Page 63 of The Attic on Queen Street
I waited for Beau to leave, but he held back. Jack crossed his arms and turned to Nola. “How did you know Beau was coming this morning?”
“Because he’s taking me to school.” Nola plucked another blueberry from my rapidly cooling oatmeal, and chewed it slowly as if unaware of the gasoline she’d just poured on a smoldering fire.
Jack turned to Beau and in an icily calm voice said, “Absolutely not. My daughter isn’t riding on the back of a motorcycle.”
“No, sir. I brought my truck. It has seat belts and doors and everything.” A hint of a smile touched his mouth and I hoped Jack hadn’t noticed.
Nola jumped off the bed. “Dad! Beau’s doing me a favor. Since Alston and Lindsey have their driver’s permits, they’re driving to school with their moms. But they’re not allowed to have passengers, so I said I’d find another way to get to school.”
“That’s funny,” Jack said, his voice humorless. “I don’t remember you asking me to drive you.”
Beau cleared his throat. “Well, sir, that’s because I was in the store with Nola when she got the phone call from Alston, so I offered. I felt sorry for her, since she’s not allowed to get her permit yet, and I figured I could help. I’m working on the broken sections of the iron fence today, so I had to drive here anyway.”
Jack stared at him. “Because she’s not allowed—”
“Dad!” Nola interrupted. “I don’t have a permit because I don’twantone,” she emphasized. “It’s so overrated.” She rolled her eyes as Jack and I shared a glance.
“Well, I’m here now,” Jack said, already heading toward the door. “I’ll drive you.”
I sat up, jostling the tray table. “Actually, I have a few things I need to discuss with you. I’m sure Beau is capable of driving Nola the two miles to school.”
“Or I could walk,” Nola said. “It’s not that far. Especially since Beau offered only because hepitiesme.”
Beau shrugged. “Fine with me. Although I just downloaded the entire new Vampire Weekend album and thought you might enjoy listening to it. There are a couple of guitar riffs and lyrics that made me think of that song you were working on at the store instead of inventorying the silver.”
Nola paused, pretended to consider. Drew a deep breath. “Whatever. I guess I’ll go with Beau.” She headed to the door.
I reached out and tugged on her skirt, holding her back. “And?”
“Thank you,” she said, barely loud enough to be heard.
“I’ll be back shortly to start working on that fence,” Beau said as he followed Nola out of the door.
“Take your time! With the fence, that is!” I called after him. I dreaded paying the bill when he was done. Even with the financial windfall from the rubies, we still might have to sell a child to afford the repairs and the twins’ college tuitions.
Jack took a step toward the door, but I held him back. “She’s fine, Jack. Really. And much safer than her being behind the wheel herself.”
A tremor went through him. “True.” His face brightened. “And if she never gets her license, she might be forced to live at home while she goes to college.”
Jack sat on the side of the bed, then placed his hands on the pillow on either side of my face and examined me like a scientist studying a specimen under a microscope.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Yesterday, when Veronica called me to tell me she was taking you to the hospital, I...” He paused. “I thought the worst. I wouldn’t believe that you were fine until I saw you myself.” He sat back, his eyes still fixed on mine. “You drive me crazy, but I can’t imagine my life without you.”
A fissure of hope sprang up inside me. “Yvonne said that we don’t marry someone we can live with, but someone we can’t live without. For the record, I agree.”
He leaned over me again, jostling the bed tray, and I tilted my chin in anticipation of the kiss I’d been waiting for. I held my breath. Closed my eyes. Then felt his forehead pressed against mine.
“I need more time, Mellie.”
The small fissure fizzled out as I watched Jack pull away. I touched his arm and felt the familiar zing between us.What about me?The words that the new version of Melanie was trying to say got swatted away by the old Mellie, who refused to retreat. Because deep down, I was stillthat poor abandoned girl desperate for affection, afraid to say or do anything that might make Jack back away permanently.
I dropped my hand as he gave me one last, smoldering look, then stretched out on the bed in his usual spot and opened the newspaper.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Waiting for you to eat your breakfast so you can tell me what you wanted to talk about.”
