20. Move Heaven And Earth

20

MOVE HEAVEN AND EARTH

" Y ou're sure you're okay with this?" Jarrett asked on Christmas morning. They'd been up about an hour, showeredandhad breakfast.

They exchanged gifts, nothing big or major but just small things. He was glad they'd agreed to that.

"Sure," she said. "Unless you tell me your mother bites?"

"Not you, she won't," he said, laughing.

"Not funny," she said. "But I get it. If my father were alive, I think I'd be more worried about you meeting him."

"Really?" he asked. This was news to him. "Why is that?"

"He liked to intimidate the men I dated. It got to the point I didn't introduce many. But you, I would have done that right away."

He wasn't sure he understood and wanted her to be more clear. "Why is that?"

"Because as I said before, you're like him. He'd like that. He'd like you too. After he gave you shit about treating me well."

She put her head on his shoulder while she said that. They'd been on the couch drinking coffee and he was touched by that move.

He was pretty sure he was in love with Andi already and was trying his hardest to decide if he should give in to it or not.

There was still this tiny fear in his brain that something could happen and she'd be gone one day when he came over, but the other part of him knew that he'd move heaven and earth to find her if she had to leave.

So yeah, if that wasn't love, he wasn't sure what was.

"Do I treat you well enough?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "I didn't say that to make you doubt it. I don't think I'm high maintenance. I live a pretty simple life. It's easier and cheaper."

She didn't seem frivolous with her money. Not that he could see. She did pay for some things when they went out. She argued if he didn't let her and he noticed she always had cash. Probably from tips. They didn't talk about those things. He rarely had cash on him unless he went to the bank and got it. He refused to believe that she had no money in her accounts and was living with cash to be on the run.

"It is," he said. "I'm the same way. I don't spend a lot and don't need much."

"You spend money," she said. "You spend it wisely. Like on your house. You are earning that back and know that."

"That is a good investment," he said. "I sound boring saying those things."

"Boring isn't a bad thing, trust me."

"No," he said, "it's not."

"What time do we need to go to your parents' house?" she asked.

He looked at his watch. "Another hour. My mother does brunch and then we'll come back home. I'm sure Mac and Sidney are having a ball with Jace opening gifts. Thankfully Alex is off today, but he has to go in tonight."

"I'm sure your mother is used to working around her sons' schedules."

"She is. Mac doesn't work nights and holidays anymore, but he's always on call. The same with me. I work days, but as you know, more than that, just not on purpose."

He knew why many that came here as the investigator only did it for a few years. They padded their pockets with the OT and then got burned out.

He didn't want that to happen to him, as he didn't want to leave the island. His captain would be retiring within ten years. With anyluckhe could step up into that.

Too far down the line to think about it.

"I can work as many or as few hours as I want, but then, you know, I pay the price."

"Did you always work six days a week?" he asked.

"No," she said. "For years I worked five. I'd take a day off during the week and work Saturday. It's nice to get a day off during the week and run errands or have appointments that day. But when you are starting over you need to be more flexible. Just before I moved here, I was back to five days a week."

"So you won't do six days forever?" he asked.

"No," she said. "But I can set my schedule the way I want between the hours of eight to eight when Amanda is open. Sometimes I don't start until ten. Someone might want to come at ten and then that leaves only atwo-hourslot for another appointment, which would be a haircut. Not many are up that early for a haircut, but it happens."

"I'd come in that early for one," he said.

"And I expect you to. Now that this is out in the open, is it okay for me to let the girls at work know? You could stop in for lunch if you want when I've got breaks."

"I'd like that a lot," he said. "Then you won't have to cut my hair here."

"I don't mind doing it," she said.

"Can I have a cookie before we leave?" he asked.

She'd made three kinds last night and then put together three festive plates. One each for his brothers and his parents. They were going to love it.

She stood up. "You don't need to ask. I was going to send you home with a plate too."

"I was hoping that," he said. "And that it wasn't just for my family."

She brought back the big container of the remaining cookies. She pulled the top off and he snatched two out.

"I didn't realize you had such a sweet tooth."

"I don't normally have one, but I do love cookies. Everyone is going to enjoy them. You didn't need to do that."

"Sure, I did," she said. "It's the right thing. It's been a while since I've met someone's parents."

"How long?" he asked.

"I don't even really know, but at least five years. I've dated on and off but no one serious in a while that got to that point."

"Don't be nervous. It's going to be fine."

He'd told her that his mother did call him on Sunday night and asked more questions, but he only shared a small part. Nothing more than he'd do with anyone else.

"I believe you," she said. She snagged a cookie herself and put the tin away. "Do you want more coffee?"

"No," he said. "I try not to drink too much, but it never works that way."

"I only drink it at home and then it's normally water or tea after." She looked out the window before she came back to the couch.

"What are you looking for?" he asked, his radar up.

"Snow," she said, grinning. "Do you think we'll get some today?"

"Maybe," he said. "If so, it won't be much."

"I think it will feel more like Christmas with snow."

"I guess," he said. "I don't think much of it." He waited a minute. "Are you going to tell Jack about me?"

She sighed. "Not yet."

"Because he'll be nervous that I'm digging?"

"I'll assure him that isn't the case," she said. "It's just...it's complicated."

"He's not your cousin, is he?" he asked.

She turned and looked in his eyes. "You know the answer to that." Not saying no, but not denying it either. It was the best he could hope for.

"He was your father's partner," he said, making an educated guess. "He'd never be your dad's partner if he was family, Andi. You know that, right?"

She just looked into his eyes. Again not agreeing but not denying. "No one but you knows that my father was a marshal," she said.

That made a lot more sense.

So she'd been telling him more all along and letting him figure it out without her having toactuallysay the words.

He pulled her close. "Why don't we go meet my parents before my siblings get there with their families."

She kissed him and they gathered the plates of cookies and left. He had the gifts for his family in his SUV already that he'd loaded earlier. Not that he had much. A few toys for Jace and the rest were gift cards.

It's what he always did. He wasn't good when it came to thinking of gifts.

He'd even been unsure about the bra and panty set he'd bought for Andi, but she'd laughed and said she loved it. Since she had it on under her clothes and had teased him with it earlier, he had to believe her. It wasn't what he had planned with the little floral set, but maybe she didn't find it as sexy as he had.

The rest of her gift was just lotions and bubble baths.

He put a lot more stress and pressure on himself thinking of those things too.

They drove the ten minutes or so to his parents' house. They all lived toward the middle to the north side of the island. Well, his parents and he did. Mac would be right around the corner from him soon. Jennie and Alex were on the other side of the middle of the island but not more than fifteen minutes.

He parked in his parents' driveway and was first just as he'd thought.

They got out and he pulled the box out with the gifts in it and put one of the plates of cookies in there and Andi had the other two.

His mother had the door open before they even made it to the front porch.

"I was hoping you would get here early," his mother said.

They walked in and he said, "Mom, this is Andi Benson. Andi, my parents, Alice and Bill Bond."

"It's so nice to meet you," she said. "I made cookies last night and have a plate for everyone."

"That is so sweet of you," his mother said. He could see that won his mother over immediately. "These look delicious."

"Thank you," she said. "I think Jarrett ate half a dozen last night."

"If you're going to tell on me, might as well add the two I had before we came."

"I'm so glad you could come today. Jarrett told us how you met. How scary that had to be. But you know, it seems like fate that he was there fishing when it happened."

He rolled his eyes over the fate comment. His mother didn't wait too long to get that in there.

"I guess it was," Andi said. "Who knows how long I would have lain there unconscious."

"I heard Jarrett took you fishing not long after that and you caught three fish, him none," his father said.

"I did. But he cleaned them that night and I cooked them."

"You ate them," his mother asked. "I've never done that. Bill cleans and cooks them, but I don't want any part of it. I'm not much of a fish eater, but the thought of that being alive hours before. Nope. Not doing it."

Andi laughed. "I love fish. And since I caught them, it was very rewarding. I love the outdoors. I used to fish with my father as a kid. That was the rule. He cleaned and I cooked, regardless of who caught it."

"That's a lovely memory to have and share with Jarrett. He did tell us that your father passed a few years ago. The minute I heard you had no family here I told Jarrett he had to bring you."

"I told Andi that," he said. He turned his head and saw Alex come in with Jennie and knew he'd be saved from any more comments like that from his mother.

"Dude," Alex said. "Did you just breathe a sigh of relief on my entrance?"

"Don't be cute," his mother said.

"I saw it too," Jennie said. His sister-in-law moved in and introduced herself. "I was new to the island too. The same with Sidney. I understand everything you're going through. Any time you want to chat, you can call me."

"Thank you," Andi said. It was said so softly that he realized that she might be missing some female companionship.

He'd have to thank Jennie another time for that offer.

"Are those cookies?" Alex asked.

"For you," Andi said. "We just got here. One plate for everyone."

"Sweet," Alex said. "Don't mess this up. Jennie doesn't like to bake cookies."

Jennie swatted Alex's arm and the two of them laughed and brought their gifts to the tree.

Andi handed over Mac's cookies to his mother and then moved out of the way.

A few minutes later, Mac came in with Sidney, Jace dashing right to the tree.

The introductions were made and they all watched as Jace tore into gifts and played with his toys.

Andi seemed to fit right in and he'd caught his mother's eyes landing on the two of them more than once.

He knew he'd be getting a call from her later tonight wanting to talk.

Surprisingly, he wasn't dreading it as much as he had in the past.