Because Mrs. Law zeroed in on Gunnar like Jeremy didn’t even exist. “Kimber?”
Gunnar’s expression became a blank slate. “We don’t need to talk about Kimber right now.”
“Sure, we do. You know there’s no time like the present.” She looked at the clock. “We’ve got thirty-five minutes before supper is ready.”
“Because I don’t want to be grilled before you’ve even gotten settled in your room. Don’t you want to go do that?”
“Not especially.” Turning to Jeremy again, she said, “I guess you’ve met this woman?”
He stuffed a cookie into his mouth so he wouldn’t have to talk. But he went ahead and nodded.
“You’ve already brought her around the boy? It must be real serious.”
“For your information, Jeremy met Kimber before me.”
Mrs. Law looked his way. “How did that happen? Is this Kimber the mother of one of your friends?”
“No. She’s a volunteer at the elementary school library. I’m doing my community service credits there.”
She smiled at him encouragingly. “And you liked her so much that you introduced her to Gunnar?”
Feeling like he’d just swallowed a truth serum, he kept talking. “Um, not exactly. Kimber had car trouble one day after school. When Gunnar came to pick me up, he noticed that she needed some help. He helped her get a tow.”
“That was nice of you boys.”
“It was a little more involved than that, Ma,” Gunnar said. “In any case, we’re seeing each other a little bit, but it’s nothing serious yet.”
“She must be sweet if she’s a volunteer librarian.”
“She . . . is.”
“Is she pretty? And I’m only asking because I’m curious. But we both know that looks aren’t everything, boy. Do you remember me telling you that?”
“Yes, ma’am.” But he couldn’t keep his lips from twitching.
“You know what? I shouldn’t have even asked. I’m sure she’s real nice, no matter what she looks like.
Jeremy couldn’t help it, he started laughing.
Mrs. Law raised her eyebrows. “Jeremy, what is so amusing?”
“Nothing, Mrs. Law.”
She put her hands on her hips. “I not only raised four children, I can spot a lie a mile away. Try answering me again, if you please.”
“It’s nothing . . . except that she’s a model.”
“Say again?”
“Kimber’s a model,” Gunnar said. “She’s flat-out gorgeous . . . and she’s famous .”
“How famous?”
“Famous enough to be on the cover of more than one magazine.”
She turned back to him. “Jeremy, is he pulling my leg?”
“No, ma’am.”
Jeremy watched as Mrs. Law blinked. Blinked again. Then looked right at her son. “And she’s dating you?”
Then, he couldn’t help it. He started laughing so loud, the noise felt like it filled the whole house.
But to his surprise, Gunnar just walked over and rested a hand on his shoulder and laughed too.
CHAPTER 15
“Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveler, thousands of miles away, back to his own fireside and his quiet home.”
—charles dickens, “the pickwick papers”
He was going to do it. At least, Bethany was pretty sure he was. Ever since he’d first offered to walk her home, she’d been sure that Jeremy was going to ask her to the Christmas dance. She’d been listening intently, ready to hear what he had to say.
But so far, he hadn’t said much of anything.
All he’d done was talk about how much he had eaten at lunch.
And about the weather. Jeremy had talked for almost five full minutes about how it was really cold and supposed to snow again. She hadn’t known what she was supposed to say to that.
When Jeremy had finally taken a breath, he groaned. “So I guess I’ve been sounding like an idiot for the last ten minutes, huh?”
“Not an idiot.” Not exactly . . .
He ran a hand through his short dark hair. “Only like a guy who eats a lot and watches the weather channel obsessively?”
She giggled. “Maybe. But it’s okay if that’s what you like to do.”
“It isn’t.”
He looked so aggravated with himself, she teased him a little bit. “Are you sure? Because it’s okay if you are fixated on weather patterns.”
“I’m positive. I promise, I’m a lot more interesting than that.” He winced. “But there’s nothing wrong with it. You know . . . if you like watching the Weather Channel.”
“Actually, I’ve never watched that channel, Jeremy.” She barely stopped herself from giggling when he slapped a hand over his eyes and groaned.
“Sorry. I promise I don’t usually talk about the weather.” He frowned. “Or food.”
“What do you usually talk about?”
He winced. “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Nothing all that important, I guess.”
She let that sink in as they walked a little more. He was making her nervous.
Actually, Bethany was starting to wonder if she even wanted to go to the dance with him. What if Jeremy acted weird and awkward the whole time? What if he only talked about weather and food to all of her friends?
She could totally see how they would react to that too. They’d egg him on and then share glances when they didn’t think he was looking. But of course he would notice, and then it would be awful. By the end of the night, everyone would be making fun of him.
And, maybe of her, too, because she was his date. Though it made her feel shallow, Bethany was old enough to realize that she wouldn’t care too much if people made fun of her if she believed in Jeremy and what he was about. But so far, she didn’t know him all that well. She only had a hunch that there was something about him that she really liked.
But that wasn’t enough.
Thinking that maybe she needed to take over the conversation, she decided to go big. “Hey, Jeremy?”
He cast her a sideways look. “Yeah?”