Between Us Girls (37 page)

“Help Sam to know how to relax. Heal the rift between her and her family.

“Bless sweet, funny Inez and Louis. Take care of all those kids and grandkids and great-grandkids.”

In her mind's eye she arrived at the laundry room and thought of Beau.

“Bless Beau and his big hands that he uses to fix and maintain things. Give him the right words to say to Sam so she will hear them and realize how much he cares.

“And Liv. Continue to make her strong and healthy. Comfort her when I leave.”

When I leave.

She raised her head.

Yes. It was time to leave. To end her vacation, to end her time of hanging in between worlds. To return to Valley Oaks and her life there. To create a new home.

“Thank You and amen.”

She stood.

And wiped a sleeve across her eyes.

“I guess I could use some comfort too.”

Jasmyn worked at Liv's computer in the office, trying to rebook her flight home but making little progress. She wasn't that great with technology, but she didn't think it was her fault when the airline website kept giving her the message that they had no record of her.

Liv would say the difficulty was a sign that she should not leave, not just yet. Last night, after the mac-and-cheese dinner, she had said,
Would another week or two matter?

How could she tell Liv, Sam, and Keagan that yes, spending another week or two with them would matter?

Sam had become the younger sister she'd always wanted, the one who needed looking after and to have life lessons taught to and to eat pizza with. Liv had filled in countless mothering gaps. And Keagan…

Keagan.

The honest truth was she wouldn't mind another hug from him or even riding on the back of that motorcycle if it meant holding on to him. She wouldn't mind watching his smile come and go, a subtle movement of lips that were just so. She wouldn't mind listening to his low voice for another whole week and bask in that all-is-well sensation that flowed around him like dirt around Pig Pen. She wouldn't mind—

Well, there were a lot of things about everyone she wouldn't mind experiencing for at least another week. She loved all the Casa residents. They were definitely the family that Manda Smith could not offer.

But the longer she stayed, the more she'd have to cry saying goodbye.

“Sorry, Liv, but the website is not giving me a sign.” Jasmyn picked up the telephone.

The airline put her on hold. She gazed through the windows and the open door. It was a gorgeous late October morning, the air cool with hints of sun-kissed warmth. The sight of blooming bougainvillea and bird-of-paradise and begonias still amazed her. Autumn was as full of flowers as summertime had been. She wondered what changes winter would bring.

She spotted Sam crossing the courtyard, angling toward Jasmyn's cottage, and called out, “Sam!”

Her friend circled the jacaranda tree—full of green leaves—and entered the office. “There you are. What are you doing?”

“Booking.” She disconnected the call. “Attempting to book anyway.”

“So you decided for sure to go.”

Jasmyn laughed. “Like I told you last night, yes.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know exactly what you said. You went surfing and got all the biological family baloney thrashed out of your system. You realized home is not here. But none of us wanted to believe it.”

She had seen the sad expressions on their faces. Even Keagan had frowned briefly. “I never said ‘baloney.' ”

“Sorry for the paraphrase. It wasn't baloney. It was just such a letdown for you, I felt bad.”

“I was putting too much weight on it. I can't believe I didn't rebook right away and save hundreds of dollars. It was totally stupid to wait until I met Manda, like that would keep me here longer.”

“But at least the spare room in your heart got filled up, right?”

Jasmyn wrinkled her nose. “I think I have to keep the Anibal family in the attic. But that's okay. The attic is in my heart too.”

“I feel like I have a hole in my heart.” Sam's eyes went wide and her mouth formed an
O
.

Jasmyn stared at her. “That sounds painful.”

Sam closed her mouth and cleared her throat. “Yeah. It might be like your spare room, though. It just needs some attention. Then it'll get closed up and I can get on with life.”

“I think Liv would say it'll get healed before you get on with life.” She waited for Sam to roll her eyes, but she didn't. “That's what happened after I met Manda. I mean, it still hurts about never knowing my dad and now
about being a nonperson to the only family I have. But we met and now the whole thing feels finished somehow.”

Sam nodded, her lips pressed together.

Jasmyn leaned across the desk. “Sammi, who do you need to meet?”

“Hannah.” She shrugged. “I found her.”

“Really?”

“Mm-hmm. Last night I joined all those online heritage groups. I paid to join them.” Now she rolled her eyes. “I could have gone downtown to the library and done it for free. Hannah Susanne Carlson grew up in Lynn Center, Illinois.”

“No.”

“Yes.” Sam smiled. “A hop, skip, and a jump from Valley Oaks.”

Jasmyn giggled.

Sam said, “So.” She inhaled deeply and then she exhaled loudly. “Can I come home with you? There's a courthouse and a cemetery I want to visit.”

“That's wonderful!”

“It's something. Why is it I want to do this in person?” Sam swiveled the monitor toward herself and pulled over the keyboard. “You're a bad influence on me, Jasmyn Albright. In a good way. When shall we go?”

“Tomorrow.”

Sam stopped typing and looked at her. “Good grief. How much money did you make on the sale of your land?”

“Enough to splurge, I guess. The thing is, I'm just so tired of saying goodbye.”

“Oookay.” Sam turned back to the monitor. “I'm still paying off school loans. I'll check the cheap flight sites. You don't mind making sixteen stops between here and Chicago, do you? Or taking a red-eye? Sleeping in LAX?” She rambled on, typing and clicking.

And, knowing Sam's abilities, she would make it all work out.

Sixty-Four

Early Sunday morning, before the sky had rolled every shade of blue into one and taken on its pearly glaze, Jasmyn and Sam stood outside the airport, looked at each other, and laughed.

The shuttle bus from the long-term parking lot had just deposited them and their luggage at the curb. Despite Beau's offer to drive them, Sam had insisted on driving her car and parking in the long-term lot. Jasmyn figured the two-way crush was still in effect but not making much progress.

Sam said, “Whew. We made it.”

“So far, so good.”

“Come on. We agreed that the third time's a charm. You'll get on board this time.”

They wheeled their bags toward an entrance.

Jasmyn said, “I hope so, after all you went through to get us here. Half a day online and how many phone calls?”

“I lost count, but it was worth it. We ended up with only two layovers and twelve hours travel time.”

“And we still have money in the bank.”

“Yes. The biggest hurdle, though, was getting you and Liv through another set of goodbyes.”

Jasmyn smiled sadly. It had been bittersweet hugging Liv in the predawn shadows, not knowing when or if they would ever see each other again.

Sam nudged her with an elbow. “But don't answer your phone, and if you see Keagan, duck.”

“Good idea.” As they walked, she pulled her phone from a jacket pocket. “I'm going to turn it off— Oh, no.” She stopped, read the screen, and set down her carry-on. “Three missed calls. A text. All from Keagan.”

Sam groaned.

“The text says, ‘Where are you?' ”

“Tell him we're on the plane. We got an earlier flight.
Hasta la vista
, bud.”

She felt light headed. Her stomach clenched. “But what if it's—”

“It's nothing, Jasmyn.” She took the phone. “I'm calling him. There is absolutely nothing that can keep you from leaving today.” She put the phone to her ear. “No matter who got sick or who needs—Keagan!” She spoke sternly into the phone. “You know where we are!”

“Now I do.” His voice was loud.

Too loud to be coming from the phone.

He was at Jasmyn's side.

Sam lowered the phone. “You have got to be kidding me.”

“Liv forgot to give this to you.” He held out a small cloth bag. “Cookies for the trip. You know her. She was distraught because she'd baked them especially—What's wrong?” He looked back and forth between the two of them.

Sam grabbed the bag from him without a word, her scowl saying more than enough.

Jasmyn could only shake her head and hope her breakfast toast stayed down. She tried to inconspicuously press her stomach and breathe normally.

Light seemed to dawn on his face. “Ohhh. You thought something had happened.”

Sam said, “Given your history at the airport with Jasmyn, uh, yeah.”

“I'm sorry. I am so sorry.” He smiled and spread his arms. “Everything is fine.” His eye caught Jasmyn's.

And there was a shift in him. In the air. In Jasmyn herself.

She wondered if it was the sunlit peacock blue or the intriguing shape his jaw took on as the smile faded or the expression that contradicted what he said. Everything was not fine.

She agreed. Everything was not fine.

She stepped nearer to him, stood on tiptoes, and kissed his jaw where the leather jacket collar touched it. “Thanks, Keagan,” she whispered.

His arms came around her.

And then everything was fine.

Sixty-Five

“What was that all about?” Sam handed Jasmyn a coffee and sat down next to her with her own cup. They were at the gate, half an hour early, time enough for coffee, a cookie, and an explanation.

“What was what all about?” Jasmyn eyed her over the cup, a distinct expression of mischief on her face.

“You're having short-term memory issues.”

Jasmyn grinned and lowered the cup. “It was about
whooshing
and
whamming
.”

“I wasn't asking about getting our things through security.”

“You're so funny.”

“I'm funny? You kissed him and he kissed you, and the two of you hugged for a really long time and I had no idea anything was going on between you.”

“I didn't think there was. Really. Actually, nothing's going on. We're just friends. He only kissed my forehead.”

That hardly mattered. To see Mr. Kung Fu Dude kiss in any way was almost disconcerting. For never expressing emotion, he sure could put a lot into one peck on the forehead. It probably had to do with the way his hand cradled the back of her head and how it was not a simple brush of his lips on her forehead.

Sam said, “Whatever. It's none of my business. I was just surprised.”

“That's okay. I was too. I admit that I have felt an attraction of sorts. He kept showing up and doing things, like delivering my lost luggage and just appearing at the beach when I was sitting there and needing to talk.”

“Being drawn to that behavior is a hormonal reaction, Jasmyn. That's all it is. He was there at opportune moments.”

“He has that knight and angel reputation. Don't roll your eyes.”

Sam blinked and refocused. “That's for the old ladies.”

“But he is kind and attentive. He was even sort of funny last night.”

Sam chuckled. “Okay, I'll give you that. He was. And he ate junk food. Very un-Keagan-ish. It seems, then, that this crush is mutual.”