My Blue River (13 page)

“I’ll give you ten bucks to never do that again,” I said. Humor played across my face.

“What? You didn’t like it?” Jack asked while trying to look hurt but the crinkles at the edges of his eyes gave him away.

“No, it seemed wrong, and…
unnatural
…I think it’s another one of those things God didn’t intend for you to do,” I joked. He wasn’t the least bit offended because by now, he knew me well enough to know I was bound to say something sarcastic. Nothing shocked him anymore. More than anything, Jack knew himself so what other people thought didn’t matter to him in ways that influenced his choices, likes, or dislikes. I loved that about him. Actually, I totally and completely envied his confidence.

He placed his arm around my shoulders and gave me a squeeze saying, “Oh, my dear, sweet, Addy.”

We continued to banter about the complexities of line dancing when I heard, “…so come on up here Jack Cooper and give an ol’ band some help!”

“Wait for me,” Jack whispered in my ear. I shuddered at the feel of his breath on my skin. He waved his arm in the air alerting the band he was on his way. As he walked off in the direction of the stage, he turned around and gave me one last smile.

“Jack! What are you doing?” I called out to him, but my words didn’t reach his ears because everyone was clapping.

Once on stage, he picked up a guitar.
Jack plays the guitar?
He then began to sing.
Jack sings?
He doesn’t just sing, he sings very well
. I knew he loved music, but he never mentioned he performed as well. It was mesmerizing watching him strum his guitar and when he sang he looked directly at me, which was a bit jarring since the words were,
“I see my future with you.”

*********

Jack’s Journal

Saturday, August 28

I’m bad. I know. I tricked Addy into believing actual seafood would be at the oyster festival. The look on her face was priceless! She didn’t think bull testicles sounded appealing. I’m not sure she even ate tonight for fear that everything had been touched by someone who had eaten a Rocky Mountain Oyster. I couldn’t help but laugh. She impressed me by dancing though. She actually has skills.

I had a chance to covertly sing to her when The Kissin’ Kuzzins asked me to join them on stage. I’ve been working with them for weeks on one of my original songs. I told them we needed to make it good—I had a girl to impress. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.

I had to admit it was slightly amusing watching her tonight. She was like a fish out of water, but that’s not why every head turned when she walked by. She has no idea how stunning she truly is.

10. Gazing

Jack planned an evening at The Beach. He said he had something new to share with me; something I had been near all the time, but something I had probably never taken the time to notice and that thought piqued my interest. I was learning that Jack was going to be full of surprises on a regular basis and each day was filled with the wonderment of what he might say or do.

It was already dark when we arrived at the beach. He pulled his Jeep to a stop and put on the brake. He first got my door for me and then he got a blanket and telescope out of the back. I followed him as he picked a spot by the river’s edge. I enjoyed watching him look so excited about his plan.

“Need help?” I asked.

“Nope. I’ve got it but thanks for asking,” he replied.

“You know, Jack, I’m not sure I trust you after last night’s bull balls fiasco.”

Jack laughed. “How many times do I have to remind you that it was an actual oyster festival?”

“In cow people world that was an oyster festival!” I laughed as I reflected on my own reaction to the first sight of Rocky Mountain oysters. I think Jack was thinking of it as well and began to laugh with me.

“So what is it we’re doing tonight?” I asked.

“Well, tonight, we’re star gazing!” he declared. His eyes were sparkling from the excitement of showing me something new but the last time I checked, I knew where the stars were and how they looked. The answer to that question didn’t matter. Just being with him was good enough for me. I couldn’t help but be amused as I watched Jack setting up what he felt was an important operation.

“Star gazing? Okay. I can do that.”

“How about some music while we wait?” he asked.

“Yeah! That sounds good. But I’m still curious what we’re waiting for? Aren’t we just going to… look up?”

He just shook his head and jogged back up the bankside to his Jeep, grabbed his portable stereo, and jogged back to his place on the blanket. I expected a CD of some country artist I had never heard of, but was surprised with music I preferred.

“Hey, I didn’t know you liked these guys!” I said in surprise as he played music that could have easily come from my own CD collection; it was Parachute.

“Well, that’s because you don’t really know me yet. I don’t just like country music. I’m diverse and full of surprises,” he professed.

Each time we had a moment alone, I knew I was becoming closer to Jack and it completely excited and frightened me all at once. I was beginning to wonder if I could trust myself. I knew I could easily fall for him and even though I wanted to resist my feelings, I often hoped he would kiss me. I knew it was completely contradictory to my common sense, but he was simply too adorable. I wanted as much of him as I could get before I left next summer. I was sad I hadn’t met him in California, but if I were to be honest with myself, leaving him and his friendship would be tough.

I lay back on the blanket and looked up. I didn’t even need to ask what we were looking for because I saw it instantly. Never in my life had I seen stars shine so brightly. The night sky sparkled like it had been sprayed with glitter. It was beautiful. It was not until now that I realized how much the city lights had blocked the twinkling beauty of the stars. I wondered if a picture would turn out. I ran to Jack’s Jeep, grabbed my camera from my bag and returned to my spot on the blanket. I snapped a few photos. I had to admit, this was awesome. If only it were “vacation” awesome—something you get to see and experience, but not have to live with.

“Another point for Montana,” I whispered.

“What’s that?” asked Jack.

“Oh, I just said, another point for Montana.”

“I didn’t know you were keeping points. What’s the score?”

“Let’s see, I gave one point for the privacy at our new house and a point for this fabulous view, so that’s Montana two but California still has a trillion.” Secretly, I gave another 500 points for Jack being here, but he’d never know.

Jack laughed. “California can’t be that terrific—a trillion?”

“Okay, I’m probably exaggerating, but I can’t help it. It’s where I grew up and it’s where I want to settle down someday. I love it there.”

“I know what you mean. I grew up here. It’s where I want to raise a family. I can’t even imagine leaving Blue River.”

“Hey, you just never know. Maybe you’d like California, too.”

“Ha! I doubt it. Can I ride a horse through the middle of town?”

“Uh, probably not.”

“Then there you go—I wouldn’t like it.”

“But you can camp on the beach, surf, dolphin watch, go to Disneyland in a matter of hours,” I wheedled. “You can’t do that here.”

“I could camp on this beach.”

“I mean a
real
beach, silly.”

“I can watch for trout on this beach.”

I cocked my head to the side. “Oh, that’s right. I forgot that trout watching is exciting,” I sarcastically replied.

Reluctantly, Jack admitted a tiny secret. “You got me on the Disneyland thing though. I would actually like to go there, even though I’m not a little boy anymore.”

“Trust me. Disneyland brings out your inner kid. No one is
ever
too old for Disneyland.

We both started laughing until we succumbed to the silence of our own thoughts. I found it interesting and confusing all in one breath that I was finding a best friend in Jack. I was beginning to enjoy his company more than I did Sheridan’s. She was so edgy and negative all the time. I never realized until this moment how much of my energy she sucked from me. But I was also deeply attracted to Jack, and that wasn’t something people who were just friends should share. A bundle of emotions resided in my heart and they were in a word, perplexing. I assumed it was all part of growing up and I wasn’t sure I liked it. I had always heard that sometimes love finds you—you don’t find it. I had a feeling that expression fit with what was happening to me and Jack.

Talking about Disneyland with Jack made me remember the simpler times, the happier times of my family, before Aaron lost his way. It was always so exciting to walk through the front gates of Disneyland. It was truly magical—truly
“the happiest place on earth.”
I thought about the stunt I pulled when I was eight years old. I called it the immoveable statue. I wanted to stay so badly that I plopped down, right in the middle of Main Street, and refused to leave the park. I tried it again the day we left California. I chuckled out loud at the thought.
I must have looked ridiculous both times.

“What’s so funny?” Jack asked.

“Oh, I was just remembering my Disneyland protest. You would have thought I was saving a tree or something. I refused to leave when I was eight. I made a big scene. I can still remember the look on my mom’s face. I thought the vein in her forehead would explode.”

At first Jack was grinning but then his expression became somber. “You sure like to push your mom’s buttons.” He said matter-of-factly.
Typical Jack, he’s about to call me out on my crap.

“I…uh…well…yeah, now that you mention it, it kind of seems that way, doesn’t it?” I paused because I was about to make a confession and that wasn’t something I did very often. “Honestly, I don’t know why I push her buttons.” I stared straight up at the sky, refusing to meet Jack’s gaze. “We used to get along, but then I began to get a mind of my own and that apparently didn’t go over too well with her.”

“Hmm.”

“
Hmm.
What?”

“I don’t know. That just doesn’t strike me as your mom’s personality.”

That comment made my head snap in his direction. I may have felt slightly ashamed, but I was confident that I understood my mom’s personality and motives more than he did. “Oh, trust me, she likes to be the one in control and it drives me insane. My dad is a saint for putting up with her because she is a complete and total control freak.” I looked away because I knew he would challenge my words.

“Okay, okay. Geez, settle down. I just think that maybe someday you’ll understand when you’re a mom.”

“Ha! Okay, first, I’m not sure I’ll ever be a mom. Just because I have the right chromosomes and body parts, doesn’t mean I want to do it!” I snuck a peek at Jack to get his response.

“Really?” Jack’s eyebrows furrowed. “That’s too bad. I can totally see you having kids.”

“Then you need glasses.”

Jack didn’t respond. In fact, an awkward feeling hung in the air. Clearly, he felt it too and quickly changed the subject. We talked about school and Claire until we landed on the subject of Zeek and Sallie.

“I think Zeek likes Sallie,” I said.

“Oh, yeah, definitely. Zeek has liked Sallie since she moved here in the eighth grade.”

“Well, she either doesn’t notice, or she is doing really well at ignoring it.”

“She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body so I know she’s not ignoring it and he is just too shy to make a move. Actually, they are both really shy.”

“That’s too bad. They would make a good couple.”

“Yeah, they would. So…um…can I ask you a question?”

“Strawberries,” I answered.

“What?”

“I was guessing that you would ask what my favorite fruit is.”

He laughed. “So I guess that’s a “no” to me asking you a question? You’d rather talk about fruit? Okay, well, I have told you about my mom’s garden. She makes this huge garden every year. Do you want to know how she fertilizes the soil?”

I snickered. “No! Please ask me a question! I can’t promise you that I’ll answer though.” I somewhat feared what his question would be.

“Well, I was wondering, do you…think…do you think if a guy likes a girl, he should tell her?”

I felt myself blush because I wasn’t sure we were still talking about Zeek and Sallie so I chose my next words carefully. Before I could answer, Jack continued on, “Or maybe if a
girl
likes a
guy
,
she
should make the move. We are, as you have pointed out, in the twenty-first century.”

Whew. A question I can handle.
This is cake
. “Sometimes, girls like guys, but they
know
the relationship can never go anywhere, so they just forget it and enjoy the view from a distance,” I said, trying to sound like I was all knowing on the subject.

“Really?” His voiced raised an octave and sounded like a little boy’s. It was so cute it tugged at my heart. “Please explain.”

I was certain he, too, wondered if we were still talking about Zeek and Sallie. I decided to explain, knowing I was giving away my feelings but I almost didn’t care. It was secretly a thrill to have him know I was attracted to him. It could make the next year very interesting.

“Well, for example, me and you. You’re a perfectly wonderful guy I could picture dating, but I’m leaving in a year so it doesn’t make sense to date and leave with a broken heart next August. It’s best we’re just friends.”

“You can picture dating me?” His eyebrows arched and his grin was broad.

“Yeah.” I was almost afraid to ask, but had to know. “Can you picture dating me?” My heart started to beat faster in anticipation of his answer.

He rolled to his side to clearly face me. I rolled to face him in response. If his pause was for dramatic effect it worked. His eyes searched mine and when he spoke, his voice was soft and no longer up an octave. “I would love nothing more than to date you, Addy Davis.”