Just then her mother stepped onto the deck with a tray of condiments. Her eyes were on Sierra, and in a flash Sierra knew why. Randy was right behind her. They had heard every word in the kitchen.
“You’re just in time,” her dad said, saving Sierra from the awkward moment. “You hungry, Randy?”
“He’s always hungry,” Gavin said.
“Join us,” Mr. Jensen said.
“Hey, Drake,” Randy said. “How’s it going?”
He ambled over to the patio table, still wearing his grass-stained work clothes. Sitting next to Dillon, he acted like one of the family. He appeared unaffected by what Sierra had said while he was in the kitchen.
Sierra fidgeted, shifting her glance from Drake to Randy.
“How are you doin’?” Drake asked Randy.
“Good. I got two more offers today for lawns on Belmont Street. You sure you don’t want to join me in the yard business this summer?”
“I’m locked in,” Drake said. “I told my dad I’d work for him all summer.”
Sierra watched the two of them share the bottle of ketchup and information about their summer jobs. Apparently, they didn’t mind sharing their relationship with Sierra as well. So why was she flustered?
Dinner progressed at its normal pace around the Jensen table with lots of lively conversation, lots of food, and not a shred of evidence that anyone other than Sierra thought it strange that she had two dinner guests.
She eagerly volunteered to help clear dishes and serve the dessert. With full hands, she followed her mother into the house. From the kitchen window, she could hear Wes asking if anyone wanted to join him in a game of basketball after dessert.
“Is this normal?” Sierra asked her mom, turning away from the window.
“Is what normal?”
“Having two guys over for dinner.”
“Feels normal to me. How does it feel to you?”
“Weird,” Sierra said with a sigh, leaning against the counter. “I was so flattered when Drake stopped by to see me at work. I thought maybe he was, well, you know…interested in me or something.”
“Did he give you that impression?”
“Yes. Sort of. I think. Oh, I don’t know.”
Mom pulled the ice cream from the freezer and began to scoop it into the line of bowls she had placed on the counter. “The strawberries are in the fridge, Sierra. Could you get them for me?”
“You know what I’m realizing?” Sierra said as she took out the large bowl of fresh strawberries. “I don’t know much about guys. Tawni used to call me a late bloomer, and as much as I hate to admit it, I think she was right. This is all new to me. I mean, why would Drake come to see me at work when Amy is the one who’s interested in him?”
“Easy,” her mother replied. “Because you’re not interested in him.”
“So that makes me a challenge or something?”
“Something like that. Here, scoop the strawberries on top, will you?”
“But the thing is, I am interested in Drake. At least I think I could be if I knew he liked me.”
“And what about Randy?”
“That’s the weird part. I don’t want Randy to go away just because Drake is here.”
Mrs. Jensen glanced out the window and said, “Oh, I don’t think Randy is going anywhere.”
“But what about Amy, Mom? We’re supposed to make dinner for Drake and Randy at her house tomorrow night. Drake is her date and Randy is mine. Except now I feel like Amy would be mad if she knew Drake was over here tonight.”
“Why?”
“Because she likes Drake.”
“Does she?”
Sierra felt even more frustrated than before she had started talking with her mom. She was getting nowhere, and all her questions were only being answered with more questions.
“Aren’t you going to tell me how a good little Christian daughter should handle this?” she pleaded.
“No.”
“No?”
Her mother put down the ice cream scoop and gently cupped Sierra’s chin in her hand. “I’ve been doing that for sixteen years, honey. It’s time for you to show me what you’ve got. Show me what you’re made of.”
“Oh great!” Sierra said as Mrs. Jensen went back to scooping up the last two bowls. “You’re leaving me to figure this out all by myself.”
“You’re never completely by yourself,” her mom said. “You know that.”
“Yes,” Sierra said, topping off the last bowl with a generous mound of strawberries. “Aren’t you going to quote me your favorite saying? ‘Mothers couldn’t be everywhere so that’s why God sent the Holy Spirit.’”
“You have been listening.” Her mom placed the bowls on a tray and headed for the back door. She turned to give Sierra an over-the-shoulder smile. It was a gleeful grin, like the smile her mother had given her last Christmas when Sierra opened up the present from her parents. It was a plane ticket to England for the missions trip she went on in January.
“Without a doubt, this is going to be your best summer yet, Sierra. I just know it.”
Sierra watched her mother disappear and listened to the comforting slap of the screen door as it closed behind her. It seemed she and her mother had officially entered the next level in their relationship. An invisible door had closed on what was, and a whole new world had opened up on what would be.
THE BASKETBALL GAME in Sierra’s driveway lasted until nearly ten o’clock. Drake, Randy, and Wes hogged the ball, but Sierra and her dad both elbowed their way into the game and managed to score a few points. In many ways, it felt like any other summer night in Sierra’s childhood. The sky stayed light until nine-thirty, crickets played their summer symphony in the cool green grass, happy shouts came from Gavin and Dillon amid eager barks from Brutus, and Wes and a bunch of his friends worked up a sweat and called out friendly insults. Only tonight, the guys in the driveway were Sierra’s friends, not Wesley’s.
Strange feelings surrounded Sierra all night. Her mom might have been confident that Sierra would figure out these relationships, but Sierra wasn’t so sure. There were so many undefined pieces. Was Drake interested in her? Was Amy still interested in Drake? What would it be like tomorrow night at Amy’s house if Drake was Amy’s date, but he paid more attention to Sierra?
“I better get going,” Randy finally said. “I have to start work early tomorrow morning. What time are we meeting at Amy’s?”
“Is that tomorrow night?” Drake held the basketball in the crook of his arm and wiped his chin with the front of his T-shirt.
Sierra sat on the grass by the driveway-basketball court. Her legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. Leaning back on her hands, she tilted her head and asked, “Do you guys still want to have dinner?”
“Yes,” they said in unison.
“Of course,” Randy added. “Why? Are you and Amy having second thoughts about trying to feed us?”
“No, not at all.” Sierra made a mental note that Randy and Drake acted as if nothing were unusual about both of them being here tonight. They both actually seemed eager to get together tomorrow. What could that mean?
“Okay,” Sierra said, getting up and brushing off the seat of her jeans. “Six o’clock at Amy’s. And remember, it’s fancy.” She noticed Wes standing to the side with a smirk on his face. “What’s so funny?” she challenged him.
“Nothing. Sounds like you’ll have a lot of fun.” His grin got wider.
“Why don’t you join us?” Drake said, tossing the ball to Wes. “I’m sure Amy wouldn’t mind.”
Does Drake know about Amy’s crush on Wes? Sierra wondered.
“Thanks, but that’s okay. Maybe another time.”
“Okay,” Drake responded; then he turned to Randy. “Hey, Randy, can you give me a ride home?”
“Sure. You ready to go?”
“Yep.” Drake looked at Sierra and smiled. “Thanks for dinner, Sierra.”
“Yeah,” Randy said with a smile. “It was g
reat.”
They headed for Randy’s truck. At the curb, they both stopped to wave good-bye.
“See you at Amy’s,” Randy called out.
The minute the truck pulled away from the curb and started down the street, Wes let out a hearty chuckle.
“What?” Sierra demanded. They were the only ones out front now, and it seemed that the night air had suddenly turned chilly. She hadn’t noticed it while they were playing basketball.
“You are going to break some hearts, little sister!” Wes spun the basketball on his finger and caught it before it toppled to the ground.
She couldn’t tell if he was teasing or complimenting her.
“How old are you going to be this November?”
“Seventeen,” she said firmly. “You know that.”
Wes’s grin pushed up the crinkles in the corners of his eyes.
“Why is that so funny?” Sierra asked, annoyed.
“It’s not. It’s just that I guess I didn’t see it coming. Little Sierra all grown up with a line of eligible bachelors at her front door. I remember when the phone started to ring off the hook for Tawni.”
“Only she was thirteen, not sixteen, right?”
“Something like that.” Wes sidled up to Sierra and put a sweaty, smelly arm around her shoulder, giving her a squeeze. “Now it’s your turn, Golden Girl. Go easy on Randy, though, will you? I kind of like the guy.”
“So? Who asked you?” Sierra said, ducking out of his hug.
“No need to ask. My expert opinions are always available free of charge. And it’s my opinion that Randy is more your speed.”
“Oh, yeah?” Sierra said, playfully tapping the ball out of his hand. “And exactly what speed is that?”
The ball bounced through Wes’s fingertips and rolled down the driveway and into the street.
Wes crossed his arms, attempting to look threatening. “Go get the ball.”
“I’m not your dog. You get the ball.” Sierra stood on the driveway, hands on her hips, chin jutted out in defiance, waiting for her brother to tackle her, rough up her hair, throw grass in her face, or hoist her over his shoulder and cart her to the street, where he would make her pick up the ball.
Wes looked her over slowly, as if trying to decide which tactic would work best. Suddenly, a different expression washed over his face, a look of tenderness rather than teasing. Then he cleared his throat and said in a serious voice, “If you ever need someone to talk to about guys or whatever—especially now that Tawni’s gone—I’ll be around all summer. You know that you can talk to me, don’t you?”
Those were the last words Sierra expected from her brother’s lips. Had she somehow walked through an invisible door with Wesley the same way she had entered a new level in her relationship with her mom?
“Sure. Thanks,” Sierra said, feeling as if that was the expected response.
Wes smiled and said, “I’ll get the ball this time.”
He hustled down to the street, and Sierra went inside, shaking her head. She climbed the stairs, trying to make sense of all that was happening in her life.
Is there a sign on my forehead that says, “Treat me like an adult”? Or does everyone believe the door to my social life has swung open because Drake showed up tonight?
Whatever it was, she didn’t understand the change. And it certainly came as a surprise.
The next morning Sierra was in for another surprise when she came downstairs to breakfast. Her plan was to eat something and then call Amy to fill her in on the events of the night before.
She had carefully thought through her words in the shower. “Amy,” she rehearsed, “I need to tell you that Drake came to my house last night for dinner. I want to know how you feel about that and whether you still want to make dinner for the guys tonight, because if you’re not interested in Drake anymore, then…” Her words froze every time she got to the part about Drake. Certainly, a banana and a bowl of Golden Grahams would bring her thinking into focus, she decided.
But when Sierra stepped into the kitchen, she found Amy sitting at the kitchen counter, crying behind a barricade of cereal boxes. Wes stood at the kitchen sink, a glass of orange juice in his hand. They both turned to look at Sierra when she walked in.
“What’s wrong?” Sierra asked quickly, looking first at Wes, then at Amy.
With a sniff and a deep breath, Amy said, “My parents decided to have a big yelling match this morning. My dad stomped out all mad, and my mom ran into her room and locked the door. I hate it when they do this.”
Sierra sat down next to Amy and slipped her arm around her shoulders. “I’m sure it’ll work out. Doesn’t it usually blow over in an hour or two?”
“Usually,” Amy said with a sniff. “But I don’t know what to do about our dinner tonight. I don’t want to have all the guys over if they’re going to fight again.”
“You probably should stay clear,” Wes said, getting his two-cents’ worth into the conversation. “It might be better not to add any complications to the evening in case your parents need time to talk when your dad comes home from work. Why don’t you guys reschedule your dinner?”
“We’ve already rescheduled four times!” Amy got up and went over to the side counter to grab a napkin from the basket. She wiped her eyes and blew her nose. “I guess we should cancel the whole thing and forget it. I’ll tell my uncle we don’t need the lobsters tonight after all.”
“Lobsters?” Wes noted.
“We can have it here,” Sierra heard herself saying.
“Are you sure your parents wouldn’t mind?” Amy asked, her expression brightening.
Sierra knew Amy hadn’t planned for her parents to quarrel. She wasn’t trying to set things up so that Wes would be a part of their fancy dinner. But it sure was working out conveniently.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Sierra said. “I’ll call Drake and Randy to tell them. Do you still want it to be at six?”
“Sure. I can pick up the lobsters anytime this afternoon. We still have to shop for the salad and rolls and decide on some kind of vegetable. What do you like?”
“Zucchini,” Wes jumped in. “The way Mom makes it.”
“She didn’t ask you,” Sierra said, tossing her brother a “get lost” look.
“What are we going to have for dessert?” Amy asked.
The doorbell rang, and Wes left to answer it, giving Sierra the opportunity to try to have her heart-to-heart talk with Amy.
Sierra took a deep breath. “I need to ask you something. How are you feeling about Drake?”
Amy gave her a funny look.
“I mean do you still like him?”
“Of course I still like him. I’ve always liked Drake. Who wouldn’t?”
This wasn’t the answer Sierra expected.
“Why?” Amy asked.
“I thought you weren’t that interested in him anymore.”
Amy shook her head. “I’m totally interested in him! Drake isn’t crazy about me, but I thought as he got to know me better, he would change his mind. That’s why I wanted to do this dinner. Why do you ask?”
Sierra poured herself a bowl of cereal. “I need to tell you something.”
She dipped her spoon into the bowl and tried to find a good opening line. Maybe Amy wouldn’t care that Drake had spent last evening at Sierra’s. Yeah, right! Sierra thought, shuddering. What if this is the end of our friendship?
“Amy, listen to what I say and don’t get mad, okay?”
“Why would I get mad?”
Sierra knew she hadn’t done anything wrong. Drake had sought her out, not the other way around. And there was nothing unusual about inviting a friend home for dinner. So why did she feel guilty?
Just then Wes walked back in with a UPS package in his hand. “Do you know if Mom is still around?”
“I don’t know,” Sierra said.
Gavin burst in the back door, laughing and running through the house. Dillon entered right behind him with a squirt gun i
n his hand.
“Hey, guys,” Wes said in a booming voice, “take it outside.”
“Okay, Dad.” They chased each other around the middle table and out the back door.
“We can’t talk in here,” Sierra said, exasperated. “Let’s go upstairs. You know, maybe we should postpone the dinner again. It’ll be like this the whole time around here.”
“No, it won’t,” Wes said. “I’ll take everyone out for pizza. You guys can have the whole place to yourselves.”
Amy’s face clouded over. “You don’t have to go anywhere, Wes.”
The phone rang, and as Wes reached for it, he said, “Yes, I think I do.”
“Come on, Aim. Let’s go up to my room.”
“Sierra,” Wes called as they headed toward the hall, “phone. It’s Drake.”
SIERRA FROZE.
“Let me talk to him. He probably guessed I’d be over here since I wasn’t home.” Amy reached to take the phone from Wes’s hand and answered with, “Hi.”
Wes stepped back and crossed his arms across his chest, amused by the scenario.
“Friday night?” Amy said. “I’d love to! I have to work till nine, so we’d have to go to the late show. What? No, this is Amy.” She shot a glance at Sierra. “Who did you think you were talking to?”
Sierra pursed her lips together and looked down at her bare feet. Her heart was pounding like a drum.
“She’s right here,” Amy said and held out the phone to Sierra.
Tears began to well up in Amy’s eyes as she grabbed her purse from the counter and spouted, “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me, Sierra! Forget the dinner.” She brushed past Sierra and marched for the front door.
“Drake?” Sierra said into the receiver. “I’ll have to call you back.”
“I’m not at home,” he said. “I’m at work. You want me to call you?”
“No. I mean yes.”
Sierra heard Amy sobbing as she opened the front door.
Her emotions torn in two, Sierra said quickly into the phone, “I don’t know, Drake. Whatever.”
She hung up the phone and dashed to the front door. Amy was already down the sidewalk, unlocking the door of her Volvo.