Mom’s gaze strays back over to Peter Rhodes. She regards him thoughtfully. “You know, it wasn’t him who broke it off. He was willing to leave her for me. I turned him down.”
“Do you want a medal?” I hear myself say.
“There’s no need to be snippy.”
It’s not the time or the place for this conversation. And, really, it doesn’t matter. Though, if that’s true and Melissa Rhodes is aware of it, it might explain her reluctance to forgive the man and move on with her life. “Just go. Please. You’ve done enough damage for one night.”
“Fine.” Mom disappears out the door in a huff as Shane reaches me, the deep amber of his eyes shining.
I push aside the dark cloud that always forms whenever I’m in the same room as my mother and give him my full attention. “How is Cody?”
“His leg and wrist are broken, a lot of scrapes and bruises. They want to keep him overnight for observation but he’s going to be fine. No internal bleeding or anything.”
“Oh, thank God.” My shoulders sag with relief.
“Yeah. I don’t know how.” Shane lets out a breezy laugh. “He didn’t even get a concussion out of it. The kid was so lucky.”
“And you’re okay?” I reach up to graze my fingertip over the scratch Shane earned along his jaw when he tumbled to the pavement. Everything happened so fast, it’s hard to keep track of who hit what first. All I remember with nauseating clarity is the sound of Cody’s nimble body colliding with the car. But the driver slammed on the brakes at the last moment, minimizing the impact.
“I’m fine,” he dismisses. But then he rolls his shoulder and I notice his wince. I’m guessing if I lifted his shirt, I’d see a swath of black and blue.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been more scared in my life.” I’m not sure if my scream ever escaped my lungs, if it came out as anything more than a gurgle of noise.
“Yeah, me neither.” He rubs his face with his palms. “Things got way out of hand tonight.”
“I know.” It’s all I’ve been able to think about, when I wasn’t praying for a miracle. And while there seems to be a momentary truce between Penelope and Shane, I’d be a fool to think it’s going to last. That all these years of festering animosity will simply vanish, that the leopard will change its jealous, possessive spots within hours.
Shane and Penelope were growing civil with each other. Dare I say, they were in a good place, sharing custody of their son.
Then I entered the picture.
And now Cody is in a hospital bed because of the strife I’ve inadvertently caused. How much is because of me, personally—being Cody’s teacher, being Dottie Reed’s daughter—and how much is because I’m any female, stepping into Shane and Cody’s life, I can’t say. What I do know is, I have a difficult choice to make.
No, not difficult.
A painful choice.
“Listen …” I take a step back. “I’m going to head home now.”
“But they’re about to let us go back and see him.” He says this like it’s obvious that I would join them.
“Good. But I think it’s best that I leave,” I say slowly.
“No, seriously. Hey, why don’t you come meet my parents while we wait? I know it’s not under the best circumstances, but they really want to meet you.” He slips his hand into mine. It’s warm and strong and just thinking about it on my body makes me ache.
He hasn’t figured it out yet.
Mr. and Mrs. Beckett are standing in the far corner, chatting with each other. Shane must get his height from his father, because his mother, who steals frequent glances our way, is a diminutive thing.
I slip my hand out of his. “I don’t think I should meet them.” It’ll make this easier.
Shane frowns. “Scar, what’s going on?”
I feel the slight tremble in my limbs as a voice inside my head screams, “You don’t want to do this!” I really don’t, but it’s what’s right. Though, I was going to wait until a more appropriate time than standing in the ER waiting room.
I swallow against the rising dread. “I don’t think it’s a good idea that we see each other anymore.”
“No.” Shane tips his head back with an exasperated groan. “Come on, Scar—”
“At least not while I’m Cody’s teacher. Maybe next year, after he’s moved on …” I let the words drift, not feeling hopeful that Penelope’s attitude toward me will change.
Anguish and confusion fill Shane’s beautiful eyes as he studies my face, dumbfounded. “You can’t really want this.”
“I don’t.” My voice wavers.
“Then don’t do it,” he pleads. “I won’t let her go after your job. I promise.”
“You can’t make that promise.” Penelope is a loose cannon, guided by anger and jealousy rather than compassion and common sense. She can’t help it; it’s how she was raised. Ironic, given I was the one tarred and feathered for my mother’s worst faults. “But this isn’t about my job. It’s not even about my reputation.” Which I imagine might be on shaky ground after tonight’s story runs rampant through the school and mommy groups, growing legs and teeth, distorting the facts of an already bizarre reality.