Jessica’s eyes widened. “Oh … you brought me to meet—”
Luke shook his head. “No. That’s what I was afraid of. That’s why I told you not to read into this. While technically you will meet my family, I didn’t bring you here to meet them. I brought you here because I thought you needed to escape for a couple of days and this is where I come when I need to decompress.”
“But they know you’re coming this weekend?”
“Yes.”
“And they know you’re bringing me?”
“Yes.”
“So you told them I’m your patient?”
“No. You’re not my patient. I told them you’re my friend and you’ve been dealing with some personal issues and that you needed to get away for a few days.”
“Do you bring a lot of female ‘friends’ here?”
“No.”
“So just be honest. They’re going to think I’m your girlfriend.”
“Possibly.”
“And you’re okay with this?”
“No. But it’s only for two days and so if they don’t want to believe me, in spite of the truth I’ve told them that there’s nothing going on between us, then I’m not going to make an issue of it. They’ll get the picture when they never see you again after this weekend.”
Jessica unfastened her seatbelt. “Ouch! That’s a little harsh. You make it sound like I’m dying.”
They grabbed their suitcases out of the trunk.
“What are you going to do when they fall in love with me?”
“Hypnosis.” Luke opened the front door.
“You can do that?”
“How do you think I got you to iron my socks.”
“Shut up,” Jessica mumbled when she stepped inside.
“Luke is that you? We’re in here,” a woman’s voice echoed to the entry.
Luke deposited their bags by the stairs and led her down the hallway.
“Luke,” Jessica whispered.
He turned.
“What if they ask us how we met?”
“Hmm … we train together. Good?”
She nodded.
“There’s our brilliant son,” the same woman’s voice cheered.
A mumbling of “gee thanks” rang in unison from the unexpected gathering. Jillian made a quick count of the group that sat around the table playing cards—eight.
“Oh, you know what I mean.” The tall woman with short black and gray hair tried to quiet the group as she stood to hug Luke.
“Hi, Mom.” Luke kissed her cheek. “Everyone, this is my friend, Jessica Day.”
Jessica smiled at everyone, exactly six more than she thought she’d be meeting.
“Hi, Jessica.” His mom offered her hand. “I’m Felicity.” Her eyes lingered on Jessica’s arm. “What happened?”
Jessica twisted her arm to look at the cut. “Oh, just a little spill on my bike. My legs are much worse.”
Felicity looked down but Jessica’s scars were covered by her capris. The man beside her cleared his throat.
“Sorry.” Felicity winked at him. “This is Tom, Luke’s dad.”
Tom nodded with a bright smile. “Nice to meet you, Jessica.” He shared Luke’s deep blue eyes but his hair was thick and blond, very Robert Redford.
“Next to him,” Felicity continued, “is our son Lane, and his wife, Anne, then our daughter Lara, and her fiancé, Drake, then our youngest son, Liam, and his girlfriend, Zoe.”
Jessica struggled for words. “Um … nice to meet all of you.” She nudged Luke’s arm and gritted her teeth through a huge smile. “You didn’t tell me you have three siblings … all with names that start with L.”
Everyone laughed.
“We were high on something.” Tom winked at Felicia.
“Actually, I have four siblings,” Luke corrected. “Where’s Lake?”
“She’s staying at a friend’s house tonight,” Lara answered.
“You two want in on the next game?” Felicity asked.
“Sure, we’ll go get settled upstairs and be right back.” Luke motioned with his head.
“You’re both in the adjoining lake view rooms.” Felicity called as they reached the top of the stairs.
Luke plopped Jessica’s suitcase on her bed. The room was a shades-of-yellow paint palate: the bedding, the curtains, the wallpaper.
“We’ll share the bathroom that connects our rooms. So lock both doors when you use it.”
Jessica looked out the window at the lake under the spotlight of the full moon. “I have nothing to hide, no need to lock the door.” She looked over her shoulder and grinned.
“Jessica,” Luke warned.
She turned and plunked down on the bed. “So … Luke, Lane, Lara, Liam, and Lake. Oh. My. God.”
Luke grinned like a shy child.
“And you’re the oldest? And it’s clear that you have your mom thinking you’re the smartest. You’re welcome by the way. I wanted to correct her on that one, but I didn’t.”
“Yes, I’m the oldest. And thank you for your self-control. Let’s go.”
*
Buttered popcorn mixed with laughter filled the air as the cards were dealt around the Jones’s dining room table. The game was Hearts. The players were the most engaging and fun group of people Jessica had ever met.
“So, Jessica, what do you do?” Tom asked.
Jessica sorted through her cards. “Only the most extraordinary and exciting job in the world. I’m an actuary intern.”
She looked up from her cards at the blank stares. “Basically, I’m a math geek that gathers and analyzes statistics to determine the consequences of risk in the future for insurance and pension programs.”