Love Finds You in Treasure Island, Florida (31 page)

“So what do you plan to do?” Steven asked. “Move down there with them so you can hold their hands all the way to the grave?” He belted out a sinister snort. “That ought to earn you a nice slice of the inheritance.”

“You’re totally out of line, big brother. Until you get past your pettiness, you won’t see that. When you feel like discussing our parents’ move, give me a call, but I’m not going to keep talking to you now.”

“Fine. Tell them I hope they’re happy.”
Click
.

Jerry punched the Off button on his phone, held it out, and stared at it. His brother’s behavior was even worse than it had been the last time he’d talked to him.
Just goes to show how bitter people can become without the Lord in their lives
.

He knew he needed to be praying for a change of heart for Steven and Jennifer, but it was difficult watching them hurt his parents. As Jerry bowed his head, he added a request for forgiveness for himself.

The days began to fly by as he made arrangements for the upcoming trip. He secured a three-month lease on a condo in Treasure Island. In addition to getting his personal belongings packed and ready for the move, he had to work ahead to account for the days he’d be out of commission. Then a couple of days before they were due to leave, his parents called and said they wanted to go early. The manager of their apartment building had someone lined up for their place, so he offered to let them stay in the guest unit until they were ready to go. The moving company had already come for their belongings. For once, he had to tell them no.

His mother argued. “We figured you’d be as eager to get this thing over with as we are.”

“I can’t do it. I still have too much on my plate.”

“You always have too much on your plate as long as we’re around. I’m serious, Jerry. You don’t have to take care of us. We’re adults. We can manage.”

“I know I don’t have to. I want to.”

“Your dad already checked on flights, and we can leave tonight.”

“Mom.”

She sighed. “Okay. We’ll wait.”

Knowing his parents’ urgency lit a fire under Jerry. He quickly tied up all his loose ends and was ready a day ahead of schedule.

All the way to the Florida state line, his mother sat in the backseat and chattered nonstop about all the things they could do once they got settled. His dad kept glancing over at Jerry and grinning. When she finally wound down and closed her eyes for a nap, Jerry turned to his dad.

“Think she’s happy about this?”

His dad let out a soft chuckle. “Never seen anything like it. I’m glad she finally gave in and agreed to move.”

“She gave in?” Jerry cast a questioning glance in his dad’s direction. “What do you mean by that?”

“I’ve been wanting to do this for years. She kept thinking Steven and Jennifer would come to their senses when I first mentioned it. Then her excuse was staying in Atlanta for you. After you moved your business into your home and sold your condo, I told her all that was a moot point. If you needed us, you could come, too.”

Jerry opened his mouth to say he was going more because they might need him than the other way around, but he quickly thought better of it. Let them think what they wanted. He knew he was doing this for them…and Amanda, if he wanted to be truly honest with himself.

“I called the manager of your new place and checked on your furniture,” Jerry told his dad. “They said it arrived, and the social worker directed them on where to put it.”

“Good. When we talked to them a couple weeks ago, they told us they wanted to welcome us with a turnkey apartment. It’ll be nice to be home again.”

Jerry thought it was interesting that his dad was already calling his place in Florida “home,” even though he’d never been there. What was even more interesting was the fact that he himself had no remorse or desire to turn back, even though this would be the first time other than his four years of college that he’d live anywhere besides the Atlanta area.

When his dad started laughing, Jerry cast a glance toward the passenger seat. “What’s so funny?”

“Your mother is more excited over those turtles everyone’s so worried about than I’ve seen her in a long time.”

“The loggerheads?”

“Yeah, I think that’s what they’re called. She’s talking about joining some group to help save them. She’s been on the Internet looking at pictures and e-mailing some folks. I reckon she’ll try to drag me to some meetings to save ‘em.”

“I’m glad she has a cause,” Jerry said. “Mom always did like to look after others.”

“Yeah, but turtles?” The elderly man shook his head. “They’ve been looking after themselves since long before your mother ever came along.”

“This will be good for her.”

“You’re probably right.”

Silence fell between them for a few minutes. Jerry glanced at his dad, who seemed deep in thought. Then he started thinking about what all he needed to do. Fortunately the condo was a seasonal rental, so the power and water were already on.

His dad cleared his throat, jolting Jerry from his thoughts. “Thinkin’ about Amanda?”

“Not really.”

“You need to start. Does she know you’re coming?”

“I haven’t told her. I figured Mom might, though.”

His dad looked straight ahead and shook his head. “Nah, she wouldn’t do that to you. She likes surprises too much.”

Jerry changed the subject before his dad got the notion to delve too much into his feelings for Amanda. “Are you looking forward to seeing Timmy?”

“Yep.” His dad snickered. “That little guy is a pistol. Reminds me of myself when I was his age.”

“How so?” Jerry was thrilled he’d hit on a topic his dad obviously enjoyed.

“He always seems to find trouble, even when he’s not looking. I figured if I brought him on my treasure hunts, it would give him something to look for, and maybe he’d stay out of trouble.”

Jerry cut his gaze over to his dad before refocusing on the road ahead. “Is that why you’re always going on treasure hunts?”

The older man lifted one shoulder and let it drop. “Maybe that’s one of the reasons. It also gives me something to do.”

“So you don’t really think you’re gonna find one, then?”

“Oh, I’ll find one. In fact, I bet I find more than one.”

His dad folded his arms and closed his eyes, signaling an end to the conversation. Jerry was grateful for the peace and quiet for a while. He needed a little time in his own head.

The farther south they drove, the lower the sky seemed to be. The hilly ribbon of interstate stretched into a long, flat rope that seemed to go on forever. As they drew closer to Tampa, large billboards dotted the roadside with promises of fun and fabulous food at various resorts and restaurants.

This was home. It seemed strange that after years of going to Florida for vacation, he’d be there year-round.

A startling snore from his dad snapped him from his thoughts. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his dad wipe the corner of his mouth with his handkerchief.

“Feel better?” Jerry asked.

His dad shook his head. “My neck’s stiff. If your mother was awake, I’d say let’s stop and stretch. But I don’t wanna bother her.”

Jerry glanced in the rearview mirror and saw his mother snuggling into the pillow she’d leaned against the door. Her eyes were closed, but she had a smile on her face. It was nice seeing her happy.

“We’re almost there anyway,” Jerry said. “Another hour, max.”

“Good. I’m sick of riding.”

It was early evening when they pulled into the driveway of the retirement building that would be his parents’ new home. The place was well-maintained and had meticulously manicured grounds. He noticed that the side yard had arbors with swings as well as flower gardens with an assortment of colors and varying heights of foliage for accent. It was peaceful and had an air of tranquillity. The perfect place for someone in their golden years.

“Well?” Jerry asked. “Is this what you expected?”

His dad looked around. “Looks nicer than where we came from.”

Jerry agreed. “Let’s go inside and see if they’re ready for you.” He turned around to see his mother stretching, the smile still plastered on her face. “You’ll be up all night,” he said.

“That’s fine.” She pulled out her compact and lipstick to freshen up, while Jerry and his dad got out of the car.

“You go on inside, Dad, and let them know you’re here. I’ll get the suitcases and bring them in.”

By the time Jerry had their luggage at the front desk and his mother had walked in, a thirty-something man wearing khaki trousers and a navy golf shirt with Dan on his name tag was in the lobby waiting to greet them. “Welcome home, Mr. and Mrs. Simpson. Your apartment is ready and waiting. One of the maintenance men will be down shortly to take your bags to your apartment.”

He led them to the elevator and punched the button. As they rode to the fourth floor, he chatted about all the amenities of the place. “I’m sure you’re exhausted, so I asked Margie, the activities director, to wait a couple of days before coming by to see you.”

After Dan left the apartment, Jerry took a good look around. He had to admit, he was impressed. Not only was the place bigger than where they lived in Atlanta, it was also much nicer.

“You picked a good one, Mom,” Jerry said.

She flopped back on the sofa and surveyed the living room. “It’s even better than what they showed on the Internet. I can’t believe how spacious it is.”

Jerry’s dad walked over to the sliding glass door and flipped the lock. He walked outside then came back in grinning. “Nice view.”

“I asked for the garden view, if they had one available,” Jerry’s mother said.

“Come see for yourself.” The older man motioned for his wife and son to join him on the balcony.

Jerry scanned the horizon and let out a low whistle. “Not only is this a garden view, you get the magnificent sunset.”

A knock sounded at the door, so Jerry answered it. The maintenance man had his parents’ luggage on a cart. “Do you need help unpacking?”

“No, thank you,” Jerry said as he offered the man a five-dollar bill.

The man smiled and held up his hand. “We have a no-tipping policy, until the Christmas season when the residents get together with staff. But thanks anyway. Let me know if you need anything else.”

“How do we find you?” Jerry asked.

“Just pick up the phone and dial zero.”

Jerry took the luggage inside and closed the door behind the maintenance man before joining his parents. His dad was opening all the closets and looking inside, while his mother was checking out the kitchen.

“You won’t believe what’s in here.” She peeked around the corner. “Y’all come look in the kitchen.”

Jerry and his dad immediately did as they were asked. His mother held the refrigerator door open wide, and Jerry looked inside. It was full!

“Whoa!” Jerry’s eyes widened. “Someone did some serious shopping.”

“Here’s the note they taped to the door.” She handed Jerry a yellow slip of paper.

He read it silently and then at his dad’s urging, he read it aloud.

“
Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Simpson. We know a move is a major undertaking, so we like to greet all our newcomers with a few essentials to get you started. If you have any questions, please stop anyone in the hallway; hopefully you’ll get the answers you need. We’re a friendly bunch.

The Tropical Gardens Village Welcome Committee.”

“Isn’t that sweet?” His mother’s cheeks were rosy, and her eyes glistened.

His dad nodded. “They sure do know how to welcome people around here.”

When his dad turned and faced his mother with a look of pure bliss, Jerry knew all was right in their world. Now it was time to leave them alone.

“Are you sure your place is ready, son?”

“They told me it would be. All I have to do is stop by the realestate office and get the key.”

His mother glanced at her watch. “It’s awfully late.”

“Someone will be there until eight, but I’d better get a move on.”

As Jerry left St. Petersburg and drove across the bridge leading to Treasure Island, he thought about the drastic move he was making and how risky it appeared to others. However, he didn’t see it as a risk. It was more of an adventure—even if nothing happened between him and Amanda. Sure, she was one of the influencing factors in his decision to move, but even without her, he probably would have done this. He liked being close to his parents, but not for the reason his brother accused him. He wanted to be there if they needed him, and after they left Atlanta, there was nothing to hold him there. Besides, he loved Florida.

The woman at the real-estate office smiled as he entered. “You must be Jerry Simpson.”

“That’s me. I hope I’m not too late.”

“When Margaret told me you were coming late, she didn’t realize that I only work late on Friday nights to cover the weekend crowd.”

“Thank you for staying late. It means a lot to me.”

She smiled and handed him an envelope. “I don’t mind once in a while. You’ll find the key and all the information about the place in the envelope. If you have any questions, call the number tomorrow after nine.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

Her grin widened. “Oh, I’m sure you will be, too.”

Was she flirting with him? Nah, not likely. He backed out the door and waved then turned and hurried to his car. He’d been driving all day, and he was exhausted, close to hallucinating about intentions.

The condo was nice, but the view was nowhere near as breathtaking as the last place he and his parents had rented. He had a small balcony, but it overlooked the next building, and he had to step out onto the balcony and look to his right to see the Gulf of Mexico. It was fine, though. All he needed was a decent place to stay until he figured out where he wanted to live—or if he even wanted to stay there.

Jerry could hardly wait to see Amanda, but he didn’t think it would be a good idea to do anything at this hour. Not only was he exhausted from the trip, but he figured she’d be winding down for the day.

He unpacked and settled down in front of the television and found a news station. After he felt sufficiently caught up with what was going on in the world, he got up and got ready for bed. First thing tomorrow, he’d check on his parents and then drop in on Amanda to let her know he was back in town.