Reason and Romance (River Valley Book 1) (19 page)

When he spoke again, his voice was still mild. “I can’t help but think this is your way of punishing me. You intimidate Karen to the point that she’s treading on eggshells around you. She so desperately wants to win your approval, and you’re not giving it. Meg’s not giving it either, but she has an excuse, she’s only in junior high. You’re not a child.”

She couldn’t think anymore. Her mind was a blank slate, and her vision still clear, but every muscle was locked in place.

“How did you find out?” she asked for the second time. God, maybe someone had put her on record because it seemed to be the only thing she could say.

“About Mr. Melbourne, you mean? Alex.”

The last word broke through her paralysis. “Excuse me?”

Her father nodded. “Yes. Alex asked to talk to me in private.”

“When?”

“Last week. He explained about his, er, prior history with the man. He said he thought that was probably why the teacher was targeting you.” And now Adrian could see the vague distaste there. For Alex or for Mr. Melbourne, she wasn’t sure. “I called your teacher. I went in and demanded a meeting with the principal.”

Shock had her springing up from her seat. “Oh no, you didn’t!”

“Oh yes, I did. We had a civil meeting, actually. Mr. Melbourne apologized to me, and to his credit, I think he meant some of it.”

“He took a leave of absence.”

“I know. He said he would. Health reasons, I think, but that still doesn’t excuse what he did to you.” Her father’s jaw tightened. “You should have told me, Adrian. That’s my job, I’m supposed to look after you.”

A headache was pounding at her temples. “Dad …”

She didn’t know where to begin. She was a big girl now, and she didn’t need her father holding her hand, but with him clearly so disappointed, she couldn’t find the right words. What could she say to regain his good graces? And … oh God,
Alex
had stepped in. Who did he think he was? What did he think of her? Her thoughts were buzzing here and there.

The doorbell rang, and her father stood up.

Alex’s younger brother Owen rushed downstairs and beat him to the door. Since the living room was literally only a few feet away from the foyer, Adrian saw a stranger pick up Owen in a fierce hug. Then he turned to face them.

“Stuart,” her father said.

“Carter,” Mr. Montgomery said.

Adrian could barely refrain from staring. Until now, she had never seen the elusive Stuart Montgomery, but even so, she would have recognized him anywhere. His build was less muscular than his son’s, but when he moved forward, she nearly jumped. He moved just like Alex, strong and confident.

Her father put a hand on her shoulder. “This is my oldest daughter Adrian.”

A smile lit up Mr. Montgomery’s face. It was a smile that was so like Alex’s that she was startled once again. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said, still hugging Owen. “I’ve heard quite a bit about you from Isaac. He’s got a little crush on you, I think.”

That was news to her. She hadn’t even really seen much of Isaac in the time she’d lived here because he kept to himself as much as she did. Come to think of it, he always did blush whenever he saw her.

She shook his hand. “He’s a good kid.”

Mr. Montgomery smiled at that. “Unlike my oldest son, you mean? He does favor me a bit, and I’ve been told I’m a bastard.” He craned his neck and released Owen. “Is Karen here yet?”

Her father glanced at his watch. “She should be here any minute now. Did she fill you in about the situation between Meg and the boys?”

“Yes, she did. We always talk when it concerns our kids. So what’s the game plan, Carter? How do you want to play it?”

“Well, for starters, we’ll have to get them in the same room and make sure they don’t kill each other. Or, at least, put my daughter in restraints.”

Mr. Montgomery uttered a startled laugh. “She’s too young for that, isn’t she?”

Adrian’s father gave him a look that she could only describe as pitying. “You haven’t met her yet, have you? There’s no time like present.” He cocked his head, and Adrian heard it too—that sound of a car pulling into the driveway. “Ah. That should be Karen. Well, we can get started. Megara, come down!”

Alex’s father touched Owen’s shoulder. “Go get your brother.”

Owen nodded and raced upstairs.

Alex’s mother had indeed arrived. She draped her jacket over an arm and nodded at her ex-husband. “Stuart,” she said, and in that one word Adrian read volumes. No, their divorce hadn’t been friendly at all. But whatever feelings Karen had, she contained them for the most part. “Would you like something to drink?”

Mr. Montgomery shook his head. Standing there, with a hand in his pocket, he might have been an older Alex with that same habitual mocking half-smile, but his eyes were kind. “Let’s just skip the pleasantries. How bad is it between our boys and Carter’s daughter?”

Karen and Adrian’s father exchanged glances. “Bad,” he said. He looked away. “My daughter is a bully.”

“Surely it can’t be that bad—”

“YOU BROKE MY LIGHTSABER!”

The voice was a howl full of grief. Almost immediately, two other screams erupted from upstairs. One of them was Meg’s voice. Then there was an explosion of dust as the ceiling jumped. Since Adrian was the closest to the stairs, she sprinted for the staircase with the adults right behind.

His face nearly purple, Owen stood in the hallway. His saber lay at his feet, broken into two pieces. Meg had her fists doubled. Nicky stood between them, beseeching with outstretched hands, but neither one paid attention. Alex’s other brother Isaac lurked behind Owen, backing him up.

“I hate you!” Owen screamed.

Meg put her fists on her hips. “So what?”

“You’re rotten and you’re mean. That’s why no one likes you!”

“So? I don’t need friends.”

“Cut it out! We need to remember we’re a family,” Karen said, trying to play to both sides. “Let’s go downstairs and talk about this.”

Adrian’s father was also speaking. “We should treat each other with respect. And that means we communicate like reasonable people. We don’t break each other’s toys. Megara, are you listening to me?”

“She’s not my real mother,” Meg muttered.

And this time Adrian couldn’t fail noticing the shadow that flitted across Karen’s face. Had it always been there?

“And your father isn’t my real father!” Owen flared.

“Well, that’s one way of getting their attention,” Mr. Montgomery muttered almost under his breath, although Adrian didn’t think he’d meant to say it aloud. He wrapped a comforting arm around his son. “I’ll get you a new one.”

“What’s going on?” Alex said.

His voice electrified Adrian. She hadn’t heard him pull up in the driveway—no wonder, what with all the commotion—but now that he was here, she couldn’t seem to look anywhere else. She glanced over her shoulder, only to find him looking steadily at her.

Why did you tell my father, Alex? Why?

“She’s a monster, that’s what!” Isaac said.

“You’re just sore I know more math than you do,” Meg sneered.

With a guttural scream, Isaac jumped her. He wasn’t as strong as she was, but his rush slammed her to the floor. They rolled around punching and kicking in a tangled ball of arms and legs. Meg flipped him over and rammed her fist into his face.

Adrian dove into the mess. She body-checked her sister, shoving with both hands, and grabbed at Isaac, dragging him out of the fracas. Alex locked his arms around Meg and picked her up. He was shouting into her ear, but Adrian only heard half of it before Meg sank her teeth into his arm.

Even when corralled, Meg was still feisty. She slammed her elbow backwards into Alex’s ribs, her other arm swinging out at Isaac. “Come get me!” she hollered at him. “I’ll show you how to fight like a real boy!”

Isaac’s face was red. “You’ve bullied me and my brother and my friends …” His voice rose into a crescendo. “AND I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF IT!”

Owen seized that moment to leap to Alex’s defense. “Stop biting my brother!” he howled at Meg, slapping her face.

Mr. Montgomery pulled him away. Adrian’s father rushed to Alex’s side, helping him with Meg. And Karen was there, helping Adrian and trying to calm Isaac down. The only one who didn’t move was a weeping Nicky.

The final tally was a few bloody noses, black eyes, bruises, teeth bites, and wounded egos. The adults herded the kids to the kitchen after cleaning them up. Adrian noticed how they automatically divided into two groups: Isaac and Owen versus Meg.

“This is unbelievable!” Adrian’s father fumed. “I’m ashamed of you, Megara.”

“Carter,” Karen began.

“It’s all right,” Mr. Montgomery said.

It wouldn’t do any good, Adrian could have told them that. Her father was in a white-hot rage, one of the rare times his fury ignited like nothing else. He’d always given Meg an extraordinary license, perhaps because she was the youngest and perhaps because Adrian’s mother had never really wanted her—a fact that Meg sadly knew. But not this time.

“No. This is not acceptable.” His gaze fell on Adrian and Nicky, then he jerked his head. The hint was so obvious that they both retreated out to the hallway.

Nicky was rubbing her arms. “Meg’s in real trouble, isn’t she? Do you think Dad will send her to our grandmother?”

Adrian leaned her head against the wall. “I don’t know, Nicky, I don’t know. Maybe.”

Her sister didn’t seem to be listening. “This is totally about Mom. I thought things would be better here in Arizona, but they aren’t, are they?”

Alex had clearly heard the last of their conversation because he stepped into the hallway and put an arm around Nicky. “Hey, hey,” he said, his voice as kind as Adrian had ever heard it. “Give me a smile. Just one. Come on.”

It was exactly the right kind of tactic to take with Nicky, and a part of Adrian marveled as she watched him deftly handle her sister. Oh, she could fault him for many things, but his treatment of Nicky wasn’t one of them.

After Nicky had managed a watery smile for his benefit, Alex watched her trudge upstairs. Only then did he meet Adrian’s eyes and flash a smile.

“Yo, Adrian.”

Her lips twitched. She’d heard that
Rocky
reference many times, but never from him. “You should get some band-aids.”

He lifted his forearm to look at it. A few bloody crescents marked his skin, souvenirs Meg had left. Now that Adrian could see them up and close, the wounds were uglier than they’d first appeared. Her sister had managed to do what countless girls had tried: mark Alex as a trophy.

“Somehow I don’t think this counts as quality family time,” he said.

“I should have warned you. She bites.”

“A little like her older sister, isn’t she?”

“Oh, I can’t quite imagine Nicky as a biter,” she said sweetly.

A faint smile curved Alex’s lips. “Right. Meg fights better than my brothers combined.”

“Mm-hmm. Well, you should get your arm disinfected.” She was about to leave him, but her curiosity got the better of her. “Why did you tell my father, Alex?”

He didn’t pretend to misunderstand her. “I got tired of Mr. Melbourne not confronting me in the classroom. Not only that, I had Nicky tugging on my sleeve every day. Somehow she had this idea that I could fix the situation. And I don’t have it in me to disappoint her.”

Adrian really didn’t know why or how the big brother-little sister relationship had sprung up between Alex and Nicky, but while it was nice, it was disconcerting. Nicky had always run to
her
in the past, but now she ran to him instead.

“Oh,” she said flatly. “Well, thank you, I suppose.”

She glanced toward the end of the hallway where her room was. Even so, she could still hear her inner voice jeering.
Stupid, stupid girl. Did you think he really did this for you?

Alex tilted his head. “Now that’s a tepid thank-you. I expected a little more gratitude than that, but really, knowing you, I wouldn’t have gotten it.”

Her gaze snapped back to him. “Oh, I don’t begrudge credit where it’s due, but knowing you, you’d ask for more than just gratitude.”

“And what exactly would I ask for?”

Her back bumped gently into the wall. He’d somehow maneuvered things, so that he was cornering her. It was so reminiscent of the incident that had happened by the lockers that her stomach fluttered in remembrance.

“Well …” she drawled, conscious of that edgy excitement shivering through her body. “You’re already in the gutter. I don’t think it’ll be too hard for you to come up with a few suggestions.”

He placed a hand on the wall, next to her head. “Well, that depends on what you’re offering.”

She smiled into his eyes. “A hard kick in the ass.”

Alex laughed. “Baby, my door’s open anytime. You know where I live.”

“Oh yes, that room.” She clicked her tongue. “Not to embarrass you or anything, but from what I overheard, Mandy didn’t seem to be enjoying herself.”

She couldn’t begin to count the wall-banging, clutching-at-sheets, screaming orgasms she’d heard that time when Mandy had stopped by the house, but she had always suspected Mandy had played it up a bit for Alex’s ego.

“That boyfriend must not have treated you right after all. Or else, you’d know the difference between screams of pleasure and pain.”

“Jason and I were together for three years.” She cast him a sultry glance under her eyelashes. “But you and your countless girls … there must be a reason why they always leave you in the end.”

“No, baby, they don’t leave me. They just don’t hold my interest.”

“Are you tired of how they keep faking it for your benefit?”

“Now, if you’re that desperate for a demonstration …”

“What makes you think I wouldn’t fake it too?”

A smile played with her mouth, as she watched him struggle. It was a rare sight to see him at a loss for words.

He opened his mouth, but his mother’s voice forestalled him. “Alex, come out here!” she called from the living room. “We need you.”

“And saved by your mother. You can stop thinking now.”

Alex stepped back, and just in time because his father had walked into the hallway to get him. Mr. Montgomery was rubbing the back of his neck and smiling.