Secrets (19 page)

“Morning, Vanessa.” If it took biting through her tongue she was not going to be goaded by Vanessa today.

“Morning, ice queen. I suppose you have to come in for your big talk, huh? What next? Angie is secretly married? A drug addict? What? Why are you the bearer of all my daughter’s tidings?”

Deep breath
, Sarah instructed herself, and a fake smile. Smile even though it felt like her jaw was about to fall off. Sarah followed Vanessa into the kitchen where Vanessa waved for her to sit at the table. This morning it was covered in newspaper, magazines, and bills. Home stuff. Stuff Vanessa and Scott shared, all the while, Vanessa ran around in her little flowered robe. It annoyed the hell out of Sarah.

“What is it you couldn’t say over the phone?”

“Where’s Scott? I’d like him present for this.”

“Sure, you do. I’m quite sure that’s why you’re here. He’s not up yet. Out late last night. Probably will be down anytime.”

“So—”

Sarah was interrupted when she heard movement and was relieved Scott had come down. He came walking into the kitchen, wearing a pair of black sweats, riding low and baggy off his hips, and a brown t-shirt, with bare feet. His hair was tousled and he looked so good Sarah’s eyes widened. Morning casual suited him. He stopped short when he spotted her in the kitchen.

“Sarah?” He glanced at her, and then Vanessa. “What are you doing here?”

Sarah swiftly glared at Vanessa. “You didn’t tell him?”

Vanessa shrugged. “I forgot.”

“Tell me what? Why are you here?”

“Sarah here has to have another in-depth conversation with us about my daughter.”

“I called three days ago. She was supposed to clear the date and time with you.”

Scott looked between them, ran a hand through his hair, and turned toward the cabinets where he rifled around until he found a cup.

“Can I at least have some coffee before I referee you two?”

Sarah seethed inside as she waited for him. She avoided staring at Scott, because Vanessa would notice and point it out. She ignored the sudden speeding in her heart at Scott’s appearance, the annoying flash of disappointment that he seemed almost unaffected at seeing her. He hadn’t seen her for three weeks, which might be nothing to him. But for her, it was way too long.

Vanessa sat down. Scott came to the table with coffee and a couple of donuts dripping in frosting and sprinkles. Why didn’t he just open the sugar container and drink? She did, however, get a little flash of satisfaction when he sat down beside her and not Vanessa. He turned toward her after sipping at his hot coffee.

“You eat anything yet?”

“I don’t eat breakfast.”

“Here,” he said, taking a donut off the plate and sliding the other donut toward her.

He was testing her. Why did he always feel the need to make sure she ate? She most definitely did not eat frosted covered donuts for breakfast. No matter what he thought of her, she wasn’t eating that.

“Don’t waste it on her, I’ll have it,” Vanessa volunteered.

Sarah nearly flashed her teeth at Vanessa. If she wanted it, then no way was Sarah giving it to her. “No, it’s fine. I’ll eat some of it,” Sarah snapped. She took a lick of frosting, and had to nearly bite her tongue to keep from moaning as the sugar melted over her tongue in sweet maple heaven.

Scott drank heavily from his coffee. “So, what’s up? Angie do something at the shop?”

“Nothing like that. She’s doing wonderful work there. She’s a delight.”

“Angie? A delight? Somehow I don’t see it,” Vanessa said her eyebrows quirked. “Are you sure you’re not laying it on a little thick for Scott’s benefit?”

Sarah shook her head in annoyance. “How could you think so little of your own daughter? She is delightful. She’s helpful and polite and tries really hard. Even though she’s very uncomfortably pregnant. Why would I make stuff up about Angie?”

“Because you have no other way to get at Scott now, do you?”

“I’m not trying to get at anyone.”

“Sure you’re not. You nearly radiate desperate. Get laid and get it over with so I don’t have to keep being tortured by your presence.”

Sarah took in a breath. She hissed, “You can’t help it, can you? You’re just a bitch.”

“I’m the bitch? Who raises their eyebrows at every little thing in disdain? Please.”

“Stop it,” Scott said, lowering his coffee cup with a thud. Liquid spilled over his hand. “How old do you two become when you’re together? Angie seems more mature than you two.”

Sarah opened her mouth in shock. Didn’t he listen to Vanessa? How could he ignore Vanessa’s deliberate insults? Or the blatant innuendos that Sarah was using Angie to come onto him? Sarah took in a lungful of air and let it out.
She could not react to Vanessa.
She’d lose each and every time. Especially in front of Scott who at the very least would blame both of them, and at worst completely take Vanessa’s side.

Sarah opened her mouth with a diplomatic rebuttal when someone walked into the kitchen. Thinking it was Angie back early Sarah shut her mouth.

Only it wasn’t Angie. It was an unknown girl, not much older than Angie, wearing only a T-shirt that Sarah knew for a fact was Scott’s. The girl’s long, brown hair was in messy morning disarray. Sarah should simply get up and walk out of the house. She was mad at herself for the unreasonable spurt of anger that unleashed in her veins. She knew this about Scott, didn’t she? He was this guy. The womanizing, one-night-stand-with-bimbos guy.

But she had not expected to be met with living proof of his lifestyle. She had not expected to feel so hurt and disgusted, and worst of all, jealous of the girl standing in his T-shirt. What did this girl have that she didn’t? What made Scott want this girl and not her? He didn’t even seem to notice her as a woman in any way, but this girl here, sure, obviously not a problem for him.

If she had been seated at Scott’s table for any other reason besides Angie and Kelly, she would have gotten up and walked out without a second glance back at Scott Delano. But she was there for a very specific reason that affected her very best friend in the world, and Angie, who was like a little sister. So stay she did, all the while seething inside.

Vanessa glared at the girl too and sighed with annoyance. They glanced at each other and shared an unsettling look.

“Morning, Scotty. Didn’t know you were having a party.”

Scott whipped around. The idiot hadn’t even heard the girl come in. He’d been eating his donut in oblivion. He jumped up from the table at her voice.

Sarah seethed. Even this flake called him Scotty? What was with that? Scotty? He so wasn’t a Scotty. He was Scott. That fit him, and was attractive. Scotty was the name for the charming, womanizing jerk that she didn’t want Scott to be.

“Hey, baby, I thought you’d sleep later.”

“Who are they? Your roommates?” The girl waved a hand at them. Sarah wanted to crawl under the table. The girl had not a shred of embarrassment that she stood barely dressed beside a man she hardly knew.

“Yeah, sure. That’s Vanessa and Sarah,” Scott said, his back to them. “Look we have some stuff we need to discuss. You’re going to have to go home now, Mindy.”

“Oh.” The girl’s face fell as her smile dropped. Sarah pursed her lips in disapproval. So she resented Mindy’s presence, and what Mindy represented about Scott. Okay, she was downright quivering with rage over Mindy and what Scott did with her. But really, he was going to treat the girl like that? Blow her off because she was nothing to him? “Okay. I need a ride, remember? We left my car at The Oyster
.
”

Sarah jerked to attention at the name. He picked her up there? And drove her home for sex that was obviously a one-night stand.

“Oh, that’s right,” Scott said. Sarah’s eyes rounded. He didn’t remember? He was really that bad? That heartless? She was mildly repulsed with Scott just then. “I’ll ah, I guess, I’ll run you back to your car.”

He guessed?
Sarah clenched her jaw. Scott turned and picked up his dishes, only then glancing at her. She was surprised by the look Scott had in his eye. Was he embarrassed?

“Can you wait until I get back?”

“Looks like I don’t have a choice. You know, Scotty,” Sarah said, her tone dripping in sarcasm, “you should try telling this one, thanks for the night, but you won’t be calling her. She looks like she’s all of nineteen. At least outright dump her.”

Scott jerked back taken off guard by Sarah’s softly spoken attack.

Vanessa added, “Wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world, Scotty.”

Scott looked form one to the other in disbelief they’d somehow agreed with each other. He straightened and scowled at them. “Stay out of it. I’ll be right back, don’t kill each other while I’m gone.”

Sarah agreed that could be a possibility. But suddenly, she felt so disheartened, and in fact overly disappointed in Scott Delano that she wanted to go home right then. Back to her quiet, lonely life where she didn’t feel such crushing rushes of disappointment in people in her life. Today she should be at home, or out at the beach, just anywhere but here, watching Scott’s behavior.

The door slammed shut a few moments later and his Mustang started up with rumble in the house.

“Does he do that with Angie around?” Sarah asked breaking the silence.

Vanessa raised her eyebrows. “Not much. They usually don’t spend the night. Or he goes to their place. She must live with her parents to end up here all night.”

“Classy.”

“Classic Scott. That’s what I was getting at with you two. You two aren’t even in the same realm of lifestyles.”

“You’re right. Gloat, why don’t you?”

Vanessa leaned back in her chair and appraised her. “You know, Sarah, he isn’t like that with you. Do you know why?”

“I’m sure you’re going to enlighten me.”

“You’re like Cookie to him. Kind of a stray friend he cares about. He feels responsible toward, but he doesn’t treat how he normally would if he was interested in you.”

“Kind of like you, you mean.”

Vanessa glared. “Fine. Maybe. Except our thing goes far deeper than you could ever imagine. Just quit trying so hard. You saw for yourself what he’s like. He’s not changing, certainly not for you.”

“Why don’t we just not talk until he gets back,” Sarah snapped.

“Fine by me.”

They waited for twenty minutes. By mutual agreement they didn’t talk and glanced through magazines. She was seething. She was wasting the entire morning on what should be a quick talk.

Scott rushed through the door finally. He looked at them as if surprised to find them each calmly reading a magazine and not in the throes of a wrestling match across the kitchen table. He threw his keys on the counter and then leaned back against the sink.

“So can we can get on with this finally?” Vanessa said shutting her
Vogue
.

Sarah nodded with equal disdain. “What I’m about to say I hope you’ll keep in confidence. It involves two people I care about.”

“Fine, just get on with it.”

“You both know Luke and Kelly Tyler. I’m approaching you on their behalf. I took a chance in telling them about Angie wanting to give her baby up for adoption, and they would like to meet with you about talking with Angie and seeing if they would be a fit for adopting her baby.”

Scott stiffened his spine. “Are you serious?” He glanced at Vanessa.

“They just got married, why wouldn’t they have their own baby?” Vanessa asked.

“Because they can’t. They can’t have their own natural kids, so adoption is what they are going to end up doing, whether it’s Angie’s baby or not. It’s sooner than they were planning on, but with Angie being pregnant, and they wanting a baby at some point, it might be a good fit.”

“Why would Angie want her kid here in Seaclusion? Why would she want to watch it grow up without her?”

“I don’t know. Angie expressed she wished she could have contact with her baby, maybe being in proximity to the baby will be good for Angie. So she can witness her decision and not wonder about it.”

“She told you that?”

“Yes,” Sarah said knowing that only added fuel on Vanessa’s fire of hatred toward her.

“Isn’t Kelly rich?”

“So?” Sarah said bracing for Vanessa to ask for money. “What does that have to do with Angie’s decision? They won’t bribe you for the baby, Vanessa. They will pay the normal fees of an adoption agency, but nothing more. There will be no payment beyond that. We all agreed on that.”

“Yeah, obviously that would never have any bearing on our decision,” Scott spoke up finally. There was no inflection in his tone. What was he thinking?

“You’re just a regular little Ms. Fix It, aren’t you?”

Sarah shook her head and clenched her fists in her lap. She
could not
respond to Vanessa’s baiting. “This isn’t about us. It’s about Angie. And about a couple I think would be good parents for your daughter’s baby. That’s all this is about.”

“You’re so altruistic. Why, Sarah? Why are you here in middle of this? Always looking for answers for everyone? Why do you always end up being here? Maybe you should get your own life and quit trying to live mine.”

“Vanessa, for God’s sakes, she just gave you a solution to a problem that’s been eating away at Angie, and you’re going to start your stupid squabbling with her?”

Sarah almost interrupted to inform Scott it was not stupid squabbling. It was Vanessa being mean, vile, and all around terrible.

“You think it’s a good idea?” Vanessa asked, her gaze suddenly sharp on Scott, the insolent tone gone from her voice.

Scott glanced at Sarah. “Yeah, I do. I think it’s a great idea. We’ll talk with Angie and then contact Luke and Kelly.”

Sarah was startled at how quick the discussion had gone. She’d thought it would be a lot more painful and take a lot longer. But as Luke predicted, Scott had final say with Angie. It was like Vanessa was incapable of deciding anything for her own daughter.

Vanessa got up, her movements jerky. “Fine. We’ll talk with her.”

Vanessa walked out of the room without a backwards glance at Sarah or acknowledgment of her role in this. Scott watched her leave and then sighed as he came over and sat across from her.