She swore never to trust him...

Hardworking single mom Andrea Taylor thought she knew everything about her teenage daughter. She doesn’t. Her teen is being bullied, and the school has brought in Jake Polegato to help. But the charming psychologist is the last man Andrea wants meddling in her family affairs.

Andrea has good reason to despise Jake, but her daughter comes first. Yet as Andrea and Jake work together, she begins to see the man he really is. As tensions turn into undeniable attraction, Andrea finds herself in dangerously unfamiliar territory. Because now she doesn’t just need Jake’s help...she needs him.

“Are you ready?”

“Sure, but be prepared—you may be pulling fishing line out of my hair.”

“I look forward to the opportunity to run my fingers through your hair in search of fishing line,” Jake replied, leaning toward Andrea, the heat of his body blending with hers. She fought to keep from swaying into his broad chest. She wanted to touch his face, feel the texture of his skin beneath her fingers. His body was so close...too close.

Suddenly uncertain, she retreated and concentrated on the rod she held. She

couldn’t look at him for fear he’d see her need.

“Let’s fish,” he whispered into her ear.

Dear Reader,

As an author, I enjoy writing stories about issues that people face in their everyday lives. Lives that involve doing our best in whatever we undertake, caring about each other and the one essential part of happiness that everyone seeks—finding someone to love.

Unexpected Attraction is based on a subject that everyone at one time or another has had to deal with, whether personally or with a family member: bullying. It is so important for all of us to recognize that everyone has the right to be a part of this world, to work in their chosen vocation, to love and fulfill his or her dreams without fear of being bullied.

I experienced bullying in my life, watched my children go through it and even my grandchildren. Some instances were more serious than others, but each time it produced anxiety, fear and uncertainty.

This story is about each one of you who has faced being bullied and had to find a way to cope with it. But it is also the story of love between two people who at first glance didn’t want anything to do with each other, but thanks to their shared circumstances they had to find a way to work together to help two teenagers. In learning to work together, they came to love each other with their whole hearts.

I hope you enjoy this story and share your own experiences around bullying. I can be reached at www.stellamaclean.com or on Facebook or Twitter.

Sincerely,

Stella

Unexpected Attraction

Stella MacLean

www.millsandboon.co.uk

STELLA MACLEAN loves creating contemporary romances in which the characters find love and fulfillment while learning to live in the moment. She draws her story ideas from her life as a wife, mother, grandmother and friend, and from her professional background as a nurse and accountant. Stella is an avid bird-watcher and gardener, taking great pleasure from digging in the dirt and watching seeds she has planted add beauty and grace to her gardens.

The single most important person in my writing life is the reader who takes the time to connect by reading my books. Shirleen Miller is one of these people. She is an avid reader who has encouraged me by offering her support and reminding me of the reason why I sit down at my computer every day.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

Extract

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

ANDREA TAYLOR’S SUV swerved as she swung the wheel, changed lanes then headed down the exit ramp. She was late for an appointment to show a house to a new client. She had loaded her smartphone with a tentative viewing schedule for other properties to discuss with the young couple when they met at this first house, which would be in a few minutes if all went as planned.

Because she’d grown up in this small town off I-94 near Kalamazoo, she had personal knowledge of this house, knew its interior features and its beauty. It had belonged to a family whose parents were employed at one of the subsidiaries of a large cereal production company. They had been transferred earlier in the year, leaving behind a spotless, well-staged home that Andrea was certain would appeal to the young doctor and his wife.

Yet what excited her most about this appointment today was personal. She was on track to be the top salesperson at her real estate firm if she made this sale. Reaching her sales goal would boost her confidence, make her feel more a part of the real estate business as an accomplished professional in her own right. The money would be a great bonus, as well. She wanted to take her daughter, Shannon, on a nice vacation as soon as she could afford it.

While waiting for the light at the bottom of the ramp to turn green, she glanced at her face in the rearview mirror, touched up her lipstick and then checked her cell phone for messages. The client had said he’d call when he left his office to pick up his wife. He’d been so insistent that they look at this house today she’d arranged to have her real estate partner, Gina Dowd, take Shannon to her hair appointment.

Andrea glanced again at her phone when she realized Shannon hadn’t responded to any of the messages she’d left, which was odd. Shannon usually returned her calls. Knowing her daughter, she was probably talking to her friend Chloe about their sleepover. That probably explained the silence. Shannon, her sixteen-year-old daughter, was considerate and respectful—the best daughter any mother could ask for.

Andrea turned right into the gated subdivision just as her cell phone rang. It had to be either her daughter or her client. Relieved, she checked the caller ID.

Cambridge High School? She hit the answer button. “Andrea Taylor speaking.”

“Mrs. Taylor, this is Mrs. Barton, Shannon’s homeroom teacher. Your daughter has been taken to the hospital.”

Panic pushed against her ribs. “Hospital? What’s she doing there?” she asked, easing her foot off the gas pedal. A horn blasted behind her.

“She’s been...injured.”

Injured? Who would hurt Shannon? It wasn’t possible. She pulled over and put the vehicle in Park. “What do you mean?”

“You need to get to the hospital.” Mrs. Barton hesitated. “I can meet you there if you’d like.”

Andrea couldn’t take in the woman’s words. Shannon couldn’t be hurt. “Was she in an accident?”

“I—I’m not sure. Shannon is in the emergency room,” the teacher said. “They need you there now.”

Emergency room?

“I’ll—” She took a deep breath. “Tell them I’ll be there right away.” Stunned, Andrea ended the call, only to have her cell phone ring again.

“Is this Shannon Taylor’s mother?” a very cool, professional voice asked.

“Yes. Who’s this?” Tension climbed Andrea’s shoulders.

“My name is Karen. I’m calling from the hospital. Shannon has been injured.”

Andrea held the phone closer to her ear as though that could stop her hands from shaking. “Her teacher just called me. Please tell me what’s going on.”

“Your daughter was brought in with abrasions on her arms, face and knees from a fall onto the sidewalk, or so we believe. The doctor is doing a few tests and a chest X-ray for possible injury to her rib cage.”

There had to be some mistake. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Andrea glanced at her watch. Shannon should have been at the hairdresser an hour ago. She would never change her plans without calling first. Andrea had to call Gina to find out what had happened after the salon appointment. “Who is there with her?” she asked, her mind fumbling for an explanation.

“Kyle Donahue. A classmate, I believe.”

Kyle was in Shannon’s class and was her math tutor. He was always polite and kind when he came to the house. Andrea liked him mostly because Shannon was always happy to have him around. Shannon never discussed the boys in her class other than Kyle, leading Andrea to wonder if they were more than friends. “I don’t understand. My daughter is supposed to be at—”

“Mrs. Taylor, we need you here now.”

“I’m on my way,” she said, her heart racing as she tried to remain calm. She shoved the gearshift into Drive, turned the wheel sharply and did a U-turn in the middle of the street.

She sped toward the interstate as she dialed Gina. When it went to voice mail, she left a message asking Gina to call her immediately. Her friend would be able to fill her in. The accident must have happened after Gina dropped Shannon off at home.

Andrea called her client, explained the situation and promised to set up another appointment as quickly as possible. Fortunately, as a doctor, he understood the urgency. She called her mother’s house. Edna, her mother’s housekeeper, picked up. “Is Mom there?” Andrea asked without preamble.

“Carrie is landing in Chicago as we speak. Can I give her a message?”

“Tell her to call me as soon as she can.”

“I will. Anything wrong? Anything I can do?”

Andrea hesitated. Edna had been her mother’s housekeeper and a part of Andrea’s life for as long as she could remember. Edna loved Shannon as if she were her own granddaughter. “Shannon’s been hurt. I don’t know the details. I’m on the way to the hospital now.”

“No! That can’t be. I’ll come right over.”

She heard tears in Edna’s voice and tried to hold her own at bay as she responded. “Please don’t. I’m sorry to upset you, but I’m sure she’s okay. Just give Mom the message. Tell her to call me as soon as she can.”

Traffic was backed up on the exit that led to Headley Hospital. Andrea gripped the wheel, waiting. Feeling the tension in her shoulders, she forced herself to breathe deeply and slowly. She had to remain calm and in control. Whatever had happened couldn’t be that serious. It seemed impossible that a fall would injure Shannon severely enough to require a trip to the emergency room. She was cheerleader, a good athlete and a physically strong young woman with good reflexes. She would have protected herself if she fell. This didn’t make sense.

Finally the traffic eased forward. Andrea turned onto the street leading to the hospital then made her way into the parking garage. In a matter of minutes she’d be with her little girl.

She hurried to the reception desk inside the emergency department. “I’m Andrea Taylor. I’m here to see my daughter, Shannon.”

“There is a waiting room for family members. I’ll let the staff know you’re here. Please follow the red dots just beyond the door,” the woman at the desk said.

With a click the doors slowly opened, and Andrea went in, making her way along the wide corridor leading into the brightly lit space.

Inside the waiting room there were groupings of chairs and a refreshment stand with a coffeepot and bottled water. Relieved to see the room empty, Andrea fought back the worry she’d been struggling with.

Moving toward a comfortable chair near the center of the room, she glanced around at the muted blue walls displaying paintings by local artists. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and tried to calm herself.

The clock on the wall behind the sofa clunked at each passing minute. The coffeepot hissed. The muffled sounds emanating from the hospital corridor did nothing to soothe her anxiety. How long would she have to wait? They’d told her to get here as soon as possible. She was here. Where were they? Unable to sit still any longer, Andrea clutched her purse and stood. Sliding her hands up her arms, she walked around the room, looking for a distraction.

Suddenly there was a woman wearing blue scrubs and a white lab coat standing at the door. “Mrs. Taylor?”

Andrea’s heart felt as if it were going to leap out of her chest. “Yes.”

“I’m Dr. Janet Everett. I’ve examined Shannon. She has some cuts and a bruised knee, a welt on her forehead. We’re running a few tests on her now.”

“What happened? Why would a fall on the sidewalk result in my daughter being brought to the hospital?”

“An ambulance was called to the scene, so obviously someone was very concerned. As far as I know, she didn’t lose consciousness. Your daughter has said very little other than that she fell. A young man came in with her but left about ten minutes ago.”

“Kyle Donahue?” Why had Kyle left Shannon alone instead of waiting for Andrea to arrive? Was he involved somehow in what happened? And how had Shannon ended up being hurt when she was supposed to be at home?

“I believe that’s the name, but your daughter should be able to tell you.” The doctor’s quizzical expression made Andrea feel inadequate, as if she should have known who was with her daughter. And she should have... Which was a problem she intended to fix as soon as she could see Shannon.

Dr. Everett’s glance swept over her. “Are you okay?”

Shannon had never been in the hospital before. Not once. She must be so frightened by all this. “I—I think so. When can I see her?”

“In a few minutes.” The doctor’s weary smile didn’t offer much comfort.

Andrea stood still, trying to absorb it all, trying to calm her racing heart. She had more questions after speaking with the doctor. She still couldn’t understand how Shannon could have fallen and why an ambulance had been called. If Kyle was with her, why hadn’t he grabbed her before she hit the sidewalk? None of this made sense.

The ring of her phone sent a spike of adrenaline through Andrea.

She checked the caller ID. Scott Taylor?

Her ex-husband was the last person she wanted to speak with now, yet she couldn’t ignore him. “Scott, why are you calling me?”

“Shannon just phoned. Did you know she’s in the hospital?”

Why would Shannon call her father? The man only wanted contact with their daughter when he needed something. “Yes. I’m at the hospital now.”

“Have you seen her yet?”

“I’m on my way to her room in a few minutes,” Andrea said, the old feelings of inadequacy roiling her stomach.

“What are you doing to help her?” Scott demanded, his voice suddenly loud and angry. “You’d better be looking after her.”

“That’s not fair! Shannon’s safe with me. You know that,” she said as she began to pace.

She listened to more angry words about her parenting skills from the man who had tried to take her daughter from her. But what he wanted didn’t matter. This was not the time or place for his tirade. “I’ll get back to you once I’ve talked to Shannon.” Andrea hung up before he could respond.

A woman in pink scrubs walked into the waiting room. “I’m Karen, Shannon’s nurse. I can take you to see her now.”

They walked toward the trauma area, through a set of swinging doors to an area behind a white curtain.

Andrea stopped in front of the barrier, bracing herself for what she might see. “Shannon?” Andrea asked as she slipped behind the cotton drape.

“Mom? Mom, I’m so sorry. I never meant—”

“Oh, sweetie, you’re okay. That’s all that matters,” she said, her voice shaking as she hugged her daughter. “I was so worried. Why didn’t you call me?”

“Mom, please don’t,” Shannon said, easing away, clutching her elbows as she stared at a spot over Andrea’s shoulder.

Andrea was so relieved to see Shannon she didn’t immediately register the dismissive words and actions. She eased away and scanned Shannon’s face for any sign of injury. Other than a small white bandage on her forehead and a reddened area on her cheek, there didn’t seem to be any visible damage. “Where do you hurt?” she asked, smoothing the pillow behind Shannon’s head.

“I’m fine, Mom. You don’t need to worry.”

From what she could see, Shannon seemed to be okay, but that didn’t alleviate her concerns. “Why didn’t you call me after school?” It took surprising effort to keep the recriminations from spilling out. If Shannon had answered her phone, perhaps this could have been avoided. At the very least, Andrea would have known what her daughter was up to.

“I was busy and forgot.”

How could her only child forget to call her? That wasn’t how their relationship worked. They stayed in contact, always letting the other know when plans changed. When had Shannon stopped telling Andrea everything? And why hadn’t she noticed that her daughter seemed...different? What had gone wrong, and was Kyle the reason for Shannon’s odd behavior? “Was Kyle with you?”

“He was, but he had to get home. His mom was looking for him,” Shannon said, her anxious glance partially obscured by the bandage above her right eye.

“How did you get hurt?”

Shannon toyed with the neckline of her hospital gown, a frown darkening her features. “Kyle was walking with me to the mall. I needed to get to the drugstore.”

“And?” Dragging answers out of Shannon was like an inquisition. Why was she so reluctant to talk? Was there more to this fall than she was admitting?

“And I tripped. I fell down...” Shannon’s voice shook.

The tremor broke the control Andrea had on her emotions, and tears escaped. “I’m so sorry you’re hurt. But how could you have hit the ground so hard? Where was Kyle? Didn’t he grab you? Surely he didn’t let you fall without trying to help.”

“Mom! Stop! I don’t need you crying when nothing really happened. I wouldn’t have come to the hospital if Kyle hadn’t insisted. He did everything he could to help me.”

“Where is Chloe? She’s your best friend. Why didn’t she come to the hospital with you?”

Shannon closed her eyes briefly then looked up. “I called Daddy. He told me you’d freak out, but I didn’t believe him. I wish he was here.”

Irrational anger tore through Andrea, settling in her throat. She wanted to scream and throw something. Scott hadn’t shown an iota of concern for Shannon since he’d left and married another woman. If it hadn’t been for Andrea’s attempts to maintain a connection between her daughter and her ex, Shannon would have known how little Scott cared. But she’d always made a point of reminding Scott of their daughter’s birthday and anything new or different in Shannon’s life. She’d done it all for Shannon, and this was how her daughter responded?

Shannon’s words brought painful memories to the surface. Scott had done everything to gain custody of Shannon, including having a psychologist, Jake Polegato, do an assessment trying to prove Andrea was an unfit parent. She would never forget those days when Jake interviewed Shannon and gained her confidence. Shannon had been happy that Jake showed her so much attention and understanding. But when he made the case that Shannon might be better off with her father, that staying with her mother was not necessarily the right decision for Shannon, Andrea had been furious.

As far as she was concerned, the man was a fraud. At the very least he was acting in Scott’s best interests, not Shannon’s.

She shook off the memory. She couldn’t stand to be reminded of Scott or Jake. Neither of them mattered to her anymore. The only person who mattered in her life was here in this room.

“Sweetie, there was no need for you to call your dad. He’s too far away to be of any help,” she said, fighting to keep her voice even.

Seeing the loneliness in Shannon’s blue eyes and knowing how much she wanted her father to care about her, Andrea eased her daughter into her arms. “It’s okay. I’m here and everything will be fine. You’ll see.”

She felt Shannon’s tears on her shoulder, the heaving of her daughter’s chest against hers. She stroked her daughter’s blond hair gently, loving her as she had never loved anyone in her life. Shannon meant everything to her.

A nurse entered the curtained space. “We’re taking your daughter for an X-ray, then if everything is okay, she’ll be going home.”

Giving Shannon one more hug, Andrea whispered, “This will be over soon.”

Shannon’s glance was a blend of bravado and uncertainty as the nurse moved to unlock the brakes on the stretcher then pushed it toward the corridor.

“I’ll be here when you get back,” Andrea murmured, clutching her purse tighter to ward off the chilling thought that in the past few hours so much had changed between them.

In the four years since the divorce, Andrea had watched her daughter blossom into a beautiful, independent teenager. A young woman who was carefree and happy, who shared everything in her life with her mother. And that’s why the call Shannon had made to her father hurt so much. She had been there for her daughter, had cared for her and loved her, and now when she needed Shannon to show a little appreciation for all her efforts. Shannon had called Scott, the one person in her life who had hurt her in ways she was still trying to deal with. It wasn’t fair.

Despite everything, she and Shannon were best friends. No one could come between them. Not now. Not ever. Shannon had always confided in her...always.

Until now. Suddenly her anger shifted, twisted in her chest, forming a ball of fear. Fear mixed with foreboding as Andrea waited for Shannon’s return. They were a team. They would get through this together.

CHAPTER TWO

JAKE POLEGATO TOOK a moment to calm the disbelief and anger building in him as he observed the behavior of these two very difficult parents. For two months he’d been working with this family to give their daughter a chance to express her needs. She was a seventeen-year-old private-school student struggling to get her parents to accept who she was and what she wanted out of life. The parents couldn’t address each other without yelling and screaming, behavior that clearly upset their daughter.

She wanted to go to the University of Michigan and study genetics rather than the Ivy League school they were pushing her to attend. She wanted to make a difference in the world, not continue living the pampered lifestyle her family espoused. What had started out as a disagreement had escalated into a standoff between the parents, Jessica and Don Parker, and their only daughter, Elaine. He turned to the father whose sullen expression he found particularly annoying today. “Don, do you hear the excitement in your daughter’s voice when she talks about the class visit to the university’s department of genetics?”

“Yeah, Dad, I would really love you to meet Mr. Duncan, the professor who’s heading up all the research I’m interested in.”

The father swung his gaze to his daughter. “You can take genetics at lots of different universities, don’t you know that?”

“There you go again, Don, trying to belittle what Elaine wants,” Jessica yelled, her face red, tears dampening her high cheekbones.

“Okay, let’s try to remain civil here. Each of you feels the other isn’t listening, but this can’t be resolved until each of you is ready to simply hear what the other says. Now, let’s give Elaine a chance to explain one more time why she loves the field of genetics.”

As he tried to find common ground, Jake was reminded of another case he’d been involved in, one that had haunted him since he’d offered his opinion four years ago. This afternoon he’d received a phone call from the guidance counselor at the local high school, asking him to be part of a meeting involving the young woman from that case. She’d been in some sort of altercation in which she’d been injured. The school psychologist was ill and he’d requested that Jake attend tomorrow’s meeting in his stead.

As Elaine finished her explanation, he turned to Mrs. Parker, took a deep breath and used a gentle, inclusive tone when he addressed her. “Can you speak to what your daughter has just said? How you feel about it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why don’t you rephrase what your daughter just told you in your own words? It would give you and Elaine a chance to understand each other better.”

As he proceeded to engage with the Parkers his mind kept going to the call he’d gotten. The school had identified recent issues with the teenager that, when combined with the incident today, had the administration worried. She was a high achiever both scholastically and in extracurricular activities but was now getting into fights and not doing well in class.

The student’s name was Shannon Taylor—a name he wasn’t likely to forget. His testimony and opinion had nearly resulted in Shannon living with her father and leaving her mother behind. After observing Andrea Taylor—a mother whose obsessive need for control had manifested in explosive bouts of anger that raised Shannon’s anxiety—he’d felt compelled to suggest Shannon live with the father, who seemed much more easygoing and less controlling.

At the time it seemed like the best recommendation, but he knew in his heart that he’d acted out of his own deep-seated fears. The year before he met the Taylors, his wife, Maria, a strong-willed, brilliant psychologist and his business partner, had died giving birth to a daughter who had never drawn a breath. Maria had been addicted to painkillers as a result of a car accident and had refused treatment for her addiction, yet Jake hadn’t taken precautions to prevent a pregnancy. He’d failed his wife and his daughter.

An outburst from Don Parker forced his mind back to the issues at hand. “I think what I’m going to get each of you to do is to write down the reasons for and against Elaine going to the University of Michigan. I want each of you to give two reasons why it’s a good idea and why it’s not.”

“It’s not a good idea,” Don Parker said emphatically.

“Just be willing to remain calm and do as I ask,” Jake said, glancing at each in turn to get their consent to what he considered to be a very simple exercise. He’d run out of ideas with these parents and was quite frankly willing to admit defeat if something didn’t change soon.

Watching Don Parker’s angry approach, he was reminded of another parent’s similar response.

When faced with Andrea Taylor’s behavior and her anger about his role in the child-custody issue, he’d been reminded of his wife and her response when confronted with someone who didn’t agree with her. He couldn’t help but feel that Andrea, like Maria, was intolerant of anyone else’s opinion.

He shouldn’t have let similarities to his wife have any role in his assessment of Andrea Taylor. His personal feelings were not relevant to the case. That his past behavior still sparked guilt, made him all too aware of his fallibilities.

The last time he’d seen Andrea Taylor, she’d been very angry. While he could understand her reasons for feeling that way, he did have to take into account the fact that she had anger issues and hadn’t sought any form of professional help to deal with them. She didn’t have problems with drug use. And as far as he knew, she was now a successful real estate agent who worked hard to provide a good life for Shannon.

But four years ago Shannon had been a child struggling with her parents’ acrimonious divorce, which made her frightened not only of the future but also of her father moving away and her mother’s sudden outbursts. Andrea had been a very driven woman determined to control all aspects of her daughter’s life.

He hoped things had changed since then. Still, he wasn’t looking forward to meeting her again.

He refocused on the parents in session with him now, wanting to yell at them. He wanted to shout how lucky they were to have a daughter, how good their lives could be if they would only stop and listen to what their daughter wanted out of life.

Instead, he calmly reminded them of the listening strategies they had agreed upon last session.

* * *

WHILE SHE WAITED for Shannon to return, Andrea’s loneliness pressed around her like a blanket. She remembered Shannon’s first day at kindergarten—how impossibly empty the house had seemed when Andrea returned from walking Shannon the two blocks to the school...

Her cell rang.

“I got your message, and I’m on my way from Chicago.” At the sound of her mother’s voice, Andrea’s anxiety eased. “I’ll be there in a couple of hours. How is Shannon?”

“She’s been checked over, a few tests run and I’m taking her home soon.”

“How are you doing?” her mother asked softly.

“I’m—I’m worried. Scott called me, and he’s angry.”

“That man! What is the matter with him?”

Andrea rubbed her forehead, her mind racing over the past few hours. “You know Scott. Nothing’s changed.”

“Listen, honey. Forget him. You take care of yourself. I’m sure everything will be fine. Tell Shannon I love her and I’ll see her as soon as I get back in town. In the meantime, if you need anything, my cell phone is on.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Andrea said, pushing her hair off her face. “Call me when you get home.”

“I will.”

Andrea hung up. What was taking so long? Had they found something? Were they consulting with another doctor? She wasn’t very good at waiting for anything, but especially not in this situation. She leaned against the wall just inside the cubicle.

If anything was wrong with Shannon, Andrea would have to get Scott involved, something she dreaded. As usual, she hadn’t gotten anything remotely like kindness from him, but maybe if she’d tried a little harder, she might have been able to calm him.

She clutched her cell phone, checking for messages. None. Scott could have called back if he was so concerned about Shannon. Thinking about her ex made her head pound and her neck tighten. Why did this have to happen now, when her life was going so well and Shannon seemed so happy? Shannon’s sudden interest in talking to her father felt like a betrayal of the relationship they’d built. Andrea tried to move her thoughts away from Scott but couldn’t escape the hurt that one phone call sparked. She feared Scott would use this incident to drive a wedge between her and Shannon.

If Scott saw this as a chance to take Shannon to join him and his new wife and children, knowing Shannon’s desire for a family... Andrea took a deep breath to ease the foreboding feeling inching its way around her heart.

She was so tired of the pressure of being in charge, of being the one responsible. She’d give anything right now to have someone to rely on, to help her get to the bottom of what was going wrong in Shannon’s life. Why hadn’t Shannon talked to her? Was she in shock? Could she have a head injury? Something was desperately wrong because, to Andrea’s knowledge, Shannon had never done anything even remotely like this before. Shannon loved school, and all her school activities. Shannon had always shared everything with her, and even now she couldn’t help but believe that given time Shannon would tell her everything leading up to the fall that landed her in the hospital. But how could she be sure? She hated going behind her daughter’s back to discover what was really going on, but she would if she had to. Exhausted, she tilted her head back to keep the tears from flowing.

There was a rustling sound as the nurse approached her. “Mrs. Taylor, Shannon’s tests were normal and she is ready to go home. I’ll run through the discharge instructions with you.”

Andrea followed the nurse to where Shannon sat slumped in a wheelchair, her hands in her lap, her head down.

“Shannon has several cuts on her knee, which we’ve dressed. Those dressings can come off in a couple of days, unless there’s further bleeding. Check in with your family doctor if you have any concerns.”

“Thank you,” she said as her gaze moved to her daughter, seeking signs of how Shannon was feeling. Shannon had always been such a stoic child, but tonight might have changed that.

“We’ll get you home and tucked into bed. We’ll talk about all this tomorrow when you’re feeling up to it,” she said, pushing the wheelchair ahead of her.

Shannon tossed her long blond hair off her face, stared up at her mother from the wheelchair and squared her shoulders. “What happened was no big deal. I fell and Kyle was there to help me,” she said as if annoyed by her mother’s presence.

Andrea saw the shift in her daughter’s gaze and had this awful feeling that she was lying. But she didn’t know what to say, how to approach her over this. “You could have been seriously injured, Shannon,” Andrea said, surprised at her daughter’s dismissive tone.

Shannon grabbed the wheels of the chair, stopping it, and jumped up. “I want to walk,” she said, her voice matter-of-fact. There was a pronounced limp as she hurried away.

“Shannon, wait for me,” Andrea called as she followed her toward the entrance.

She caught up just as the automatic doors leading to the parking lot whirred open. “Wait here. I’ll bring the car around.”

Shannon scanned the parking lot. “No, I see it,” she muttered, wincing as she stepped off the curb.

Andrea’s concern mixed with irritation. Pushing aside her feelings, they headed toward the SUV, Andrea clicked the remote door opener and climbed into the vehicle. Shannon got in the passenger side and snapped on her seat belt as she groaned in pain.

“Are you okay?”

“It’s the seat belt. I hit my shoulder when I fell.”

Andrea’s breath stalled in her throat at the image of her little girl being hurt. She reached across the seat and hugged her daughter. “Oh, sweetie, I’ve never been so afraid in my life as when the call came saying you were here.”

“Mom, I’m sorry for worrying you. I didn’t mean to,” she whispered before kissing her mother’s cheek.

They held each other for a few moments, their closeness an instant reassurance. If Shannon was hiding something, not telling her the truth, it would work itself out once they were home. If necessary, she and Shannon would stay up all night to talk this out. They’d done it before during the divorce proceedings.

She hugged Shannon again before settling in and buckling her seat belt. “Let’s go home. I’ll make a pitcher of peach smoothies—” Shannon’s favorite “—and we’ll watch a movie together. What do you say?” Andrea turned into the flow of traffic while she watched Shannon out of the corner of her eye.

“I’d rather just go to bed.” Shannon pulled her cell phone out of her knapsack.

“Who are you calling?” Andrea asked as she changed lanes before stopping at a red light.

“Kyle. I want to tell him I’m okay, that I’ll see him at school tomorrow.”

She was still waiting for her daughter to explain what happened, and all Shannon could think about was her friend? “Kyle?”

“Yes, Kyle.” Shannon hit Call and put the phone to her ear.

Indignation rose like a balloon to fill the space around Andrea’s heart, zapping her already-frayed nerves. “Shannon, put that phone away. Now!”

“Mom! I’m calling Kyle.”

“No. You’re not. Besides, you can’t go to school tomorrow. You need to rest.”

Shannon rolled her eyes and clicked the end button. “Mom, stop being so melodramatic. I fell. End of story.” She gave a disgusted sigh. “Why are you making such a big deal about it?”

“A big deal?” Andrea glanced at her daughter. “I get a call to come to the emergency room because my daughter has been injured, and it’s no big deal?”

Shannon smoothed her hair around her cheeks, hiding her face.

“What is going on with you?” Andrea asked, unable to keep the anger out of her voice. “And if you’re so anxious to talk to Kyle, why won’t you talk to me?”

Shannon turned her head so quickly her hair swung out around her face. “Mom! Stop it! See? This is why I called Dad. You’re so unreasonable,” Shannon said, indignation adding emphasis to her words.

For a few moments, Andrea couldn’t speak. Hurt led the surge, followed quickly by disbelief that her daughter would confide in Scott and not her. “You called your father without talking to me first.” She forced the words past her taut lips.

“Because I knew you wouldn’t call him, and I wanted Dad to know.”

“Shannon, I would have called your father after I could assure him you were okay.”

“Why can’t I call my dad?” she demanded. “I’m going to call him when I get home.”

“Do you expect him to come? To leave behind his precious life with his new family and come to look after you?” The second the words were out, Andrea wished she could take them back. “Shannon, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say—”

“For your information, I didn’t expect Dad to come here. Not with you hovering around me!” she yelled.

“Shannon, I didn’t mean to upset you, but you should have called me and told me where you were and what was going on.”

“The nurse told me she’d called you and you were on your way. As for Dad, I just needed to talk to him. Can’t you understand that?”

Wanting to wipe the anxious expression off her daughter’s face, she softened her tone. “Of course I can. Look, let’s forget all this and go home. You’re safe and that’s what matters.”

“Mom, there’s something else I need to tell you, and I don’t want you to be mad at me for doing it.”

“What’s that?” Andrea asked, her nails digging into the steering wheel.

“Kyle and I are talking about going away on March break. I might go to Dad’s—”

“No!” Andrea said without thinking.

“Mom. I have a right to see my father.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” She struggled to remain calm. “Shannon, we can talk about this later.”

Shannon slumped in her seat, pressing her palms to her forehead. “I’ve made you angry, haven’t I?”

“Not angry so much as concerned.” Had Shannon and Kyle started dating? “Is Kyle going with you to your father’s house?”

“Of course not. He has family in Phoenix, and he thought it would be fun to visit them,” Shannon said.

Did Shannon’s sudden interest in visiting her father have something to do with Kyle? “If you and Kyle are involved, it’s okay. I really like him.”

Shannon gave a long sigh and closed her eyes. “No, Mom. Kyle and I are friends. He’s my math tutor, or don’t you remember? I wish you’d stop trying to find a boyfriend for me. Really. If I wanted a boyfriend, I’d have one. Now, can you stop interrogating me?”

“I didn’t mean to make it sound like an interrogation. But this hasn’t been easy for either of us.”

Shannon didn’t respond.

The only sound was the hum of the car as Andrea drove carefully down their street and into the driveway. Normally, Shannon would have hit the garage door opener on the visor and made some teasing comment about her mother nearly clipping the cedar hedge along the driveway. Not tonight.

As Andrea pulled into the garage, she was certain of one thing. She no longer believed that Shannon’s injuries were the result of a simple fall on the sidewalk. She didn’t believe that Kyle was an innocent bystander. She didn’t believe anything her daughter had told her. It was suddenly very clear that there was something going on in Shannon’s life. Something her daughter was hiding.

Shutting off the engine, she turned to Shannon. “Sweetie, you have to understand that I’m concerned about what is going on with you. The injuries the nurse described couldn’t have been from a simple fall on the sidewalk. You’re too good of an athlete to fall like that. Besides, you have no injuries or scrapes on your hands to prove you put your hands out.”

“I’m telling you the truth. Why don’t you believe me?”

“Shannon, you’re telling me that you hit the sidewalk hard enough to hurt your ribs, your forehead, to scrape your leg and hurt your shoulder. I don’t buy it, not for a minute. I need to know what happened.”

Shannon glared at her, tears flooding her eyes. “Why don’t you trust me? I fell. That’s all.”

There was no way she could let this continue. Knowing what had happened to Shannon left her with no choice but to show her daughter how serious this lack of truthfulness was and that it wouldn’t be tolerated.

Andrea held the wheel with a viselike grip as she stared straight ahead. “Shannon. You leave me no choice but to ground you until you’re willing to be totally honest with me.”

Shannon’s indignant gasp filled the vehicle.

CHAPTER THREE

SHANNON LIMPED AHEAD of Andrea into the house, dropping her backpack on the kitchen table before heading to her room. Needing answers, Andrea followed her. “Shannon, you have to understand. I can’t ignore what you’ve done. I can’t.”

Shannon stopped and stood perfectly still. “Mom, I wish you would trust me on this. I know what I’m doing.”

What was she saying? Why the secrecy? “Would you please explain that statement?” she asked, refusing to accept Shannon’s determination to shut her out.

Shannon turned. “Kyle and I were just walking along, fooling around, when I fell.”

“Who else was there?”

Shannon’s gaze dropped to her hands. “No one. Like I said, we were teasing each other. I stumbled.”

There was that evasiveness again, that guarded tone. “Why didn’t Kyle grab you? He’s bigger and stronger. Why didn’t he break your fall?”

Shannon continued to study her hands.

A horrible thought occurred to Andrea. No! “Did Kyle hit you?”

Shannon stared at her in shock. “Kyle isn’t like that,” she said. “Why can’t you just let it go? He wouldn’t do that.”

“How do you know?”

“Because he is my friend—a good friend. He would never do anything to hurt me or anyone else.”

Then why did Andrea feel so unsure about Shannon’s explanation? Something didn’t ring true even though her daughter hadn’t changed her story after being punished. Her head pounded as she considered the possibilities.

She peered at Shannon’s face, the unfamiliar lines of tension evident around her eyes and mouth. Andrea wanted to hug Shannon close and tell her that everything would be okay. But would it? Was there something seriously wrong in her daughter’s life, or was she simply overreacting?

“I love you, sweetie, and we’ll work this out. Let’s talk in the morning after we both get some rest.”

“Mom, I don’t want to talk about it tomorrow or any other time. It’s over. I promise. Okay?”

Anger fueled by fear welled up in Andrea. “As far as I’m concerned, until you tell me what’s really going on, it’s not over. But it’s up to you. Without the truth, you’ll miss out on school and your friends. But if that’s the way you want it...” She shrugged as a show of bravado, but one look at her daughter told her in no uncertain terms she’d created a distance between them she might not be able to cross.

Shannon turned away, went into her room and closed the door.

The closed door and the change in Shannon’s attitude fed Andrea’s fear. Should she go after Shannon and insist on answers? Or would that only drive her further away? Should Andrea apologize to see if they could find a way to talk about what happened? They always talked before bedtime. Always.

A part of her wanted to scream in frustration. Another part of her simply wanted to forget everything in the hope that it would all go away—wishful thinking, but easier to deal with than the alternative.

She locked the house and put the security system on before going to her bedroom. As she passed Shannon’s door, she listened for any sign that her daughter was still awake. There wasn’t a sound. Making her weary way to her room, Andrea ran a bath and took the portable phone in with her. She’d talk to Gina, get her advice on what all this meant, then try for a little sleep.

* * *

THE NEXT MORNING, Andrea went in to the office. “What are you doing in here? You should be home with Shannon,” Gina said with concern as she met Andrea at the door.

She and Gina had talked for over an hour last night as Andrea tried to work out how to handle what was going on with her daughter. As they’d arranged, Gina had taken Shannon to her hair appointment then dropped her off at the house, unaware that Shannon had planned to go out again. All Andrea could figure out was that Shannon had returned to the school, probably with Kyle.

“There’s not much point in staying home when Shannon won’t talk to me.” Andrea rolled up the sleeves of the old white shirt she’d tucked into her faded jeans. She couldn’t be bothered dressing up this morning. She was too tired, and she didn’t have any clients coming in. Last night she’d called the doctor and his wife, explaining that she couldn’t show them the house today, apologized again and rescheduled the showing for tomorrow. She was simply too distracted to do a good job of presenting the property to a prospective buyer.

To ease her mind away from her problems, she had decided to come in to work and make a list of cold calls. She needed more sales if she was to meet her goal for this year. Her plan to take Shannon on a vacation was even more urgent, given the current situation. As she’d tossed and turned last night, she’d decided that a vacation as soon as possible was the best answer. Although it was only the middle of October, maybe she should plan a long weekend for them, or go away during Thanksgiving in November. A vacation away from here would offer the best chance for her and Shannon to put their relationship back on track.

“I’m sorry you’ve had such a rough time. But if it’s any consolation, you and Shannon will work things out together. That’s how you’ve always done it, and this won’t be any different.”

“I hope you’re right.” Gina had two boys who had given their mother a fair amount of grief during their teenage years, and Andrea appreciated all the advice Gina had offered last evening on how to deal with Shannon’s sudden change in behavior. But none of it had mattered in the dark spaces of her bedroom late in the night. She’d gone over everything from the moment she’d gotten the call to their disastrous conversation at home.

She’d finally given up on sleep, gotten up, washed two loads of laundry, made banana muffins then headed in to the office. Andrea had left the house without speaking to Shannon, mostly because her daughter hadn’t yet emerged from her room. While making the muffins, she’d noticed that most of the milk she’d bought yesterday was gone and the peanut butter was still sitting on the counter. Shannon had been up sometime in the night and had eaten her favorite comfort food.

“Shannon wasn’t anywhere in sight when I left, and I didn’t have the courage to go into her room. Quite frankly, I don’t know what to say.” Andrea tucked her purse under the corner of her desk and turned on her computer.

Gina pulled up a chair next to Andrea’s desk. “You’ve got to stop worrying. It’s too hard on you, and God knows you’ve done enough worrying over the past four years to last you a lifetime. Like I said last night, I’ve had huge fights with my boys, taken their phones and grounded them on several occasions. They got over it. Shannon will, too.”

Andrea wasn’t so sure, given the way Shannon had looked at her before she went into her bedroom. And if Scott believed he had a chance at moving Shannon to Phoenix with his new family, he would tell Shannon anything he thought she wanted to hear. Scott hated to lose no matter what the situation was, and custody of Shannon was in his mind a loss. And although it was four years ago Andrea knew that Scott wouldn’t give up trying to prove that he could win in the end.

“Shannon’s never hidden the truth from me...at least not that I know of. As for Kyle, I thought he was trustworthy. He’s been at my house dozens of times. Yet he disappeared before I got to the hospital. Why wouldn’t he stay with Shannon? He’s been so attentive to her lately, I thought they were dating. And Shannon says they want to go to Phoenix on March break next spring. Doesn’t that sound like more than friends to you?”

“It does. Did you know about their plans for Phoenix?” Gina asked.

“Not until last night.”

“Are you okay with her going?”

“No. Especially when she won’t tell me the truth. And God knows what sort of game Scott will play with her. He’s already siding with her about this whole falling-on-the-sidewalk story.”

“Do you suppose he’s angling to get her to stay with him? Maybe he’s discovering how difficult it is to find babysitters for those young kids of his.”

“I can’t even think about that. I mean, I wouldn’t put it past him to try, but I need to sort out the mess in front of me before dealing with him and his schemes.” Andrea sighed in defeat as she thought about Shannon traveling to Phoenix with Kyle. “If part of this is about Shannon dating Kyle, she knows I’d be okay with it. So why wouldn’t she confide in me?”

Gina patted her shoulder. “Now, there’s a familiar feeling. Teenagers! One day they’re our lovely children, and the next they’re like strangers speaking a language we’re only vaguely able to comprehend.” Gina paused. “But Kyle’s an okay kid. I know his mother from church, and she’s always talking about what a good son he is. Maybe Shannon’s need to call Kyle last night was as much of a betrayal to you as her call to her father. Very often when I’d be angry with my boys it was mostly because of their inconsiderate behavior toward me. If you want my opinion, Shannon could have waited to call Kyle today, if she really needed to.” Gina’s look was thoughtful. “And this probably isn’t helpful, but I need to get it off my chest. If I ever see Scott again, I’ll have a few choice words for him. If he’s so concerned about Shannon, why didn’t he call last night?”

“Oh, darn. I meant to call him back.”

“For heaven’s sake, why?”

“To tell him Shannon’s okay.”

“For all you know, he and Shannon have already talked. Why put yourself in the middle of it? Let Shannon see her father for what he is, not what she wants him to be.”

Her first instinct was to protect her daughter from the man she knew Scott to be. But since Shannon had called her father before talking to her, it was up to Shannon to take responsibility for the choices she made. “You’re right. Besides, I’d only get another nasty response from him.”

“That’s better. Stop being his verbal punching bag. Let the two of them work the kinks out of their relationship. It’s not your job to referee.”

Gina’s words made Andrea feel a little less alone. And Gina was right about her relationship with Scott. Andrea was always trying to do the right thing, even when it didn’t make any sense. “She’s probably calling him as we speak.”

Gina gave her a quick hug. “Oh, Andrea, I’ve been where you are. Remember when Simon had his car accident, and how panicked I was?”

“Yeah, I do.” Andrea hugged her back. “Thanks for being here. I’m very glad I have you as a friend.”

“And a business partner, don’t forget.”

“Right,” Andrea said.

Gina tapped a few keys on her computer before turning to Andrea. “Just remember the same qualities that I admired in you when I hired you, and then when you became a partner, are the same qualities that will get you through this.” Gina wagged her finger at Andrea. “You’re smart, caring and determined, and you will get through to Shannon. It’s only a matter of time.”

“I hope so,” Andrea said.

“Listen, why don’t you take the day off? Go shopping and buy something really nice for yourself. You never have the opportunity to do things just for you, and you work harder than anyone else in this office.”

“That would be lovely, but I can’t when I keep feeling I should be doing something about Shannon. Maybe I should go home and be there when she gets up. Any other time Shannon’s had a problem, I’ve supported her,” she said, that uneasy feeling not leaving.

“While you’re thinking about it, I’ll duck across the street and get us coffee. The usual?”

Andrea nodded. “Thanks.”

After Gina left, Andrea continued to puzzle over Shannon. When her cell phone rang, she glanced at the caller ID. What did the school want? Then she realized what she’d forgotten to do. “Hi, look, sorry. I should have let you know that Shannon wouldn’t be in class today.”

“That’s okay. I know about Shannon’s incident yesterday, and I’m really sorry. But I’m not calling about that, not specifically,” said Melody Chapman, the guidance counselor. “We need to talk with you, Mrs. Taylor.”

Andrea’s throat tightened. “Why?”

“Shannon’s been having...difficulties at school recently.”

“What kind of difficulties?”

“That’s what we need to see you about.”

“Why didn’t anyone tell me?” Andrea said, upset that she was only finding this out now.

“We sent messages home with Shannon. In hindsight I should have contacted you directly, but Shannon’s always been such a responsible student...” An uncomfortable silence filled the void.

Always been such a responsible student?

What was this woman saying? Was she implying that Shannon’s grades weren’t good? Or could Melody be suggesting something worse than slipping grades? “When do you want to meet?” Andrea asked.

“Would this afternoon around two work for you?”

“Of course.”

After she hung up, Andrea sat in a state of disbelief. Shannon was having difficulties and she’d known nothing about it.

The door whooshed open, flooding the room with chilled air. “What a long line over there...” Gina stopped. “What’s wrong?”

“I have a meeting at the school.”

“About what?” Gina’s eyes were wide as she placed a cup on Andrea’s desk.

Andrea took a sip from the double espresso. “Apparently Shannon’s having difficulties. But I don’t know any more than that. The woman took me so much by surprise I didn’t press for details. I don’t know what to do. I probably should talk to Shannon before I go to the meeting. But the whole business of not telling me the truth yesterday...”

“Is there anyone you could talk to about this?”

“You mean a professional counselor? I went that route after the divorce.”

“And it helped, didn’t it?”

“Yeah, but that woman has left her practice and moved away.”

“What about Carrie?”

“Mom’s in the midst of getting a new exhibition up and running. Besides, she hates Scott. In her mind I’m too lenient with Shannon. Not enough rules.”

Gina shrugged. “You need an ally. Teenagers are clever about concealing the truth. You’re alone with a young woman who is intelligent and resourceful. Can I help?”

“Not unless you have a magic wand that would erase all this.”

“Would a sympathetic ear help?”

“You’re already doing that.” Andrea stretched her arms up over her head, trying to release the tension in her neck. “I’m going to call Shannon and see if she’s up. Maybe if I tell her I have a meeting at the school about her behavior, she’ll talk to me.” Andrea grabbed her jacket and purse then started for the door. “But first I’m going for a walk. I need to clear my head.”

“Call me after the meeting?”

“I will.” Andrea crossed the street and walked along the river, sitting down on a bench placed near the walking path that hugged the river’s edge. The air was scrubbed clean, the sky a dazzling blue with wisps of white clouds punctuating the horizon. She dialed Shannon’s cell phone number, searching for the words she wanted to say.

It went straight to voice mail. She left a message, urging her daughter to call her as soon as possible. She called the house, but there was no answer. Needing to move, she began to walk. She stopped to call Shannon only to have the call go to voice mail again. Shannon couldn’t be talking to Chloe unless they were both home from school. The two girls were joined at the hip most days, and she was certain that Shannon would tell Chloe all about what happened.

Walking along, enjoying the fresh air and the flowering shrubs lining the path, Andrea felt the tension ease. She’d needed this. Moving and being outside gave her some perspective. She glanced at her watch and decided to head back since she was due at the school at two.

As she got into her car, she redialed Shannon’s cell. Again it went to voice mail. When she called the home phone, Shannon’s voice sounded sleepy and bored.

“Why didn’t you answer your phone?” Andrea asked, fighting to keep the accusatory tone out of her words.

“I don’t know where it is. I must have left it in the car. Can you look for me?”

Andrea leaned across the console and checked the floor and the sides of the seat. Down near the door she saw the bright pink cover. “I found it. Why didn’t it ring?” Andrea inspected the phone.

“I must have turned it off.”

Shannon’s casual attitude was surprising since she never allowed her phone out of her sight and never turned it off. “Shannon, I’m sorry, but I won’t be home for a little while.”

“Why?”

“I’ve been called to a meeting at the school.”

“What?” Shannon yelled. “Mom, why do they want to see you?”

“I have no idea, but it seems you might. I had hoped to talk to you beforehand, but I’ll be late if I don’t go directly to the school.”

“Mom, please, whatever they tell you... I’ll be here when you’re through with the meeting. I promise to tell you everything.”

The pain in her voice caused a corresponding ache in Andrea. “Shannon did someone push you down on the sidewalk?”

“No, not exactly.”

“Then tell me what’s going on,” Andrea demanded, regretting her decision not to go straight home after the call from the school. The stress-reducing walk could have waited.

Shannon said nothing.

“Shannon, I don’t know why you simply can’t tell me now. If you’re going to tell me anyway, why wait?” Still, she said nothing. Andrea looked at the clock, frustrated at her daughter, at having to go to the school, at this entire situation. “I have to go to this meeting, but you will tell me everything when I get home. Understood?”

“Okay,” Shannon said, her voice shaking.

When Andrea reached the school, her shoulders felt as if they were trapped in a vise. She rushed up the stairs and down the hall to the counselor’s office. She knocked gently.

“Come in,” a woman’s voice called out.

The sun-drenched office and Melody Chapman’s smile were warm and inviting. “I’m Andrea Taylor. I’m Shannon’s mom. I hope I’m not late.”

“No. Not at all. I’m Melody Chapman. I’m so glad to meet you.” She extended her hand.

Andrea saw the genuine friendliness in the woman’s face and knew she had an ally in Melody.

“The psychologist is running a little late, but said he’d be here as soon as he could. Shannon’s homeroom teacher is out for the day, and I thought it’d be better to have the meeting with only the three of us rather than her replacement. Is that okay with you?”

“Sure. Whatever you think is best.” Andrea sat in one of the visitor chairs.

“How have you been?” Melody asked.

“Fine. Good...until yesterday.”

“How is Shannon feeling after her...accident?”

Andrea heard the pause, subtle yet definitely there. It was almost as if Melody wasn’t sure what to label Shannon’s fall. Accident or something else?

Andrea suddenly didn’t want this woman to know that Shannon hadn’t said anything except that she’d fallen on the sidewalk. Andrea didn’t believe Shannon’s version, but faced with a woman who seemed to know more than Andrea did, she felt an overwhelming need to support her daughter. “Shannon’s as good as can be expected after her fall.”

Melody gave her a sharp glance. “Her fall? Is that what she said happened?”

“Yes. Last night at the hospital.”

“There were several witnesses who said she was pushed, but there seems to be differing versions of what happened. I need to talk to a couple of other students before I can say for sure.”

Betrayal hit. She’d been suspicious of her daughter’s version of events and now she had proof. Her daughter had been hiding things. And it had been going on for a while. “I don’t know what to say.”

Melody glanced around as if collecting her thoughts. “Why don’t I get you a cup of coffee? What do you take in it?”

“I take it black. Thank you.”

“I’ll be right back with your coffee.” Melody slipped out, leaving a quiet space so out of tune with the roar of emotions raging through Andrea.

She put her head in her hand. Why hadn’t Shannon told her the truth? What was she hiding and where did it stop? When had she decided that Andrea had no business knowing what she was up to?

Like any parent, Andrea had always worried that someday Shannon might get mixed up with the wrong crowd. She’d read that the best way to prevent that was to keep the lines of communication open. She’d done that. Every night before Shannon went to bed, Andrea had made a point of talking with her, of listening to anything Shannon had to say. She’d supported Shannon in every way she knew how.

Now she knew her efforts had been worthless. Despite those talks, despite the unwavering support, Shannon had still turned her back on Andrea. She swallowed against the lump forming in her throat. Her daughter’s betrayal hurt. And the wound went deeper because she was dealing with this alone. She alone sat in the school counselor’s office with the evidence her daughter was in trouble. She alone faced the shameful awareness that the teachers, counselor and principal knew more about Shannon’s behavior than she did.

Scott’s accusations about her worthiness as a parent came to her. He would think this was her fault. Scott, who had fought so brutally to get custody of Shannon, would gloat if he could see Andrea now. Yet where was he when his daughter needed him? He had moved on, remarried and was happily caught up in his new family. A family that didn’t include his daughter. No, he’d abdicated his responsibility for Shannon except when he could use her to punish Andrea.

She straightened and shook off those thoughts before they spiraled out of control. She normally didn’t feel sorry for herself, but after last night she couldn’t seem to stop the feeling that somehow Shannon had moved away from her, away from her support and caring. In less than a day Andrea had gone from being a mother who could trust her daughter—who could take joy and pride in the person Shannon had become—to someone who didn’t know what was going on in her own home.

A movement near the door caught her attention. She turned, a smile forming to thank Melody for the coffee. Instead of Melody, Jake Polegato stood there. “What are you doing here?”

“They called me to sit in on this meeting,” he said as he moved to the chair beside her.

Andrea felt the heat of anger smolder. She intensely disliked this man. He’d nearly taken her daughter from her. “I will not talk about my daughter with you. Did Scott send you?” She was conscious of the need to remain perfectly calm.

He held up his hand. “Please let me speak.”

“You have nothing to say to me. I will not have you meddling in my life ever again.”

“I’m not meddling, Mrs. Taylor.”

She wanted to scream and yell at him, but she knew that he’d only see that as further proof that she wasn’t a good, stable parent. There was only one thing to do. Andrea picked up her purse. “I’m leaving,” she said, heading for the door.

Melody met her at the entrance, a cup of coffee in her hand. She glanced from Jake to Andrea. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to make the introductions. Andrea, this is—”

“I know who this man is. And I won’t discuss my daughter with him in the room.” She moved to leave, but Melody stopped her.

“Andrea, I’m sorry. Please let me explain,” Melody said. “I didn’t know that you and Mr. Polegato knew each other.”

Angry and feeling betrayed by the whole world, Andrea turned her back to Jake. “Did Mr. Polegato happen to mention what he did to me?”

“I’m truly sorry,” Jake said. He shifted until he was within Andrea’s line of sight. “When the school called saying they had an urgent situation on their hands, I felt I had to help. But I can see that you’re upset, which means I won’t be much help or support. I should have anticipated that you’d feel this way. Again, I’m sorry.”

Through her anger she could see that he was sincere, but she didn’t care. She still suspected Scott had arranged for Jake to get involved, but she didn’t give voice to those suspicions. It didn’t matter how he’d come to be here; it only mattered that he not be involved in their lives again. “I don’t want you here. Have I made myself clear?”

Melody touched Andrea’s arm. “We need to talk about Shannon. If you’d rather that Jake isn’t part of the conversation, I’ll respect that. But your daughter is in serious trouble. The school feels we need to support Shannon in whatever way possible. I’m not qualified to give her the help she needs. I want to do what is right for her and for you. That’s why I asked that there be a psychologist at this meeting.”

CHAPTER FOUR

JAKE SAW THE anger in Andrea’s eyes and realized that not much had changed with this woman in the four years since he’d last seen her. She was still angry, still determined to have her way and still fighting for control. The things he’d found so unlikable about her four years ago were the same traits that would make helping her daughter a challenge no matter who tried to work with her.

Could she not see it was critical to put Shannon’s interests ahead of her own? If they were to help Shannon, they had to focus on her. He kept his expression neutral as he met Andrea’s hostile gaze. When the school had explained the dramatic change exhibited by Shannon Taylor, Jake felt compelled to do what he could to help. Faced with Andrea’s aggressive behavior, he realized that he could not allow this woman to set the agenda. “Your daughter needs your help and support—”

“She has it!” Andrea said, her fists forming balls against her thighs.

Jake held up his hand to prevent her from going further. “Let me finish. Once I do, I won’t say another word. Understood?”

She nodded.

“I’m here for only one reason. I want to help Shannon. You do, too. As does Melody. We’re all here to support your daughter. Agreed?”

Andrea nodded again, although her expression left him with no doubt about her feelings toward him. Seeing the tense set of her shoulders and the fidgeting movement of her hands, he continued carefully.

“It’s in your daughter’s best interest to get to the bottom of what’s going on, wouldn’t you agree?”

Andrea made a small sign of assent, anguish visible on her face, and he felt empathy. Every parent deserved support in dealing with issues around their children. Andrea was no exception. “Let’s try to work this out together.”

“Have a seat, please,” Melody said.

“As long as you do not try to tell me what I should do,” Andrea said to him. “And if I ask you to leave, you will.”

Why was she being so aggressive when her daughter was in serious trouble? But maybe Andrea didn’t know the full extent of the issues around Shannon’s behavior. “Agreed.”

Jake chose a chair next to the wall, making himself as unobtrusive as possible so he could observe the meeting.

“As near as we can determine, Shannon’s problems started about a month ago, around the third week of September,” Melody said after taking a seat. “She didn’t show up for volleyball practice one week and didn’t offer any explanation. After that she often arrived late or seemed distracted on the court. The coach is concerned about her performance on the team.”

Andrea straightened. “Shannon loves to play volleyball. I’m sorry, but I didn’t know about this. I’ll speak to Shannon.”

Jake saw the genuine surprise in Andrea’s expression. If she hadn’t known about this, there was a communication breakdown between her and Shannon.

“I understand your alarm, but there’s more. She and Stuart Jameson were yelling at each other outside the classroom after a math test a week ago. A teacher had to intervene. Shannon has also left the junior prom committee, something she wanted to be involved with when school started in September. She’s been late to class on a couple of occasions, which has never happened with her.”

“I don’t understand,” Andrea said, her voice sounding shaky. “Shannon has never, ever behaved this way. She loved working on the junior prom committee, and I can’t see her yelling at Stuart Jameson unless she had a reason... All I know about Stuart is that Shannon doesn’t like him very much. But if she yelled at him, he had to have said or done something.” She seemed to struggle to maintain her composure. “I drop Shannon off at school most days unless Kyle drives her. How could she be late for school?”

“She didn’t say. We asked her to make up the time. She stayed late to do extra math, the class she missed those days, and it was after one of her makeup sessions yesterday afternoon that the incident occurred.”

“There has to be an explanation.” Andrea rubbed her temples as she mumbled, “This is so not like Shannon.”

Jake wanted to ask if anything had changed at home, if there was anything different in Andrea’s relationship with her daughter. But he had promised not to say anything, aware that she might take his questions as an attack on her parenting, as she had four years ago. They needed to gain her cooperation in addressing these issues before he could take any active role.

Melody shifted uneasily. “Based on your reaction, I’m assuming you didn’t get the phone call I made to your home, and your cell, after the yelling incident with Stuart. I left a message for you to call me.”

Andrea’s expression was one of misery. “No. I didn’t...but sometimes when I get home late I forget to check messages. And it’s been really busy at work and Shannon’s never had trouble in school...” Her voice trailed off.

Melody continued, “She’s had a verbal altercation with Stuart and was injured yesterday in an incident involving at least one of her classmates. We are still trying to determine exactly what happened and who else was involved. We believe that Shannon has problems she hasn’t shared with anyone other than, possibly, Kyle Donahue. Is there any reason you can think of that would have caused these changes in your daughter?” She glanced toward Jake. “Has anything happened at home?”

Andrea shot Jake a look before turning her attention to Melody. “I don’t know what’s going on. Shannon is a wonderful daughter. We have a good relationship. We’re going away on vacation next summer. She’s been fine.” She picked up her purse then stood. “Thank you for telling me about this. I’ll talk to Shannon. I’m sure there’s a simple explanation.”

The school had a responsibility to protect Shannon from harm. They needed to investigate these sudden changes in her behavior to get to the source. Jake had to speak up, to try to get Andrea to see how grave this situation was. “Shannon needs help. I can’t emphasize that enough. These sorts of changes in behavior can be caused by anything from drugs to bullying. Those are serious issues that have an impact on more people than Shannon. We have a responsibility to act in her best interest, and that includes uncovering the facts.”

Andrea’s gaze swept over him, her disdain evident. “She’s my daughter. I’ll look after her. I always have.”

Jake wanted to scream. Could she not see Melody’s genuine concern? Did she not understand the possible ramifications of whatever Shannon was hiding from everyone?

A fleeting expression in Andrea’s eyes told him she knew something...something she wasn’t willing to share.

Deliberately he stepped forward to block her route to the door. He held out his business card and concentrated on making his expression nonthreatening. “You are not alone. A lot of teenagers have issues that can be resolved with a little help. You’ve been given an opportunity here to help Shannon before this situation escalates. And you’ve been offered the support of her school. Why not take it?”

“Does that include your support?” she asked. The defiant tone was in direct contrast to the desperation in her eyes.

“Call me if you need me before the school psychologist gets back.”

She turned the card over in her hand slowly as if considering. He mentally crossed his fingers. As much as he didn’t like Andrea, he felt empathy for her, for her dilemma as a single parent. He saw a lot of parents struggling to do the right thing by their children. He had to believe that when it came down to it, Andrea would do the right thing by her daughter.

She carefully placed Jake’s card in her pocket then stepped around him. Without looking back, she headed down the corridor.

“What was that all about? She clearly doesn’t like you,” Melody asked after he closed the door.

“I was the psychologist who did the professional assessment of Shannon four years ago when the Taylors divorced.”

“I wish someone had told me. It would have been much better if I’d met with her first or waited for the school psychologist.”

Why had he agreed to attend the meeting? Had he really believed he could help, given the history between them?

Admittedly, a part of him had wanted to confront Andrea. It shamed him that the way she reminded him of his wife—a woman who always had to be in control to the point of endangering those she loved—had partially motivated him. If his wife hadn’t been addicted to painkillers, maybe she and his baby daughter might have lived. He had no business mixing his personal life with Andrea’s problems with her daughter.

It had been a mistake coming here, being part of this meeting. He could not be involved in a case in which his personal bias played such an obvious role. He’d been foolish to even think he could be impartial.

The sooner he removed himself from this situation, the better. “I’ve got to get back to the office. If you need me, you have my number.”

“I’ll follow up with Andrea to see if she’s made any progress with Shannon. In the meantime, I’ll be sure to speak to the school psychologist about the case.”

“I hope you can reach out to Shannon and help her.”

Melody shrugged. “I’ll keep trying. I like Shannon, but I’m very worried.”

Jake left feeling like a failure, feeling guilty that he’d not been able to change anything about Andrea’s approach to her daughter. At the same time, he had to face the fact that his feelings about Andrea were compounded by his past.

Yet he would still do his best to support Andrea. A part of him wanted to make up for the emotional pain he’d caused in her life. Given her hostility toward him, it was unlikely he’d ever have that chance.

* * *

TEARS STREAMED DOWN her cheeks as Andrea searched the parking lot for her SUV. She couldn’t remember where she’d parked it. She couldn’t remember anything but the words of the guidance counselor. Shannon was in trouble, and Andrea had known nothing about it. She should have known before anyone else.

Why hadn’t Shannon confided in her? And what was she doing yelling at Stuart? Andrea had heard rumors about Stuart being involved in drugs from one of the other real estate agents she worked with. Why didn’t Shannon trust her enough to tell her what was going on? Andrea spotted her vehicle along the rear fence. She had to get home to Shannon. They needed each other, now more than ever. Her little girl...her only child... In her anxiety she nearly walked into the path of an oncoming vehicle that swerved to miss her.

Pay attention. Get out of here.

She climbed into the SUV and shut the door. The heat was suffocating. Rolling down the window, she took a deep breath and tried to process the meeting.

It had been one of the most frightening experiences of her life. And, once again, Jake Polegato had witnessed her fear and humiliation.

Deep inside she realized that he hadn’t been there to hurt her, but it hurt all the same to know that he would feel justified in his assessment of her.

Would Shannon have been better off with her father?

No. Andrea would never believe that.

Still, she’d been so rude to Jake. She couldn’t seem to stop herself. Yet she had the feeling that he was genuine in his offer of help, and she felt guilty for not being more cooperative. She couldn’t be cooperative right now, though. She needed to get her daughter to tell her the truth. Once Shannon did that, then Andrea would know what she was facing and how they could resolve it.

There was no way she could drive in this condition. She had to calm down, figure out how she would manage the coming days while she and Shannon sorted all this out. She wished she could talk to her mother, but she couldn’t. Not before she had a chance to get the truth from Shannon. She blew her nose and wiped her cheeks.

She’d felt so alone and under siege in the meeting. It had taken every ounce of self-control to sit and listen to examples of Shannon’s behavior—behavior she’d had no knowledge of. And the way the counselor talked about the incident yesterday as if it were a progression, somehow expected...

She saw again Shannon’s bruises and the anxiety on her face. Her little girl had been injured and abandoned while Kyle—Shannon’s supposed friend—had sought the safety of his home and family.

Kyle had left Shannon alone in the hospital without knowing when Andrea would get there. How could he do such a thoughtless thing? What kind of friend was he? She gripped the wheel, seeking to ease the sense of betrayal she felt. Maybe she should call her mother, get her to come over to the house this evening. Shannon loved her grandmother, and Andrea needed someone in her corner right now.

She was about to start the car when she saw Jake headed her way. Should she duck down out of sight? He saw her, hesitated, then came toward her vehicle.

Go away.

No such luck. She worked to put a smile on her face and failed. Why should it matter? Jake’s opinion of her was based on their past experience. Nothing she could say or do would change that.

She adjusted her seat belt, ready to leave the moment he said what he came to say. She rolled down the window. “Did I forget something? I have to get home to Shannon. She’s pretty sore, as you can imagine.”

He stood close to the car door, his piercing gaze locked on her face. She crushed the urge to squirm. She refused to give him any reason to think less of her than he already did.

“You didn’t forget anything. I was just concerned for you.”

“Thank you for caring, even if we both know it isn’t true.”

“Can we call a truce? Shannon’s been through a rough patch, and it would seem there are still issues to be resolved.”

“Are you in touch with Scott these days?” she said, fixing him with a don’t-mess-with-me smile.

He didn’t flinch. “I met Scott only once, and you remember when that was.”

She couldn’t let herself believe him. In her experience that level of coincidence didn’t exist. She looked straight at him, into his chocolate-brown eyes framed with the thickest lashes she’d ever seen. Her breath caught in her throat at the concern and caring she saw. There was no hostility in his eyes, no judgment in his expression. How could that be?

“I promise I will do anything I can to help Shannon. You don’t have to believe me, but I’m guessing that right about now you would like someone to step up and help you. I know you won’t believe me, but I’m not in league with your ex-husband.” He placed his hand on the window’s edge—a strong capable hand, she noted. “I have no agenda, only to help Shannon if you’ll let me. As I said before, if you need me, I’ll be there. You can count on that.”

She was caught between his concern and her fear that she would be naive to believe him. “Why are you so concerned? You know I don’t like you. And I know you think I shouldn’t have custody of my daughter.”

* * *

JAKE WANTED TO walk away from this irritable woman. He wanted to tell her that her behavior was churlish and immature. Neither action would accomplish anything. He was beginning to see why Shannon might not have been willing to confide in her mother, a woman who clung to her opinions despite information to the contrary.

Unless something altered the situation, Shannon and Andrea would resolve little over the next few weeks. But he’d just sworn off any involvement with this situation, so why didn’t he walk away?

Because you’re attracted to determined, strong-willed women. You believe you can sway their opinions, change their attitudes.

He almost squirmed at the uncomfortable knowledge he was attracted to Andrea. Wrong time, wrong place, wrong woman.

Pushing the thought aside, he noticed she stared at him with a nervous expression. Should he push her to accept his help? Or maybe he could persuade her to listen to her daughter, to encourage Shannon to share her feelings. It would make it easier for Shannon to be more open.

No. He couldn’t be involved. His decision in the counselor’s office was the right one. “Okay. Fine. Have a nice day.”

She looked surprised. “I—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude,” she said, a tiny furrow forming between her blue eyes.

The way she looked at him, the open vulnerability in her eyes startled him. He’d never imagined Andrea would apologize to him. “You have so much to contend with at the moment, and I understand how difficult this is for you.”

“Do you?” she asked.

“Well, not personally, but as a child psychologist I am accustomed to dealing with teenagers,” he said, “and listening to their parents.” He wondered if she’d accept his invitation to talk.

Andrea hesitated, her hands clinging to the steering wheel.

In that unguarded moment, he saw a woman embedded in a crisis she was struggling to deal with. He wanted to once again offer his support, but she was an adult and she had his business card. All she had to do was reach out to him. Somehow he knew she wouldn’t do that. Andrea’s pride wouldn’t allow her. “Drive safe,” he said before turning and walking away.

* * *

ANDREA WATCHED JAKE leave and wished she could have kept him talking to her. How strange was that? She didn’t like him. She didn’t trust him—Well, maybe she trusted him a little, but that hardly counted. As she focused on his broad shoulders, his long stride, she faced the truth. She wanted to talk to a man who understood what it was like to deal with a teenager in trouble.

She needed to unburden her heart, to seek relief from all the turmoil wreaking havoc inside her. But she was also afraid that he’d uncover a flaw in her, in her parenting that would prove she hadn’t been the kind of mother she fervently wanted to be. To expose her feelings, her concerns to a man she didn’t trust was senseless.

With a sigh she drove out of the parking lot. She followed the tree-lined streets to the parkway leading toward her subdivision. She loved this street, the only route that led directly to her home. She loved the trees, the shady areas like tiny alcoves along the curbs, the brightly colored town houses and condos. It all seemed so upbeat and inviting, a balm to her worry.

Andrea parked in the garage and shut off the engine. She had stopped at the local bakery and bought Shannon’s favorite bagels, a peace offering of sorts. She had rehearsed how she’d start this conversation. If all went as she planned, Shannon would do the talking.

Sitting alone in the vehicle, her eyes aching from lack of sleep, she wished with all her heart that she didn’t have to face her daughter. Not this way with so much at stake. If she were perfectly honest with herself, she wasn’t sure she was ready for the truth from Shannon. Knowing her daughter, there had to have been something pretty serious going on in her life for Shannon to behave the way Melody Chapman described.

Yet she couldn’t put this off any longer. She grabbed the bag of bagels then headed inside.

In the kitchen she saw the peanut butter out on the counter, along with a loaf of bread, its remaining slices spilling from the plastic bag. A spike of irritation at Shannon’s thoughtlessness hit. She couldn’t clean up after herself? Especially now?

Andrea checked the bathroom, the den, but found no sign of Shannon. Had she left the house without telling her? “So much for grounding her,” she muttered. She dug her cell phone out of her purse and dialed Chloe’s number. Maybe Shannon had gone there. Chloe answered on the fourth ring.

“Is Shannon with you, Chloe?”

“No,” Chloe said her voice trembling.

“Are you all right?” Andrea asked.

“I’m fine.” She sniffed and cleared her throat.

“Have you heard from Shannon?”

“Yes.” She paused. “She called me.”

“Did she say where she was going?”

“I thought she was home. We didn’t talk very long. She was pretty angry with me.”

Chloe and Shannon had never had a fight before that Andrea could remember. “About what?”

“You’ll have to ask her,” Chloe said, sounding upset.

“And you don’t know where she might have gone?”

“No.” Huge sobs filled the line just as Chloe hung up.

What was that all about? Andrea headed to Shannon’s room. “Shannon, are you in there?” she asked through the closed door, a sickening feeling growing when she received no response.

She eased the door open, expecting to find Shannon curled up on her bed, upset at the rift with Chloe.

There was no one in the bed. In fact, it was neatly made and everything in the room was in order. On the dresser by the bed, an envelope was propped against a photo of the two of them at the nature park when Shannon was ten. The photo of Shannon and her father was nowhere in sight.

Her heart pounding with dread, she picked up the envelope and shakily tore it open. Four words were scrawled in Shannon’s familiar writing: I’ve gone to Dad’s.

Stunned, Andrea stared at the note, almost not understanding the words. Panic rose in her throat, choking her. Shannon couldn’t have left like this. She wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye. Andrea’s hands shook as she reread the note. The words stood out black and hard against the white paper.

How could Shannon do this? She had to know how terrified I’d be.

Feeling faint, Andrea sat on the bed. Shannon had said she’d be here after the meeting. So what had made her decide to go to her father now? Had her fight with Chloe been the reason? Had she called her father after the argument with Chloe, and he’d seen his chance to get her to his house?

“Why?” Andrea yelled. “Why did you do this, Shannon?” What was she going to do? She had to find her daughter.

Andrea began to pace, her mind churning. She stopped. Had Kyle been involved in this? Was he planning to leave with her? Shannon said they’d talked about going to Phoenix together.

Andrea grabbed the house phone and searched the incoming-call list, checking to see who might have called this morning. Even if Shannon planned to go to her father’s, someone had to have convinced Shannon to leave. She would never have left on her own, especially when she’d promised to be here when Andrea got home.

The list showed that, other than Andrea’s call around two o’clock, only Chloe and Kyle had called the house.

If Shannon was planning to go to her father’s, she’d need money, an airline ticket. Kalamazoo was a long way from Phoenix. She’d have to pack... Andrea stared around the room, looking for clues. She opened the top drawer of the dresser, then pulled out the box where Shannon kept her babysitting money. The box was empty. How much cash had Shannon had in there?

She had to have gotten help from someone. As much as Andrea hated to upset her mother, she needed to phone her. But her call went to voice mail. She left a message asking her mother to call but didn’t leave any information about Shannon. A message wasn’t the way she wanted her mother to find out that Shannon was going to her father’s house.

Who could help her? “Gina.” Dialing her friend’s number, she went into the kitchen, searching for any clues about when Shannon might have left the house. Nothing.

“Andrea, how did the meeting go?”

“That’s not important right now. I can’t find Shannon. I came home to find a note saying she was going to her father’s.”

“Did you call him to see if he’s expecting her?”

“I want to know what’s going on before I talk to him. I can’t deal with him otherwise.”

“Do you suppose he sent her an airline ticket?”

“I have no idea. Shannon said she’d be here when I got home. She promised to tell me everything. I talked to Chloe, and she doesn’t know where Shannon is,” Andrea said, her mind not yet accepting that Shannon had left for Phoenix without saying goodbye.

“What did the psychologist say?”

“Who cares? It was Jake Polegato.”

“No.”

Andrea sighed. “My luck hasn’t changed.”

“I’ll be right there.” Gina hung up.

Meanwhile Andrea searched the house for more clues but found nothing. If she had a ticket from her father, it must have been sent by email. Where was Shannon’s computer? Her search turned up nothing. Shannon must have taken her laptop with her.

In what seemed like only minutes, Gina arrived.

“Let’s see what we can figure out. Shannon couldn’t have gone very far,” Gina said as she led the way into the kitchen with her usual take-charge attitude. “I just can’t believe she would leave. Not when she promised to be here. Not when we needed to talk,” Andrea said.

“I agree with you. Shannon wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye. I’m sure she’ll be back and you can talk to her then. Let’s just stay calm and wait for her. In the meantime, tell me everything that went on at the meeting.”

Andrea told her what she could remember in her distressed state.

“Maybe the counselor is right and Shannon confided in Kyle. You should call him. Maybe Shannon showed up at his house,” Gina said.

Andrea did, but no one answered. She left a message for Kyle, telling him that Shannon was missing and asking him to call back right away.

Gina poured two cups of coffee, sliding one across the counter to Andrea. “If you’re right and Shannon is planning to go to her father’s, you need to call him.”

“And give him another reason to be nasty? Not until I have to. Besides, if she were going to Scott’s he would have to have sent an airline ticket to her. I don’t think Shannon has enough money saved to buy one.”

“I think you should contact Jake Polegato.”

“You’ve got to be kidding. How can he help?”

“I don’t know for sure, but he works with teenagers—he understands them. He knows she’s in some sort of trouble. At the very least, you could bounce ideas off him. To be honest, I don’t know what’s going on with Shannon, but if she’s left home, you need any help you can get. If I were you, I’d swallow my pride and call this man.”

“I don’t know what to do,” Andrea said, praying that Shannon would walk through the door and say she’d changed her mind about going to her dad’s.

Gina came around the kitchen island and hugged Andrea. “You have to put aside your feelings about Jake. For Shannon’s sake. What choice do you have?”

“I love her.” Andrea managed to swallow around the hard lump in her throat. She might not like Jake, but he had shown concern for Shannon. He was also qualified to assess what might have motivated Shannon to take off this way. If he could help find Shannon, what she felt about the man didn’t matter. “Nothing can happen to her.”

She met Gina’s concerned glance, and in that instant Andrea knew what she had to do. “Okay, I’ll contact him. What can it hurt?”

“You won’t be sorry.” Gina began to tidy the clutter on the counter.

Andrea dialed Jake’s number, and he answered on the first ring. “Andrea, is Shannon all right?”

“Shannon’s left home. I need your help.” The line was quiet. Was he not going to answer? No. He couldn’t do that to her, not here, not under the circumstances. “Look, I’m really sorry for how I behaved—”

“Andrea, that’s not important. What’s important is Shannon. I’ll clear my schedule and be there in about half an hour. In the meantime, check with Shannon’s friends. Get that young man—”

“Kyle.”

“Yes. Ask him to come to your house.”

“Yes,” she said, relief flooding over her. She might have to drive over to Kyle’s house if he didn’t answer the phone, or call his mother at work, but one way or the other she would find him.

She hung up and dialed Kyle’s number. He answered immediately. “Mrs. Taylor, I got your message. I’ve been out looking. I can’t find Shannon. I’ve talked to her other friends at school, and no one has heard from her.”

She was comforted by the fact that Kyle’s voice echoed her concern, even though she worried about the fact none of Shannon’s friends were with her. “Can you come here?”

“I’ll get my mom to drop me off right away.”

* * *

WHEN KYLE ARRIVED he looked so young, so vulnerable, and Andrea put her arms around him. He clung to her for a moment before moving away. “I’m sorry I left the hospital the other night. My mom was on my case for spending too much time with Shannon. But I’ve—Shannon and I have had so much going on...”

She’d been wrong. He hadn’t left the hospital because he didn’t care. “It’s okay. We need to find Shannon. Did she say anything to you? Her note said she was going to her dad’s, but she’d need money or a credit card to buy an airline ticket,” she said as they gathered around the island.

Kyle studied his hands.

“Should we call the police?” Andrea asked.

“Let’s wait for Jake to get here,” Gina said, passing Kyle a glass of milk he’d asked for.

“Did you hear any of the conversation Shannon had with her dad?” Andrea asked.

“I didn’t, but she told me afterward that she wished her dad were here.” He ducked his head when he saw the expression on Andrea’s face. “Sorry, Mrs. Taylor. I know that’s a sore point with you.”

“Please don’t worry about it, and call me Andrea.”

He offered her a quick smile.

The doorbell rang. Andrea raced to answer it. Jake’s calm expression eased her fear a little bit, although she couldn’t say why. “Please come in.”

They all settled in the living room. The bright sun streamed in through the large windows facing the back lawn, warming the space.

“Shannon left a note saying she was going to her father’s in Phoenix. But I don’t believe she would leave me without saying goodbye. And I can’t imagine her going to her dad’s, despite the fact she talked about it last night.”

“Why not?” Jake asked.

“Because she hasn’t seen him for months. He has a new family, and she has always felt uncomfortable even talking about him, let alone going to visit him. He’s never made any real attempt to see her, except in the summer for a couple of weeks. After the big deal he made at the custody hearing, he’s basically left Shannon alone.”

Kyle cleared his throat, glancing from Gina to Andrea and Jake. “Shannon told me she’s had several calls from her dad in the past few weeks.”

“I didn’t know that.” Andrea caught the understanding look in Jake’s eyes. “Well, if my daughter was going to visit her father, she would need more than just her babysitting money—Oh, wait. I forgot something.” She went to Shannon’s room and checked the old-fashioned jewelry box where Shannon kept another stash of money. Empty.

When she returned, Jake and Kyle were deep in conversation.

“Kyle has something to tell you,” Jake said.

“What is it?” She perched on the sofa. That Kyle seemed to know more about her daughter’s life in recent weeks than she did chilled her.

“I’m really sorry. I should have said something sooner, but I promised Shannon.” Kyle scrubbed his face with his hands. “She said her dad was sending her an open plane ticket to Phoenix.”

“When?” Andrea demanded. When had Shannon’s feelings about her father changed? When had they started communicating so regularly?

“Did she mention which airline?” Jake asked.

“No, she didn’t. I’m sorry, but she didn’t tell me anything other than the fact she expected the ticket to arrive soon.”

“There can’t be that many airlines operating out of the Kalamazoo airport, and unless she had the money or a vehicle, she wouldn’t be able to get to Grand Rapids or Detroit,” Jake offered.

“I don’t know what’s going on with her anymore,” Andrea said, her head clogged with the extent of Shannon’s secrecy.

“If it helps any, Shannon felt pressured by her father to go to Phoenix,” Kyle offered apologetically.

“That miserable man. I’m going to call Scott. He’s got a lot of explaining to do.” Andrea stood to get her phone.

Jake held up his hand. “That can wait. First, let’s find Shannon. Why don’t we go to the airport and see if she’s there?”

Again Jake’s calm demeanor eased her panic. “You’re right. I’m just so angry and afraid and mixed-up and hurt.”

“I know,” Gina said, her voice gentle. “We’ll find Shannon before she gets to Phoenix. She couldn’t have left the house much before you got home.”

Jake stood. “Let’s go now.”

“You’re coming with me?” Andrea asked, surprised.

Jake’s expression was resolute. “You asked for my help. I’m giving it.”

CHAPTER FIVE

GINA HAD VOLUNTEERED to stay at the house in case Shannon returned. The other three took Jake’s car to the airport.

“Let me out here,” Andrea said when they approached the departures area, impatient to get inside.

“I’ll come with you,” Kyle said from the backseat.

“I’ll park the car and be right in,” Jake said.

A rush of cool air enveloped Andrea as they strode through the doors of the Kalamazoo airport and toward the gate area. “Only four airlines are showing on the board, none going to Phoenix,” Kyle said.

Andrea searched the terminal for any sign of Shannon. “I don’t see her.”

“Let’s start with the first airline listed,” Kyle said, heading toward the check-in desk. As they moved closer, Andrea spotted Shannon standing in line.

Letting out a strangled cry, she strode toward her. “What are you doing here?”

Shannon glanced up, a forced smile appearing. “I could ask you the same thing.”

“Don’t be smart, Shannon. Answer the question.”

“As I said in my note, I’m going to Dad’s house.”

“You are not. You’re coming home with me. You and I have a lot of talking to do, and I’m tired of waiting around for your explanation. So get your bag and let’s go.”

“No. And for your information, I don’t have a bag. Dad said he’d buy me new clothes when I get to Phoenix. He’s even taking me shopping for anything I want.”

Fury at Shannon and Scott blindsided Andrea. Yet before she could give vent to the toxic emotion, she sensed Jake’s presence behind her. She turned toward him, saw the compassion in his eyes, and the intensity decreased until she could breathe again.

Shannon followed her gaze. “I remember you, Mr. Polegato. You told me about playing volleyball when you were in high school. You were really kind to me. But why are you here?”

“I was invited,” he said.

“I guess I should thank you for bringing Mom out here so she could be angry with me.”

Jake didn’t respond, but Andrea was stunned at Shannon’s words and tone. After all they had been through together, after all their closeness, how could Shannon want to be with Scott? She’d shown so little interest in visiting him, so why the sudden change? How could she treat Andrea this way? Was this some sort of punishment for all the hours she put in at the office and showing houses? While she acknowledged those absences could make Shannon question her place on Andrea’s priority list, at the same time the job provided Shannon with the lifestyle she enjoyed. So if that was Shannon’s motivation, this immature little stunt needed to end now.

“Let’s go, Shannon. We’re going home,” Andrea said, her patience with her daughter tenuous. When they were in the privacy of the house, they would have this out. She was tired of the hiding and lying.

“Mom, I’m about to check in. We’ll have to have this conversation another time.” Shannon glanced from Andrea to Kyle. “Hi,” she said, a welcoming smile on her lips.

“Hi,” Kyle said, going to stand beside her. “Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?”

“I tried to call you.”

“I know. But there’s been a lot going on. I don’t want you to go.”

“I don’t have a choice. Besides, Dad needs me.”

“To do what?” Andrea interjected, seething at the easy way she’d been dismissed. She had no idea she could be this angry with anyone, let alone her only child.

“Mom, please stay out of this.”

“You need to come home.” She grabbed Shannon’s arm.

“Stop.” Shannon pulled her arm away.

“Let me talk to her for a minute,” Kyle said, barely above a whisper.

“Why?” Andrea demanded.

“Because I need to tell her something.”

What was going on with these two? Andrea glanced between the two teenagers. They were totally focused on each other. “Okay, you’ve got five minutes, and then Shannon’s coming with me, whether she likes it or not.”

* * *

SHANNON TOOK KYLE’S hand then followed him to a quiet corner with two empty seats.

“Hey, what’s all this about?” Kyle asked. “You’re leaving without talking to me? I thought we had a deal, that we’d stick together and figure out what to do. Did your dad really call?”

“No. I had a fight with Chloe. I can’t believe she’s defending Stuart when she saw what he did yesterday. She won’t tell people what he did to me, how he bullied you and me. And after what he did last night—” Reliving those awful minutes made Shannon shake. She rested her hand on her knee and winced at the sudden pain. She’d been awake most of the night with pain, had heard her mom talking to Gina and she was so sorry for all the worry her mother was going through because of her. “I’m afraid of what will happen. I can’t tell Mom because she’ll be so upset. I don’t know what else to do. Going to Dad’s will give me a chance to think things through.”

“Why did you bother calling Chloe?” Kyle asked.

“She’s my best friend. I needed to—” She pressed her fists into her forehead. “I am so angry with her. I just needed to get away. I have that ticket Dad sent me, so...” She shrugged.

“Your mom didn’t know about that ticket.”

“No, she didn’t. You told her?”

“Mr. Polegato said I needed to help with anything I knew. Your mom really cares,” Kyle offered, taking her hand again.

“So that’s how she ended up here. You told her,” she said, hurt that Kyle did it.

“I had to. I don’t want you to go. You need to face these bullies. You can’t run away and ruin your school year, miss out on volleyball and all your friends.”

Shannon wanted to believe him. But if her mother found out that she was gay, that her perfect daughter wanted to come out, to speak up at school...who knew what she’d do? She loved her mother, but she couldn’t face her anger. Not until she figured out how she could deal with everything that was going wrong in her life. Her dad’s place would give her a little time and space to consider her options. She hadn’t told him anything, but she was sure he’d understand when she did. “I know... I’m sorry. I called my dad. He’ll be waiting for me. I can’t let him down.”

“What about your mother?”

Shannon knew only too well that her mother would be really upset with her over going to her dad’s. But she was so tired of her parents not getting along. Did they know that she needed both of them? If only they’d try a little harder to be friendly with each other, things would be better.

“Mom? She grounded me like I’m some little kid. Besides, she made it clear she doesn’t trust me, or you, for that matter. I could tell by the look on her face last night that she didn’t believe our story about me falling.”

“What can I say to convince you to stay?” Kyle asked. “How can I help you when you’re half a continent away?”

Shannon sighed and closed her eyes. “You’ve already helped me so much. I’m so thankful you were with me when Stuart pushed me. If you hadn’t been there I would have been seriously hurt.” She hugged him close, wanting to remember this moment. What she couldn’t tell him or anyone else was that if things worked out with her dad, she planned to move to Phoenix, start over and find her place in the world. Being gay wasn’t a crime; it was simply the way things were. She couldn’t go on denying it.

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