She needs my influence to get her reinstated in school where she has stability, where she has female role models.”
“I said she needs you—your love—not the substitute you’re trying to provide.”
Love. He almost laughed out loud. Hadn’t Gloria, as she’d returned his great grandmother’s engagement ring, told him he wasn’t even capable of loving? And what about his own sister? Patricia had certainly made her opinion of his love perfectly clear on the night she’d died.
Love? A stab of guilt knocked him deeper into his seat. What could he possibly offer Lisa besides a prestigious private school, a fine college education and a position at the bank?
“I’ll take you home,” he said. “I’m holding you to your word about tomorrow.”
“My car’s at the diner.”
“You know, I’m struggling with leaving this all in your hands. Do you promise you won’t help her escape tonight?”
“Of course I won’t. Trust me.”
In his world, trust was only secured once there was a solid, no-loopholes contract signed. Somehow, he didn’t see her signing anything at the moment. He arched one brow at her, but she merely smiled. Which didn’t reassure him at all.
“Mike, you never mentioned Lisa’s father. Why isn’t he the guardian?”
“Lisa’s father has never been in the picture. He and my sister never married.”
“Then it must have been really hard for Lisa when her mother died.”
Difficult for Lisa, yes. But at least she didn’t have to live with the guilt of being at fault. He was the one who’d said horrid things that had upset Patricia that night. “I don’t think she’s fully dealt with Patricia’s death. Other than with excessive rebellion.”
“I imagine it’s been tough trying to love a troublemaking teenager.”
He clenched his teeth to keep from griping about how tough. “We’ve had our rough spots.”
“Why did she run away? Honestly.”
He hesitated. Of course, Josie probably knew the whole story. Lisa tended to tell things like they were. “She doesn’t like boarding school. She wants to live with me, but I can’t take care of her. I’m at the bank twelve hours a day, and I travel.”
“It’s not like she’s a toddler. She could be home a couple of hours a day by herself. You could even send her to her grandparents or hire someone to help.”
“She’s landed in too much trouble to be left to her own devices. And my parents can’t take on that responsibility.” He stopped at a red light. “As far as hiring someone to function as a sort of nanny, well, I didn’t like any of the candidates I interviewed.”
“Maybe you should make some adjustments to your schedule for the welfare of your niece.”
As he turned up the street to the diner, he fought the temptation to defend himself. Ultimately, his schedule was none of her business. “I make decisions as I see fit, and I’d appreciate it if you’d keep your advice to yourself from now on.” He motioned to a lone parked car. “Is that your vehicle?”
“Yes, that’s my heap of junk. And I’ll try to keep my opinions to myself.”
Try was the operative word.
“How am I going to be sure Lisa is secure for the night?” he asked.
“Give me your cell-phone number, and I’ll call if she doesn’t show up at my house.”
“Ah, I see. So she is staying at your house.”
A smile spread across her face. “Man, Mike, you’re good.”
“What can I say?”
She pulled a scrap of paper out of her pocket. “Do you have a pen? I need your number.”
There was no way he would go to bed tonight without catching a glimpse of Lisa. “How about I follow you home? I won’t let Lisa see me.”
“That won’t be necessary, Mike.”
“Michael.”
“That won’t be necessary, Mike.” She smiled so sweetly it made it difficult to stand firm.
Difficult, but not impossible. “Oh, yes it will.”
Michael followed Josie to within a block of her house. After she went in the front door and flashed the porch light, their prearranged signal that Lisa was there, he pulled his car closer.
A light came on in a side window. Maybe he could take a quick look, just to confirm Lisa was really there. And that they weren’t packing her bags.
He parked, got out, then crept around the corner of the tiny, vinyl-siding home. Strangely, it appeared to be pink in the glow of the streetlights.
Pink hair, pink uniform, pink house. Strange woman.
After surveying the height of the window, he quickly grabbed an empty metal garbage can from the neighbor’s yard to stand on, then eased along the wall of Josie’s house. A cat darted out of the bushes, scaring the life out of him. He nearly dropped the trash can.
But he carried on with his mission and set the can upside down, then climbed up, standing on the edges to keep the bottom from denting in. He rose up on his toes. As he reached the window, he realized it was raised about two inches. Voices carried out the opening.
Jackpot!
“I can’t believe you let him follow you here,” Lisa said in an angry whisper, as if he might somehow be near enough to hear.
“He didn’t exactly give me any choice.”
Josie had her back to him, but he could see the top of Lisa’s head. Green head.
Though relief at finally seeing her eased the knot in his stomach, irritation that she had carried out her hair-coloring threat sparked through him. It would be one more battle Lisa would wage with her grandmother.
Lisa moved to the side. Her hair wasn’t only green. It also looked as if a lawn mower had gotten hold of it. “You promised you’d get rid of him, Josie.”
“That was before I realized he’s not as bad as you said he was.”
“But you didn’t try. You sat right down and started chatting with him at the diner like he was some long-lost friend.”
“And he wasn’t even scared off by my interrogation or gum-snapping small-time waitress act.”
“Scared off? He probably hasn’t had a date since snooty ol’ Gloria told him to take a hike. The poor guy must be desperate.”
Incensed, Michael said, “I beg your pardon.”
The screams of the two women startled him, but he managed to stay balanced. Josie, on the other hand, dropped to the floor, and Lisa practically dove under the bed.
“It’s only me, the desperate one,” he said.
Josie hopped up and fully raised the window. “You…You Peeping Tom! I should call the police.”
“Go right ahead. I’ll tell them you’re hiding a minor here. For all I know, you kidnapped her.”
He squinted, peering through the screen into the tiny bedroom. “Speaking of the minor…Lisa, come out from under there.”
Silence.
“Lisa…”
“Oh, give it up, Lisa,” Josie said. “Come on out. We’re busted.”
“And so are you, buddy,” said a gravelly voice behind Michael. “Police. Put your hands up.”
Josie