Who Is Lucas Ryker O'Riley?

62. TWO AND A HALF HOURS

PLINK!
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PLINK!
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Dave tossed more pebbles at my window.

Why doesn't he just come in, I asked myself.

I tossed him jeans and a tee shirt, a couple minutes ago, when mom went to her room to check on dad.

Why is he still out there?

I hurried over and opened the window, calling down to him in the darkness.

"What," I began in a loud whisper. "I told you the coast was clear. Come on up."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"The door's locked," he replied back. "Let me in."

"Oh crap, sorry. Hold on, I'm coming."

I rushed downstairs, through the kitchen, and opened the back door.

"Oh my days, Carla. What happened," Dave exclaimed as he limped inside as quickly as he could, carrying my clothes and shoes in his arms.

"Here," he said shoving the items into my chest. "You keep those, they're nothing but trouble for me."

I wrapped my arms around them.

"Sorry," I offered in apology. "I tried."

"What happened, Carla? I was out there for what, two and a half hours," he asked as he retrieved a glass from the cabinet, filling it with ice and water from the dispensers on the refrigerator door.

I glanced at the clock on the wall and realized how long it really had been. A long time, but not that long.

"Little over an hour," I quickly replied.

"Whatever. It felt like three. When you pushed me out, I thought you were gonna run upstairs right then and throw me down some of my clothes. I was ready. I quickly striped down to the panties and stashed everything like you suggested. Then I waited and waited and wait--"

"Sorry, I was cornered. Mom decided I needed a lesson in how to do laundry. Apparently it couldn't wait and had to be done right then. Dad's flying out to Austin early tomorrow morning and needed clothes washed."

He took a sip of water and began talking again.

"When I saw the light on in mom and dad's room, I figured that meant they went to their room, so my clothes were finally coming, but no. Then I watched through the kitchen window as you and mom took a laundry basket into the laundry room. Y'all were in there forever. I was afraid dad would come out to sit on the patio in the dark and gaze at the stars, like he likes to do while he smokes a cigar, so I hid in the gazabo tent. Finally the light in your room came on but your blinds were closed so I couldn't see anything, except no clothes coming down. I kept expecting them any second."

"Yeah, well while the washer ran, mom wanted to see all the clothes I bought while they were in California. I was finally able to get rid of her, but by then, dad had announced he was going to have a cigar. I was so afraid you were going to get caught. How did you not?"

"I almost did. If he had turned the outside lights on, I would have. He must have had an extra long cigar 'cause it seemed like he was out there forever."

"I know, I didn't think he was ever going to come back in."

"Luckily, when the back door opened, I was able to slip back into the gazabo. I almost fell asleep waiting on him to finish. I would have if my ankle wasn't throbbing."

"Why don't you get the ice pack out of the freezer? You can get a towel and tie it around your ankle to hold the ice pack on."

"I think I will. You going to bed now?"

"I was, but if you're not, I'll stay up with you."

"Another game of football, sis?"

"Oh, you're on. Just let me take these things upstairs, first."

"Dibs, on Crimson Tide," Dave quickly called out as I turned to leave.

"Hey! No fair. That's my team. What's wrong? You afraid of losing to a girl?"

"Yeah, I am. You're going down this time."

"That's, okay. I can beat you with any team, even New Mexico State."

"Ha," he laughed, "Worst team on the game. Good luck completing a pass."

"We'll see."

"Yeah, we will. Now hurry back."

On my trip upstairs, I passed mom. She was headed to the laundry room, again.

"Where did those come from," she asked, inquiring about the clothes in my arms.

"Just cleaning up. They were in the living room."

"Okay, the first load of wash is done. Come back down before you go to bed, and I'll show you how to operate the dryer."

"I'll be right back down, mom. I'm gonna stay up a while, anyway. Dave's back."

At that moment, mom spotted a shoe sticking out from under the clothes in my arms. She reached out for it.

"Are those the shoes? I thought you said Beck had them. Let me see them."

She took one of them from my hands, held it up, and examined it.

"Yeah. Dave said she was getting out of her truck when he was coming in, so she slipped them off and gave them to him to give back to me."

"I really, really like these," she exclaimed, turning the shoe over in her hands.

"I gonna try them on for your father. Might even wear them later, he loves when I wear heels dur- uh--never mind. I mean, he'll really like seeing me in them."

She took the other shoe from my hand and continued, "Have you told Dave the good news yet?"

"Good news?"

"Your school records? Birth certificate?"

Oh that, no, not yet. I haven't."

"Don't you think you should?"

"I will, mom. Give me a chance. He just got in."

After putting my clothes away, I changed into my silk camisole, matching shorts and short silk robe. I grabbed a makeup remover wipe and began cleaning my face as I returned to the laundry room for another of mom's lessons in domestic homemaking.

Once the dryer was running and I had a second load in the washer, mom kissed me on the forehead and sent me to go talk to Dave.