None of his friends knew how he felt about the Ethiopian beauty. He didn’t want anyone to know. The truth was that he had no idea how to approach a girl that he liked, but that image wouldn’t gel with his reputation as the coolest boy in school. So no one could know.
There was a one-year age difference between him and Ayanna. He wondered if that would make him less attractive to her, but there was a two-year age difference between his parents and that presented no problem. He hoped that it would present none for Ayana. He would have to talk to his dad about that and what his next move should be. But that would have to come later, for now he had to put his feelings about her on hold until the threat to his family was gone.
He was concerned about what was going on between his folks. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but things seemed a little different. They must have had an argument or something. He still felt that he could depend on them when it came to fighting for Trevor, but he was scared about what was happening.
He had come up with a plan of his own to save his brother in case the legal system that his parents seemed to have such trust in failed them. Personally, he didn’t trust any kind of system. Like his dad, he had been in the foster care system, and he knew how that had worked. So much for that! His mother and grandmother had a lot of faith in God that everything would work out in their favor. They might be right. His own prayers had been answered pretty well over the last couple of years, but just in case a little help was needed, he was ready.
Kendall’s parents had dropped them off at the discount store several times over the past two weeks that he and Kendall had been working on their project. Each time they did so he used his allowance to purchase clothing for himself and for his brother. The last time Kendall had questioned why he would wear cheap clothes when his dad bought them only the best. He had shrugged off the comment, telling him that he bought them because he liked them. That shut him up.
The truth was that if worse came to worse, he would pack his backpack and his brother’s, and they would go on the run. Rich kids in expensive clothing wouldn’t be that hard to spot.
Money wouldn’t be a problem. He had been stashing away money from his allowance for years. Some of it was in the bank account his parents had opened for him, but years of forced survival had taught him to always be prepared. He had hidden a lot of his money in a secret place where he could get his hands on it quickly. There was more than enough cash to get him and Trevor far away if it came to that. He had even made himself a false I.D. on the computer at school—a driver’s license—that said that he was sixteen years old. He knew that it was illegal, and he didn’t want to break the law, but desperate situations called for desperate measures.
As he got closer to his father’s office, he felt his spirits lifting. His dad didn’t know that he was coming to catch a ride with him. Kendall’s father had picked them up after school and had taken him home with them. The plan was for Colin to eat dinner with his friend’s family, then work on the project with Kendall. After that Colin would be taken home, but he had changed that plan. He wanted to eat dinner with his own family and participate in family hour with them. Although he never would admit it to anyone, being with them was one of his favorite things. Kendall’s father had given him permission to walk to his dad’s office to catch a ride home with him.
Colin increased his pace. He really liked it here on the Peninsula, what a difference it was from the streets of Oakland. Over the years his life had undergone so many positive changes, and it was all because of his dad. Yeah, his father could be preachy sometimes, as could his mother, but his dad had a way of making him feel important. He liked knowing that his father felt that he could depend on him. He sure hoped that he would never have to leave with Trevor, because he knew that it would break his parents’ hearts. Right now all he could do was believe that everything would work out like they said that it would.
His dad seemed to be in control of things. He had been scared when the cops took him away, but even that Jamison dude having him arrested didn’t seem to rattle him. His father had said that he could afford a good attorney, and when the truth came out about the beat down he gave Jamison, everything would be fine. He felt a little better after his father told him that, but he was still mad at those cops, and he hated Royce Jamison, no matter what his parents said.
Colin opened the door to his father’s business establishment. He always got a rush when he came here or went to his dad’s other office in New York City. He was proud of his father’s accomplishments. He had sold the Oakland branch of his import business years ago and had opened this one on the Peninsula. Both his East Coast and West Coast businesses were highly successful and made a lot of money. People respected his father as a businessman and as a human being. His dad was a smart man, and Colin wanted to be just like him when he grew up. The receptionist at the front desk greeted him cheerfully.
“Boy, look at you,” she grinned, scrutinizing him from head to toe. “You’ve grown a foot. What have they been feeding you?”
After a little more chitchat, she sent him upstairs to his father’s office, unannounced. Colin peeked into his dad’s secretary’s office to say hello, but she wasn’t there. He continued next door to his dad’s office and knocked once. There was no answer. Turning the knob, he stuck his head inside. The front office was empty, but he could hear his dad’s voice coming from the adjoining conference room. Colin went inside. The door was cracked between the outer office and conference room. He could see his dad sitting at the table talking on the telephone, but his dad didn’t see him. Colin took a seat and waited.
Sin had been surprised when he received the call from Evelyn Linwood who was on the other end of the line. At first he feared that something had happened to Trevor, but it was after school hours, and he realized that his son should be home with Nedra. She confessed that she had gotten his office number from the emergency card kept on file at the school. There seemed to be a nervous tremor in her voice as she spoke.
“Mr. Reasoner, I…I…I’m sorry to bother you. Like I said, there’s nothing wrong with Trevor, except as I stated before his grades are slipping.” She stopped short, as she seemed to realize that she was rambling. “Anyway, uh, I need to talk to you again. I mean, I need to see you…”
“You need to see me?” Confusion was in his voice.
“Yes,” her voice grew firmer. “I need to see you, and it’s not about Trevor or his school work.”
“Oh? Really?”
“Yes, and I need to see you alone.”
Sin hesitated. “Alone?”
“Yes.” There was urgency in her voice.
Still uncertain about what she wanted, Sin was reluctant to make a commitment.
“Mr. Reasoner, please believe me. It’s very important.”
Pausing to assess the possibilities, Sin came up with nothing. It was curiosity that made him answer. “Well, all right, Evelyn. If you say so. When do you want to meet?”
“Tomorrow night.”
“Tomorrow night,” Sin echoed. “Friday?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, okay. Where?”
“You know the jazz club by the Monterey Boardwalk?”
“The club where we met before?” Sin visualized the building.
“That’s the one. We’ll meet there.”
It all seemed mysterious and clandestine to Sin, but he agreed. “All right, I’ll meet you there. What time?”
“Around eight.”
“Eight o’clock?”
“I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to get there any earlier, and believe me, it’s vitally important that you meet me. What I have to tell you might be crucial.”
“I see. All right, then I’ll be there.”
“And please don’t tell your wife that you’re meeting me.”
“What?” His eyebrows knitted. “Why not? After all you are Trevor’s teacher.”
In his father’s office, Colin, who had been slumped in a chair listening to the one
-sided conversation with disinterest suddenly sat up. On the other end of the telephone line Evelyn was desperate.
“It’s essential that you don’t tell anyone that we’re meeting tomorrow, believe me. So I must have your word that you won’t tell a soul. Please, Sinclair,” she pleaded, unaware that she had used his first name.
Sin heard her distress. Whatever was behind this strange telephone call, it sounded serious.
“All right, Evelyn. I’ll meet you at the club at eight tomorrow night, and you don’t have to worry about my wife. She won’t know anything about our meeting.”
Evelyn breathed a sigh of relief. “Good, I’ll see you then.”
Sin disconnected and sat reviewing the conversation. What in the world could have prompted this telephone call? His conscious mind told him that he ought to call her back and cancel their meeting, but instinct told him that whatever the call was about, it must be serious. He was going.
Rising, Sin was walking to the door of the conference room when he heard what he thought to be a noise in his office.
“Hello?” He opened the door to an empty room. Entering his office, he noticed that the door to the exit was ajar. It had been closed before. He glanced around the room. Nothing seemed out of place.
Going to the office door, he peeked into the hallway. It was empty. Shrugging, Sin retreated to his office, shutting the door behind him.
* * *
Colin hurried down the street headed back to Kendall’s house. What he heard just couldn’t be true. There was no way that his father would cheat on his mother. It had to be a mistake. It had to be! He fought the tears that threatened to fall.
The last time he had cried it had been with his father. He remembered that it was a couple of months after his parents had gotten married. He and his dad went on an overnight trip to Big Sur. It was their first trip with just the two of them alone.
They stayed in an unusual luxury motel where the rooms were tree house cabins located far above the ground. It was so peaceful and the scenery was so breathtaking that it had nearly brought him to tears, but he had fought them.
During the day, he and his father had hiked and explored their surroundings. At night they cooked popcorn over the fireplace in their room, made s’mores and they talked. His father told him about his childhood as an orphan being shuffled from foster home to foster home, until eventually he ran away and lived on the streets. He recalled how scared and lonely he had been. He told him how he never wanted to let people know how much it hurt inside to have no one to love him. He said that he didn’t want people to know his weaknesses, so he put on this hard outer shell so no one would see how he really felt. His dad shared with him that he was a grown man before he shed his first tear, and the freedom to cry had come only when someone had brought love into his life. That someone had become his wife.
Colin had understood every word he said. He knew the fear, the pain and the heartache of being alone, and there, among the trees in that magnificent forest, high above the earth, he had released years of unshed tears. His father had put his arms around him, and he laid his head on his chest and cried. He had cried for his young mother who had let life defeat her and left him and his brother alone in the world. He had cried for all of the cold, hungry nights and days without anyone to comfort them. He had cried and cried and cried until he thought that he had no more tears left, and his dad had cried with him. It was funny, but after it was over he didn’t feel like a punk. He felt much better, especially since his father had cried, too, and he knew that he was a man—a strong one.
They had formed a bond that night. He was closer to his father than any man on this earth. Since that day, Colin had never found another reason to cry—until now.
Had it all been lies? Had the one man in his life that he worshipped above all others deceived him? Fury propelled Colin’s long-legged stride as it gradually turned into a gallop. It was then that the tears began to flow, but he didn’t care. He didn’t care about anybody, and he would never trust anyone again. From now on, it was just him and his brother. He had his plan together, and he knew what he had to do! So he ran and he ran, as hard and as fast as he could. He ignored the strangers that stepped aside discreetly as he passed them by. He had only one goal in mind, and that was to save his brother. Nobody was taking Trevor away from him, and he would do what he had to do to see that they didn’t.
Chapter 24
It was after dinner and nearly at the end of family hour that Colin came into the house. He wasn’t expecting to find anyone there. He assumed that they had taken a walk on the beach together. Instead, everyone was gathered downstairs playing a board game. He didn’t want to see or talk to anyone. He planned on slipping up the stairs and into his room where he was going to lock it and let nobody in. Yet, the first person he saw when he walked in the door was his dad, bounding down the front stairway. He was the last person he wanted to see.
Sin smiled at the sight of his eldest. He was so proud of this kid. He was smart, decent and dependable. What more could any man ask for in his son?
“Hey, Colin,” he greeted him cheerfully. “How’s the science project going?”
“Fine,” he muttered, avoiding his father’s gaze. Colin moved swiftly past him, taking two steps at a time in his attempt to escape.
“Colin…”
“What?” he snapped.
His harsh tone caught Sin off guard. He frowned. Colin had never spoken to him like that before.
“Uh, I was going to ask you to join us. I’m sure that your little sister would appreciate your help with the board game we’re playing.”
“I don’t want to,” Colin barked, walking further up the steps.
“I didn’t ask if you wanted to, son.” Sin’s voice deepened as he held on to his temper. “I’m telling you that this is the family hour, and we’d like you to join us.”
Colin turned to face his father and raised his voice. “I said that I don’t want to.” His young body was tense. His manner was defiant. “I’ve got something else to do.”
Sin was taken aback. Had the boy lost his mind?
By this time the conflict in the foyer had drawn Nedra and the two younger children. All three looked baffled as well as astonished. They had never seen Colin challenge his father before. Nedra started to intervene, but thought better of it. This was between father and son.
Sin looked at Colin through narrowed eyes. He had heard other men talk about the conflict between fathers and sons when boys reached a certain age, and he had hoped that the good relationship he had established with his boys might help him avoid such a scenario. That hope had been dashed. How he handled this could set the course for their future as parent and child.
Without breaking eye contact with his eldest, he directed the other children to go to their rooms. Gillian did so reluctantly, but Trevor obeyed without question. Both children moved past their brother as if he were an alien from outer space. They were unable to comprehend his defying the man who would give his life for them.
Nedra stood in the foyer, waiting for the outcome of the standoff between man and boy. She prayed that the results wouldn’t be too drastic.
“Now, Colin,” Sin said quietly. “I want you to go into the family room as I requested. There’s obviously something bothering you, and we need to discuss it.”
Collin’s jaws tightened. You bet there’s something bothering me, and wouldn’t you like to know what it is. But with his mother standing there watching them, he wasn’t about to tell him.
“Ain’t nothin’ wrong.” He answered in the street language that he had gradually abandoned over the years. His stance was antagonistic.
Nedra shifted uncomfortably. From the look on her husband’s face, Colin was skating on thin ice that was a millisecond from breaking. She remained quietly observant.
Sin took a deep breath and counted silently to ten. He hoped that he didn’t burst a major blood vessel trying to remain calm.
“Well, whether ‘nothin�
� is wrong or not, I want to see you in the family room right now.” The tone of his last words left no room for discussion as he turned and marched pass Nedra. She remained where she was, watching their son.
She could see his indecision. If he went up the stairs, he could seriously damage the relationship he had with his father with results that certainly wouldn’t be to his advantage. If he joined him in the family room as requested, he would be admitting that he wasn’t the man that he was trying so hard to be at the moment. The wheels were turning visibly in his head. His mother hoped that he would make the correct decision.
There was absolute silence between them as the seconds ticked away, then with an angry sigh, Colin stomped down the stairs ready to comply. Nedra stopped him with a gentle hand on his arm.
“Go back up the stairs, and this time walk back down,” she said quietly.
Colin’s breathing escalated. Here he was defending her honor, and she was on his case! Although angry and humiliated by the request, he made no comment as he did as he was told.
“You know that stomping isn’t acceptable in this house,” Nedra gently reminded him. She could feel the heat from his angry body as he passed her. “And I love you.”
Colin didn’t answer as he continued toward the family room where his father waited. Her last comment annoyed him. She was just like Gillian, catching him off guard with that mushy stuff. How was he supposed to stay mad when she did that?
The telephone rang just as he was entering the family room. Sin was sitting in a chair, gripping the chair arms, and he didn’t look happy. Colin swallowed. Maybe the telephone call would be for his father and he would answer the call and delay their “talk.” He inhaled a breath of courage, knowing that he wouldn’t be that lucky. His mother would probably answer the call.
Sinful Intentions Page 23
