California Girls

It wasn’t a new concept for her, but for the first time she could remember, she was more understanding and less bitter. She hadn’t heard from her father since that one pathetic text and she knew she wasn’t going to—not unless she reached out to him. Her mother was friendly enough but Mary Jo had never really been that involved in her life. Ali had her sisters and a few friends, but had never felt connected to anyone. Not the way other people did.

That was why she’d wanted to marry Glen, she thought suddenly. Because with him, she would be the most important, the first, the one he loved best. She’d been so enamored with the concept of finally being like everyone else that she’d overlooked some pretty big red flags, including the fact that she’d never truly loved him. She’d been that desperate and she’d paid the price for it.

Daniel walked over and put his hand on the side of her face. “What?” he asked, his voice gentle.

“Just having a bit of an emotional revelation. I know why I got engaged to Glen even though I wasn’t in love with him. I wanted to be special to someone.”

He kissed her. “You are special.”

To him, she thought, letting his caring wash over her. “Now,” she said, her voice teasing. “Not so much before.”

“You were always special.” He kissed her. “Come on. Let’s go commit a felony.”

She chuckled as she followed him over to the clock. It was huge and old-fashioned with an ornate face and hadn’t been wound in years. The finish was dull from years of neglect and she was sure it needed a good tune-up or whatever it was clocks required to stay working.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she began.

“I doubt that.”

“I know it’s ugly and not what most people want in their houses. It’s just, I love this clock.”

He frowned. “Ali, you really don’t get it, do you? If you love this clock, then I want you to have it. My house is huge. There’s plenty of room. I was thinking we’d put it in the dining room.”

She’d been thinking the same thing. “On the shorter wall by the opening to the kitchen?”

“That’s the one.”

“That’s perfect. It has to be on an interior wall so there’s no sudden change in temperatures and it can’t be near an air vent and...” She pressed her lips together. “Sorry. I’m enthused.”

“You are, now let’s get going.”

They laid out the instructions on the coffee table. Daniel went to work taking apart the working parts of the clock while Ali unscrewed the hinges for the glass door.

Daniel took pictures as he went to help them with reassembly, and separated the small pieces into plastic bags. Ali got the hand truck. Together they carried all the pieces out and laid them on the truck’s back seat, then returned for the main housing. The wood frame was heavy but they got it outside and into the back of the truck where Daniel tied it down.

They drove slowly back to his place and reversed the process to bring the pieces inside. It took a couple of hours to assemble the clock in the dining room. When they were done, Ali carefully wound the clock, then adjusted the time. She waited anxiously to see if the pendulum would stay in motion. They stood in silent anticipation until the quarter hour when the familiar chime sounded.

“Perfect!” she said, clapping her hands together before throwing her arms around him. “I’ll find someone to give it a nice clock spa treatment so it can keep going. Thank you for helping me.”

“You’re welcome. This crime thing is kind of fun.”

She laughed. “Maybe we can do something else bad.”

His expression turned knowing. “I’m all in.” His phone buzzed.

Ali stepped back. “I hope it’s not the police,” she teased.

“Your mom won’t be back from work until tonight,” he reminded her, then checked his screen and read the message. His expression turned sheepish as he looked at her. “Ali, we need to talk about something.”

Her good mood vanished as her stomach tightened. “What? It’s bad, isn’t it?” Had something happened? Was he breaking up with her? Did he want her to move out and—

“That was my mom. I told her about us.”

He’d what? She hadn’t told anyone. Not because she was ashamed or anything but it was kind of weird that she’d gotten involved with her ex-fiancé’s brother. Socially it was kind of a no-no.

“She hates me,” Ali moaned. “She has to. Or she thinks I’m a slut. I liked your parents when I met them and I thought they liked me.”

“They do like you,” he told her. “They understand it was all Glen.” He hesitated. “My mom guessed how I felt about you a while ago. She never said much, but she knew. So she’s happy that I’m happy.”

Ali let some of her panic fade. “You’re sure?”

“Yes. They want us to come over to dinner. I thought we’d set something up in the next couple of weeks.”

Dinner with the parents? Wasn’t it too soon? Although they weren’t strangers, but still. “It’s going to be awkward.”

“Yes, it is.”

She shrieked. “How can you say that? You’re supposed to reassure me.”

“It’s going to be awkward and then it’s going to be fine.”

“You could have started with the fine part and then moved to awkward.”

He smiled. “I’ll remember for next time.”

“Glen won’t be there, will he? Because that’s a level of weird I can’t handle just yet.”

“No Glen. Although at some point—”

She raised her hand. “Daniel, you’re great and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the help with the clock and everything else you’ve done and all, but I am not ready to hang out with your brother just yet. I need you to be okay with that.”

One corner of his mouth turned up. “I am very okay with it.”

“You swear?”

He pulled her hand to his chest and pressed her palm against his T-shirt. “I swear. So dinner with my parents?”

“Uh-huh.” She sighed. “And I’ll tell my mom and my sisters. I really hate being mature.”

“Maybe so, but it looks good on you.”

*