Chapter 17

JC stood at Lynn’s bedroom door, watching Justin’s aunt, Jan Scott, unpack her suitcases. She had just arrived not a half hour earlier after driving in from Houston. Jan happened to look up from her task to see the young man and gave him a smile.

“Hi there stranger.” Jan stood up and crossed the room toward the young man, her arms held open for a hug.

“Hi your self,” was JC’s reply as he stepped into Jan’s embrace. JC rested his forehead on Jan’s shoulder as he held onto Jan. After a few moments, Jan broke the silence.

“Let’s get a look at you.” Jan pulled out of JC’s embrace and cupped his face in her hands. Jan noted how tired his eyes looked and the dark circles that almost surrounded them. His eyes almost reminded her of how Joey’s looked during his troubles. The spark was gone and in its place was a look that was almost haunted. Something was bugging JC, Jan could tell. It had only been a month since the accident and from the things that she had been hearing from Lynn about the boys, she knew that they were all still struggling with aftermath of it all. Jan almost regretting her decision to let the boys come to her with their troubles, but if they didn’t come quick enough, by her standards, then she would go to them.

“Still as cute as ever?” JC smiled down at Jan but without the normal twinkle in his eyes.

“Yes and just as modest too,” Jan replied, laughing as she gave JC’s cheeks a few quick pats.

She dropped her hands and returned to her opened suitcases lying on the bed.

“Come talk to me Jace while I finish up.” Jan patted the bed and motioned for him to come sit down.

“Okay…as long as you promise not to trick me like you tricked Justin into taking a nap by telling me the highlights of your trip.”

Jan rolled her eyes at the remark.

“Jees, caught me again,” Jan said with mock sarcasm. “You’re getting too smart for me Chasez.”

JC laughed at Jan’s remark as he sat down and watched her finish unpacking.

“It was a little weird walking into an empty house. Where is everybody?”

“”Uh, Justin is with Chris over at his place. They should be here in an hour or so. Lance is meeting with some big wigs about a performer that he’s working on with his company and probably won’t be in until later. I’m not sure if he’ll make it for supper or not. I think Joey is grabbing a few things at his house. His parents had to head out this morning on a road trip to Portland for a distant cousin’s wedding, I think.”

“Well, what have you been up to today?” Jan stood up long enough to glance over her shoulder to see a yawn escape from JC.

“Not much. I went to the studio for a little while and then came on over. I figured you would be here, but I didn’t know that no one else was here. Sorry about that.” 

”Hey, the peace and quiet was nice,” Jan called from the walk-in closet. “I have to enjoy it while I can before the invasion.” Jan heard JC laugh at her remark before she walked back into the room.

“We’re not that bad…are we?” Jan could not help but laugh at his question and the _expression on his face. She walked over to JC and laid a hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeezed.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

JC watched Jan move around the room for a few minutes. He wanted to talk to Jan about so many things, but just didn’t know how to approach her. His feelings were just too mixed up. Jan could tell that something was going on with JC, but she wanted him to make the first move.

“How was the construction in Louisiana?” ‘Not the question I wanted to hear,’ thought Jan with a groan before answering.

“Pretty bad…I guess I sat on I 10 for oh, about an hour the other side of Vidor, Texas, right at the Texas Louisiana border and then 2…2 ½ hours around Lake Charles. “

JC gave a low whistle and stretched. Jan saw the movement out of the corner of her eye. If she couldn’t get JC to open up yet, she could at least help him relax. An idea suddenly popped up in her mind that she had resorted to on many occasions with Mike with him being none the wiser for it. It always worked like a charm on him...why not give it a go on JC?

“Back bothering you?” she asked as she turned to face JC.

“Huh?” JC asked as he continued to stretch.

“Is your back bothering you…you’re grimacing.” Jan inwardly cringed at the lie, but waited to see how JC would react...would he catch it.

“I’m grimacing…I didn’t even notice. Sorry about that.” JC’s reaction was very similar to what Mike’s had always been and it made Jan smile at the little memory as she watched the young man rolling his shoulders and frown.

“Yeah, my back is kinda bothering me. I guess I must have slept wrong last night.” In reality, JC had spent most of the night up, pacing around the room, trying to avoid sleep as much as possible, but Jan didn’t need to know that.

“Mike used to have the same problem quite a lot.” ‘Would he take the bait,’ Jan thought as she continued to putter around the room.

“Yeah? What did he do?” Jan grinned slightly with her back still turned to JC. She had a nibble on the proverbial hook.

“He’d take a real hot shower to loosen up and then I’d give him a back rub.” Jan did not look up from what she was doing…she was afraid that JC would catch the little gleam in her eye.

“Well, I’m finished here.” Jan hoped that in saying that, JC would know that she wasn’t busy anymore.

“Do you think…I mean, would you mind doing that for me? You don’t have to if you don’t feel comfortable doing it…I mean, I would appreciate it, but you don’t…I mean…ummm...I’m babbling aren’t I?” JC asked sheepishly.

“Just a little dear.” Jan turned around and looked at JC with a smile on her face. “Can you be in and out of the shower in oh, 15 minutes?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Okay. Meet me downstairs in the family room in about 15 minutes and bring that little pallet down with you that’s in Justin’s closet. It’ll be more comfortable for you to lay down on than the floor. I’ll be in the kitchen starting on supper.”

“Okay.”

Jan watched JC leave the room and head down the hall to his bedroom for a change of clothes.

“Hook…line…and sinker. Jan, you are just too good sometimes,” she said to herself with a devious grin as she headed down the hallway.

Forty-five minutes later, Jan was kneeling on the floor in the family room beside a sleeping JC. Her backrub, combined with the hot shower, had completely laid JC out. She pulled a light cover over the sleeping form and whispered, “Just like Mike,” as she pushed herself up from the floor and walked out of the room. She quietly closed the door to the room, hoping to keep the others out of there for the time being.

Minutes later, Jan was busily preparing supper for the crew that she knew would come barging through the room at any time. It was written in stone, at least for the time being, that whenever Lynn would leave town, all of the boys were to stay with Justin. It didn’t matter whether or not someone else was staying with Justin. They were to stay there too. The close call that had been experienced a short month ago was enough to scare the parents into action and for now, none of the boys seemed to protest. They would just call the whole thing a “slumber party” and have a great time. If the parents knew the truth, they would find that the boys were actually grateful for the new law. They were still trying to deal with the accident themselves and were feeling very protective of each other. This was just another way of keeping tabs on each other.

After an hour in the kitchen, Jan could hear vehicles driving up into the garage just outside the nearby laundry room. A multitude of car doors slamming and loud laughter caused her to make her way quickly to the door and head outside.

“Hey guys!” she called out.

“Hi Jan,” called Joey. He quickly ran over to the young woman and grabbed her up into a big bear hug.

“Hi sweetie. How’ve you been?” Jan asked as her feet were lowered back down to the ground.

“Just great Jan, just great. Trip good?”

“Long, but nice.”

“My turn…my turn,” yelled an enthusiastic Chris as he bounced up to the pair.

“I thought you were supposed to keep him away from sugar,” Jan said with a laugh as she was released by Joey and swept up by Chris.

“Funny one Aunt Jan…funny one,” Chris said as he held onto Jan.

“Thanks babe. How’s it been going with you.”

“Busy, busy, busy,” he fired out in rapid succession.

Jan looked over Chris’ shoulder and mouthed the words.

“What is he on?” to a grinning Justin and Joey. The both shrugged their shoulders. Justin then walked up to Chris and tapped him on the shoulder.

“She’s my aunt and you two have both had your turn. It’s my turn now.”

“Oh…alright. I’m glad you’re here Jan.”

“Me too Chrissy,” Jan said as Chris released his hold on her and watched as Justin enveloped her into his arms.

“Wow…I feel like the proverbial baby being passed around at a reunion,” Jan chuckled as she returned his hug.

“I’m glad you’re here Jan.”

“Me too honey…me too,” she answered. Jan always jumped at the chance to see the boys and spend time with them. It had been happening more often lately with Jan’s trips to San Diego and although, the circumstances were not the best, Jan still enjoyed each visit immensely.

Finally, Justin let his hug end and Jan was able to get a better look at her boys. They all looked tired…especially Justin. Lynn had been right, they were all taking the accident pretty hard. None of them had really opened up with anyone about their feelings. Lynn’s only hope was that the boys had been speaking among themselves about their feelings, but Jan seriously doubted that.

“You guys are going to have to keep it down,” Jan said as she watched Joey and Justin unloading their bags from their cars. “JC is asleep in the family room.”

“That’s good. I don’t think he’s been sleeping too well lately,” Joey commented.

“I don’t think any of us have done too great with that lately,” added Chris as he walked back to his car to unload his bags.

“Well, your Aunt Jan is here and it’s time for ya’ll to catch up in that department.” Jan wrapped her arm around Joey’s shoulder as he stood by her side.

“Aunt Jan to the rescue,” he said with a laugh.

“You’ve got that right Joe, you’ve got that right,” Justin said as he and the others headed into the house.

Jan just hoped that she could live up to the remark.

Eighteen