Serendipity (17 page)

Tess didn't answer and Faith realized an old iPod sat on the desk, its ear buds in the teenager's ears.

“Hi.” Faith waved her hand in front of Tess's eyes.

Tess shot her an annoyed glare.

Faith gestured for her to remove the ear buds. When Tess returned her gaze to the paper, pretending not to understand, Faith tugged on one of the long white wires, dislodging the earpiece.

“Hey!”

“Hey yourself. I asked what you're busy with.”

“None of your business.” Tess snatched the paper and crumpled it in her hand.

But not before Faith caught a glimpse of the page and the sketches the teenager had been working on. “Seems like a waste to crinkle it up and throw it away. I wasn't going to ask to see. I was just curious what you were doing.”

“Drawing. Duh.”

The fact that she had an interest in artwork was encouraging, in Faith's opinion. It meant that she could be distracted by something positive and made a mental note to mention it to Ethan.

Faith nodded. “Nice. Next time, there's empty computer paper in this drawer. You don't need to use the back of an invoice.” That now sat in a ball in Tess's hand.

“I didn't hear you come in!” Kate walked over, Ethan following behind.

Faith glanced at her friend. “You two looked busy. I didn't want to interrupt.” Faith cringed inside, knowing how juvenile she sounded. “Here's your coffee.” She handed Kate her drink.

“Thanks.” Kate shot her an odd look, which Faith ignored.

“I was just telling Ethan about the different programs down at the youth center,” Kate said.

Faith immediately felt bad for her earlier jealousy.

“Thanks for the coffee.” Kate picked up her cup. “I'm going to finish up the last box before I have to leave for the day.” Kate raised her coffee cup in a salute and strode back over to the shelves.

“Those programs had better not be for me,” Tess muttered.

“I don't see any other
youths
around,” Ethan said. “You didn't think you'd sit around all summer smoking pot, did you?”

Faith's startled gaze swung to Ethan's. He gave her a subtle nod.

Okay, so his hands were even fuller than she'd thought.

Tess's expression turned frosty. “I shouldn't be surprised. Less than twenty-four hours and you want to get rid of me already. What else is new?”

Ethan set his jaw and shook his head. “Finding something constructive to occupy your time isn't getting rid of you,” he said in a surprisingly even voice.

“So, what are you two doing here?” Faith asked, changing the subject.

Facing her, not Tess, Ethan grinned, his smile warm and welcoming and obviously meant for her alone. “Making your life easier. I figured we could come here to talk about furniture and decorating Tess's room instead of you having to take a cab ride out to us.”

Faith interpreted that to mean he needed to get out of the house and keep the kid busy. Still, he had a point about how she'd get to his house and she already realized she would have to dig into her savings for a car if she was going to run a business that entailed visiting other people's homes.

She pulled a chair around to sit beside Tess. “What's your favorite color?” she asked the teen.

“Black,” the teen said as she bit on her nails.

“Not happening,” Ethan immediately said.

Faith shot him a warning look. “Actually I can use black accents.” She knew Ethan feared a Goth-style room, but she had other ideas. “Pick a second color,” she encouraged the teen.

Tess looked past Faith to Ethan. “I don't give a shit,” she said, clearly testing him.

He clenched his hands at his sides. “That's it. I've had it with your fresh mouth.”

“Guess what?” Kate returned just in time, placing both hands on the desk.

“What?” Faith asked.

“I'm finished here and I need to get to the community center for my shift. How about I take Tess with me and show her around?” Kate glanced at Faith, seeking her okay.

Faith thought it was a great idea. Kate had a way with kids and Tess clearly needed someone who knew how to deal with her.

“I don't think that's a good idea,” Ethan said.

“I'll go,” Tess countered, a defiant grin settling over her face.

Faith stepped closer and put a hand on his shoulder. “Kate's a good chaperone.” And he clearly needed a break to think and plan how to deal with his new sister.

“Great! Let's go. I'll introduce you to kids your own age and to the community service director.” She met Ethan's gaze, silently asking for his approval.

He treated Kate to a nod. “You will behave,” Ethan said to his sister.

Tess merely opened her hand and closed it again, mimicking him talking. “Let's blow this joint,” Tess said.

Faith cleared her throat. “Since you're taking her, Ethan and I need to shop for some things for the house. I'll call you when we're back and he'll pick up Tess then?” Faith asked.

Kate nodded. “Good by me. Let's go,” she said to Tess.

The young girl marched out without a good-bye. Still wearing those black combat boots in one hundred degrees, topped by what looked like an old army surplus jacket.

“I don't know if Kate's brave or just plain stupid,” Ethan said after the duo had departed.

Faith stared at him in silence. Last night she'd rebuffed him coldly. Today she'd been jealous in a way she'd never experienced. Far different from the angry betrayal she'd felt on walking in on her husband and his mistress. She hadn't been jealous then, just hurt. Right now she found it difficult to hold on to her resolve to stay away from Ethan and her chest ached.

She needed something tangible, something she could understand to take her mind off the building need. “You really found Tess smoking
pot
?” she asked.

“Yeah. And Dare found out why she's got a juvenile probation officer.”

“Bad?” Faith asked.

“Actually could've been a lot worse.” His shoulders lowered slightly and he drew in a deep breath. “Her sister wasn't kidding. Tess ran with a rough crowd. The boys were into vandalism and had moved on to breaking and entering and arson. Tess was arrested with two guys and another girl, and accused of all three crimes. To make a long story short, the probation department investigated, looking into Tess's home and school behavior, which, though out of control, didn't rise to the level of many of her friends'.”

Not yet anyway.

The obvious thought settled between them.

“At the hearing, Tess's lawyer presented evidence that Tess and the other girl were in the house but didn't have advance knowledge of intent nor did they start the fire. The boys were remanded to a detention facility. As for the girls, the judge ordered an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal. If she stays out of trouble for the next six months, the case will be dismissed.”

“That's something, I guess,” Faith said.

But Ethan's troubled expression told her how unlikely he found the possibility.

“Assuming we can keep her out of trouble, you're right. It is something.”

“When I came in earlier, Tess was sketching on a piece of paper. She got really embarrassed and defensive when I asked her what she was doing, but it got me wondering if art wasn't a way to reach her,” Faith said.

Ethan raised an eyebrow. “Interesting. I'll see what I can do to draw her out.”

Faith smiled, having every confidence he'd accomplish his goal.

“So, what's this about us going shopping?” Ethan asked next.

“I already ordered a bed for Tess. Delivery between three and five today. But I figured the easiest and fastest way to get her bedding, towels, and other things she'll need is to make a run through Target. There's a superstore in Monroe.”

He thought for a moment and nodded. “Lead the way.”

 

 

SuperTarget was the megastore of all megastores. Even for a man who loathed shopping, Ethan had to admire the fact that anything he needed, he could find here. Definitely worth the twenty-minute drive. What he couldn't get over was the surreal feeling of walking through Target with Faith as if they were a couple shopping for
their
home.

In order to get that thought out of his head, he grasped for another as he pushed the cart toward the bed and bath department. “So I have to ask. Have you ever been in Target before?”

“Wise guy.” She laughed.

He appreciated her sense of humor about the subject. More so, he was glad the cool Faith from last night was nowhere to be found today.

“As a matter of fact, Kate took me here when I moved in. I was able to buy everything I needed at an unbelievable price. This place actually makes me wish I'd come in here a long time ago. Stop.” She pointed to the BEDDING sign. “This is what I was looking for. Bed in a bag.”

“What's that?”

“I went online last night and did some preliminary browsing. The best buys are these bed-in-a-bag sets—comforter, two pillow cases, a top and fitted sheet. And look at the selection of colors.” She gestured to the variety of sets lining the shelves.

“I don't know that it matters. She won't like anything we pick out.”

“True, but we can still accommodate her taste without putting you over the edge.”

He nodded. “Nice of you to take that into consideration.”

She laughed. “Hey, you're paying the bills. So, what I'm suggesting is we look at anything with black somewhere in it. There's plenty of black and white, black and gray.”

“No. Let's find something that at least says
girl
.”

“No emo chic?” Faith asked.

He placed a hand on her arm before she could go forward. “What's emo?”

Faith turned to face him, a grin on her pretty face. “Don't feel bad. Kate had to teach me the term. I guess it's similar to what we think of as punk, only different. It's her short black hair, the piercings—”

“There's more than one?” he asked, horrified.

Faith shrugged. “I don't know. It's just the style.”

He cringed. “How am I going to get through to her?”

Before Faith could answer, a high-pitched, female voice screeched through the aisle. “Faith? Is that
you
?”

Ethan turned to see a woman wearing a Jackie O–inspired head scarf and big dark sunglasses. She was as inconspicuous as a nun in a porn shop.

“Mother?” Faith asked, obviously shocked.

Talk about a mood killer. The woman hated Ethan when he'd only been seventeen. He could imagine how she felt about him now that he lived in her mansion.

“What are you doing in Target?” Lanie Harrington asked on a stage whisper, pronouncing the store name with a fake French accent. “And what in the world are you doing with the likes of him?”

Here we go,
Ethan thought, stiffening. Nothing like a woman's disapproving mother to bring him back to the bad boy he'd been.

With a forced smile, he met the woman's gaze. “Nice to see you too, Mrs. Harrington.” He threw the first shot and steeled himself for her reply.

Faith's mother raised her small nose, which her daughter had inherited, into the air and turned her back on him, facing Faith instead. “Well? What in the world are you doing here?” her mother asked again, ignoring Ethan completely.

“I'm shopping, Mom. What are
you
doing here?”

“Picking up a few necessities,” Lanie said in another hushed whisper. “This budgeting business isn't for me.”

Ethan swallowed a laugh he knew would be unwelcome.

Faith rolled her eyes. “Welcome to the real world.”

Her mother straightened her shoulders. “You didn't answer my other question.” She clearly intended to avoid Faith's comments. “What are you doing with
him
?”

So he'd been wrong. She wasn't going to ignore him, just insult him.

“Really, Faith. A Harrington has to show some class.”

“Like Dad did?” Faith asked.

Her mother sniffed, clearly offended. “That comment was uncalled for. You know your father has been maligned and misunderstood.”

“Actually, I know no such thing,” Faith said.

“Good point.” Ethan added his unwelcome opinion.

“Thank you.” Faith actually sounded pleased.

Ethan grinned. He hadn't realized his little tigress had teeth and he found himself wishing she'd use them on him, not to reprimand him the way she had her judgmental mother, but in bed.

“And by the way,
he
has a name,” Faith said to her mother. “It's Ethan Barron and since I'm here with him, it means I like him. So I would appreciate it if you'd show some respect. Or ignore me along with him.” She'd taken a page from his book the other night when he'd defended her against his brother.

Man, they were a pair.

Her mother let out a prolonged sigh. “I thought you gave up temper tantrums when you got married.”

Married?
This was the first he'd heard about it, and the idea threw his stomach into crippling knots.

“This is a waste of time.” Faith gripped the shopping cart handle hard enough to turn her knuckles white. “We have shopping to do. And so do you.” Faith dismissed her parent.

Lanie raised her nose farther in the air.

If the woman lifted her chin any higher, she'd be looking at the ceiling, Ethan thought.