3
Iwalked into my parents' house Sunday afternoon with Sierra in tow, only to be greeted with a shower of frigid iced tea.
"Holy forking shit!" I cried.
I pinched my soaked shirt between my thumbs and index fingers and pulled it away from my skin. My entire outfit was now uncomfortably wet and chilly but also stained with tea.
"I'm sorry." I glanced down at the direction of the young voice and saw a little girl with long dark hair and big, tear-filled eyes. Very distinctive green eyes. "I didn't mean to."
I blinked at her for a prolonged moment until Sierra nudged me. "Uh, It's okay. Accidents happen."
The girl sniffled. "I'm Jacks."
"Jacks?" I parroted, blinking again.
"Jacqueline Josephine Murphy."
I glanced up at the deep voice and lost any ability to speak. Brody Murphy stood in the doorway between the kitchen and living room. A grey t-shirt hugged his upper body and a pair of faded jeans clung to his hips and thighs in all the right places. His dark hair was the shortest I'd ever seen it, leaving the sharp edges of his cheekbones and jawline on full display. His fingers curved around a beer bottle and he lifted it to his lips, hiding the smirk. Behind me, Sierra moaned quietly, jerking me out of my mindless perusal.
"A little wet there, Cam?"
"If she's not, I am," Sierra whispered behind me.
I glanced over my shoulder at her and cut my eyes toward the little girl beside me.
A faint pink tinge rolled over Sierra's cheeks. "Oops."
"Oh, dear." I turned toward the sound of my mother's voice.
"I said I was sorry, Daddy," Jacks said. Her voice trembled with tears.
Brody opened his mouth but I cut him off. "It's okay. I didn't announce myself when I came in and she didn't know I was here."
He stared at me, his expression inscrutable, but he closed his mouth.
"You still have some clothes upstairs," my mother piped in.
I winked down at Jacks, who gave me a faint smile, and left the living room without a word. I stared Brody down as I walked by, telling him with my eyes to leave her alone.
He stared right back, but I could see the hint of a dimple in his right cheek. Probably because I looked ridiculous, walking with my legs slightly spread and hunched over to keep the cold, wet fabric from sticking to my skin.
I headed up the stairs to my old room. I hesitated at the top, listening to the murmur of voices coming from downstairs. I wouldn't put it past Brody to chastise his daughter once I was out of earshot.
Surprisingly, I heard a peal of little girl laughter a second later.
Hmmmm. That wasn't what I expected. Especially considering the stern way he'd called out his daughter's name a few moments ago.
Satisfied that he wasn't going to give her hell, I went into my room and shut the door behind me. Mom had left my furniture alone when I moved out but she had removed all the posters and assorted heartthrob magazine pictures taped to the wall. She'd also packed away most of my trophies and ribbons with the exception of a few.
I stripped off my clothes and carried them into the bathroom, pausing when I reached the door. Mom had changed this up quite a bit since the last time I'd been up here. There was a new white pedestal sink with sleek, curved lines and a new toilet. The shower had also been retiled and enclosed in sparkling, clear glass.
Since my skin was sticky from the tea, I dropped the pile in my arms onto the tile floor and opened the shower door. Might as well test out the new equipment. I fiddled with the knobs for a few minutes and studied the multiple showerheads. Though my hair was in a ponytail, I still didn't want to get it wet. Finally, I figured out how it all worked and turned on the water.
And fell in love.
I wanted to luxuriate beneath the hot flow of water but I knew my mother would be up here, banging on the door, if I stayed too much longer.
With a sigh, I turned off the water and toweled off. Knowing my mother's propensity to always be prepared, I opened the medicine cabinet and grinned when I saw not only a new toothbrush still in the package and a tube of toothpaste, but moisturizer, lotion, and deodorant, all unopened and lined up neatly on the shelves.
