Free Instant Family by Elisabeth Rose Page B

Sounded like
mates.
    "So? Can they come?"
    "You make me sound like a dragon," she said in a strained voice.
And he sounded like one of their friends asking if they could come
out to play. Boys together.
    "I don't mean to. I thought I was doing the right thing by asking."
Now he sounded bewildered.
    "Yes, thank you for asking. They seem pretty keen."
    "But you don't." It was a statement rather than a question.
    Chloe licked her lips. "I wanted this to be a punishment for Seb. I
thought you did too."
    "I do. It is. But?"
    "It seems like he's having too much fun." Silence. She thought he
was going to laugh-it sounded so ridiculous even to her-but he must
have been considering his reply.
    "I don't think they should be mutually exclusive, necessarily," he
said eventually. "We want Seb to compensate me for the damage,
but we also want to steer him onto another course. Actually, back on
course, because he's by no means a hardened thug. If we achieve
that by occupying him and teaching him other skills he happens to
enjoy, what's the problem?"
    Chloe pursed her lips as she listened. Every word was true, and she agreed one hundred percent. The lawyer had said the same thing. It
was afterward that worried her. "You're right about all of that"

    "But you're still worried about something."
    "We„
    "Pardon?
    "You say `we' all the time, but it's not `we,' is it? It's me. Just me.
When Seb finishes his hours, your involvement is finished."
    "In a way, yes." He was obviously still confused, bewildered. Why
couldn't he understand without her having to spell it out so baldly?
    "You'll have helped him, I don't deny that, but you're not his father or his brother. You have no connection with us other than this.
You'll continue with your own life and your own family. And forget
about Seb"
    "You think I won't want Seb to drop in after he's done his hours?
Is that what you're saying?" Alex's voice had risen as he spoke. Indignation verged on anger. "You think I'll just cast him aside like
some old shoe? Is that what you think of me?"
    "I don't know!" cried Chloe. "I don't know anything about you.
How would I know? I can only go on experience, and this is what
experience tells me. People get tired of doing charitable deeds."
    "This isn't charity," he said loudly.
    "Isn't it? Aren't you getting a kick out of doing something for the
poor orphans? Why did your attitude change so drastically when
you found out our history? When you thought I was an irresponsible,
single, probably junkie, on-the-dole mother, you weren't so keen to
help. Quite the opposite."
    Alex was silent.
    "And inviting me to lunch the other day. What was that if not charity? Take poor Chloe to lunch because she never has any dates?"
    That must have stung in exactly a tender, guilty spot, because he
stated too defiantly and loudly, "I invited you to lunch because I
thought you might like to have lunch with me. I would have enjoyed
it, but you obviously didn't want to"
    "I had to take Katy to the orthodontist," cried Chloe.
    "Why didn't you say so?" he demanded, angry frustration evident
in his rising intonation. Quick temper, just as she'd thought.
    "You walked out before I could say anything" Plus he'd totally
dumbfounded her, and she couldn't think, let alone speak.

    "Would you have come if you hadn't had that appointment?" He
was almost shouting now.
    "Yes!" she yelled without thinking.
    "Right. Thursday. Same time. Same place." It sounded like a dare.
A challenge.
    "Right." Still riding the crest of her anger.
    "Good-bye."
    "Good-bye." Chloe slammed down the phone. And froze.

     

What had she done, accepting an invitation to lunch with Alex
when she'd emphasized to Seb not to get too friendly? He'd virtually forced her into saying yes, railroaded her into making the date
before she could think straight.
    If she'd had time to think, she would have said, "No, thank you."
Not without regret, but it was much safer to keep to the line she'd
drawn in