Meg Cabot - Missing You

“No more tapping my phone?”

“None.”

“No more following me?”

“None.”

“You’re not going to call a press conference to announce my return to the world of psychic people-finding?”

“Not unless you wish me to.”

“Or tell me about some kid missing in Des Moines whose Mommy wants him back so dearly?”

“Jessica.” Cyrus Krantz climbed to his feet. “I already told you. You have done more than your fair share of good for others in this world. I think it’s time you concentrated on doing some good for yourself for a change. And that’s what I came here to tell you.”

I had to crane my neck to see his face, since he was towering so far above me.

“It is not,” I said. “You came here to see if I wanted to come back.”

“Well,” he admitted, looking sheepish. “Of course. But since you don’t want to, well, that’s another story. So instead I’ll just wish you luck. Call me if you ever need anything. And tell your mother I hope she’ll be feeling better soon. I’m sure she will. The thing with you and Rob…well, it will just take some getting used to for her. But she’s a sensible woman. She’ll come around.”

“I know she will,” I said.

He hesitated on the top step. “Of course, if something came along that wereally needed your help on…”

Nowthis was more like the Cyrus I knew.

“You can call me,” I said with a laugh.

He looked visibly relieved.

“Good,” he said. “Well, that’s all I wanted to know. Good-bye for now. And remember…it’s time to do some good foryou , Jessica.”

With that proclamation, he strolled back to the waiting four-door sedan with the tinted windows—not the same one that had been parked in front of my house yesterday morning—that I hadn’t noticed until just then, the one that had been parked just a little down the street from Randy’s Trans Am.

No sooner had he driven away than my cell phone chirped. I pulled it from my back pocket and said, “Hello?”

All I could hear on the other end was shrieking.

“Yes, Ruth,” I said calmly. “How’d you find out?”

“Mike just got off the phone with your dad,” Ruth said. “Can I be a bridesmaid?”

“Ew,” I said. “No way. I’m not having any of those.”

“What?” Ruth sounded majorly disappointed. “Why not?”

“Um, because it’s my wedding, and I’m not having any bridesmaids,” I pointed out. “You can be my witness, if you want.”

“Do I get to wear a cute dress?”

“You can wear whatever you want. I don’t care.”

“Your mom,” Ruth said, “is going to be so disappointed in this whole affair, I can just tell. But I’m really happy for you.”

“Yeah,” I said sarcastically. “Because now you get to share your room with Mike and not me.”

“Shut up,” Ruth said, laughing. “You were an awesome roommate. Well, except for the night terrors. Speaking of terror, how’s your mom coping with it, anyway?”

“She’ll be all right,” I said. Because I knew she would be. Eventually.

“Does Douglas know?”

“Not yet. Rob and I are meeting him and Tasha for lunch in—” I looked at the time. “Right now, actually. I have to go. I’ll talk to you later. And, Ruth?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I beyour bridesmaid? When you marry Mike?”

Ruth, as I’d known she would, screamed happily again and hung up. Smiling, I went to the garage and pulled out my bike, then cruised on over to Wilkins Auto and Motorcycle Repair. I can’t say that, when I pulled up to the light on First and Main, and noticed Karen Sue Hankey in the white convertible in the lane next to me, I was particularly surprised. I raised the face shield of my helmet and yelled, “Karen Sue!”

She looked over at me, startled. “Jess?”

“Hey,” I said. “Sorry about blowing you off yesterday. I had a lot on my mind.”

“I know,” Karen Sue said unsmilingly. “I read the paper this morning.”

“So,” I said. “Want to reschedule?”

“Sure,” Karen Sue said. “When are you leaving to go back to New York?”

“Oh,” I said. “Never.”

Karen Sue’s mouth fell open. “What?”

“I’m staying here,” I said with a shrug.

“Here?”Karen Sue looked shocked.“Why?”

“Because,” I said. The light turned green. “I’m engaged to a local business owner. Call me!”

I left Karen Sue sitting at the light in shock. When I glanced in my rearview mirror before making the turn into the parking lot of Rob’s garage, I saw that she was still sitting there, openmouthed, a line of cars behind her, honking.

Rob had done a lot, I saw at a glance, to his uncle’s garage. For one thing, the place was a lot cleaner. And for another, they were servicing European cars as well as American and Japanese models. In fact, as I walked up, I saw Rob in gray coveralls, bent over the engine of a butter-colored Mercedes coupe, behind the wheel of which sat a woman with a lot of blond hair who looked a little familiar, though I couldn’t place her face. At first.

“Try it again,” Rob said to the blonde, who obediently switched on her ignition.

The motor purred to life. Rob, looking satisfied, put the hood down.

“It was just your starter again,” he said, reaching for a rag to wipe the grease from his hands. “It shouldn’t give you any more trouble. Just—”

But he didn’t get to finish, because the blonde had leaped out of the car and hurled herself against him, throwing both arms around his neck.

“Oh, Rob! You are such a miracle worker!” she cried. “I can’t thank you enough!”

And then she laid a great, big kiss on his mouth.

Which is the exact moment when his startled gaze met mine.

And I instantly knew where I’d seen her before.

It was Miss Boobs-As-Big-As-My-Head. Her most memorable attributes, I saw when she finally released Rob and turned around, were clothed in the skimpiest halter top imaginable.

But this time, I didn’t run. This time I crossed the garage until I was standing right in front of her. Then, tilting my head so I could see into her heavily mascaraed eyes, I said, “Hi, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Jess, Rob’s fiancée.”

Boobs-As-Big-As-My-Head smiled at me in a befuddled way and said, without introducing herself, “Rob’s engaged?”

“Yeah,” I said. “He is. And if you ever try to kiss him like that again, I’ll crack your head open with a socket wrench. Got it?”

The blonde stopped smiling.

“Oh,” she said, her eyes going very wide. “Um. Yeah. I got it. I’m. Uh. I’m really sorry. I didn’t know. I’m just a very affectionate person, and I tend to—”

“Well,” I said with a friendly wink. “Now you do know. So knock it off.”

The blonde looked questioningly at Rob, who was looking amused. And a little bit relieved.

I guess I couldn’t blame him for either.

“You can pay at the counter over there, Nancy,” he said. “Jake has your bill.”

“Okay,” Boobs-As-Big-As-My-Head said, blinking rapidly. “Thanks again, Rob. Nice to meet you, um, Jess. And, um. I’m really sorry. Congratulations.”

“Thanks. Nice meeting you,” I said. “Come back soon.”

On her way to the counter, Nancy nearly tripped over her own platform heels, she was in such a hurry to get away from me. I looked up at Rob, and said, “Guess what?”

“What?” he asked, still grinning.

“I’m not broken anymore,” I said.

“I noticed,” he said, grinning more broadly. “What happened to the whole nonviolence thing?”

“I didn’t hit her,” I said. “Did you see me hit her? I just threatened, is all.”

“You sure did. That was some real self-restraint you exercised, as a matter of fact. So. Is it time for lunch?”