Chapter 13

I cruised by Jeff's around noon. I didn't honk the horn because I wanted to see the whole family.

Harri opened the door. "Ashley, so nice to see you. I think Jeff will be ready soon." She gave me a delicious hug.

She released me, but before I could answer her I was driven back by a tackle worthy of the most ferocious linebacker.

"Ashley," said Sandy. She had her head buried in my chest and her arms held me against her as if she was afraid I would flee.

I tousled her hair. "How have you been, Sandy?"

"Fantastic. I have Sam and Harri here, Jeff is home for the weekend and I met you. It's like a big, long birthday." She simply bubbled.

I couldn't recognize the aroma, but I was sure Sam was in the kitchen whipping up some unknown delight.

Sunny came down the stairs with a man who had to be Jeff's dad. He reminded me of Louis Skolnick from Revenge of The Nerds: white shirt, black-rimmed glasses, thin, dark polyester pants, everything but the pocket protector. His hair was combed down to the left. How did Sunny let him look like this?

Oh, yeah, this was a family of be who you are. Sandy might not know who she was, and I wasn't sure about Jeff, but for sure Sam, Harri, Sunny and, what's his name, did.

"Hi, Ashley." She came over to give me a hug. "I don't think you've met Louis, my husband."

It was all I could do to contain my compulsion to giggle. I coughed.

I reached out my hand to shake and that seemed to be an acceptable greeting to him.

"Nice to meet you, Louis."

"Nice to meet you, too. Sunny speaks highly of you."

Sunny? What about Jeff?

"Sam's busy cooking or I'm sure he'd be out here to say hello," said Sunny.

Sandy still had an arm around me, but not with the intensity with which she had attacked.

Sunny put her hand on my bicep and slowly drew it down to my elbow. "Jeff will be down soon," she said. "He's finishing up packing."

"I'm sorry I didn't get much of a chance to meet you, Ashley," said Louis. "I hope you'll come see us over the Christmas vacation."

"Uh, sure. I'd love to."

Sunny still had a hold of my elbow and was escorting me to the living room.

"Just a little girl talk. I'll have her back in a jiffy."

What was going on here? Was this like the dad taking the young man into his parlor to tell him what he would do to him if he messed with his daughter?

She directed me to the plush, chocolate brown sofa and sat immediately to my left.

"I love Louis with all my heart. He's an intelligent, sometimes brilliant, loving, caring, giving man. He goes out of his way to try to do things to make me happy, and that makes me very happy.

"He often doesn't understand what would make me happy. He'll bring me a cherry-filled donut, remembering how much I loved them before I had to watch what I eat, because he thinks it will make me happy. And it does. But only because he's gone out of his way to do something for me, not because the donut is anything special."