Wesley got up from the sofa with his laptop. “Excuse me,” he politely stated as he placed the computer in front of his sister.
“Give me just a sec.” She held up one finger and read what was on the screen. He watched her eyes scan the screen. They were beautiful. “Much better,” she pronounced. “Now you just need to write that conclusion.”
“Excellent. So then we can go tomorrow?”
“Fine!” She rolled her eyes and granted consent. And to Joseph’s raised eyebrow, she replied, “They forgot to tell me about an overnight field trip. The seniors had a pancake breakfast fundraiser this morning to help pay for it. But I just heard about it this morning. I, um, woke up, and they both were not home,” she murmured slicing a glance at both of her brothers. “I called them only to find out what was going on and that they were cleaning up, but I had to go to the school today to sign the permission forms, and give them money for it.” She shook her head, and both boys looked a tad sheepish at the public recrimination. “And, they have these papers due, and I knew they would never do them if I didn’t force the work out of them in some way.”
“It just slipped our mind. The field trip,” Lesley offered lamely.
“Yeah, slipped our . . .”
Jewel’s look silenced Wesley.
“Well, looks like you got the paper about done,” Joseph smiled. “And Lesley’s is finished,” he reminded her.
“And it took all day of me pestering them.” Jewel blew a strand of her long dark hair out of her face in exasperation. “When you go to college next year, you both will need to be on top of these things yourself, you know. You won’t have me to remind you all of the time.”
Both boys murmured their replies. Joseph couldn’t help smiling. From their expressions, he could tell this was a familiar lecture.
Glancing at the clock, Joseph realized he’d been there almost an hour. The family looked hunkered down for the night, and since they’d had coffee here, he didn’t think she’d be willing to leave the boys and continue their conversation privately. But tomorrow they would be away, on the very convenient senior trip. It gave him an idea. “Well, I’m glad I came. I wanted to get to know you better and I have. But, looks like you still have some work to do here,” he pushed back from the table, then added, “I’d best let you get to that.”
“Well, yes, thanks for coming,” Jewel offered, standing up with him. He handed her his cup. Both boys stood to shake his hand, and both grips were firm and strong as they continued to give him yet another once over. He was glad to see them protective of her, though she was seven or eight years older than them by his assumption. But, they seemed liked good kids.
When he was at the door, Jewel was right behind him, and her brothers politely hung back. “Will you walk me out, Jewels?” He used their affectionate name for her. He saw her blush.
Over her shoulder, he saw her brothers grinning like idiots. They both laughed when she didn’t reply right away, but they let her fend for herself having already approved of Joseph in their own way. Lesley headed to the living room leaving Jewel on her own to handle this.
“I’ll be back in a few,” she stated lamely. Her brothers laughed at her awkwardness.
“Take your time,” Wesley spit out choking on his coffee in his humor.
“Yeah, take your sweet time,” Lesley added and both were in hysterics. Joseph joined in their laughter. It reminded him of his sisters and how they had teased their brothers about girlfriends. It was a different dynamic, he assumed having an older sister. But some things were the same when it came to having siblings. He had never laughed when his sisters brought home boys though. It had been the exact opposite. He or Jonathan had usually stared the young men down until they were so uncomfortable they left abruptly. Then came the laughter, while the girls stomped away in anger after complaining to their mother. His sisters never had brought many boys home after that happened a couple of times too many for their liking.
Jewel slipped into her moccasins by the front door and followed him out. The sooner she found out why he’d made this surprise visit the better. He went down the stairs first, and then turned to make sure she made it down safely. The stoop definitely needed the landlord’s attention.