“We haven’t talked about it,” Christy said, “but he’ll see it my way, won’t you, dear?”
“We’ll see,” I said neutrally.
“Not me,” Brooke said. “I want kids, but only after I have a career.”
“I’m not sure I’ll even have a career,” Christy said. “Unless I become a kindergarten teacher or something.”
“You’ll have a career,” I assured her.
Brooke looked wistful for a moment, although she blushed pink when she saw that I’d noticed. I figured it had to do with our plans for later. She’d already told Anne that she had to drive to campus and would be happy to take Christy and me to the airport.
I glanced at my watch. “We’d better start packing if we want to leave on time.”
“Right,” Christy said. “We need to pack. For our flight.” She didn’t actually wink, but anyone paying attention would’ve known we were up to something.
Fortunately, Rich and the kids were playing freeze tag and making more than enough noise to drown us out. Christy’s parents and Harry and Marianne were chatting and watching from the sidelines.
“Sorry to interrupt,” I said as we approached, “but Christy and I need to get packing.”
“Are you sure you can’t stay longer?” Marianne asked.
“No, sorry. This is the last flight of the day that gets us to Knoxville before midnight. And we both have class in the morning.”
“Well, if you’re sure…”
“Yeah, sorry.”
“You don’t mind taking them to the airport?” Anne asked Brooke.
“No problem, Mrs. C. I have a study group at school.”
“On Easter?” Harry asked.
“Yeah,” she lied easily. “We have our first midterm on Wednesday, and this professor’s exams are notorious.”
“I had a few of those,” he said with a grimace.
We made small talk for a minute, until I glanced at my watch.
“We need to let them pack,” Harold said. “You know how Birdy is.”
“Oh, Daddy. I only brought one suitcase this time.”
“Only one?” Harry teased. “No dolls this trip?”
“No, Mr. Meanie.”
“We’d better let them go,” Marianne said to him. “They have a flight to catch.”
“Right,” he said. “Come say goodbye before you leave.”
“Of course,” Christy said.
Brooke said her thanks and goodbyes as well. She walked toward the neighbor’s back yard, while Christy and I went into the house.
“Do we really need to pack?” she asked as we headed toward the bedrooms.
“We need to make it look real.”
“Why? We’re only going to Brooke’s house.”
“Just throw everything in your suitcase,” I said.
She looked scandalized. “But I’ll wrinkle my outfits!”
“Who cares? It’s mostly dirty clothes anyway.”
“Uh-uh,” she said with a secret grin. “I have some special outfits in there, Mr. Principal. And I know two schoolgirls who’ve been very naughty.”
“Sounds fun, but save it for later. I’ll put you in detention or something. Right now you need to get packing. Chop-chop.”
“Yes, Mr. Hughes.”
* * *
Our departure went mostly according to plan. Brooke returned with her car, Christy and I loaded our bags, and we said goodbye to her family. We even drove out of the neighborhood, just in case Rich decided to leave at the same time. But no one followed us, so we turned around at the end of the oceanside park.
“Are you getting excited?” Christy asked Brooke.
“I’ll be more excited when we’re home safe.”
“Why? No one suspected a thing.”
Brooke’s lips tightened but she didn’t comment. Instead, she said, “If anyone sees us, we’ll say we had to come back because I forgot my notebook.”
“She thinks of everything,” Christy said to me.
“She does.”
Brooke turned into the neighborhood and checked her mirrors at the first stop sign. Then she turned toward her own house and checked the rearview mirror again.
“Oh, relax,” Christy said. “We got away with it.”
“Not yet we haven’t,” Brooke said tensely. She added to me, “The garage door opener’s in the glove compartment. It has a decent range. Hit it when we turn the corner.”
Thirty seconds later we pulled into the garage and parked next to a larger four-door BMW. I didn’t wait for Brooke to turn off the engine before I pushed the button to close the door behind us. She grinned.
“We’re a good team,” I said.
“See?” Christy said. “I told you it’d work.”
Brooke’s Irish temper flared. “No thanks to you,” she shot back. “I can’t believe how many times you said we were going to the airport! Your mom totally knew we were up to something.”
“She did not!”
“Yeah, she did,” I said. “Even your dad started to figure it out by the time we left.”
“So? What’re they gonna do?”
“Nothing,” Brooke said. “But what about next time? What happens if we want to do something like this again? They’ll be suspicious. You never think ahead!”
“I don’t have to,” Christy said, unfazed. “I have you and Paul.”
“Ugh! You drive me nuts.”
“But you love me. You can’t help it, I know.”
“Come on,” I said. “Let’s get our stuff inside and get something to drink. You both need it.”
“You can say that again,” they said in unison, and that broke the tension for real. They looked at each other and laughed.
“I’m sorry,” Christy said. “But you know I get excited and forget.”
“Yeah, I know,” Brooke said. “I just wish…”
I could almost watch her mind work as she reminded herself that Christy wasn’t going to change if she hadn’t already.
“But she’s worth it,” I said to her quietly.
“Thank you, Mr. Peacemaker,” Christy said.
“Yeah, she is,” Brooke agreed.
She and I climbed out of the car, and I helped Christy out while Brooke opened the trunk. Then we grabbed our bags and then headed into the house. Christy led the way to the guest bedroom.
“We can sleep together for real tonight,” she said over her shoulder.
“Is the bed big enough for all three of us?” I asked. “We won’t do much sleeping, but I’m sure we’ll relax and maybe nap between rounds.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Brooke said.
“I told you,” Christy said, “he can do it, like, ten times a night.”
“More like five or six,” I said.
“For real?” Brooke said. “I thought they only did that in movies.”
“Oh, about that…,” I said. “I need to thank you for introducing Christy to Penthouse and pornos and everything else.”
“I’m a proper little pervert because of you,” Christy herself said cheerfully. She entered the guest bedroom and added, “Ta-da! Our little love nest. What do you think?”
“I think,” I said slowly, “the whole house is a love nest.”
Brooke grinned at Christy. “Especially the kitchen table.”
“I know, right? The bathroom counter too.”
“And the living room,” I added.
“My bedroom,” Brooke said.
“The patio.”
“Don’t forget the pool,” Christy chimed in.
Brooke shivered with a little frisson of anticipation. “I still can’t believe we’re just talking about it like it’s nothing.”
“Well, right now we’re just talking,” I said.
“I know. I’m still a little nervous, but more excited than anything.”
“Should we take our clothes off or something?” Christy asked. “That’s how they do it in the movies.”
“Let’s get something to drink first,” I said.
“Good idea.”
“Do you still have the mai tais from yesterday?” I asked.
“Sure,” Brooke said. “In the pitcher in the fridge.”
“Let’s have a drink and relax.”
“Just… relax?” Christy said.
“I dunno about you all,” I said, “but I worked up some adrenaline during our getaway.”