“Those boys love their cars, and Gavin is just as bad. You said he drove the car when you went out to dinner.”
“Yesterday too, when we went for a ride. He tried to show me how to shift gears.”
“My point is, I suspect Gavin loves that car more than you ever will, so don’t force the issue about giving it back,” Julianna advised.
“Well, what am I going to do? It can’t sit outside here. Someone will eventually vandalize it, or the paint will fade in the sun.”
Annie nodded. “That’s right.”
“I suggest thatyousuggest to Gavin that you changed your mind. You love the car so much you want him to keep it in his garage with the other ones he collects. That way he can teach you how to drive it slowly over time until you feel comfortable, and it will be in a safe place. What do you say?” Julianna asked.
Annie and I both clapped our hands and laughed.
“I think that sounds perfect. I knew you two would come up with something.” I got up and gave them both a high-five. “Thank you, ladies.”
“Well, this stuff about the car really wasn’t my idea,” Annie giggled, “but Julianna and I actually wanted to talk about something a bit more serious with you this afternoon. That’s the real reason she stopped by.”
“What? What have I done now?”
Annie got up to get her sister and me a bottle of water out of the fridge. “Julianna and I know that you don’t like to talk about your mother and the business with her estate. But let’s face it, you haven’t even started to clean out your mother’s house and go through her belongings. It’s been six months now, Crystal.”
“Yes, yes, I know. I have to start moving on with my life. I just miss Mom so much. And as you know, my finances are in a mess.”
Annie cleared her throat. “We can’t do much to help you ourselves right now since we are pregnant, but I’ve asked Maggie, my maid, if she would mind helping you go through your mom’s clothes and personal items… you know, box them up. That way it will make it easier on you.”
Julianna nodded and explained more. “I know you have told us it’s about to go into foreclosure, so the bank will want to put it on the market as soon as possible. Also, Richard and Jake have offered to pay for a handyman to fix it up a bit, too.”
I think they thought I would start crying or something, but I didn’t. Instead, I hugged them both as tightly as I could for the second time this afternoon. Actually, I almost felt giddy. My best friends had found Gavin for me and now they were going to help with Mom’s estate too. God only knew how long it would take to get the settlement from my uncle that I needed to fix Mom’s house up enough to make it sellable. And I wasn’t sure if the bank would demand I pay some sort of a fee for the needed repairs.
We must have gossiped and giggled for an hour before Julianna jumped up, glancing at her watch. “Whoa, it’s about time for me to head home. Jude will be getting up from his nap soon, and Jake has a meeting this evening.”
“And Caley will be coming home from school soon, too, won’t she?” Annie added.
“Yes, yes, she will. I need to get going, ladies.”
As I watched Julianna leave and Annie tend to a student, I realized that I hadn’t felt this happy in such a long time. Even though I was still dealing with settling my mom’s estate, at least other parts of my life were starting to come together. I couldn’t wait to suggest to Gavin he move the car to his place, and watch him grin from ear to ear.
12
Gavin
One Month Later
After hopping into the Lamborghini, I backed it out of my garage on my way to pick up Crystal. I had to admit, when she suggested we keep her new car here at my mansion, I was thrilled.
Looking back, I hadn’t thought things through when I jumped to the conclusion that she would fall in love with the car. Most women I had come into contact with in the past would have died for a car like this. Subconsciously, I must have hoped that I would get to teach her how to drive it. Anyway, I was glad how things were working out between us.
The past few weeks had been a blast. Between seeing Crystal as often as possible and watching Richard prepare to have another child, life was going in the right direction. Julianna was hosting a chili dinner at their home tonight. There was no special occasion, which was fine by me. I was always looking for an excuse to enjoy a big bowl of chili, especially if Julianna was the cook. I had experienced her homemade meals over the last few years, and I was beginning to see why Jake had made her his wife.
When Crystal and I walked into the kitchen, I couldn’t help but to compare the two women. Julianna and Annie were about the same size at that point, with both of their bellies getting bigger with every passing month. Maybe it was because Annie had always been a bit more slender, even though they had gotten pregnant around the same time, Julianna’s belly had always been a bit bigger. For a brief moment, I couldn’t help but wonder how adorable Crystal would look pregnant with our child.
The thought left my mind just as soon as it entered it, though.
The table was full of family and friends. Not only did they invite Crystal and me, but Jake had asked his long time friend, Hillard, who was up from San Diego for a visit to join us. Seeing as how he had more than one girlfriend, however, Jake made it clear that he wasn’t allowed to bring a date. Hillard was a fun guy, and a hard worker, but he was known to be quite the womanizer.
I guess, since Crystal and I weren’t married or engaged, he thought she was fair game, or maybe it was just habit. I didn’t know. But when I caught him eyeing her up and down, I had to warn him, “Look, dude, you don’t have a chance with Crystal, so give it a rest.”
He still winked at her, though, and I was relieved when Crystal looped her arm around my waist and whispered, “You don’t have anything to be jealous about. You know that, don’t you?”
