Second Chance Mom. Emilie Rose
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Название: Second Chance Mom
Автор: Emilie Rose
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
isbn: 9781474049825
isbn:
“Does that work?” Pam asked.
“It’s been so successful I’ve had to recruit businesses from the surrounding communities to sponsor blocks of tickets at progress report time.”
She caught Matt’s speculative gaze. “Inner-city kids?”
“They’re often the ones who can’t afford to attend.”
“You’re missing games while you’re here,” Jake said.
“I’ve left the tickets in good hands.”
“You’ve never followed football?” That earned Jake a fierce scowl, and from the way he jumped, Rachel suspected Matt had kicked his brother under the table.
“No. As a missionaries’ kid, I didn’t have an opportunity to watch or play sports. I didn’t get into baseball until I was older.” And after Matt, she hadn’t watched a single football game. She’d always been afraid she’d see him on the field, or worse, with some cheerleader in his arms after a game.
Bill’s cell phone rang. He glanced at it. “Looks like the mayor doesn’t get a day of rest even on Sunday. Excuse me.” He left to take the call.
Matt’s dad was the mayor?
The bantering continued, but the atmosphere had changed. Was it because of the phone call? Or the conversation before it?
By late afternoon Rachel was emotionally exhausted from being on guard. It was a relief when Pam rounded up her kids.
After she and Chastity said their goodbyes, Matt walked them to the car. He leaned in the window while she buckled her seat belt. His handsome face was close enough for her to see the silver flecks mingling with the blue of his irises, close enough for her to be overwhelmed by the scent of sunshine, aftershave and man. Close enough for her to lean forward and brush his mouth with hers—if she dared. But she didn’t.
“Thanks for coming,” he said.
Her heart and respiratory rates increased. “I— We had a good time,” she replied huskily and surprisingly, meant it.
Chastity pushed the button to lower the convertible top, making Matt spring back and breaking the connection between Matt and Rachel.
“See you at school tomorrow, Coach.”
“But not in detention.”
“No, sir. Second offenders get litter patrol, and I’m not real keen on picking up trash.”
“And third offenders get stuck cleaning the boys’ locker room after practice,” he warned.
“Eew. Gross.”
“You have no idea,” he added with a comical face.
He had an easy way with the kids that Rachel envied. Would she ever be that relaxed and comfortable with her daughter?
Rachel drove away, watching him in the rearview mirror. He was still standing where she’d left him when they turned the corner. Chastity deserved a family like the Johnstons, but giving her this one meant taking away so much more. Everything Chastity believed about herself was based on lies.
Why did doing the right thing feel so wrong?
CHASTITY BURST THROUGH the front door Monday after school and stopped to stare at the pile of boxes in the den.
“Hi. Have a good day?”
Rachel’s greeting earned her a drop-dead glare, then Chastity threw her book bag on the sofa and tromped off. Rachel’s excitement over their afternoon together crashed and burned.
She may be new at this parenting thing, but she’d had enough run-ins with teens at the center to know she must be firm and stand her ground. Girding herself for the encounter ahead, she rose slowly.
She walked down the hall and blocked Chastity’s bedroom door with her palm before it slammed in her face. “Chastity, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Chastity snapped back, then sat at her makeup table and turned her back.
“Listen, kiddo, I won’t tolerate disrespect. Either you adjust your attitude or all deals are off, and I’ll pack you up and move you to Atlanta today.”
The girl spun around, radiating defiance. “I’ll just run away.”
Rachel tamped down her panic. She’d learned from the counselors she’d worked with that threats to leave were often empty. She couldn’t back down again, or this would become a way for Chastity to control her. She’d have to talk tough and try to be convincing.
“If you run away I’ll report you, and if you’re lucky enough for the cops to find you before some thug rapes you or forces you into prostitution, then you’ll spend time in juvenile detention. That means you won’t be coming home to your friends. You’ll be locked up. And just so you know, asking Jessica’s family to help you would get them charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.” At least she thought it would.
Chastity’s eyes widened, then she gulped. “You wouldn’t report me. Or them.”
“Yes, I would. I love you. Your mother entrusted me with your care. I’m going to do my best to keep you safe—by whatever means at my disposal. Stunts like the other night’s when you took off without telling me where you were going, when you’d be home or how to reach you will not be tolerated.”
“You’d be able to reach me if I had a cell phone.” More defiance, but this time with manipulation thrown in for good measure.
“I’m not rewarding you for bad behavior. If you keep this up, you’ll get the opposite—grounded for the rest of our time here.” She inhaled slowly, then exhaled, grappling for patience, strength and the right words. “Let’s try this again. What’s wrong?”
Tense silence stretched until she believed she’d have to enforce her threat. “I had a shitty day,” Chastity blurted. “And then I came home and you were packing.”
Rachel debated reprimanding her for swearing but feared it would put up another wall. “You knew we’d be packing. So what went wrong before you got here?”
Chastity slicked on a fresh coat of black nail polish. “My English teacher is having problems with her pregnancy. She has to stay in bed, so today we got our new teacher for the rest of the year. He made me look like an idiot.”
The automatic urge to defend her child roared to life. But Rachel reined it in. She needed facts first. “Was it Matt?”
“No. Mr. Gold is some fresh-out-of-school weirdo who thinks he knows everything.”
“How did he make you look foolish?”
“He СКАЧАТЬ