Senior Year Box Set

It was too cold to go swimming, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t build sandcastles. Kyle, Mac, and Greg put themselves in charge of construction while I taught Nate how to be Godzilla and stomp on their creations. He had the roar down pat as he staggered towards the mounds of sand.

His two older siblings soon helped him flatten the little town they’d created. I shook my head when the whole process started again.

Greg and I took a seat at the edge of the beach. Since the little ones were occupied, we had a chance to talk.

“Mom tells me you think I dress shabbily,” I threw out to get the ball rolling.

“If you believe that …”

“That’s what I figured.”

“Why was Mom winding you up?” Greg asked.

“If I knew that …”

“Yeah, dumb question,” Greg admitted.

“Hey, I need a favor.”

“Name it.”

“Fritz sent Paul back to LA after I got shot. He’d been seeing Scarlet, and now she worries that there’s no one here for her. I was wondering if you might help her out.”

Greg was the logical choice, so far as I could figure. I trusted him, and, from all reports, he knew what he was doing between the sheets.

“Explain to me exactly what you need me to do.”

I got out my phone and called Cindy.

“Hey, Greg is going to help Scarlet. Talk to him and explain what she needs.”

Greg gave me a pained look when I handed him the phone. I walked over to play with my niece and nephews while they talked.

I figured this would work for Greg because he was currently doing without, so to speak. Plus, I didn’t need Scarlet to get grumpy and decide she had to move away—and take my daughter with her.

◊◊◊

Chapter 26 – Lady Lucky Monday April 24

Today they would announce the regional seeding to start the state baseball playoffs. We had two rounds of playoffs to reach the state finals. Regionals would encompass area teams, which would then move to sectionals. Moose would share who we would be playing before practice today.

Lexi had decided she’d had enough of small-town living, so she had left early this morning. I was more than a little surprised that my mother hadn’t said a word about Lexi spending the night with me while she was in town. Mom knew I wasn’t celibate, but that didn’t mean she turned a blind eye to my activities, either.

This was especially true when Tami came home. Mom still entertained visions of the two of us being together. I’d expected at least a comment, but she’d said nothing. It made me wonder if her talk with Tami, which I’d overheard, was the reason she’d decided to leave me alone. I’d probably best just take that as a win and forget about it. The last thing I wanted to do was poke the bear and have my mom all up in my business.

I walked into the kitchen to find Cassidy making breakfast. I hadn’t seen her all weekend.

“Hello, Stranger,” I said by way of greeting.

She ignored me.

“Where were you all weekend?” I asked.

“Around,” Cassidy said vaguely.

I decided if she wasn’t going to talk, I would call Brook.

“What’s up?” Brook asked when she answered her phone.

“Did you figure it out?” I asked.

“Yeah. She was around,” Brook said.

I figured out that the two of them were having me on. I decided I wasn’t playing.

“Great,” I said and hung up.

I stepped over to the sink to get a cup of water and put it in the microwave so I could make tea. Cassidy kept glancing over at me, expecting me to question her. If what she’d been up to was something that worried Brook, Brook would have told me.

Mom and Dad came downstairs with Duke.

“Go help Peggy,” Mom said.

I ran upstairs and fetched my sons. Peggy was still getting ready.

“I thought we agreed that you would start dressing better,” Mom said.

“Need I remind you that this isn’t LA, and I already have a date to prom?” I fired back.

“You might have to start picking out his clothes again like you did when he was little,” Dad offered.

“Go change into something nicer,” Mom ordered.

“Why? What’s going on?” I asked.

“Just do as your mother says,” Dad tried.

Both mom and I began to laugh. Dad typically wasn’t the disciplinarian, and when he said stuff like that, it was funny. That didn’t mean, though, that when he got worked up, he couldn’t put the fear of God into me.

When Dad gave me a look that showed he wasn’t amused, I raised my hands in surrender and left to change.

There must be a reason, so I reached into the back of my closet to get my model clothes. I found a black silk turtleneck and paired it with dark gray slacks. I grabbed a Dakora sports coat and put on my oxblood red leather tennis shoes.

When I came back downstairs, I found out why Mom had insisted I change clothes: Jeff Delahey was sitting in our kitchen with a camerawoman.

They told me they would follow me around for baseball. Great!

◊◊◊

When we got to school, everyone scattered when they saw Jeff and me with a camera in our faces.

“Since when do you dress up to go to school?” Jeff asked.

“Which do you want, the truth or some spin?” I offered.

“Give me the spin first.”

“Since I became a big-time movie star, I have to look the part,” I tried.