Kiss with Cherry Flavor (Grover Beach #4) (14 page)

LIKE A MANIAC
, I raced down the street. Right now, I didn’t care about tickets. All that mattered was finding a way to let my girlfriend stay with me.

Holy fuck, the word still sounded strange to me, even in my mind. But it was the best kind of strange possible. A
grin sneaked to my lips.

Sam cleared her throat, and when I glanced at her, she lifted her brows. “Will you tell me where we’re going and what’s making you so happy?”

There was only a slim chance my plan would work, but it was also the only one we had.
No, not a slim chance, but a fairly good one
, I corrected myself sternly. It must work. Period. Reaching over, I took Sam’s hand and stroked her knuckles with my thumb. “We’re going to find a new home for you. Temporarily. I know you’ll love it. You’ve already been there.” I released her briefly to shift gear.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed that her gaze
was still fixed on me. She thought for a second, then asked with a note of uncertainty in her voice, “Caroline Jackson?”

“Exactly.
Remember when I told you she hosts students during vacations?” Oh, this was a brilliant plan. The excitement in my voice was audible even to me.

There was more space in my aunt’s house than twenty of Sam’s sort could ever fill. Carr
ie loved to have kids and teenagers around her, and currently, she lived alone. The summer season was over, and all the kids had returned home at the beginning of September. The entire loft was vacated and free to use. It was the perfect place for Sam to live.

“Yes. But that’s something different. I’m not here for
a vacation. I need to find a place for four months. Do you really think she’ll agree to have me in her house for so long?”

“I
’m praying for it.” Slowing down, I took the road up to her house and halted in front of the gate. Sam climbed out with me. I reached for her hand and dragged her hurriedly across the yard. We were running out of time, and I didn’t know how long it would take to convince my aunt.

The door opened before we even reached it. Carr
ie rushed out and cupped my face. She looked downright frightened. “Tony! What’s the matter? Is something wrong with your parents? You scared the heck out of me with your call.”

I released Sam and took both my aunt’s hands instead. “They
’re all right. It’s not about them. We’re in trouble—Sam and me.”

Her eyes turned even wider as her gaze switched between us.
“Oh my God! Are the police after you?”

I gave her an annoyed look. “No.”
Damn, what was she thinking? “Can we go inside? We’re in a bit of a hurry. I’ll explain everything to you.”

“Yes, of course.” She led the way, but she cast me a worried look
over her shoulder.

I pulled Sam after me.

A lot of wood was worked into this spacious country house, and as soon as I stepped over the threshold, a tranquility came over me that I hadn’t thought possible only ten minutes ago. It might stem from the fact that I only had good memories of this place. Happy times. Laughter. Warm milk with honey and cookies in the evening.

Even now a
plate filled with chocolate chip cookies sat on the gray rectangular table in the dining room. Taking a seat at the upper end, I grabbed one. When I offered a bite to Sam, she shook her head. Her glance skated rather nervously across the room. With a slight tug on her hand, I made her sit down next to me and gave her an encouraging look. “It’ll be all right,” I whispered.

Carr
ie lowered herself down opposite us, lacing her fingers on the table. “What’s up?”

I took a deep breath,
then I began with Sam’s story. My aunt listened patiently. She knew I had never been a liar and that I wouldn’t make this up now, even though her brows quirked at the part where Chloe supposedly wreaked havoc in Sam’s room.

“
Chloe Summers…” she mused. “The name doesn’t ring a bell. I guess she’s never been in any of my classes.”

“She’s not that big a talent at
art,” Sam said in a low voice. Then she added, “She plays soccer,” like this explained it all.

I cast Sam a questioning look. “
I
play soccer.”

She turned to me and just shrugged, a helpless smile tugging at her lips. Her hand sneaked toward mine, squeezing it. Okay, she got away with it.

“And now you want me to do what?” Carrie asked us next. “Shall I talk to your aunt and uncle, Samantha? I’m sure if you explained everything the way you told me, they’d understand and let you stay in their house.”

Sam shook her head.

“We’re not asking for your diplomatic support,” I informed Carrie wryly. “We’re asking for a room.”

“A
room
?”

At my aunt’s surprised exclamation, Sam’s shoulders slumped.
I knew she’d given up hope that minute. But I wouldn’t. “Yes. You run a hostel here over the summer. I know you like kids around. Sam will not be a burden. And she can help you in the stables.”

Carr
ie sighed. “It’s not as simple as that, Tony.”

“Why
not? You’ve done this for over ten years. It sounds simple to me.”

“First of all, the parents of the kids I take in over summer vacations always contact me. We talk, we meet, they g
et to know me, and we fill out some sort of contract. I don’t just gather kids from the street and give them a home for a couple of weeks.”

“You can talk to her parents now.”

“Are they here?”

“No.
On the phone.”

Sam pulled at my hand, making me look at her. “I don’t have my phone on me.”

“You can use mine.” I took it out of my pocket. “Give me their number.”

“Wait.” Carr
ie reached across the table, placing her hand on mine to stop me from dialing. “What will Sam’s aunt and uncle say if I take their niece away without asking them first?”

“What the fuck
! They don’t give a shit about her. Do you really think they care?”

“Anthony
!” she warned me sharply.

Lips compressed, I let a long breath escape through my nose.
“Yeah, sorry.”

Turning her gaze to Sam, Carr
ie tilted her head. At least she seemed ready to discuss things. “How soon do you have to move out?”

Sam twisted my hand with hers as she looked
at her watch. “Right about now,” she said in an unsettled voice.

This information made my aunt gasp. She probably
thought she had more time to think it over. A few days. Well, we couldn’t give her that. Above the door, the clock said it was three twenty. If we couldn’t sway her, I had to take Sam back home soon, so she could pack and get ready. My chest constricted.

“Please, Carr
ie. Talk to her parents.” If I sounded desperate, it was for a reason. I couldn’t lose my girlfriend.

Caroline
leaned back in the chair, lacing her fingers over her stomach. She studied the two of us for an endless half minute. Then she shook her head.

Shit.

I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling my heart give out.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this, but fine, get me your parents on the phone, Sam
antha.”

What
?
My eyes shot open at my aunt’s words. She’d agreed?

“I’m not promising anything just yet,” she warned us then, propping her elbows on the table. “I’m only going to talk to
Mrs. Summers and hear what she thinks.”

That was all we
could ask of her. Punching in the number Sam recited, I could barely contain my hopeful grin. At the first ring, I handed her my phone.

By
Sam’s fast breathing, I could tell she was as nervous as I was.

“Mom?
Hi, it’s me, Sammy.” She moved her glassy gaze to me, and I place my hand to her cheek, trying to look confident. “I’m sorry. I was with friends and forgot my phone at the house.” Sam paused, taking the time to breathe in deeply. “I’m fine. Right now I’m at the house of a friend’s aunt. She wants to talk to you about an idea. A possibility for me to stay…maybe.” Another pause. “Right. I’ll give her the phone now.”

Sam handed the cell to Carr
ie, who rose from the table and walked to the door. “Hello. I’m Caroline Jackson, your daughter’s art teacher. I hear there’s an issue with her aunt and uncle…”

The door closed behind her, and we heard no more.

THROUGH THE WINDOW
in Caroline Jackson’s kitchen, we saw her wander up and down the yard while she spoke to my mother on the phone. Damn, how long would this take? Tony and I had been waiting for over ten minutes now. My nerves on edge, I snuggled deeper into his embrace, needing his warmth and the safety I felt with him.

“This is madness
.” The fabric of his dark gray sweatshirt muffled my mumble. “What if my parents don’t agree? And what if your aunt says no after all?”

“Stop thinking that,
Bungee. It’ll work out. It’s our only chance.”

“Gosh, I hate waiting.”

“Me, too.” He stroked his fingers through my hair. Then suddenly, he pulled away from me and grabbed my hand, dragging me toward the door.

“Where are we going?”

“I want to show you something. Anything is better than just growing roots here and wrecking our nerves.” He dragged me up the wooden stairs that wound around a high, white column supporting the upper floor. There was a hallway with three doors. Paintings hung on the wall, photographs, and drawings, the latter all signed with an unmistakable T.

Tony gave me no time to examine them. He went for the very last door, pushed it open, and walked inside.

As I followed him, my breath caught in my throat. Oh my God, this place was beautiful.

The wooden roof sloped down on both
sides, its bright beige color warming the room that otherwise had only bland white walls. There were square windows facing east and south, overlooking the paddock and the garden area where I’d sat with Tony last weekend. Against one wall stood a king-size bed with white sheets and a nightstand on either side, made in the same style as the roof. The big, cottage-style wardrobe opposite the door battled with the bed for dominance. A light blue carpet ran the length of the room then stopped at the step leading to a spacious, sunken living area with a TV, a blue couch, and a small coffee table. Two tall bookshelves were stocked with books for every age. There was also a broad desk at the other side of the room, a kitchenette, and a door that looked like it led to a small bathroom.

I walked deeper into the room and spun on the spot. “Who lives here?” I breathed.

“It’s one of the three guest rooms. The prettiest of them all.”

“A guest room?
This is a freaking
apartment
.” Heck, there was room enough to dance in that sitting area.

“Do you want to live here for the next few months, Samantha?”

The quiet voice of Tony’s aunt made us both turn to the door. Caroline Jackson stood there with a warm smile gracing her lips.

Oh,
good Lord in heaven— “Yes!”

“Your mom would like to talk to you again.” Her smile widening, she handed me Tony’s phone.

“Mom?”

“Hi, sweetheart.
Is this what you really want?”

Unable to stop
myself, I broke out in tears, sobbing heavily into the phone. My crying obviously unsettled Tony. He narrowed his eyes at me and mouthed, “Good tears?”

More tears spilled over as I nodded vigorously at him. To my mom I said, “Yes, I really want this. Please, can I stay here?”

“I would have loved to see you again. But I also want the best for you, my little darling. I’m going to call Pamela in a minute. Jack needs to cancel that flight.”

A
ten-thousand-pound rock dropped from my chest.

I said goodbye to my mom and
rang off, giving Tony his cell phone back. He slipped it into his pocket, then wrapped his arms around me, breathing a relieved sigh into my hair. “We’d better move your stuff here fast, before Chloe comes up with the idea of burning it,” he teased, making me laugh.

Mrs. Jackson
agreed that we’d talk about everything, such as house rules, guardianship, and work with the horses, after I’d settled in. While Tony drove me back to town, he spoke to Ryan on his cell and gave him the great news. Even I could hear the gang hollering and hooting in the background. It made my heart flutter inside my chest.

When we reached my cousin’s house and I got out of Tony’s car, he came
inside with me. As soon as I stepped through the door, Pamela rushed out of the kitchen, flinging her arms around me. “Oh, Sammy! Where have you been? We were so worried. I had to call Jessie Hunter to hear from her son that you were all right and not running away.”

I hugged her back briefly. “Did my mother call you?” I said in a chilled tone.

Pamela pulled back, studying my face. “Yes, she did. She told us you’re going to move in with your teacher. Do you think this is a good idea?”

“Seriously, Pam, do you think it’s a better idea to send me back to Egypt?” I snapped.

Slowly, my aunt shook her head. After a long time she whispered, “I’m glad you found a way to stay.”

I couldn’t be angry with her any longer then. She’d tried her best, I knew that. I squeezed her hand, letting her know I appreciated everything she’d done for me.

But I hated my uncle.

As he came down the hallway toward us, I squared my shoulders and kept my expression in check. “I’m going to pack my things now,
” I said to my aunt. Striding past my uncle, I acknowledged him with a curt, “Jack.”

“Mrs. Summers
, Mr. Summers,” I heard Tony say to them behind me, his tone as clipped as mine. He followed me upstairs, and when he stepped into my room, he gasped. “Holy crap!”

Looking at him over my shoulder, I smirked. “What? You didn’t believe me?”

“I did. It’s just—I didn’t think it was that bad.”

“It was a bit of a nasty shock for me too, when I woke up to this.”

Tony picked up my clothes. I folded and placed them on my bed, then smoothed them into the suitcase I had come here with. On top, I put my drawing stuff, my music, my toiletries, and the few books I’d brought. My school books went into my backpack, and I tucked my cell into my pocket. That would be everything.

When I turned around, Tony was inspecting my laptop. Most of the screen was gone,
and booting it up was impossible. He caught my sad gaze. “Don’t worry. We’ll find you a new one.”

“That’s not it,” I said weakly. “All the pictures I had on it, files,
documents. It’s like a whole lot of memories got lost.”

“I’ll have Frederickson take a look. He’s good with computers. He can
probably retrieve your stuff and save it on a flash drive for you.”

I hoped so.

We carried my stuff down to his car and loaded it into the trunk. Then it was time to say goodbye. Tony waited in the car while I headed back to the house and met Pamela in the doorway.

I stopped in front of her,
sucking in a deep breath. “Well, I guess that’s it. I’m ready to go.”

“Take care, Sam
my.” She took both my hands in hers. “And if you need anything or somebody to talk to…let me know.”

“You still don’t believe me, do you?” It almost broke my heart again, but this time I didn’t let it get to me.

“I’m trying to. But we’re talking about Chloe. I can’t believe she would do something this terrible to you. Just look at her now. She even cut her hair and dyed it black. You mean so much to her that she wants to be like you.”

Yeah, right. And that’s where the bad influence from my side comes in.

I shook my head, giving up all hope. “Tell Jack I said goodbye, okay?”

Pamela nodded, releasing my hands. “I’ll miss you, Sam.”

“Take care, Pamela.” I turned on my heel. The sound of the door closing behind me made my heart twitch.

But the fiasco wasn’t over yet.
Chloe’s car cruised up the street at that moment. She parked behind Tony, got out, and stalked over to me in her high heels that made her endless bare legs appear even longer. Folding her arms over her chest, she sneered at me. “Ready to go home, little cousin?”

I wanted to scratch
out her eyes. But what good would it do me? I’d won. She just didn’t know it yet.

“Why did you do it?” I asked in return, my voice cold. “Why go to
these lengths to get rid of me? Did you think you’d get Tony back once I was gone?”

Shock
from my accusation gleamed in her eyes, even though she tried to hide it behind a nonchalant laugh. But then the hurt took over. “I don’t care if I get him back. I just don’t want
you
to have him. You came here—and stole everything from me. It’s time you leave, Samantha.”

I remembered tea parties in
Wonderland. Dressing up as princesses with quilts draped over our shoulders. Pretending we were dolphins in their pool…

But this was not the girl I remembered. The happiness had gone from her
laugh, the warmth in her eyes had disappeared. I could turn away now and not feel like I was leaving a beloved relative behind. But first she needed to know.

“I guess no one informed you yet. I’m moving in with Tony’s aunt. She’s happy to have me there.”

Chloe sucked in a sharp breath.

“What you did was so shitty. And now it turns out you failed to get rid of me after all. Goodbye,
Chloe.” I whirled around, trying to rein in my shaking body, and walked to Tony’s car.

As soon as I sat next to him, he
turned the key in the ignition and drove off. I didn’t look out the window at my cousin as we passed her. My gaze was locked on my hands clasped in my lap.