That Thing You Do (Whispering Bay Romance 1)

“I think you’ve been watching too much cable T.V.”

Claire made a face that made Allie feel like she was a hundred years old. “I’m not a child, Aunt Allie. And by the way, he wasn’t going on some hot date.”

Allie narrowed her eyes at her niece. “I thought you were messing with the radio.”

“That doesn’t mean my ears have fallen off.”

There was something semi-pathetic about talking to one’s niece concerning your love life. But Allie couldn’t seem to help herself. “Okay, Miss-Sixteen-Going-On-Thirty, how do you know he wasn’t going on a date?”

“Because he was wearing faded jeans and a T-shirt, and a guy like him doesn’t wear that on a date.”

“Oh? What does a guy like him wear on a date?”

“Hot guy stuff.” Claire batted her eyelashes. “Nicer jeans, black turtleneck, and cowboy boots.” She was describing what Tom had worn last night for their senior center slumber party. Which had certainly not been a date.

Allie tried to shrug it off. “Maybe he was taking some poor girl…fishing or something. Let’s change the subject, please.”

“Whatever you say.” Claire moistened her lips. “I was thinking of driving by my friend Jordan’s house. She only lives two blocks away.”

“Not a good idea. I think we pretty much promised your parents I’d supervise your driving tonight.”

“Parents!” Claire said with a conspiratorial smile. “Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.”

“Yeah, well, I think my brother would pretty much have my head if I disobeyed his orders.”

“Dad can be pretty intense,” Claire agreed. “Okay, so you can watch me drive to Jordan’s house and then you can drive back here to the soccer field. Just pick me up on the way back home.”

“No can do, kiddo. My license is suspended. You know that.”

“You’re kidding, right? It’s like three blocks away. What’s going to happen in three blocks?”

“I thought you said it was two blocks.”

“Two blocks, three blocks. What does it matter? It’s not like you’re going to be on a major road or anything. The most that can happen is you might hit a squirrel. Big deal.”

“Aw, don’t say that. I love squirrels.”

But Claire didn’t smile. Instead, she rolled her eyes.

Allie had seen her niece pull the eye roll plenty of times, but never with her.

Claire was right. Three blocks didn’t sound like a big deal, but Allie was in a precarious situation with her license. If anything happened (and with Allie’s luck lately, something would happen), she’d never be able to talk her way out of this one with Zeke. “Sorry, hon, but I can’t chance it. I don’t want to put your dad in a bad position.”

“Then you don’t mind if I walk there, do you?” She placed her hands on her hips. That’s when Allie noticed Claire had on the short skirt from the other morning. The one Mimi had banned her from wearing to school. How had Claire gotten out of the house without anyone noticing? How hadn’t Allie herself noticed? Probably because she’d been too busy noticing what Tom had and hadn’t been doing.

“Just how far away is this house?”

Claire sighed the sigh of the long suffering. “Forget it. I’ll call Jordan. She’ll come pick me up.”

That sounded reasonable enough. Despite Claire’s teenage attitude, she was trying to compromise, so Allie should, too. Kids respected that. “Are you sure that’s okay with your mom and dad?”

“Sure, it’s cool.”

“I’ll just check with them first.” Allie took out her cell phone and dialed Mimi but it went directly to voice mail. Next, she called her brother but he didn’t pick up either. “That’s weird. Maybe they’re at a movie and had to silence their phones.”

“Yeah, right.”

“What does that mean?”