Free JanesPrize by Margrett Dawson

it’s best not to say too much. We’ll go in to let her know I’m okay then
I’ll make an excuse to get away.
    “Back to the motel?” He nuzzled her neck.
    “Yes.”
    “I can stand any number of mamas with that
promise in front of me.”
     
    Jane saw the curtains twitch. Her mother
had already seen the car and pulled back one of the lace drapes to wave
enthusiastically. She disappeared. Any moment now the yellow front door would
open. Sure enough, before Jane could wind up the windows Elaine came barreling
down the two concrete steps and trotted to the car.
    “Darling,” she called out from halfway down
the path lined with late-blooming petunias. “Darling, thank heaven you’re safe.
I was so worried.”
    By now Jane had eased herself out of the
car and stood with her back to the passenger door, shielding Pierce as much as
she could.
    “Are you all right?” Elaine took hold of
her shoulders and peered anxiously into Jane’s face. There were lines around
her mouth and her eyes were red. Had she been crying?
    “Of course I’m all right. Why wouldn’t I
be?”
    Elaine smoothed back some hair from her
daughter’s face. “There was a fire in New Jersey at a campground. I was worried
about you.”
    “But I wasn’t anywhere near New Jersey,
Mom. I was just a few miles away in Maine.”
    “I know, I know but it made me realize how
dangerous it was for you to camp out anywhere all alone.”
    It was on the tip of Jane’s tongue to say
she wasn’t alone but she bit back the answer. Her mother had a vivid
imagination and could turn any innocent scenario into a major disaster. But
she’d worried because she cared. Try to dwell on the positive .
    Jane patted her shoulder. “I was quite safe
but it’s nice to be home.” Liar, liar pants on fire!
    As she moved her arms, she revealed her
passenger.
    “Oh!” Elaine turned to look more closely.
“You have a friend with you.”
    Here goes nothing ! Jane took a deep breath. “Mom, I’d like you to meet Pierce. We ran
into each other.” Well, that was true, since she’d done a touch football
tackle on him and his dead stepmother. She stepped away from the car and
opened the door. “Pierce, this is my mother, Elaine Chartraine.”
    Pierce flowed from the car and sprang to
his feet. He gave a half bow and took her hand. “Mrs. Chartraine,” he said,
gazing into her eyes, still holding her hand. “I am amazed at the likeness
between you and Jane. I know now where she gets her looks.”
    Maybe it wasn’t the best line for getting
into someone’s good graces, it sounded a bit trite and callow although Jane
didn’t mind the inference that he thought she looked good. But it just showed
what she knew. Her mother actually blushed and simpered. Yes, she simpered,
there was no other word for it.
    “I’m happy to meet you, Pierce. Would you
like to come in for a glass of iced tea?”
    “That sounds wonderful.” Pierce offered his
arm and she actually took it. He led her back to the house, turning his head
while still on the path to give Jane a wink and a sly smile.
    Pierce, eh? Well it would do for now. Her
mother would certainly wonder where a Newland came from after all these years.
    She popped the trunk and grabbed her pack.
There wasn’t much left in the way of food and drink since Pierce had shown such
a healthy appetite. Small wonder. He’d used up lots of energy. At the reminder
of their activities she smiled as she closed the trunk.
    She heard their voices in the kitchen as
she came in the front door.
    “I trained as an accountant,” she heard
Pierce say. “But I’ve mostly worked for my family, managing the property and
the investments.”
    “Oh my that does sound interesting! How do
you come to know my daughter? You can’t be from around here or I would
certainly have met you already.”
    Jane dropped her bag and prepared to step
into the conversation. Pierce was likely to blow everything out of the water.
    But as she reached the kitchen door