by Gayle Roper
She nodded. “I’m okay. Ashamed, maybe, but okay.” One tear rolled down her velvet cheek.
“Where are they?” Jared’s face was hard, his jaw muscles bunched.
Jenn opened her mouth, but Cass spoke first. “No, Jared. It’s not your job to get them.”
“Yes, it is.” His hands were balled into fists. “She’s my sister. Mess with her, and you answer to me.”
“To me, too,” Paulie said, his usually open face as set as Jared’s.
If the situation weren’t so serious, if Jared and Paulie weren’t so determined, so intent in their desire to right the wrongs done to Jenn, Cass would have smiled at their vigilante spirit. It was so unlike either of them. They were the quintessential good guys.
Dan spoke for the first time, “I don’t blame you, Jared, Paulie, for wanting to get those guys. If someone did something like that to Cass, I’d want to get them too.”
Cass stared, staggered at the vehemence in Dan’s voice. Over her. She caught Jenn’s astonished and impressed glance and flushed.
Dan continued, “But we can’t go around beating up guys, no matter how much they deserve it. That’s taking the law into our own hands. We’ll call the police. We’ll let them take care of the problem for us.”
“But, Dan—”
“No, Jared.” Dan held up a hand, palm out in a stop signal. “No. Besides, I’m pretty sure the cops’ll do a much better job than we would. Fines, some time in a holding cell, a trial, community service or jail.”
“Names in the papers?” Paulie asked hopefully. “Nice and embarrassing?”
“Probably,” Dan said. “They’re old enough, but no guarantees.”
“Will Jenn be mentioned?” Concern colored Paulie’s voice as he looked at her, his heart in his eyes.
“I doubt it,” Dan said.
“Because I’m a minor, right?” Jenn asked.
“I think it’s more that Derrick won’t mention you because of the testimony he knows you could give. It’ll be bad enough for them without some sweet young thing saying they were going to give her the date rape drug.”
Jenn shuddered at the memory, and Cass stepped close, running her hand in circles on her niece’s back.
Jared and Paulie looked at each other, then nodded in resignation. “Okay, call the cops.”
“So where are they, Jenn?” Dan asked.
She made a choking noise and looked scared. “I can’t tell.”
Cass sympathized. When the house was raided, all the kids would know who had ratted. Still, there was the issue of responsibility. Cass looked Jenn in the eye. “If you don’t tell, some other girl is going to go through the same thing you went through, and she might not be lucky enough to escape.”
Jenn wrapped her arms around herself as tightly as she could. She started to cry again. “I thought he liked m-me.”
Cass watched in mild surprise as Paulie gently laid his arm around Jenn’s shoulders and pulled her close to his side, and in deep surprise when she didn’t pull away.
“I’m such a f-fool,” she blurted. “Such a fool.”
“Now don’t talk that way about one of my favorite people,” Paulie said, giving her a squeeze. “Besides, I think you’re a heroine.”
Jenn blinked and looked at him, so big and tall beside her. “What?”
“You escaped. Talk about clever and brave.”
“Oh.” Obviously she hadn’t considered things from that viewpoint. “Oh.” She brightened a bit.
“Where are they, Jenn?” Dan asked again.
She looked at her brother who nodded, then at Paulie who nodded and gave her a thumbs-up.
“You two are going to have to be my bodyguards, you know,” she said, only half joking.
Paulie grinned. “Okay by me.”
She took a deep breath and straightened her spine. She turned to Dan and gave the address of the house where the party was going on. He nodded his thanks and pulled out his phone.
Brenna and Mike pulled up as Dan made his call. Brenna ran to Jenn and hugged her, dislodging Paulie’s arm. Resigned, he stepped back, his moment of glory over.
“I’m so glad you’re safe!” Brenna cried. “I was so worried.”
Jenn looked at the six people surrounding her. “You all were looking for me?”
They nodded as one.
Cass watched as it struck Jenn that she was well and truly loved. The girl blinked rapidly as more tears threatened.
“I-I don’t know how to thank you. Especially since I’ve been so horrible lately.”
“Yeah, you have,” Jared said.
“Jared!” Cass glared at him.
He shrugged. “I’m just being honest.”
“Sometimes it’s best to just be silent.”
“It’s okay, Aunt Cassandra.” Jenn smiled at Jared. “He’s got no tact, but he’s still the best brother a girl could have.”
Jared reddened and grabbed his sister in another bear hug.
Cass looked at Dan to see if he appreciated what a sweet moment this was, especially since he’d lived through Jenn in high dudgeon. He winked at her, and her heart swelled. He understood.
“We’d better get back to school,” Jared said as he released Jenn. “Before we’re really in trouble.”
Cass looked at her niece, eyes still red, face flushed. “Do you want to come home for the rest of the day? You can put your ankle up and keep it on ice.”
She shook her head. “I’ve got to go back. People have to see me. It’s the only way I can save some of my reputation.”
Jared looked thoughtful. “You know, I think you should walk around holding Paulie’s hand for the next few days.”
“What?” Jenn and Paulie said together.
Jared leveled his forefinger at Jenn. “Just listen. We want to put as much distance between you and Derrick as possible, right?”
“Well, yeah.”
“The best way is to make it look like you have a new boyfriend.”
“Okay by me,” Paulie said, smiling broadly.
Jenn looked less convinced.
“And when people say they thought you were going with Derrick, just say that you decided that he was too wild for you. That’s not a lie.”
“But saying Paulie’s my boyfriend is.”
“Now wait,” Paulie said. “I’m a boy and I’m a friend, right?”
Jenn nodded.
“Well, there you are.” Paulie stuck his hands in his jeans pockets and waited for her response.
“But everybody knows I try to avoid you.”
“So tell them you changed your mind,” Jared said. “Think Derrick, and Paulie ought to look pretty good.”
Cass rolled her eyes at Jared’s less-than-flattering pronouncement, but Paulie seemed untroubled.
“Sounds like a plan to me, Jenn,” Brenna said. “It’s not like Paulie’s ugly or anything. In fact, he’s kind of cute in a shaggy dog kind of way.” She grinned at Paulie who flushed to the tips of his ears. “And believe me, Derrick isn’t going to pick a fight with someone Paulie’s size. You and your reputation will be safe.”
Jenn thought for a minute longer, then nodded. “Yeah, okay. It’s worth a try.”
Cass’s shoulders relaxed. She glanced at Dan who looked amused by the whole idea. Jared looked satisfied, and Paulie was floating three feet off the ground.
“Do you want notes to get back into school?” Cass asked.
The kids nodded, and Cass pulled a tablet from her purse. “Family emergency ought to do it except for Paulie.”
“Put it for me too,” he said. “I’m practically family.”
When the notes were written, Jared, Jenn, and Paulie climbed into Cass’s car.
“Don’t worry, Aunt Cassandra,” Jared called as he slipped the car into drive. “We’ll take care of her.” He smiled at his sister. Then his face took on a fierce look. “As long as she promises never to do such a stupid thing again.”
Jenn scrunched her nose at him. “Do I look
that dumb?”
“You look beautiful,” Paulie said. “As always. Here, let me hold your hand so we can practice.”
Jenn rolled her eyes.
Twenty-Eight
CASS COLLAPSED INTO a kitchen chair. Tremors like an earthquake’s aftershocks rolled through her. She held out her hand so Dan could see it shaking. “I’m a wreck.”
“And you’re surprised at this?” Dan put a glass of water on the table in front of her.
“Thanks,” she whispered but made no move to pick the glass up. She’d slop it all over herself; she knew it.
Dan pulled his chair close to hers. He reached for her hands. “Reaction shivers. That’s all.” He rubbed his thumbs over the backs of her hands.
“Mmm.” She closed her eyes and tried to think happy thoughts, tried to forget what might have happened if Jenn hadn’t escaped. It didn’t work. The shivers continued. “So close, Dan. So close!”
“But she saved herself, Cass. Be proud of her.”
“I am—when I’m not still terrified. Or furious.” She scowled at him. “How could she have been so stupid?”
Dan gave a half grin. “She’s sixteen. Do you remember how mature you were at that age?”
She gave him a small wry smile and felt it wobble. “I haven’t thanked you yet for all you did to help. I don’t know what I would have done without you.” She blinked against sudden tears. “You were wonderful.”
Dan’s eyes became bright with emotion. “You were the one who was wonderful.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “You handled those kids just right.”
“Strictly the grace of God.” Cass sighed. “I never realized how hard being a parent is, especially without the first sixteen years to set the pace.”
They sat in a comfortable silence until Cass glanced at the clock on the wall.
Twelve thirty-five. She blinked and pushed to her feet.
“Yikes! Look at the time!”
Dan studied the clock. “Lunch.”
“Lunch, my foot. It’s time to get to work. There’s so much to do before tomorrow. I’ve got to visit Mom, finish getting ready for Software Solutions, and call and cancel tonight. And then there’s Rodney.”
Dan frowned at her. “Why are you canceling tonight? Go. It’ll be good for you.”
She sighed. “I can’t leave Jenn. Not after today. “
He picked up her glass and took a drink. “Sure you can.” He downed the rest of the water.
Cass shook her head. “She’ll need me around. I’ll just go some other time.”
“Cass, honey, she’ll be fine. Jared and Paulie aren’t going to leave her side for quite some time. They’ll take care of her. And Brenna will be here.”
Cass closed her eyes. She had been looking forward to being away from the kids, much as she loved them, to being accountable just to herself for a few hours. “I’d feel like I was deserting the ship.”
“Miss Responsibility.” Dan gave her a warm, tender smile. “You need to get away, even if it’s only for one night.”
She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “Trying to get rid of me, are you?”
Dan put the empty glass in the dishwasher. “Just the opposite. I was going to offer to drive you down to Cape May.”
Drive her? “I couldn’t let you do that. It’s too far. Besides—” she paused and saw him stiffen—“you’re our guest.”
“Cass!” He looked like a thundercloud ready to unleash a wild and woolly lightning bolt.
She grinned. “Gotcha.”
He growled at her as he grabbed her in a bear hug. “Terrible woman.”
Her grin broadened, then disappeared. “Seriously, Dan, it’s too far. It’s not like driving me a couple of blocks to my parents’.”
He frowned. “I wasn’t planning to just drop you off, you know. I thought I just might try that B&B too.”
She stared at him. “W-what?”
He fidgeted uncomfortably. “I thought I could, um, you know, go along and sort of help you with your industrial espionage and all.”
Help her with her spying? “You want to go to Cape May with me?”
He nodded.
“But why?” Was he so bored here that even a quick trip to Cape May looked exciting? Or did he think she couldn’t manage by herself, especially with Rodney coming?
He shrugged. “Why not?”
“Not reason enough. Why?”
He looked directly into her eyes. “Because I want to be with you.”
She stared. People didn’t go places simply to be with her. At least men people didn’t. Her voice sounded breathless when she said, “You’d better call for a reservation.”
He looked slightly embarrassed. “I called yesterday. After our ‘discussion’ on the boardwalk.”
“What?” She couldn’t believe it. “And you didn’t tell me?”
“I was going to tell you after dinner last night, but things got a bit wild.”
Well, that was certainly true. Still, she couldn’t believe he wanted to go to Cape May with her. Just to be with her. Her! She felt warm and cozy inside, especially since she knew she’d never have had the nerve to ask him to come along.
“I think we should leave in time to be there for their high tea this afternoon,” he said. “How about two?”
Cass nodded, dazed. “I’ve still got to visit Mom, and make certain we’re ready for the Software Solutions group tomorrow.”
“Well, then let’s get to it. Where’s your checklist of things to be ready for Rodney?”
Russell House was a lovely old Victorian painted yellow with navy, royal blue, and white trim. It had been built in the 1880s after the great fire in 1878 destroyed Cape May’s entire hotel district with its tightly packed wooden structures. Warren Islington Russell of Philadelphia, who made his fortune in canned goods, built the place for his wife and eleven children to spend their summers in the healthful climate of the seaside. He commuted weekends from Philadelphia on the train that ran right through Seaside on its way to Cape May on the southern tip of New Jersey. The Russells were long gone, and the present owners had done to the grand old house much the same thing Cass had done to SeaSong.
“You’ll love it,” she assured Dan as he drove south on the Garden State Parkway.
She still couldn’t believe he was seated beside her. What a wonderful memory the trip would make after he left. Firmly she pushed aside the empty feeling any thought of his departure brought. She was going to enjoy this special interlude to its fullest.
Warm and welcoming, Russell House was filled with marvelous antiques. After they were shown to their rooms, Cass and Dan wandered through the common rooms and studied the wealth of history present in the pieces of furniture, the paintings, and the objet d’art.
“Look at this wonderful hand-painted chocolate set.” Cass lightly skimmed her forefinger over the tall, narrow china pitcher covered with clusters of bluebells tied with golden ribbons. Small cups, also covered with the bluebells and ribbons, sat on tiny saucers edged in gold leaf. “It must be at least a hundred years old.”
Dan squinted at the cups. “The trick must have been to drink a lot of water before you came for chocolate because one of those little cups would never satisfy anyone, especially not a guy my size.”
“They didn’t have guys your size back then.”
“It’s a good thing because how could someone with large hands ever hold the delicate thing? There’s no way my finger would ever fit that handle.”
Cass looked from the slim golden handles to Dan’s massive hands. High tea ought to be very interesting. Dainty cups with fragile handles would be all that was available, though the teacups would be larger than chocolate cups.
An hour later, Dan stood with a steaming cup and saucer in Spode’s Billingsley Rose pattern in one hand and a matching dish filled with petits fours, slivers of cucumber sandwiches, a thin slice of nut bread spread with an equally thin layer of cream cheese, a pair of small raisin scones topped with cl
otted cream, two meringues, and a small pile of cashews, carefully selected from the mixed nuts available. Cass held pale blue Wedgwood ringed with white flowers and a bit less food. She spotted a vacant pair of balloon back chairs with beautiful petit point seats and headed for them, Dan trailing. They sat.
Cass carefully set her plate of food on her lap and took a sip of her Earl Grey. She thought again how glad she was that she had come. With life going nonstop at the moment, it was delightful to sit and sip a cup of tea that someone else had prepared. She looked forward to sleeping in a bed someone else had made, eating a breakfast someone else had cooked, and leaving all her mess for someone else to clean up.
“Isn’t this great?” She turned to Dan, only to find him sitting stiffly with both hands still full.
“There’s no place to put this stuff down,” he hissed.
She grinned. How many times had she seen the brothers with both hands full and no place to put something down? “That’s because you don’t have a lap,” she said. “You have to sit with your knees together.”
He looked horrified. “Not me. The only way I sit with my knees together is when I stretch my legs out with my ankles crossed.” He demonstrated and immediately another guest almost tripped over him. With a quick apology, Dan pulled his legs back.
Cass tried not to laugh. “Don’t want to try balancing a dish on your kneecap?”
“Laugh all you want,” Dan said, feigning sorrow. “I’ll just sit here and suffer.”
Cass glanced around the room and found every flat surface covered with something—a Royal Doulton figurine, a miniature painting on a little easel, a bouquet of fresh flowers, one of an unending collection of vintage candlesticks of all sizes and materials, a hand-painted porcelain dish or pitcher.
Reminder: Make certain there were plenty of spaces at SeaSong for people to put things down. She might not do elegant high tea, but she often offered iced tea or lemonade in the late afternoon with crackers and cheeses.
“I need a TV tray.” Dan looked ready to lick the food off his plate if he didn’t soon find a solution.
“Not in a classy place like this.” Cass held out her hand. “Here. Give me your tea.”
