Taking the Fall (12 page)

Sammy watched as the older kids cut through the narrow channel between Andreoli’s farm and Mr. Endicott’s yard, not even waiting to ensure that Sammy followed. Sammy straggled behind, unable to keep up with the teenagers’ much larger strides. Jess and her friends had just squeezed through the fence and were already over the large rocks behind the library when Sammy fell. Her ankle twisted in a hole, and she fell to the ground, scratching her palms and knees on the rock speckled ground. She called out for her sister, but Jess just kept walking, never breaking stride.

Sammy was finally able to pull herself up, but it pained her to put any weight on her ankle. She slowly hobbled toward the hole in the fence. As she tried to squeeze through it, her backpack became snagged on the jagged chain link. She pulled and pulled, but she was stuck. Between the pain of her ankle and the stinging of her palms, Sammy began to cry even harder than she already was. She called for Jess again, but she could no longer see or hear the group of teenagers. She yelled for help, but nobody came. Finally, she was able to wiggle herself free of her backpack, pulling the now torn bag from the fence and crawling over the landscape boulders where she was able to limp through the library parking lot and the short block to
Molly’s.

When Sammy finished telling her mom all that happened, Molly didn’t know if she wanted to cry with her youngest or ground her oldest for life.

Molly brought Sammy into the kitchen, where she cleaned up her cuts and gave her the magical ingredient to guarantee a quick recovery, a mother’s kiss, and now here sat a bounced back Sammy none the worse for the wear.

Jess still wasn’t answering her phone or responding to texts, which was one of Molly’s cardinal rules.

Finally, at half past six, Jess walked through the restaurant’s front door. A tactic she only ever did when she knew she was in trouble.

Molly was busy with a customer, allowing her daughter to walk past her without a scene. Jess had made it to the kitchen and helped herself to a slice of cheese that was on the counter before walking to the stairs that led up to their home.

But Molly was faster than Jess expected.

Jess was on the fourth step when Molly walked through the door.

“Get back down here, young lady, this instance!” Molly barked.

Usually, it wasn’t Molly’s style to have personal business between her and the girls occur in the restaurant, but she didn’t care. Sammy was upstairs, and considering what happened today, she didn’t want to upset her by arguing with Jess in front of her.

Jess continued up the stairs.

Greg and the kitchen staff made themselves busy.

Molly walked the short distance to the bottom of the stairs and, with her hand on the banister post, she yelled, “Jessica Ann Jenson! You get your ass down here right now!”

The tone and intention of Molly’s voice had Jess stopping. In dramatic form, she stomped down the stairs to where she was two steps above her mother. Looking down, she snapped back, “What!”

“You know damn well what! How dare you take my trust and stomp on it. I don’t know what has gotten into you lately, but this is the last straw.”

Jessica rolled her eyes and crossed her arms telling her mother exactly what she thought of this conversation.

“Do you have any idea what happened to your sister or are you that conniving that you knew she fell and you left her there because God forbid you tell your friends to stop long enough to help.” Molly steamed, “The fact that you went by Andreoli’s farm is bad enough, after I’ve specifically told you that I don’t want you cutting through Mr. Endicott’s yard because of his dogs, but then you leave your little sister behind just to save face with your friends. I raised you better than this.”

At the mention of Sammy getting hurt, Jess’ face did register shock. Molly believed that she didn’t know, but that didn’t rectify the fact that they shouldn’t have been there in the first place and that she left Sammy behind.

“Is Sammy okay?” Jess asked sincerely.

“Thank goodness, but she has a couple of bumps and scrapes, not to mention a bruised heart because of her sister’s treatment,” Molly answered, hoping Jess was finally grasping the effect of her behavior.

But just when she thought she was making some headway, the ugly side of Jess popped back out.

“Well, if I didn’t have to be her keeper all the time, it wouldn’t have happened.”

Count to ten. Breathe. Getting upset isn’t going to help.

Fuck it!

“Bullshit! I have a feeling it would have happened regardless because you are constantly playing the poor Jess game and I, for one, have had it. You want to be treated like an adult. You want to have more freedom, yet you can’t do the small things that your father and I ask of you, namely taking care of the kids.” Molly fumed, continuing to look her daughter directly in the eye, “So, I hope it was worth it because this is the last day it will happen. Starting tomorrow, between Tracey and I, you will be picked up every day from school.”

Molly turned to walk away, but Jess followed.

“You can’t do that! It is so unfair!”

Molly rounded on her daughter, who was the same height, and had Molly feeling like she was looking in a mirror. “You apparently can’t handle the responsibility so I’m taking it away from you. You have no one to blame but yourself. Now, go upstairs. Leave your phone and iPad on the table because you have lost them for a week. Do your homework and go to your room.”

Molly walked back out to the restaurant, hating to have to fight with Jess but not knowing how else to get through to her daughter.

What she didn’t expect was for Jess not to listen and break numeral uno rule—causing a scene inside the restaurant.

Molly had just reached a table of customers waiting to have their orders taken when Jess barreled through the double doors, hurling her bag into the restaurant.

Molly turned around, shocked at her daughter’s way out of line outburst.

As did the customer filled room.

“As usual, it is my fault! You just need someone to blame so you don’t feel bad about being the suck-ass mother you are! I’m outta here!” Jess hollered, causing everyone in the restaurant to stop and watch the scene that was unfolding.

Jess ran out the door and up Main Street. Molly followed behind, opening the door to outside and calling after her daughter.

Her daughter ignored her and just kept going.

Molly walked back into the restaurant, completely aware of all the eyes trained on her, and felt the sudden need to scream and cry.

The silence of the restaurant broke and people went back about their business, uncaring that their business was discussing Molly’s business, which had just been broadcasted live.

Molly plastered an unaffected smile on her face and finished taking the order she had been taking. She then headed into the kitchen, throwing her order pad and letting the tears fall that she couldn’t believe she had been able to keep at bay this long.

Both Greg and Kayla, her full-time workers, came to her. Kayla placed a hand on her shoulder crooning words of positivity while Greg told her how common it was for teenagers and parents to go head-to-head.

Molly quickly went up and checked on Sammy, who remained completely oblivious to what occurred beneath her feet, before heading back downstairs and out onto the restaurant floor.

Kayla had asked Molly if she would finish up her corner booth whom she had just brought their meal to because the little league team who just walked in, celebrating their victory over Jefferson, was going to take some time.

Molly headed to Kayla’s table after filling a round of drinks at the counter when she realized who the customers were.

Grady and Bianca Dennison.

“Well, hello Judge and Mrs. Dennison,” Molly said pleased to see them but suddenly more embarrassed that they, the epitome of parenting perfection, had witnessed Jess’ outburst.

“Just wonderful, Molly,” Grady answered with a huge smile as he chewed the last bite of his steak. The patriarch’s large, bushy, signature mustache moved with every chomp of his teeth. He brought the napkin that lay on his lap up to his mouth, wiping away any remnants before returning it to his lap.

Bianca mimicked her husband’s sentiment.

Molly felt the need to offer an explanation. Funny how she prayed that all the other customers forgot what they saw, but at this table she, herself, was bringing it back to the forefront.

“I’m so sorry you had to witness my daughter’s outburst. I hope it didn’t affect your meal or visit too much.”

Mrs. Dennison turned her beautiful face toward Molly so that the truth of her words would carry that much more meaning. “Not in the least. If anything, we are sorry that what you had hoped to keep private was pushed out in public for all these busybodies to see.”

Molly knew she was being kinder than necessary.

“You are kind to say so, but I’ll deserve every derogatory statement of my character given the picture my daughter painted for everyone.”

“Nonsense,” Grady said cutting in, offering a kind smile before adding, “Parenting is not for the faint of heart. Trust us, we know.”

Bianca turned to her husband, reaching across the table and giving his hand a squeeze before agreeing aloud.

“What Jessica said isn’t anything that every other teenage girl hasn’t said to their mother at one time or another,” Bianca remarked, sliding a bit further into the bench seat and patting the vacant space next to her.

Molly knew she shouldn’t, but that didn’t stop her from taking the seat offered to her.

“You just keep your chin up high and know that being a mother is the hardest job ever. Sometimes, in fact, more times than not, when Bree was growing up, I wondered why I chose to do it for a sixthtime.” Her open admission ended with a laugh, confirmed by the nod of Grady’s head and the raise of his brow. “With our five boys, we never had half as much grief as we did with our beloved only daughter. I’m not saying raising five boys, six if you count Jamie, was sunshine and roses all the time, but it was walk in the park compared to my Bree.” Bianca patted Molly’s knee, unaware of the comfort such a small action was offering. “The fights she and I used to have over everything had me calling Grady on more than one occasion and demanding for him to come home right away. It could have been anything, something as frivolous as what I made for dinner, to how someone in the house answered the phone when one of her friends called, to a critique or a mention of her competitive dance career. The amount of tears and number of broken household items, generally a dented pan,” she nudged Molly’s shoulder and winked, wanting Molly to read between the lines before adding, “in the span of eight years was enough to have me question why I even got up in the morning. The number of times Bree ran out my door, hammering home her unjust life, there is no number measuring as high.” With another squeeze to Molly’s knee, she wrapped her arms around the younger woman and finished, “The point is, mothers and daughters fight. But, I promise you, the fights lessen and your relationship will grow and it’ll all be worth it. I know it is tough, believe me, but you have to keep being tough with her. It is so easy to want to be her friend, but she had enough friends, and she needs a mother. Keep your head held high; she will be back soon after blowing off some steam. Sometimes they want us to react, giving them justification for doing what they were just going to do anyways. No one knows what is better for your daughters and the line they need to toe better than you. Always remember that. And don’t give another moment’s thoughts to all these busybodies.” Molly looked at the older woman who always seemed to be put together—physically, emotionally, and family-wise—and suddenly, she did feel a bit better.

Molly stood, asking the Dennisons if they needed anything else other than their check, when Bianca added a closing remark on the subject. “Molly, just remember, if being a mother was easy, men could do it.” The older woman winked again surprising Molly and making her laugh aloud.

“Excuse me! I resent that,” Grady exclaimed, taken aback by his wife’s statement.

Molly watched as the older woman reached across the table once again, grabbing hold of her husband’s larger hand and giving a tender squeeze. And with the experience of age and marriage, the matriarch said softly, “You may have been known for being heavy handed when you were on the bench, dear, but we are all well aware of how much of a marshmallow you were when it came to disciplining your children, especially your precious baby girl.”

As Molly stepped away from the table, she could hear the judge grumble heavily, “I wasn’t always a marshmallow.”

Molly was walking toward the door with a small smile on her face when Greg stuck his head out of the kitchen door signaling a thumbs-up, which told Molly that Jess had come through the back door and was now upstairs. As much as Molly wanted to go up and clear the air between them, she thought about the words of wisdom that the Dennisons had just shared with her, and she knew that she needed to let Jess have some breathing room. Jess could use it just as she needed it, too.

Deep in her thoughts, she didn’t realize she had missed the bell of the door opening nor the body that she practically almost ran straight into.

Hunter.

He grabbed onto each of her arms, steadying her, but also bringing warmth to her skin where his hands touched her.

“Molly, I’m sorry.”

His warm minty breath brushed her cheek and the way he looked down at her with those clear blue eyes had her wanting to know what they saw when they looked at her.

He began to apologize again, but this time she spoke as well, causing both of them to laugh.

Molly took a step backward before smiling and saying, “No, no completely my fault. Needless to say, it has been a crazy night here, and I let it take over my brain there for a moment. I should have been paying better attention.”

With a devastatingly handsome smile and a sexy hint of the dimple, he had her wanting to lift her fingers to touch him. But soon the spell was broken and Molly took another step back and asked, “Can I get you anything? Your parents are back there in the booth if you are looking for them.”