Page 95 of Roll With The Punches
Chapter Twenty-Six
“How do I look?” Emma stood there in her tux, her cummerbund the same shade of lavender as Grace’s dress.
Brandon smiled. “You look beautiful, honey.”
“You’re gorgeous,” Tracey said.
“I’m so nervous!” Emma hadn’t put on any makeup, had decided not to wear any tonight. Not that she usually wore a lot. With swimming, she rarely did. “Why am I so nervous?”
“Because you’re human,” Jeff told her.
They were actually going to take the Edsel to the fall homecoming dance, Emma driving. First, the adults were going to follow her to Grace’s in Brandon’s car so they could get pictures of the girls together…and so Brandon was certain Emma wouldn’t have any trouble driving the Edsel. In case she did, he’d had his car detailed and she could drive it instead.
Jeff had spent the past couple of weekends working with Emma, coaching her on driving the Edsel with the unusual transmission setup, and the car was in excellent condition.
After most of the past several months spent with the IV port in, his doctors had finally removed it and switched him back to oral medication. He wasn’t back to his old self.
He’d been warned he might never be.
At least there’d been some improvement. He still got fatigued easily, sometimes had problems focusing on the task at hand, and frequently suffered pain if he overdid it.
Going back to work as a mechanic was not recommended, not that Brandon and Stuart would have let him.
Brandon had told Jeff if he wanted to go to college and get a degree, he’d let him do that, but he was not to work in a job that would physically tax him.
Which also ruled out the idea of him going back to work for his dad hanging drywall. Not that he wanted to do that in the first place.
The only thing they would let him do, mechanically, was spend time at Brooke’s shop doing things he could work on sitting at a bench and staying clean, like old carburetors. Not just because of his port, but because they were also worried about his health.
But that wasn’t for money, despite her offering to pay him. It was a way to get him out of the house for a few hours a week and keep him from feeling totally useless.
And Brooke had found her own toppy side and put her foot down when he’d offered to do more strenuous stuff, because Brandon had stopped by early on and talked to her in person, explaining Jeff’s medical condition.
Despite his irritation at his situation, Jeff knew he was damned lucky.
The luckiest man in the world. Because he had the two best husbands in the world.
* * * *
In the driveway at Grace’s parents, the girls stood in front of the Edsel. Emma struck a pose, holding Grace close, her arm around Grace. Grace practically draped herself over Emma and both of them looked heartbreakingly beautiful to Stuart.
He thought about how he’d skipped his own proms and homecoming dances, not wanting to get shot down by a girl and also not wanting to face pressures from one if he did get a yes. For his parents, he used the excuse he didn’t want to spend the money, and with money so tight for them, they hadn’t argued the point.
He wished he could have stood in front of their ride for the night, him and the guy he’d crushed hard on back then, a football player. Unrequited, of course, because he’d never dared even hint at his feelings.
The girls took turns getting pictures with all the parents—including Jeff and Stuart—in various permutations before finally heading off to the dance.
Brandon, Jeff, Stuart, and Tracey headed back to the house so Tracey could get her car. “What’re your plans for tonight?” Brandon asked her.
“Quiet night at home. I’m enjoying the peace.”
“No plans to move yet?”
“No, Ruth said she’s fine with me living there. It’s allowing me to save some money.”
“Did they finally get Pat evicted from the house?”
She frowned. “He’s in jail.”
