What I Never Knew Page 7

  “It’s so nice to meet you,” she says to me, offering her hand for me to shake.

  I stand and lean over the coffee table to reach her hand. “It’s nice to meet you too, Susan. I’m Amanda.”

  We let go of each other’s hands, and I sit back on the couch while she sits next to John. “I recognized you as soon as I walked in the room. You look so much like your mom.”

  I can’t help but smile at her. “These are my friends, Laura and Krista.” Laura and Krista both say hi to Susan, and she kindly replies.

  Then she looks back at me with sympathy in her eyes. “John told me your mom recently passed away. I’m so sorry. My condolences.”

  “Thank you,” I say.

  “He also told me she wrote you a journal.”

  I nod. “Yes, she did. That’s why I came to Kernville. She wanted some of her ashes spread by her parents’ graves, and I wanted to find her old friends and family members.”

  “Have you met any of your relatives yet?” John asks.

  I shake my head. “Not yet. Do you know where I can find them?”

  “Of course,” he says. His words perk me up even more. Could today get any better? He knows where my mom’s family is! “Your aunt Polly lives with her daughter, Lucy, just a few blocks away from here.”

  I smile at him. “I could kiss you right now. I wasn’t even sure if they still lived in Kernville or not. A waitress we met this morning said she thought they were still here, but she didn’t really know them or know how I could get in touch with them.”

  “Well, I’m glad I can help. I can take you over there tomorrow if you want.”

  “That would be amazing,” I say to him. “Thank you so much!” Grateful does not even begin to describe how I’m feeling. This is working out so much better than I thought it possibly could have! I’m actually going to meet my great-aunt Polly tomorrow!

  “It’s no problem. You should know your relatives,” John says.

  Susan pipes up then. “Where do you live, Amanda? Are you in California?”

  “No, we live in Seattle,” I reply, motioning to Laura and Krista, too.

  “I wondered if your mom stayed up there after she left Vegas,” John says.

  I chuckle. “I didn’t even know she lived in Vegas until I read her journal.”

  The front door opens then, and Dax walks into the house. I wonder if he lives here with them, but John and Susan both turn around to see who it is, seemingly surprised by his presence.

  “What are you doing here, hon?” Susan asks him.

  Dax shrugs. “Oh, I just thought I’d stop by and say hi. I haven’t been over in a while.”

  Dax is wearing basketball shorts and a San Francisco Giants t-shirt now, not the work overalls he had on at the auto shop earlier. He’s cleaned up and even more attractive than I thought before.

  And he’s eyeing me. What the heck?

  “Nice to see you ladies again,” he says to the three of us as he leans on the loveseat arm next to where his mom is sitting. “Dad said you’re in town to learn more about your mom?” He sits down on the arm with one leg bent to the side and his hands folded in his lap. Once again, his blue eyes are distracting me. They’re just so easy to get lost in.

  Dax seems like trouble. I bet all the single ladies in town want him.

  I manage to smile back at him. “That’s right. She grew up here, but I never knew very much about her family or her younger years. She passed away recently, and I wanted to learn more.”

  He nods. “Sorry to hear that.”

  “What kind of cancer did she have, if you don’t mind me asking?” Susan asks.

  I tell them all about Mom’s breast cancer and how the past year was hell for her. I tell them about the day she died, what her memorial was like, and share some of the things she wrote to me in her journal. Tears start to sting my eyes, but I hold them back. I refuse to cry again.

  Everyone is listening intently, including Krista and Laura, who already know everything. Even Dax, who really has no reason to be interested in what I’m saying, has his attention solely on me.

  “And that’s when I asked Krista and Laura to take this road trip down here with me,” I finish. “We left Seattle on Monday and got here last night.”

  “How long are you staying in Kernville?” Dax asks me.

  I look up at him and smile shyly. Something about him makes me feel self-conscious, and I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because he’s too handsome for his own good. Like I said before, trouble. “We have to leave by Saturday. Krista has to be at work on Monday.”

  Krista pipes up then. “Yeah, I’m the party pooper,” she says jokingly. Everyone chuckles.

  “What do you all do for a living?” Susan asks then.

  “I help run my family’s restaurant,” Krista says.

  “We’re both teachers,” Laura replies.

  All three of the Youngs look surprised, and Susan replies, “What a coincidence! I’m a teacher, too!”

  “Did you know my mom was also a teacher?” I ask them.

  “We did, actually,” John replies. “Her friend Michelle kept in contact with her for a while and filled us in on bits and pieces of her life. It didn’t really surprise me either. She always showed interest in being a teacher someday. What did she teach? What do you two teach?”

  “Mom taught several grades over the years, all in elementary school. The past few years she taught third grade. I teach fifth.”

  “And I teach fourth,” Laura replies.

  “I teach fourth grade, too!” Susan exclaims. “I knew I liked you gals.” She winks at us and smiles.

  “Would you like to see some pictures of your mom?” John asks, pointing at all the photo albums and yearbooks in front of us on the coffee table.

  “Of course,” I say as I sit up, moving closer to the table to grab a book.

  We spend the next hour poring over the books, and Susan and John recall stories about my mom growing up. I see pictures of her I’ve never seen before, and I love every second of it. Before tonight, I’d only seen a few pictures of my mom when she was a kid. She didn’t keep any of her own yearbooks and hardly had any pictures when she moved away from Kernville. Looking at all these pictures and hearing stories about her life is like getting to know a whole new side of my mom.

  There are class pictures from her elementary school days, some pictures of her at parties, and a few pictures of her and John together, too. I can see now that Dax really does look like his dad, and it’s weird because it looks as if the pictures are of Dax and me, not of our parents. Krista even makes a comment about it, which everyone finds funny.

  I also see pictures of her friend Michelle, who she kept in touch with for a while. John and Susan tell me she still lives in Kernville, too. As Mom had predicted, Michelle’s husband followed in his dad’s footsteps and became the town’s sheriff. He’s retired now, but they still live on the outskirts of town.

  Dax stays the whole time we’re there, looking at the books along with us and listening to his parents’ stories. I’m still not exactly sure why he’s here, but I’m learning that he’s a nice guy. When he offered to get us all drinks from the kitchen and brought back chips and salsa along with the waters Krista, Laura, and I asked for, his mom and dad seemed surprised by his gesture. I can tell he has a good relationship with his folks, and they like to joke with each other. When John was telling us the story about the first time he asked my mom out and how she turned him down, Dax had to get a dig at him for striking out, to which we all laughed about.

  After we finish looking at all the books, I excuse myself to use the bathroom. Susan tells me where it is, and I head down the hallway. On my way, I notice all the family photos hanging on the hall. When I’m finished using the bathroom, I decide to stop to look at the pictures. I discover that John and Susan have three kids: two girls and Dax. He seems to be the middle child, based on several photos of him with his sisters when they were younger. It looks like they had a happy life; Jo
hn and Susan seem like wonderful people. I wonder if their daughters still live in Kernville, too?

  Suddenly, Dax is by my side. I didn’t hear him approaching me; he just seems to have to appeared. He stands next to me and looks at the photos on the wall along with me.

  “These are my sisters, Danielle and Diana,” he says, pointing at a photo of the three of them standing in front of the Grand Canyon. They look like they were in high school at the time.

  “All D names?” I ask him, curious if there’s a reason their parents chose to give them all names that start with the letter D.

  He chuckles and turns toward me, so I turn slightly toward him, too. “It wasn’t on purpose to begin with,” he explains. “Danielle is the oldest, and they just liked the name. When I was born a couple of years later, Mom wanted to name me Max, but Dad liked the name Dale. They decided to compromise and name me Dax instead, combining the two names they liked.” He leans in closer to me then and says quietly, “Thank God, because I don’t know what my dad was thinking.”

  I chuckle at his response. I look down at my feet, then back up at him. He’s looking at me with those deep blue eyes, and I immediately feel self-conscious again. I wrap my arms around myself, my natural response when I’m feeling insecure. Damn him for making me feel this way. He’s really not doing anything to make me feel this way, either, so it doesn’t make any sense! He’s just being nice to me.

  I decide to prompt him to explain more. “So what happened when Diana was born?”

  “Well, since Danielle and I both had D names, they felt obligated to give the next baby a D name too, so she wouldn’t feel left out,” he says. “Diana was actually my mom’s great-grandma’s name, so they decided to go with that.”

  I nod and smile shyly at him. “Do they still live in Kernville?”

  He shakes his head. “They both live in Chico. Both went to college up there, met their husbands, and ended up settling down.”

  Neither of us says anything for a moment, but then he leans in closer to me again and says quietly, “Isn’t it weird to think, that if your mom and my dad had stayed together, neither one of us would be here right now?”

  I look at him, unsure how to respond at first. “I guess that’s true. I never thought of that.”

  “I suppose things really do happen for a reason,” he says, then he turns his attention back to the wall of photos and changes the subject before I can even reply to his comment. “Mom and Dad took us on all kinds of family vacations when we were growing up, but they never took us to Seattle. I’ve never been there before.”

  “I love Seattle,” is all I can think to say.

  “It’s on my list of places to visit,” he says, turning his head toward me again. “Maybe you can be my tour guide whenever I make it up there.”

  Is he flirting with me? God, it’s been so long since a guy flirted with me; I don’t even recognize it anymore. I’ve had guys try some pretty pathetic pickup lines on me, but I wouldn’t consider that flirting. I’m so out of my element right now; I don’t know what to say.

  I finally form some words. “Let me know if you ever come up.”

  I look up at him and find him smiling at me again. I smile back and hope I don’t look as awkward as I feel.

  “Amanda!” Susan calls from the living room. “I found more pictures of your mom!”

  “I guess I should go check that out,” I say to Dax, and then I walk past him, back out to the living room to see what Susan has.

  We spend another hour at the Young’s house. They share more pictures that Susan found while I was using the bathroom, and those photos prompt more stories. By the time we’re ready to leave, I feel as if I know my mom ten times better than I did prior to visiting with them. I never knew my mom was in the drama club, played the clarinet in band, and was suspended once for skipping school (which seemed like an ironic punishment)! I also never knew who her other ex-boyfriends were before she was with John. Susan and John share so much information with me, and I don’t know how I will ever repay them for taking the time to talk to me.

  “So tomorrow, you’d like to go visit your great-aunt Polly,” John says to me, more as a statement than a question. “Why don’t you meet me here at noon and then we can walk over there together. I’ll introduce you to Polly and her daughter.”

  “Thank you so much,” I say to him. “I’m really looking forward to it.”

  Laura, Krista, and I say goodbye to the Youngs, then start to walk out to my car. Dax walks out with us too, which is both surprising and, once again, unnerving. I wish I didn’t feel this way around him.

  “Hey, I just wanted to invite you ladies to the Spot on Friday night. It’s the local bar where a lot of people like to go to on the weekend, and there’s always a live band. It’s a good time, and I thought you’d like to know.”

  Krista replies first. “Wow, thanks. I haven’t had a night out in a long time. That sounds like fun!” She looks at both Laura and me, smiling.

  “Yeah, that sounds great!” Laura adds.

  They both look at me as if I have the final say. “Sure, we can go. I haven’t had a night out in a long time either. It’ll feel good to get out and have fun.”

  Dax smiles in response, then says good night to us. We get in my car, and I drive us back to our hotel.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Dax

  Earlier that evening …

  When I get off work, it’s nearly six o’clock already. Dad helped me tackle the truck, so I could finish the job. I’m glad to be done with it. I go straight home and take a shower, then I eat some leftovers for dinner. My roommate, Chris, comes home just as I’m about to leave to go over to Mom and Dad’s.

  “Hey, man,” he says when he walks in the door, eyeing my keys in my hand. “Where are you going?”

  “My parents’ house to visit. There’s some food in the fridge if you’re hungry.”

  Chris kicks his shoes off and says, “Thanks, man. I appreciate it. It was a long day.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it,” I say to him as I grab the doorknob to leave. “I’ll be back later. See ya.”

  I decide to drive over to their house. It’s only a few blocks away, but I don’t feel like walking. I’m really looking forward to seeing Amanda again. I acted like a complete jackass when I met her earlier, and I want to redeem myself.

  When I get to their house less than two minutes later, I see a black Accord parked in my parents’ driveway. I park next to it, noticing it has Washington plates while I walk up to the front door. They drove a long way to get here.

  I let myself in the house, not bothering to knock. All heads turn and look at me when I enter.

  Shit, she’s prettier than I remember. Who the hell is this girl? I haven’t been interested in anyone in a long time, but I want to get to know her better.

  “What are you doing here, hon?” Mom asks me. Dad must not have told her I was coming.

  I shrug. “Oh, I just thought I’d stop by and say hi. I haven’t been over in a while.”

  I walk farther into the living room and notice Amanda eyeing me. I’m trying not to stare, but I can’t take my eyes off her either.

  “Nice to see you ladies again,” I say to her and her friends as I lean on the loveseat next to where Mom is sitting. I pry my eyes from Amanda’s and look at her friends briefly, too. I don’t want to seem creepy. “Dad said you’re in town to learn more about your mom?” I decide to just sit down on the arm of the couch. I notice Amanda is looking at me again, and it’s not just a cursory glance; her eyes are scanning me up and down. She’s checking me out. Perfect.

  Amanda cracks a smile, and it nearly takes my breath away. I thought she was pretty before, but her smile makes her even more beautiful. “That’s right,” she says, answering my question. “She grew up here, but I never knew very much about her family or her younger years. She passed away recently, and I wanted to learn more.”

  Her voice. God, I’m even attracted to her voice. And her li
ps. When she talks, I’m distracted by them. I seem to like everything about this girl.

  I’m an ass, though. She’s sitting here telling me about her mom passing away, and I’m trying not to get a hard-on.

  I manage to nod and say, “Sorry to hear that.”

  “What kind of cancer did she have, if you don’t mind me asking?” Mom asks her.

  She begins talking, telling us all about her mom’s battle with breast cancer. I’m listening intently, but I’m also lost in her. I can’t help it. There’s just something about this girl. When she flips her long hair off her shoulder and licks her lips, I’m lost. It’s an innocent gesture, but sexy just the same. That’s it; I need to get to know this girl better.

  “And that’s when I asked Krista and Laura to take this road trip down here with me,” she finishes saying. “We left Seattle on Monday and got here last night.”

  Seattle. That’s so far away.

  “How long are you staying in Kernville?” I ask her.

  She looks up at me and smiles. She looks nervous all of a sudden. Maybe because I asked her a question? That must mean I’m having an effect on her.

  “We have to leave by Saturday. Krista has to be at work on Monday,” she answers me.

  Her friend speaks up then. “Yeah, I’m the party pooper,” she says jokingly. Everyone laughs, and I realize I was so caught up in all things Amanda, it didn’t even occur to me what her friends’ names are. So that one’s Krista, and the other one is Laura. I make a mental note.

  “What do you all do for a living?” Mom asks them.

  “I help run my family’s restaurant,” Krista says.

  “We’re both teachers,” Laura replies, pointing at herself and Amanda.

  Well, that’s interesting. Amanda’s a teacher like Mom. Can she get any more perfect? All the teachers I’ve known are level headed and caring. Just another reason to like her.

  Mom exclaims, “What a coincidence! I’m a teacher, too!”

  “Did you know my mom was also a teacher?” Amanda asks.