“I’m sorry?”
He opens a red folder and spreads out some papers. “Noah’s been a model student until this year. Isn’t that when you left home for school and had Mr. Marshall take over? Wayne’s mouth opens, but nothing comes out.
I don’t have the same trouble. “Yes, but---“
“And isn’t it recent that you, Mr. Peterson, entered Noah’s life?”
Wayne nods.
“That’s a lot of upheaval for a young man, don’t you think?”
Oh, this guy. I narrow my eyes and try to steady my breathing. “We aren’t the first non-traditional family to enter these school doors.”
He chuckles. “No, but you are here for a violent crime and statically those take place when home life is volatile. It’s a theory, nothing to get upset about. I just noticed he’s never had trouble until now.”
Suddenly Noah springs to life. “Todd was bothering Brittany. He wouldn’t stop.”
Wayne shoots Noah a look and gestures for him to sit.
Drivnell shuffles the papers. “Right. And Brittany is your girlfriend, correct?”
Noah sighs. “Yes.”
“And you’re thirteen?”
My pulse is higher than anyone at Woodstock was. “Mr. Drivnell, can we keep theories out of it and talk about what really happened and what an appropriate punishment is?”
“Of course. Although the numbers say teens who are romantically involved too soon are more susceptible to be teen parents. I’m trying to look at this picture as a whole and stop the slide I think is ready to take place.”
Now I’m out of my seat, shaking with fury. “Where is the other boy and his family? Is he getting punished?”
“Yes, but let’s be real. Noah made a threat and threw the first punch. We take that very seriously.”
Noah stands next to me. “Do I get to say anything?”
We all speak at once. “No!”
Mr. Drivnell closes the folder. “I don’t think there is anything more to say. A week suspension, minus one day already served. Thank you, everyone.” With that, he stands and shows us the door.
“Thanks for your time.” Wayne shakes his hand but I march past the principal, Noah not far behind me.
“Carla. Wait.” Wayne jogs in order to meet us at the front door.
I hold the metal bar so the entrance is ajar. I feel a breeze clothed in the scent of oncoming rain dance past me. “What?”
“This doesn’t define Noah’s future. Don’t let it get to you.”
We walk to the visitor lot. I’m tempted to pick up the pace and keep running.
Noah kicks at pebbles. “Drivnell is a jerk. He wouldn’t even listen.”
Wayne nods. “He’s just a pencil pusher. The guy doesn’t even know how to work with kids.”
Or parents. But that’s beside the point.
“Are you two finished? He’s an authority figure. Noah, his name is Mr. Drivnell. And his bottom line is the same as every school. There is zero tolerance for violence. The damage has been done. Now it’s time to pay the consequences. It’s too late for me to go back to beauty school today, so Noah, come with me. Wayne, I’ll call you later so we can figure this out.”
Now he takes a turn kicking at a small rock. “Right.”
The truck is close enough I click the key fob to unlock it. Noah starts for the passenger side, but stops. “Thanks, Dad, for coming.”
Wayne smiles and gives him a side hug and pat on the shoulder. “We’ll get through this, son.” He glances at me as I open the driver side and climb in.
“I’ll be in touch.” I shut the door and face my teen. “What on earth were you thinking, hitting someone?”
His eyes narrow. “I would’ve asked for advice, but you’re never around.” With that, he turns to the window and blocks me out.
The two of us are in a shouting match before we were even out of the lot. I didn’t pay attention to our destination, I have the vehicle in drive and my foot on the gas. My mind and mouth are on auto-pilot.
“Noah, talk to me. How many nights did I spend telling you that violence is never the answer?”
He shifts, crosses his arms, and looks ahead, jaw tight.
“I want an answer.”
A hot breath of air fills the truck cab. “I don’t get why you’re freaking out. You heard Dad. What I did was heroic. Brittany was in trouble.”
Great. Side with Wayne. “Noah, I get it. But you know the drill. Get an adult if you’re in trouble. Now this is on your school file. You have all that work to make up. On top of that, you have a reputation. Do you know how long that takes to erase?”
The road’s familiar but it’s as if the truck is driving itself.
He spits his words out and targets my heart. “No, but you do.”
I turn to him long enough to shoot a glare as sharp as daggers. “What does that mean?”
“You aren’t mad at me. You’re angry at Mr. Drivnell because he basically blamed my choice on you. All his statistics were digs at you, and you let him.”
Drops hit the windshield, enough to turn on the wipers.
“That’s not true.”
Fat, wet splats cover the windows in a dump that doesn’t seem like it has an end. I look to the right and realize where I am. The senior center. I pull in the lot and the rain accompanies our rhythm of words I’m already starting to regret.
“Mom. You don’t want me to be around Brittany or any girl. Face it. You think I’m going to get some girl pregnant. Just like Dad did with you.”
I try to open my mouth but the pain deep inside weakens my resolve.
“And what he said about your schedule has to be bugging you. I never got in a fight before you went to school. He insinuated your dreams ruined me. I’m just a kid who saw someone he cares about in a bad situation, and I tried to help her. You’re making this way more than it is because of Drivnell.”
“Noah, you have no idea what it’s like to earn a label and have it follow you everywhere. I’m trying so hard to protect you from making the mistakes I’ve made.” I look to the window thinking it must be open for so much moisture to come in and wet my face. It’s not the rain.
His tone sounds desperate and sad. “Every time you say that, I feel like I am a mistake to you. It drives me crazy. I need some air. I’ll walk the rest of the way.” The door opens and slams before I can respond.
I also exit. “Noah! C’mon, it’s pouring!”
He’s running faster than I ever have.
I lean on the hood and grieve for all that I’ve done, thought and said. Noah threw truth about me I never dared to ponder.
A door opens, followed by footsteps. “Carla? You okay?”
The masculine voice that is like an umbrella in rain to me walks closer.
I lift my head to face him. “Will. Noah’s furious with me. He ran home.”
He flaps his arms around and pulls on his clothing. The rain is blinding enough I can’t quite see what he’s up to until I feel his touch. “Here, have my rain jacket. Let’s get inside. Jenna will hurt you if you get sick before the wedding.”
I let out a half-laugh-half sob and allow him to guide me through the front door, wishing I could turn back time and make everything okay with Noah, and everything permanent with Will.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The fork clangs and chatter cease as soon as Will escorts me inside the senior center. I shake my hair and hear drops fall onto the floor. Jenna steps out from her office, her eyes wide.
“Carla? What happened?”
Will steps back as Jenna moves in. Before I can blink, he’s gone. Probably back to work.
“Noah and I had a terrible fight, and he ran home. He’s suspended. The principal made a few cracks that hit close to home, and Noah called me on it.”
Jenna shakes her head. “Wow. How much am I missing with this wedding? I can’t imagine him in trouble.” She gestures me to follow her, walks to her office and offers me a seat.
“He hit a
kid.”
She gasps.
“Because of Brittany.”
Now she’s cracking a smile. “Well, there you go. I see why you’re upset.”
I twist my hair and squeeze out a couple more drops of water. “It’s all too much. Trying to go to school. The principal insinuated my not being around is why Noah’s acting up. He didn’t need to say that, I thought about it the whole drive home. I miss Will so much I ache. I hurt, Jenna. I’ve made such a mess of things. Noah isn’t the only one that would like to run.”
She pulls a chair next to me. “I love you, girl. But can I ask a tough question?”
I shrug. “Why not? I couldn’t possibly feel worse.”
Jenna gently holds my arm. “Don’t you think it’s time you stop running?”
⌛⌛⌛
The charred smell of a burned pot and vegetable soup greets me as Noah remains silent. I drop my purse on the floor and shuffle over to the kitchen table where he’s stirring the bowl, but not eating.
I pull up a chair across from him. “We need to talk.”
He looks up, and his hair bobs into his eyes. “I know.” His voice is almost a whisper.
My own sound isn’t much stronger. “Noah, will you forgive me?”
He tilts his head and squints. “For what? I’m the one that got suspended and stormed off.”
I nod. “You’re a lot wiser than I give you credit for. I’ve projected a lot of fears from my life onto you, and it isn’t fair. You’re absolutely right about me not wanting girls around. I’m afraid. The last thing I want to do is have you think that you are a mistake. But at the same time, I want to make sure you understand the consequences of becoming a teen parent. It was hard in a lot of ways. I never want you to have to fight for the many things I had to as a young mom. I never communicated that well to you, and I’m sorry.”
Noah drops the spoon into his bowl. “You’re an amazing mom. I don’t tell you that enough. I shouldn’t have hit Todd. I’m sorry.”
“I appreciate that you respect women, I do. We’ll get through this suspension and move forward. The good news is, you have facts that I didn’t at your age.”
Noah shrugs. “What’s that?”
“God promises that each day is a new start. Something I haven’t chosen to believe. You got in a fight and broke the rules. That doesn’t mean you’re a troublemaker. I had a baby when I was in high school. That doesn’t mean I’m rebellious or any of the adjectives I heard over the years. What I am is blessed.” I stand up, and Noah does the same. I walk over and give him a hug that he doesn’t let go of right away. “Because I have you. If God’s plan is just the two of us, I thank Him for that.”
Noah steps back. “What if God’s plan includes someone else in your life?”
The thought of Will in our lives gives me the chills. “I’d never take that person or the wonderful life I have for granted.”
⌛⌛⌛
Noah offers me some soup, and we enjoy our meal. After we finish, I decide to call Betty.
She picks up on the second ring. “Hello? Carla?”
“Hi, Betty. I wanted to check in and see how you’re doing.” I rinse my bowl and place it in the sink.
There’s a light chuckle on the other end of the phone. “Me? I don’t have anything going on to share. I’m bored. It’s you that I want to hear an update from. How’s Noah? How are you?”
“He’s suspended for a few days but we’re okay. I need to figure out a plan while I’m at school, but God’s got this.” I wink at Noah. “God’s got us.”
I can almost see Betty’s smile. “I have an idea. You two stay here. Noah can help me while you’re at school. There are some easy handyman projects he could handle.”
Actually, that’s not a bad idea.
“Are you sure?”
“Certain.”
“Betty, you’re an answer to prayer.”
⌛⌛⌛
Noah’s suspension passes quickly thanks to Betty’s hospitality. Those two bond as he hangs pictures, plants annuals, and cleans her garage. She has a new stomach to feed and Noah’s more than a willing snacker. When class dismisses for the weekend, and it’s time to return to Speculator Falls, I’m sad to separate the two.
“Mom, why doesn’t Miss Betty come home with us?”
I look over at her. “Betty? We don’t have anything exciting going on this weekend but you’re more than welcome to join us.”
There’s a beautiful twinkle in her eyes. “Try and stop me. Thank you. I love being with both of you.”
Thirty minutes later we cram into the truck and are headed north. We’re almost in Northville when my phone rings.
Jenna.
I push the “talk” button on the dashboard and hear her stressed voice.
“Tell me you’re on your way to Speculator Falls.”
A week before her wedding, I’m surprised she hasn’t called more often.
“I am. I have Noah and Betty with me.”
There’s muffled voices in the background before she responds. “I need a gigantic favor from you.” She stretches out the word “gigantic.”
“What’s going on?”
“My sister Meg surprised me by coming a few days early. I thought she was traveling with my parents, but she came on her own. Her car is full of cookies for the wedding.”
I slow down for bicyclists ahead. “Okay. What’s the problem?”
“I don’t have room to store them and Ben’s freezer is broken. Only one person has a deep freezer that can hold all the goodies my mom made for the wedding.” “So, what do you need me for?”
“Because Will’s still on delivery and he told me you have a key to his place. Would you mind going to his house and helping Meg store all the cookies in his freezer?”
Okay, let myself into his house and fill his deep freezer. It’s not the worst favor.
“What makes this errand so gigantic?”
There’s a pause before she confesses. “Because he said he’s on his last run of the day, and he’ll go straight home. Chances are you two will be unloading cookies.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Meg Anderson is a blonder, slightly taller version of her big sister, Jenna. She greets me in Will’s driveway with three wrapped foil pans.
“Hey, Carla. From bridal shower to cookie hauler, right? We have our work cut out for us. My mom made enough cookies to feed everyone in the Adirondacks, not just the wedding guests.” She laughs and hands me the pans before diving into her trunk to pick up three more trays.
I balance the pans on my knee as I hold Will’s key. “Wow. How long has she been baking?”
Her shoulder length hair swings as she marches to his front door. “Don’t even get me started. When Jenna announced the wedding wasn’t going to be in Ohio, Mom was a little hurt. Then she decided she’d do the next best thing and bring Youngstown to Speculator Falls. So, she became a one-woman wedding cookie table creator.”
I move forward so I can unlock the door, pushing away all the memories of times we watched movies, sat on the porch, or took our time when I had to say goodbye. “My son and a friend are with me, we can have this car unloaded in no time.” With the cookie trays on the porch, I work the knob, twisting the key until the door opens. I gesture for Betty and Noah to come over as I pick up the pans and head inside.
“So, Jenna said the guy who lives here is your ex-boyfriend. Why do you have a key?”
She doesn’t waste any time with pleasantries.
I turn on the light for the basement and take careful steps down until I reach the freezer. “It’s pretty recent. I didn’t think of returning the key, to be honest. We’re still friends.”
She places her cookies in the cold and faces me. “That’s so weird. When my boyfriend broke up with me…” Her voice trails and she looks to the floor. “Anyway, let’s get back to the car. I’d love to unload so I can drive to Ben’s and see him and my sister.”
Something tells me Meg has a lot of
catching up to do with Jenna.
After a couple treks to the basement, the four of us meet at my vehicle for another round of tray-to-freezer delivery. I hand Noah a couple pans when I hear the crunch of gravel from tires.
Noah glances my way. “Will’s here.”
“It’s okay. Really. Keep carrying cookies. He’s had a long day.”
Betty, Noah and Meg exchange looks, but Noah shrugs and the trio trots back inside to the basement.
Will waves and ambles over to the truck. “Hey, Carla. I see you got in the house okay.”
I smile and reach for another pan. “I did. Thanks for letting us borrow your freezer.” Looking up, his brown work shirt accents his green eyes, leaving a flutter in my stomach.
“No problem. Can I help? Looks like you guys tackled a lot of it already.”
I shake my head. “No, you relax. You’ve had a busy day. We’re almost done.”
He jangles his keys. “You sure? I’m happy to help.”
That’s what makes him so adorable. “I insist. I’d give you a cookie but Meg would probably tell Jenna and I don’t want to face those consequences.” My giggle comes out naturally, and it’s refreshing to hear his baritone chuckle.
He walks ahead of me and opens the door, watching me as I come closer. His stare takes me off guard, and my hands start to shake. The tray tilts, wobbling as if it were at the epicenter of an earthquake.
He lunges forward and puts his hands under the foil, touching mine. “You okay?”
My nerves spill out with more laughter. “Yes, close call. I’m not paying attention. Thanks for the save.” I pass him and head into the house. “Now, go rest. We’ve got this.”
Even as I walk down the stairs and place the treats in the freezer, my hands are still warm from Will’s touch.
Betty pats my arm. “You okay?”
“Sure. Why?”
“Your cheeks are several shades pinker than normal.”
⌛⌛⌛
Meg’s early arrival turbo boosts Jenna’s wedding barometer. With less than a week to go, most of my non-school time is spent with the sisters and Sara. There’s not enough coffee to keep me as wide eyed as Jenna.
Entangled: Surrendering the Past (Surrendering Time Book 2) Page 17
