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Brunch At The Marbury (Part 5)

Aundrea was enjoying Pastor Greg’s story about the ice fishing when she noticed a sound that was halfway between a laugh and a hiccup. She turned to see what would make that kind of a sound when she saw Trilby twirl to her feet and slap Jeb’s very tall, very full glass of Concord Grape Juice in the process.

She missed whatever happened next because the juice splashed all over her face. Phyl handed her a napkin to wipe the juice from her eyes and began working on her blouse with another. “Oh, what the-”

“Not right now, honey. Keep your cool a minute. Marta is taking her away.”

“What did she do that for?”

“I’ll tell you later. Let’s just get you cleaned up quick.”

“Is it in my hair?”

“Afraid so.”

“Oh, jeez. Isn’t this a fine mess?”

Jeb turned to her as he dabbed at his own face and sweater. “Are you okay?”

“Just shocked, I guess. This juice kind of burns my eyes. I guess I’m lucky it wasn’t orange or pineapple.”

“That’s something to be thankful for.” He smiled as he put down the napkin. “I’m going to go home and clean up. Can I walk you out to your car?”

Aundrea turned to Phyl. She raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips as if to say, “Are you kidding me? Go. Go. Go!” without tipping her hand to the pro-Trilby crowd.

“Sure, that would be nice.” She grabbed her purse from beneath the table. “Thank you all for your company this morning. We’ll have to try this again next week.”

“I’ll bring some aprons.” Phyl said. That seemed to break the tension a bit.

Pastor Greg stood to offer a handshake. Jeb wiped his hand on the back of his sweater before taking the pastor’s hand. Aundrea smiled and shook his hand before following Jeb out of the restaurant.

“Well, I never thought I’d be grateful for Trilby’s awkwardness…”

“Aundrea, I’m glad you agreed to come outside with me. Despite the mess we both are, I’d like to talk to you.”

“Maybe we could talk on the way back to my place.”

“Your place?”

“I guess it’s my turn to be awkward. I rode in with Phyl. I wasn’t thinking when I came out here without her.”

Jeb seemed relieved. “Sure, I can give you a ride home. You’ll have to let me know where it is.”

“So, you were saying something about apologizing. What can you possibly have to apologize to me about?”

Jeb led her to his truck and unlocked the door for her. “I’m sorry about startling you at the shop. I didn’t mean to say it in quite that way.” He opened the door and helped her into the passenger seat.

“Jeb, I wasn’t mad about that. I was just being…”

“Being?”

She looked into his warm hazel eyes and forgot entirely about buckling her seatbelt, talking, thinking. It was right there in front of her. Older, stronger, bearded and a little windburned, but it was that same face she saw at every softball game. Every single game. It was the same quiet air of contentment and admiration. It was like her own personal patch of sunshine or a wave of warmth from the oven in a chilly kitchen. “Being silly.”

He smiled and closed her door. That smile. It was so warm and genuine. She hadn’t seen him really smile before. It was like every softball game rolled into one. Her head was swimming.

He walked around the front of the truck to get to his side. She needed the time to try to regain her composure before he got in. She wanted to be practical and sensible and fully in control. Not a chance.

He opened his door and leapt up into his seat like a movie cowboy mounting his horse. He buckled his seatbelt and slid the key into the ignition in what seemed like one smooth motion. Was she losing all sense of time or did he just have a well-rehearsed routine for saddling up and heading out. She could tell by the glance he threw her way that he was checking to see that she’d succeeded in buckling up.

That was sensible. More sensible than she could bring herself to be right now. If this went on much longer, she was going to wind up acting as childish and batty as Trilby.

That did it. Just thinking about that sawed-off flake case threw cold water on her Jeb high. “So, what else do you need to apologize about?”

“Years of wasted opportunity.”

“Jeb?”

He pulled out of his parking spot and headed for the street. “I should have said something. I should have let you know how I felt.”

Felt? If the Jeb high was over, this must be the burgeoning anxiety attack that follows in its wake. “How you felt?”

“I don’t know. I assumed you knew.” He turned carefully into traffic and began heading out of town. “It seemed like you knew I was there to watch you.”

“I knew. Um, my place is the other way.”

“Sorry, force of habit. I jump into autopilot when I start driving.”

“That’s alright. I don’t mind taking a detour if it gives me more time with you.” Oh, yikes! That just came out. Now what?”

“I’m glad you feel that way. I was afraid that you were still mad at me.”

“No. That was a misunderstanding. I’m sorry that I was rude to you last Sunday.”

“So, whatever it was…”

“Me being silly again.”

“You keep saying that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.”

“What?”

“Silly.”

“Oh.” She sat in tense silence as they drove past her turn. “I suppose you’re right. You should turn at the next intersection.”

“Which direction?”

“Turn right and right again. We’ll need to go back to Maple and hang a left.”

“Sorry.”

“You couldn’t know. I forgot to give you the directions.”

He circled the block and turned onto Maple in silence.

“Penny for your thoughts.”

“Why did you faint?”

“I was just-”

“Without using the word silly, please. It seems to be a lot more vague when you say that.”

“Well, you were fishing around in your pocket and then you said you wanted to propose…”

“Yes, that’s my fault. I don’t know why I chose to put it that way. I should have said it a different way.”

“Do you like me, Jeb?”

“I think so. I think I probably would if I had ever had the courage or the sense to just talk to you.”

“Courage? Were you scared of me?”

“No. I was…” Jeb seemed to ponder it for a block or two. She was dying for him to finish the sentence. “…in awe of you. That’s what it was.”

“Really?” Awe? Of her? Has anyone actually been in awe of her? He said he was. Awe? “I don’t even know how to react to that.” She sat and digested the idea for a couple of blocks. “Turn left on Morgandale.”

He did. He seemed nervous now.

“Jeb, what did I ever do that was so awesome?”

“Are you kidding?”

“No. Not at all. I was just a kid playing softball. Having my own personal fan made it more fun, I guess. I have no idea what I ever did that made you take an interest in me in the first place.”

“Aundrea, you were being you.”

“That’s all?”

He nodded. A hint of a smile teased the corner of his mouth that she could see.

If just being herself was enough to put a smile on that gorgeous face, she still couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t have said something. “So, what stopped you from talking to me?”

“I was never one for words.”

“You seem to be doing alright lately.”

“I’ve been making an effort to reform. Greg has been trying to help me with that.”

“What is it that inspired this desire to reform? You seemed pretty content being the quietest guy in town.”

“You did. You always have.” He drove in silence for a while. “Maybe I was afraid that if I actually got to know you… No, more that if you actually got to know me, you’d turn me away.”

“You thought you weren’t good enough for me?”

“I hoped I was. I didn’t want to lose that. I was scared of not being worthy of your friendship.”

“My house is over there.”

“Stone wall?”

“Yes.”

He pulled to the curb in front of her red wooden gate. “Here you are.”

“Yes, Jeb. I’m here.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to face him. “You might be surprised to know that I feel the exact same way. I always wondered if you’d actually stop and talk to me after the game. I so wanted you to, Jeb.”

“I guess I was just being silly.”

“Kids are usually silly. We’re not kids anymore, Jeb. We don’t need to waste any more time being silly. You’re good enough. You always were.”

His smile was worth the wait. The look of relief in his eyes was worth the risk. She felt as if everything was finally going to be alright.

Then she remembered.

“What’s the matter?”

“All this time, you were afraid you might not be good enough for me.”

“It was a concern I had.”

“The fact is, I might not be good enough for you. There are things you don’t know.”

“You can tell me when you’re ready.” His face softened. “As far as I can see, you’re still the same awesome you I always admired. That’s all I need to know for now.”

“Would you like to come in? We should wash our clothes before the stains set.”