Chapter 56

As Thanksgiving approached, Devlin found herself more and more distracted. There was no party at Emma's the weekend before, so she had plenty of time to think. She told people she was worried about what to wear. She checked the Internet constantly; the temperatures were in the 70s during the day, and the 50s at night, so she didn't have to carry her heavy weather gear with her, she'd just leave it in a locker at the airport for when she got back. She was staying Wednesday night and coming back late on Sunday night, so that limited how much she had to take. But still, she didn't know what to pack. Not really.

She didn't tell anyone that her real worry was what kind of impression she would make with his parents. She had Evan's description of his parents and sisters, so she could make some guesses, but she knew that wasn't going to be the way things worked out. She couldn't do anything about that, so she worried about her clothes instead.

"All right, let's see," Krissi said Tuesday afternoon in Devlin's dorm room. She opened Devlin's suitcase and began going through it. "Let's go through this one more time. You're going to be there four days, and you have seven outfits. One outfit is really dressy, two are sort of half-dressy, and four are definitely casual. Plus what you'll have on that you'll change into on your way back."

"Brrr, yes. I wouldn't want to be wearing shorts when I got off the plane back here."

"Yeah, you'd freeze your pretty little tush off, and then where would you be?" She pulled the clothes out, giving each one a cursory glance. "Not bad. You like black and red a lot." She held up Devlin's long-sleeved fuchsia blouse. "Oh, I like this. You always look so good in this. But as for black and red..."

"Do you think I should wear some other color?"

"You mean, white?" Krissi asked.

"I don't know, Krissi. White doesn't always seem to go well with my skin tones."

"True. With your hair you look better with a pale complexion. All right, fuchsia, red, black..." She shook her head. "You need something else. What about that yellow outfit you haven't worn in ages?"

Devlin made a face. "I'd sooner wear that dark green dress with the flip skirt you own."

"... that I haven't worn more than once." Krissi nodded. "All right, we'll go back to my place and get it. I think that will look good on you. What else?

"Two swimsuits?" She held up Devlin's regular one-piece, then pulled a very small string bikini out. It was red, with very small cups and a thong bottom that would barely cover a woman smaller than Devlin, though with her figure any coverage would only be a notional matter.

"You weren't planning on wearing this, were you? Though 'wearing' might be the wrong word. I wear more when I'm naked."

"Not really," Devlin said. "I just packed it because..." Her voice trailed off. Why had she packed it?

Krissi shook her head. "All right. Let's go through this. What are you planning on doing there? Are you going to take Evan to bed and not let him out for three days? I didn't think you wanted to go that route."

"I don't," Devlin said. "I want to make a good impression on his folks. That's the most important thing. I want his mother to see me as a potential daughter-in-law."

"Then the bikini stays here," Krissi said, laying it on the bed. "Conservative, modest, all those things you normally project to the world, those will work. Sex Goddess, Lust Maiden, Horny Woman, those won't sit well with his parents."

Krissi rummaged through the suitcase one more time. "Shoes. Two pairs of nice shoes, one pair of pumps with a small heel suitable for semi-dressy, slippers and a pair of sandals. All right, that's covered. Make-up, hair stuff, underwear, other necessities, looks like you're all set."

"I'm getting my hair trimmed in a few minutes," Devlin said.

"There should be a lot of pent up energy to let loose next week."

"More than you think. My period started this morning."

"Now, now, girl. With our lifestyle, your period is a good thing. Besides, it should be ending Thursday or Friday."

"Well, it should. We'll see if it does."

"You don't run late, do you?"

Devlin shook her head. "Never have. I'm as regular as clockwork--four days, and I'm done."

Krissi began placing the clothes back in the suitcase. "You're as ready as you can make yourself. All right, now let's pack your carry-on."

"My carry-on?" She shook her head. "I have my purse, and a couple of books, but that's all."

"And what will you wear if your luggage catches some other flight? You'll be stuck there with just the clothes on your back." Krissi shook her head again. "No, you pack enough clothes and necessities to get you through one day. That's what your carry-on is for. Don't argue with me. My luggage once went to Hawaii and back, while I went to Denver for a writer's conference. If my mother hadn't made me pack my carry-on, I would have been stuck there with nothing to wear."

"All right," Devlin said defensively. She went to her closet and pulled out a much smaller bag. "Will this do?"

"Perfect," Krissi said. "Now remember, this is for emergencies. So pack something that will be comfortable to wear. It doesn't have to be much. Hopefully you won't have to use it, but it'll be there if you do."

After some discussion, Devlin packed jeans, a blouse, and a small packet of necessities. "I guess that will do," she said.

"I guess so," Krissi said. "Let's go get that outfit of mine. And you said you were getting your hair trimmed, so we don't want to miss that."

Three hours later, finally packed, Devlin sat on her bed. She was all set, but the plane didn't leave until Wednesday at 3:35, and it was Tuesday at 4:30. "All right, now what?"

"Dinner," Krissi said.

"I'm not hungry."

"You will be if you don't get something in your stomach. I didn't check to see what was being served tonight."

"Beef Stroganoff. Guaranteed to add inches to your waistline and pounds to your butt."

"True." Krissi thought a moment. "All right, let's try something else. Are you up for Chinese?"

"I guess."

"Good. Hot Wok here we come."

The plane landed with the screech-bump of the tires hitting the runway. Devlin felt tired. She'd been sitting still doing nothing for several hours. It was hard to believe that she had done nothing all day except sit in a chair. How could you get tired just sitting down all day long?

Most of it was nervousness; she was meeting Evan's parents, and she was just a little anxious about that. Evan had helped with her travel arrangements, otherwise she would have probably messed them up somehow. He'd started with the 3:35 flight from Bloomington, patiently working through it, explaining every step of the trip.

"All right," he said. "You'll leave Bloomington at 3:35, and you'll get into Chicago O'Hare at 4:10. Figure the plane will be 5 minutes late and that it will take at least 20 minutes to unload and get into the terminal. That means you're in the terminal at 4:35. When's your next flight?"

"But if the plane gets in at 4:10 I thought the 4:30 flight..." She was in the library with her cell phone plastered to her ear and the flight information up on the Internet screen in front of her.

He laughed, but it was a gentle laugh. "No, let's aim for one at 5 or even 5:30. That would be even better."

"But why? I don't understand."

"4:30 is the time they leave the terminal. It takes a few minutes to load. And it takes a few minutes to get from one gate to another." She could hear him tapping some keys. "Here's a flight with Delta leaving at 5:20. Let's see about that. That's a bit tight because it's on the other end of the terminal. Okay, here's a United flight at 5:35. Okay, good, they get in to Orlando at least an hour before the last flight to Key West. So let's go with that. 5:35 means you'll start boarding just after 5:00. So you'll have to hurry between gates, but since you're flying United from Bloomington, that shouldn't be a problem."

"How... how far do you think it is? Between the gates, I mean."

"That's hard to say, but there'll be gate attendants, and they can direct you. Even better, since they know you're trying to make a connecting flight on the same airline they can call ahead to smooth things over for you. Okay, the 5:35 flight takes about two-and-a-half hours to get to Orlando. That means it'll get in about 9:00 Orlando time, or 8:00 your time. There's a 9:40 flight from Orlando to Key West which gets in here at 10:10."

That was later than she'd expected. "Okay," she said reluctantly. "I guess I'll see you then."

"Not so fast," he said. "We still have to figure your return flight." He worked her through the reverse trip. They found a flight that went to Mobile, and from there to Chicago. "You'll have a two hour layover in Mobile, which should be plenty of time for you to change planes. So according to this you should be back in Bloomington Sunday evening about 10:45, and back in the dorm by 11:30. I hope that's not too late."

"It isn't," she said. "I probably won't be able to sleep a wink that night."

"I think you'll be surprised at how tired you'll be when you get in. For some reason air travel wears you out. You should have no trouble sleeping."

That had been seven weeks before--Evan had been insistent they make the travel plans as early as they could. She had monitored the airfares as they got closer to her departure date, and had been surprised, and appalled, at how the costs rose. She made a mental note that the next time she flew she would make the reservations even earlier than she had this time.

The thrust-reversers opened and the plane slowed noticeably, pitching her forward in the seat. After a few seconds they had slowed enough to let the plane turn onto one of the taxiways. She couldn't see much through the window. Right now Key West looked like a string of lights and a few distant buildings. Subconsciously she'd expected to see palm trees. Somehow she'd managed to block out how late it was going to be when she got here.

The plane stopped and the aisle instantly filled up. She started to rise, and then decided to wait. At O'Hare she'd been able to get off the plane quickly, but she'd been sitting in the second row from the door and there hadn't been many people on board. In Orlando the wait had been only a little longer. She'd been sitting near the front of the coach class, so the wait had only been for the first class passengers. But on this flight she was about halfway back in the cabin. She couldn't see any point in jumping up and grabbing her carry-on. She'd just stand there while the rows ahead of her emptied out.

Finally her turn came. She pulled down her carry-on, twisted her purse over her shoulder, and moved slowly up the aisle. She'd had a chance to change in Orlando and was wearing jeans, a white sleeveless blouse and sandals. She was carrying her sweater over her arm just in case. She knew Evan was going to be waiting for her, but she didn't know if the rest of his family would be there. The thought was making her more than a little nervous.

It's a crazy world, she thought. I can walk naked into a room full of people I don't know who are all screwing each other and not be uncomfortable at all. But walk into a terminal to meet people I may know the rest of my life? Uh-uh.

The line passed through the door of the plane, and she caught her first whiff of Key West. The air was humid and smelled of the ocean, with an overlay of fumes from the jet engines. She had read somewhere that it really wasn't the ocean she smelled, it was the debris and other junk the waves tossed up on the shore. If so, it wasn't what she thought paradise should smell like.

The jet way was rough and uneven and boomed hollowly beneath the feet of the people ahead of her. She forced herself to relax her fingers and then grip the strap of her purse again. She felt a little sweaty, and told herself it was the heat. She approached the doorway, licked her lips, and then stepped through with a small smile on her lips. She looked around, trying to spot Evan through the crowd of people.

He was standing just beyond the rows of seats, looking earnestly at each person coming through the door. Two younger women were standing next to him, both clearly sisters. One was nearly his height--she had dark brown curly hair and was wearing a white, sleeveless blouse and jeans. The other gal, Devlin pegged her as maybe in her early teens, had her long brown hair pulled back over her shoulders and was wearing a green tee-shirt and white shorts.

Evan saw her as she emerged from the crowd. Wordlessly he wrapped her in his arms. She squeezed back, wanting to hold him. Skin to skin, body to body, they pressed together, the rest of the world fading out around them.

"You look so good," she whispered as they broke their kiss. She laid her head on his shoulder. "I've missed you so much."

"Not half as much as I've missed you." He eased back slightly, slipping an arm down around her waist. "Good trip?"

"It was okay. How have you been?"

"Lonely. How about you?"

"I'm a lot better now than I was a few minutes ago."

He cleared his throat and turned so he was holding her with only his arm around her waist. "These are my sisters," he said. "Jenny," he said, nodding to the older one, "and Sandy."

Devlin freed up a hand and held it out. "Nice to meet you," she said. Jenny shook her hand, smiling nicely. Sandy didn't smile, but took her hand anyway.

"You're staying with us," Sandy offered as she dropped Devlin's hand.

"Evan's apartment is a mess," Jenny added.

"We need to get my luggage," Devlin said. "I don't have much." She glanced up at Evan as they walked arm in arm, but his face didn't offer much enlightenment.

"I guess you really don't have much," Sandy said when Devlin grabbed her single suitcase a few minutes later. "How do you manage to travel so light?"

"She probably doesn't take half her clothes with her whenever she travels," Jenny said. "Unlike some people we know."

"I do not," Sandy shot back.

"Did I say it was you?" Jenny asked, her voice full of sweet reason. Devlin could almost hear Sandy grinding her teeth.

The warm evening air was a pleasant surprise. Devlin could hear the night sounds, traffic, the quiet murmur of people around her and the muted buzz of an aircraft engine. Several hotel vans were loading with a clamor of noise and confusion. A Navy bus was also loading to one side. Jenny steered them directly for the parking lot.

"If the traffic's willing it'll be another hour before we're home," she said.

"When did your flight get in?" Devlin asked.

"About 45 minutes before yours did," Evan replied. "I pitched today and went directly to the airport from the stadium."

"How'd you do?"

He shrugged. "I pitched 7 innings, gave up 5 hits and 2 walks, and struck out 5. Only gave up one run, though." He shook his head, grinning. "I struck Carlos Delgado out once, he flew out once, and he banged a double off me. All in all, not too bad."

"When do you have to be back?"

"Sunday. I'm pitching that night on the back end of a double-header." He saw the concern on her face. "Don't worry about it. The game's in San Juan, the flight takes me directly there, and I'm being picked up at the airport. I'll have about two hours to get stretched and ready."

They rolled through a garish strip of hotels and bright lights and across a bridge. The darkness of the Caribbean night descended upon them, broken only by the lights of the Navy base to their right, and the occasional car coming towards them. Devlin opened her window, letting the warm air blow across her. She could smell the ocean. It was a far cry from the crisp air of a November morning in Central Illinois with snow in the forecast.

"This feels so good," she said.

"Actually, it's kind of cool tonight," Sandy said, rubbing her arms.

"It was 38º when I went through Chicago this afternoon," Devlin said. "That was their high for the day. When I got up this morning we had frost on the lawn, it was 33º, and they were talking about snow."

"Don't mind her," Jenny said. "She's never been north of Tampa."

"You've never been north of Jacksonville," Sandy said.

"I've been to Atlanta," Jenny said.

"That hardly counts," Sandy said, "you were 2 at the time." The two continued to bicker as they crossed another pair of bridges. Eventually Jenny turned left at a crossroad and, after a few turns, pulled up in front of a grocery store.

"I thought we were heading home," Sandy said, confused. "We have to get Devlin settled."

"We are," Jenny said, "but Mom said we had to pick up a few things we'll need tomorrow."

"But Mom and Dad..."

"... already know we're going to be late," Evan said.

"Get out, Sandy," her older sister said. "I have a shopping list."

"But..."

Jenny got out, walked around the car, and opened the door for her sister. "Out." Reluctantly her younger sister got out.

Jenny disappeared down the aisles of the grocery store, leaving Devlin and Evan alone. "Remind me to do something nice for Jenny," Evan said. There was a small counter in one corner of the store for self-service drinks. Evan poured them a pair of iced teas, and microwaved a plateful of cheese sticks.

"Do you know how fattening those are?" Devlin kidded. "I need to keep my girlish figure."

"It looks fine to me," he said.

"It won't be if I eat many of these," she said. Nevertheless she took one. "I'm glad I could get down here."

"I'm glad you could come."

"It seems like it's been forever." She grabbed another cheese stick. "Are both of your sisters in high school, or what?"

"Jenny is 18 and is going to the University of Miami up in Coral Gables," he replied. "Sandy is 14 and in high school. She thinks I should be seeing someone else, by the way. She has it all figured out. The trouble is, she didn't really clear that with either Matisse or myself. We were a hot number in high school, but after I signed my first contract we broke up. She wanted someone who was going to come home to her every night."

"Instead of living out of a suitcase for the next few years," Devlin said. "Sandy is at that age where she thinks she knows it all. Most girls go through that stage when they're 13 or 14."

"Do girls ever outgrow it?"

"Some do," Devlin said. "Some don't. Those who don't have trouble later on in life."

"And do you know it all?"

"Only about some things," Devlin said. She leaned over and they shared another kiss.

"They're making kissy-face," Sandy said from behind them.

"Why, yes we are," Devlin said. She smiled at Sandy as the girl stood at the end of the table. Devlin grabbed Evan and gave him a thorough, high-voltage kiss that left both of them breathless.

"Whew," she said. She turned to Sandy, who was staring at them with wide eyes. "Now that was a kiss. The other was just kissy-face, like you said."

Sandy swallowed and slid into the booth, her face flaming. Jenny, who had seen the whole thing, smiled as if amused by it in some way. "So how did the two of you meet? Evan hasn't really said."

Devlin trotted out the same story she'd perfected back home. Sandy listened, her eyes wide, and a small smile on her lips. Jenny was a little more thoughtful.

"I thought you'd stay in Arizona and recuperate," she told her brother.

"The desert has never done a thing for me," he said. "I needed warm sandy beaches and palm trees so I could make a full recovery, and the team agreed."

"I guess it worked out," Jenny said, glancing at Devlin.

"That it did," Devlin said. "I didn't know he was a ballplayer until we'd been seeing each other for more than a week. Somebody threw him a baseball and told him to 'hum it in'." She laughed. "Of course I didn't know what I was seeing."

"Were you into sports at all at school?" Jenny asked.

"Swimming, but that was more for the exercise and toning. I knew virtually nothing about baseball. Fortunately I've had some friends teaching me something about the game."

"Evan says it's a simple game," Sandy said, grabbing two cheese sticks. "I think it's boring."

"A lot of games you don't understand seem boring," Jenny said. She glanced at her watch. "We should be going. It's getting late, and we have to get squirt to bed."

"You're the one who needs her beauty sleep," Sandy shot back.

"Devlin and I are both rooming with you," Jenny said.

"I thought you were sleeping in the study," Sandy protested.

"No, Mom decided it would be better if us girls all roomed together."

"She didn't say anything to me."

"Yes she did. She told you this afternoon. You just weren't listening, like normal."

Sandy started to say something, then bit back her words. Instead she glared out the window and the dark trees beside the road.

Fifteen minutes later they pulled up in front of a rambler with a late model car parked in the driveway. There was a small hedge in front, with a black light pole at the head of the driveway. Evan grabbed his suitcase as well as Devlin's and led her up the front walk.

A middle-aged woman opened the front door. She was thin and had her dark hair in a perm. Her face resembled Evan's, square with a slightly pointed chin.

"Devlin?" she asked.

"Mom," Evan said, "this is Devlin."

The woman gave Devlin an appraising look, and then smiled and opened her arms. "I'm glad to meet you," she said as they hugged. "When Evan told us about you we couldn't wait to meet you."

"When he invited me I couldn't wait to get down here," Devlin replied, taking the woman's hand. She put down her carry-on and looked around the living room. It was done with light airy woods, complemented by light fabrics on the furniture. There were a couple of paintings on the wall, one was a seascape, the other was of the sun setting over an island. A fireplace, a fixture in Midwestern homes, was obvious by its absence.

"This is nice. I like what you've done with this room."

"Thank you," the woman said.

"I'll put this in our room," Sandy said, taking Devlin's suitcase from Evan. Jenny took Devlin's carry-on and followed her sister.

"Sit a spell," Evan's mother said after hugging Devlin. "I'm Georgia, by the way."

"Georgia," Devlin said, nodding. She eased down on the couch, Evan beside her.

Georgia glanced up as Jenny came back and perched on the edge of a chair. "We moved here after Jenny started college, so things are a little cramped right now. You'll be staying in Sandy's room, by the way."

"So I heard," Devlin said.

"Evan's sleeping on the couch here in the living room," Jenny said.

"While they were at the airport I put the spare cot in Sandy's room," Georgia said. "It's all made up, so there should be no problem." She turned back to Devlin. "So, dear, Evan says you do part time sales to help put yourself through college."

"I sell foundation wear," Devlin said. "Mostly it's for women who've had surgery or other problems."

"When Evan said something I had pictures of Victoria's Secret," Jenny said.

"Not hardly." Devlin smiled. "That's not our market. We couldn't even dream of competing with them."

"You said other problems besides surgery," Jenny asked. "Such as?"

"Such as my problem," Devlin said, waving her hands vaguely over her front. "There are girls who have a size problem, just like I do, and can't find something that fits properly. We take care of that. Some of our other customers have medical problems, such as having had a mastectomy."

Georgia and Jenny nodded. Sandy looked at Devlin's chest and turned a bright red. Anything she might have said was cut off as a car pulled into the driveway.

"I may want to talk to you later," Georgia murmured as they got up. "That should be my husband, now."

Evan's father, Keith, was like a slightly older version of him, but without the shoulders. He did his best to avoid the obvious reaction when he saw her, smiling politely as everyone settled in the living room again.

"I'm majoring in Business Administration," Devlin found herself saying under his careful questioning. "I'm a junior this year, but I may end up graduating early due to my current course load." She described a little of her classes and what she wanted to do after college.

"A collegiate workaholic," Keith murmured. He looked at his watch. "I'm sure we'll all get to know each other better in the next couple of days, but it's after midnight, and I suggest everyone get to bed. Girls, that includes you as well. I know your mother wants to be up early tomorrow."

Sandy's protest was lost in a yawn. Jenny rose and made a beeline for the bathroom. "I'm afraid things will get a bit cramped," Georgia said. "Three girls, one bathroom, and one of the three is 14; I hope you're patient."

"I'll have to be," Devlin replied with a smile.

Jenny cut Sandy off, letting Devlin have the bathroom after her. In the bedroom Devlin found her suitcase and carry-on next to one of two folding cots. She glanced around, taking in the room. It was painted an off-white, and posters for various bands decorated the wall, dominated by an especially a large one of N'Sync. The rest of the room was typical of a 14 year-old girl: a white vanity with make-up scattered across it, a half-open closet door, a dresser painted white, and a small CD player next to the bed. The bed had a couple of large stuffed animals perched precariously on it.

Sandy must have hurried through her bathroom routine. She came into the room looking around, as if she was expecting Devlin to be doing something. She relaxed when she saw Devlin was laying things out on the cot. Jenny was already under the blanket on her cot, and was reading a textbook.

"Where can I hang some things up?" Devlin asked. She gestured at what she'd laid out on the bed. "Everything wrinkles when you travel."

"I can make some room in my closet," Sandy said. "Pretty blouse," she added when Devlin put her fuchsia blouse on a hanger.

"I like to wear it with black slacks or a black skirt," Devlin said absently.

"That would be dramatic," Jenny said. "With your hair and skin that would go over well."

Devlin dug out the tee-shirt she slept in, and arranged her slippers next to the bed. She changed quickly. Sandy just sat on her bed, watching. When Devlin took out her brush and began working on her hair, Sandy reluctantly changed for bed.

"Do you brush out your hair every night?" Sandy asked as she sat back on her bed.

"Most nearly every night," Devlin said. "It'll be all knotted up in the morning, anyway, but if I didn't brush it, it would be worse."

"I'm not sure if I like my hair long," Sandy said, holding out some strands. "Taking care of it is such a bother."

"It's worse after Phys. Ed.," Devlin said. "When you go to college, never have a class right after Phys. Ed. I can almost guarantee you'll be late because you'll be drying your hair."

"Oh. Maybe that's why Jenny cut her hair after she started college," Sandy said, glancing at her sister. "She used to have long hair."

"Devlin's right," Jenny said. She shifted to get more comfortable. "My freshman year I had a class right after Phys. Ed. My hair was always wet." She snorted once in wry amusement. "I learned."

"What's your major?"

"Geography," Jenny said, "with a minor in education. I want to teach, but we'll see."

"I think I decided I wanted longer hair when I was 10," Devlin said, still brushing. "I just didn't like short hair."

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Sandy asked.

"I have a sister," Devlin said. "My Dad died when I was 2. My mother remarried last year, and my new sister is a little over a month old."

"That must seem awkward."

"Not really. We won't be close, like you two. I guess I'll be more like an aunt to her." Devlin finished her brushing, pinned her hair back, and slipped under the blanket. Sandy turned out the light. Devlin didn't feel tired, but she knew she would in the morning if she didn't get some sleep. She closed her eyes and tried to will herself to sleep.

In the morning she paused, her eyes half-open. The room was different, the house was different. After a moment she remembered where she was and why she was here. She looked around--Jenny and Sandy were both up. Jenny's cot was neatly made, while Sandy had just thrown her covers back. Devlin could hear sounds in the kitchen, quiet talk, and the slide of metal on metal, as if something was being put in the oven. She picked up her watch and looked at the time: 5:35, which meant it was 6:35 local time.

She tried to sleep some more, but the house was definitely coming awake around her. Now she could hear a shower, and male voices talking. Another glance at the watch--7:20 local time. Definitely time to be up and about.

She debated whether she should do her morning exercises, but she didn't know about any bathroom etiquette here yet. She settled for leg exercises, including all of the stretching and loosening she normally did. It wasn't much, but it would have to do. In a few minutes she could feel her blood going. Definitely time to meet the day. She looked at what she had to wear: jeans and a tee-shirt should be enough for right now, along with her slippers.