingly difficult, but it wasn’t just his dad. His mother’s lack of tolerance didn’t make the situation any easier to deal with. And maybe, just maybe, he was guilty of
Since he’d put it that way, she didn’t want to say no. However, it now seemed an awful lot like a date.
“That’s fine.” She gave him her address as Lacy stared at her, looking smug.
Once she got off the phone, Lacy smirked but didn’t say a word. That drove Amanda even crazier than if she’d had to endure her sister’s relentless taunting.
“Okay, so I’m going out with Jerry and his parents. Are you happy now?”
Lacy quirked an eyebrow. “The question is, are you happy?”
Amanda looked away. “Stop it. Let’s get this shopping thing over with so we can get back home.”
“For once, that sounds like an excellent idea,” Lacy said. “As much as I enjoy shopping, your love life must come first.”
“Wait a minute!” Amanda felt the heat rise to her face as she thrust her fist onto her hip. “No one said anything about a love life.”
“Then don’t get so worked up. I just made a comment.”
Lacy was right. “Okay, we can let it drop then.” Amanda had gotten way too worked up over a silly little comment.
“Besides, Brad and Timmy are stopping by a little later. They’re taking me to dinner.”
“Do you think that’s such a good idea, with Timmy being one of your students?”
Lacy looked genuinely puzzled. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
Jerry went out onto the balcony to read the Sunday paper. He heard the sliding glass door and turned to face his mother. “Did you get enough rest?”
“Yeah, until the bear’s snoring woke me up.”
“Mom, seriously, you and Dad need to stop this sniping at each other.”
Her shoulders sagged as she stared out over the Gulf. “Yes, you’re probably right. We’ve gotten into a bad habit, I’m afraid.”
“Then just break it.”
She looked at him and smiled. “It’s not as easy as all that. We’ve been doing this for years—since you kids grew up and left.”
“I’ve been around you enough to know it hasn’t always been this bad. Last year when we came here on vacation, you actually seemed to enjoy each other.”
“Anyone can behave for a couple of weeks,” she said. “If you think back, your father and I barely spoke to each other during the whole vacation last year.”
Now that he thought about it…
“We made a pact to not talk so you wouldn’t worry. But this year, we didn’t. I figured you needed to see how things really were.”
Jerry was puzzled. “But why would you ever hide anything from me? I’m your son. I love both of you no matter what.”
She leaned down and gave him a brief hug but quickly straightened up. “We love you, too, and that’s why we tried to protect you from the ugly truth.”
Worry coursed through him. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
She shook her head. “Nothing you haven’t already seen on this trip. Your father is getting more and more difficult to live with, and we haven’t gotten along in a long time. I’m not sure how much longer I can control him.”
Jerry looked out over the water as he inhaled deeply and slowly blew out his breath before turning to face her. “Have you thought that maybe you shouldn’t try to control him?”
“You’ve seen him. He wanders off, and he gets mad at the slightest thing.”
Jerry nodded. “Yes, and you fuss at him all the time. Maybe you should try a different approach.”
She folded her arms. “Like what?”
He shrugged. “Maybe smile a little more and let him know you love him.”
With a flip of her hand, she backed into the condo. “He knows I love him. I wouldn’t put up with his nonsense if I didn’t.”
After she closed the door, he lowered his head and prayed for his parents. Yes, things were getting increasingly difficult, but it wasn’t just his dad. His mother’s lack of tolerance didn’t make the situation any easier to deal with. And maybe, just maybe, he was guilty of
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