Acting Up (18 page)

“Thank you.”

Gordy started to turn but hesitated. “Ma'am, I know you're lookin' after the boy by yourself, so if you need anything, or if the kid gives you any more guff, you let me know and I'll straighten him up.”

“I knew I liked you, Gordy. That is so sweet. I'll let you know if I need a firm hand.”

Gordy nodded and trundled off to fetch Aaron.

A faint snicker reached her ears. “What?”

“You ever done any stunt work, Gordy?” Ethan echoed, fluttering his eyelashes like one of those female cartoon characters.

“I was being pleasant,” she said.

“Pleasant?” Ethan snorted. “Your once-over went miles above pleasant. You probably know how many chest hairs he has.”

“He does have pretty impressive pecs, doesn't he?” she said, flashing a mischievous grin. “The whole package was pretty nice. I must say the quality of men in this town has vastly improved since I last lived here. Gorgeous men busting out all over. Ministers, police officers.” She winked. “Even the principals aren't so bad.”

His mouth quirked. “You don't check me out the way you did Gordy.”

“Maybe because you don't look at me the way Gordy does.”

A hot bolt of gold shot through his eyes, and he took a step forward. “How do you want me to look at you?”

“Awe and wonder would do,” she said, fluttering her own lashes. “My ego is still very fragile, you know.”

“Why don't I believe that?”

Ethan broke off when Deputy Gordy returned with the saddest teen Addison had seen in her life. Aaron seemed to have shrunk since she'd last seen him. His shoulders about reached his ears. Still, he managed to give off his usual defensive attitude, so obviously he hadn't been completely cowed by his brief incarceration.

For a moment, a touch of sympathy flooded through her. Then Addison remembered what he'd done and squared her shoulders. Aaron managed to hold her gaze for about five seconds before zeroing in on the ugly tile floor.

Gordy flipped up the counter on one end of the desk, and Aaron shuffled up to her.

“Can we go now?” Aaron asked.

Addison's mouth dropped open. “Seriously? I dragged myself out of bed in the middle of the night because you'd been caught drinking in a gas station parking lot. Mr. Thomas got woken up and had to leave his sons to come down here because you wouldn't give a name. And all you can say is can we go now? Maybe I should've let you stay in jail.”

Aaron shrugged. “Whatever.”

A head explosion seemed imminent. Addison made a few inarticulate sounds and then jabbed her arm toward the door. “Go wait in the car.”

The teenager slipped around her and disappeared. Deputy Gordy gave her a sympathetic smile.

“Boys,” he said.

“Thank you again for everything.”

Ethan opened the door, and they stepped out into the night. A cool breeze whipped down the sidewalk, and Addison shivered. In the soft light of the street lamp, she could see Aaron sitting in the car.

Turning toward Ethan, Addison tried to think of what she could possibly say. “I really am sorry you had to come down.”

“I don't mind.”

“I do. It's my mess, and you shouldn't have to fix it.”

“Consider it thanks for everything you're doing for me. For the school, I mean. Directing the musical.”

Addison stared at him. “I think maybe I was wrong about the hero in this drama.”

He flicked her nose. “Yeah, only
you're
the hero.”

“Some hero,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Losing my charge after only seven days.”

“At least you care, which is something Aaron seems to be missing right now. Remember that before you kill him in his sleep.”

With one last grin, Ethan walked off into the night.

Addison didn't trust herself to speak right away, so they made the ride back to the house in complete silence. She glanced at Aaron, but he was slouched so far down in the seat he'd practically become part of the upholstery.

Remember, his father is an idiot, and his mother is the biggest flake this side of the Atlantic.

Once she pulled into the driveway, Aaron reached for the door handle.

“Not yet, young man,” Addison said. “I have a few things to say to you.”

“Can't it wait till tomorrow? I'm tired.”

Resisting the urge to bang her head against the steering wheel, Addison reminded herself to stay calm. “So am I, but that's because I received a phone call from a police officer.”

“What's the big deal?” Aaron said in a bored tone. “It was only a few beers.”

“I don't care if it was bottled water. The fact is you snuck out of the house in the middle of the night.”

“You wanted me to make new friends.”

“I'd advise you not to try and be cute right now. I'm this close to putting you on a plane back to your father. If you can get away from me this easily, I'm obviously not the right person to look after you.”

A flash of some unnamed emotion streaked across his eyes, but the glimpse disappeared almost immediately.

“A week is all you can take, huh?” Aaron's lips compressed, and his nostrils flared. “Maybe Dad was right to dump you.”

Before Addison could reply, the kid jumped out of the car and stalked toward the house.

Sputtering with indignant fury, Addison flung herself out of the car after him. “Aaron Carmichael, get back here,” she shouted.

Aaron paused on the first step. “We're in the front yard, you know.”

“I don't care if we're at Madison Square Garden,” she fired back. “You don't get to make rude comments and then walk away. How dare you insult me. You're the one who hooked up with a bunch of junior hoodlums and got yourself hauled off to jail. I'm the one who has to face Principal Thomas and his sister-in-law after tonight. Everyone will know about this by the morning, and trust me, the local boys won't get blamed for the whole fiasco.”

“I'm sorry I embarrassed you,” Aaron replied.

“I don't like your tone.”

“Then we're even, ‘cause I don't like you,” he screamed. “I hate you! You and this stupid town, and that stupid school, and those stupid screeching kids!”

Addison stepped closer. “If you hate me so much, why did you fly thousands of miles to find me?”

“Because no one else wanted me.”

With an anguished cry, the teenager crumpled. Addison grabbed him as he collapsed, and they ended up sitting on the bottom step. Huge, wailing sobs rose up from Aaron's chest, shaking his entire body. All Addison could do was hold on and help him ride out the storm. She cradled his head, rocking back and forth, and let him cry.

Slowly the sobbing began to ease. As awareness returned, Aaron stiffened. He pulled away, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his T-shirt.

“I'm sorry you had to get up in the middle of the night,” he said.

Addison's anger evaporated in an instant. “It's all right,” she said, keeping an arm around his shoulder. “I probably do need some excitement in my life. Otherwise, I will turn into one of those lame adults you're always complaining about.”

“You're not too lame.”

“Thanks,” she said. “Listen, Aaron, your parents probably wouldn't win any awards for parental devotion, but I know they love you.”

“Yeah, when it's convenient for them.”

Trust the kid to nail it in one.
“I didn't say they were perfect. Yes, they're selfish, and yes, you've gotten the raw end of the deal, but they aren't monsters. I think your father actually feels bad about what happened. In his way, I believe he was trying to make you happy.”

“Maybe. I'm sorry about what I said. I don't hate you.”

“I can live with you hating me as long as you're safe. Sneaking out in the middle of the night was dumb. Getting drunk with some guys you barely know is just plain stupid. Not to mention dangerous, if any of you planned on driving home. I also meant it about who will end up getting the blame.”

“It wasn't even my beer,” he protested.

“Doesn't matter. You're the spoiled, rich kid from the big city. The one with the famous father. The one who took advantage of the naïve country boys who didn't know better. They certainly wouldn't have acted that way before
you
came.”

Aaron's expression became the picture of outrage. “That's not fair.”

“Never said it was. I'm only telling you what most in Covington Falls will say. You have to be more careful. These people haven't known you since you were in diapers like they have those other boys.”

“Gross,” he mumbled.

Addison grinned. “Maybe, but it's true. Remember that the next time you feel like doing something stupid.”

“I'm sorry I embarrassed you in front of Mr. Thomas, too.”

The mention of Ethan's name immediately caused Addison's shoulders to tense. “Don't worry about it.”

“He's pretty cool, even if he is a principal. You could do worse.”

Her head whipped around. “What?”

Now it was Aaron's turn to grin. “The guy came down to the station in the middle of the night for you.”

“Because you wouldn't give the police your name. What kind of plan was that anyway? Did you expect them to put your face on a milk carton and ask for identification?”

Aaron ignored her question. “You know what he said to me in the cell?”

“I couldn't begin to guess.”

“He said you were an amazing lady who'd already suffered enough because of the men in my family, and I'd better not break your heart, too. I got the feeling he'd kick my butt if I hurt you.”

Her toes curled. “He's one of those protective Southern gentlemen.”

“Whatever. I'm only saying he's a good guy. My dad didn't treat you right, but I think Mr. Thomas would.”

In an instant, Addison fell in love with her prickly stepson. “You think I deserve a good guy?”

“Yeah.” He paused and took a deep breath. “Did you mean it, about sending me back to L.A.?”

“No, I was angry. Unless you want to go back,” Addison said, wondering what she'd do if he left.

He shook his head. “No. It's not so bad here.”

She nudged him in the ribs. “Even if you do have to go to public school?”

“That's still lame.”

They both laughed.

She put both hands on her knees and pushed up. “Well, I think I've had all the fun I can stand for one night. I'm going back to bed. You've got three minutes to be under the covers yourself.”

He stood up and headed inside.

“Aaron?”

He spun around. “What?”

“What you said about no one wanting you? It's not true. I want you here.”

For a moment, he froze. Then the sweetest grin spread over his face. “Cool.”

He started for the door again.

“And one more thing.”

“What?”

“You're grounded.”

“Did she ever use this room?”

Ethan stared at the jumble of furniture and knickknacks crammed into every crevice of Ruth Carlson's downstairs bedroom. Or what would become her downstairs bedroom once she left the rehab hospital.

Addison's aunt would be coming home in a couple days. Since stairs wouldn't be possible for some time, Addison had decided to fix up a room on the first floor. Unfortunately, the only usable space had been turned into a storage room.

“I think she used this as a sewing room at one time,” Addison said. “Now, I'm pretty sure it's a closet to hold her entire life. I took one look at it and called your mother. She marshaled the rest of your clan.”

A clan that included Ethan, his two brothers, and sisters-in-law. All of them were currently eyeing the room as if wondering if the junk might meld into a giant monster and swallow them whole.

“I'm glad you did call.”

Addison's nose wrinkled in a way that made him want to kiss her. Oh, who was he kidding? He didn't need any excuse to think about kissing Addison. He'd been fighting the growing urge for days, especially since the night at the jail when she'd seemed so lost and forlorn over Aaron. He wished he'd had some better words of wisdom for her, but unfortunately parenthood could only be learned firsthand.

“I had no choice but to find backup,” Addison said.

Ethan's mother shouldered past him. “Well, staring at it won't make it disappear. Let's get to it. I brought plenty of newspaper. Addison, you and I will sort. Decide what stays and what goes up to the attic. Elizabeth and Diana, start wrapping. You three boys go upstairs and take care of disassembling Mrs. Carlson's bed so it can be brought down.”

Addison blinked at the brusque tone. “Thank you, General Thomas.”

Ethan coughed into his hand to cover a laugh. He'd had a lifetime of watching his mother bark orders like a drill sergeant. She'd had to be tough with three boys in the house. When Ethan had reached high school, his dad had taken a sales job that required him to be on the road half the time, which left his mom on her own a lot. Sometimes she forgot not everyone liked to be told what to do, however. Addison might not take kindly to be treated like a servant.