Star-Crossed Parents

“Well? Have you heard of it? I hope I didn’t write down the address incorrectly.”

She looked as if she was about to pull her hair out at that possibility, so he was quick to reassure her. “I’ve heard of it. Actually, it’s my road. My house is there and so is the cabin where my nineteen-year-old son lives.”

“Your son. Is he Josh Wallace, by any chance?”

“That’s him.”

“And you said he’s only nineteen?” Her shoulders relaxed a little. “Well, that’s one thing I don’t have to worry about, at least.”

“Pardon?”

“Sorry. I’m just—When I got home from work this afternoon, I found a note from my daughter. She said she’d gone to meet this guy she’d met over the Internet. You can imagine my reaction. She’s only eighteen.”

Sam swallowed. Yeah, he could imagine her reaction, all right. Good God, what was the matter with Josh? Why hadn’t he told him about this? Sam would have advised him to talk to the girl’s mother, at least.

“Look, I was about to close up for the night. Why don’t you follow me home and I’ll introduce you.”

He’d have a word with his son at the same time. So much for the hope that letting Josh have his own place would have a maturing effect. Maybe it had been a mistake to let him move into the guest cabin without agreeing on monthly rent. But Josh’s event-planning business was still in the start-up phase. Once it was in the black, he’d de finitely expect his son to contribute some cash.

“I GUESS WE SHOULD introduce ourselves before we go any further. I’m Sam Wallace.”

“Leigh Hartwell.”

This man made her feel uneasy. Partly it was his size. He was unusually tall and very broad-shouldered. He was also quite attractive, despite a crooked nose and crowded bicuspids.

Maybe that was the problem. He was uncomfortably good-looking. She’d never been able to trust handsome men. They were too used to getting what they wanted from women.

Was that what his son was like, too?

“Right,” she said in the brisk, professional tone she used with patients. “So, let’s get going.” She slipped back behind the wheel, then waited as Sam crossed to the truck parked at the side of the station. A dark-haired teenage boy stepped out from the store and they had a brief conversation. The boy glanced in Leigh’s direction, then headed back to the store where he flipped the sign in the door from Open to Closed.

Leigh rubbed the back of her neck as she waited. She was relieved that she’d found the right place, and that her daughter was meeting someone her own age and not an older man who preyed on innocent girls.

Still, there was plenty about the situation she didn’t like. Never mind Taylor skipping out on her own graduation party. Why hadn’t she told her mother where she was going? That note had been a real slap in the face.

And what kind of kid was this Josh Hartwell? His father seemed respectable enough—not to mention potently attractive—but didn’t you have to wonder about someone who would lure a girl hundreds of miles just to meet on spec?

Sam hurried back, keys in hand. He got behind the wheel of a black pickup truck and Leigh hurried to follow him. They passed through the four-way stop, then down a hill and up the next rise.

It was too dark to see much of the surrounding countryside, but Sam drove his truck just under the speed limit, making it easy to follow him. Not that the route was complicated. Oak Valley Road was the second left after the stop sign by the gas station. He could have easily given her directions, rather than going to the effort of escorting her.

Seconds later they pulled into a narrow access road. The track was bumpy and she tightened her grip on the steering wheel as she followed Sam down yet another hill. He stopped beside a white van with “Party Man” painted in black letters, along with a phone number and a Web address.

Leigh felt another release of tension as she realized that Taylor’s friend’s moniker referred to a business, not a state of mind.

Ahead of them stood a two-story home with white siding and black shutters. It looked like a family home and Leigh half expected a woman to step out the front door with a welcoming wave.

That didn’t happen, though. Sam got out of his truck and came around to open her door. He held out a hand for Leigh as she stepped out of the driver’s seat.

For a moment they stood close to one another, and Leigh felt a crazy stirring, an attraction she couldn’t deny. As a dentist, she was used to being physically close to people she didn’t know very well. Some of them were handsome men. But she’d never had this sort of reaction to one of them before. She stepped back, not trusting, not liking, this betrayal of her own body.

“The cabin is just down here.” Sam pointed at a worn path to the left of the house. Thanks to a dim porch light, Leigh could see the outline of a small building amid the trees.

She let Sam lead the way, her heels causing her no small problem on the uneven ground. As she stumbled along, fear rose in her again. This was true wilderness out here, with no sign of civilization anywhere, beyond the Wallaces’ two homes.

Once on the wooden porch, Sam glanced back at her. He seemed hesitant about knocking.

“Hurry up,” she urged him.

“It’s awfully quiet in there. I’m a little worried….”

“So am I,” she assured him. Her daughter and his son had been alone for hours. Anything could have happened.

She tried the door handle and felt a flood of relief when it turned in her hand. She pushed the door wide and stepped into an open space containing a kitchen, eating nook and sitting area.

No one was there.

Her gaze followed a staircase to the left that led up to a loft.

Sam put a hand on her arm. “The bedroom’s up there.”

Unbidden came an image of Taylor—bound and gagged and tied to a heavy bed frame. “It’s okay, honey. I’m here. I’ll be right there.”

She tried to break Sam’s hold, but it was firm and strong. “Let go of me. What are you doing? Are you crazy?”

“Mom?”

The voice was soft and came from above. Leigh craned her head back. Her daughter stood at the pine railing that ran the length of the loft. She was wrapped in a bedsheet, packaged with the guy next to her like a two-for-one special.

Both had tousled hair, naked shoulders and very flushed cheeks.

There could be no doubt as to what Leigh and Sam had just interrupted.

CHAPTER THREE

“W HAT ARE YOU DOING HERE ?” Taylor leaned over the railing, pulling Sam’s son with her. Her voice was stronger now and tinged with a defiance that Leigh had never heard before.

“Taylor? What’s going on?” It was a stupid question, since the answer was obvious, but Leigh felt completely out of her element. She was relieved, of course, that Taylor wasn’t being held against her will, that she hadn’t been raped or hurt in any way.

But it was still a shock to find her in bed with this young man. Maybe Leigh should have expected it, but naively, she had not.

“How did you find me?”

“I checked the computer.”

“You read my personal messages?”

“Taylor, for heavens’ sake! I was worried. I had no idea what you were getting yourself into.”

“Didn’t you find my note?”

“As if that was any help. God, Taylor. We should have discussed this. You didn’t even tell me where you were going.”

Taylor groaned. “I wonder why. If only I’d been smart enough to erase my messages.”

Leigh put a hand to her neck. Stiffness and neck pain was an occupational hazard. The drive hadn’t helped and neither did craning her head this way in order to look at her daughter. “Could you please come down here so we can talk civilly.”

“What if I don’t want to talk?”

Her daughter’s rudeness took Leigh’s breath away. As she waited for the moment to pass, the two kids upstairs backed away from the railing, disappearing from sight. From the rustling, Leigh guessed they were putting on their clothes.

Oh, my God. My daughter has just had sex.

The realization hit her hard. Since Taylor had never had a steady boyfriend, this was probably the first time. Why did it have to be with someone she’d met over the Internet? Taylor deserved so much better.

Suddenly Leigh became aware of Sam’s presence beside her. He was frowning. “What’s your problem?” she asked.

“I’m not sure this is the best time to talk.”

“That’s my daughter up there. This is the first time she’s met your son. And in case you hadn’t noticed, they’ve—”

“I noticed,” he said quietly.

“Then how can you even suggest this isn’t a good time to talk? What kind of father are you? Those kids—”

“Are adults.” He hesitated, and for the first time, uncertainty shaded his dark blue eyes. “You did say Taylor was eighteen, right?”

“Yes. Just out of high school. We were going to have a party….” She glanced down at her dress, so inappropriate for the situation she found herself in right now, but she hadn’t wanted to waste a minute changing.

Leigh swayed and immediately felt Sam’s hand at her back.

“Let’s sit down.”

She planted her feet where they were. “I need to talk to my daughter.”

“You will. Give them a minute to sort themselves out. Come on, let me get you a drink. You look like you’re about to pass out.”

Since that was exactly how she felt, she conceded her position and followed him into the kitchen. She sank onto a stool and folded her hands on the butcher-block counter.

Taylor’s words were still ringing in her ears. What are you doing here? What if I don’t want to talk about it?

Her daughter did not speak to her this way. She simply didn’t. Clearly, this boy, Sam’s son, was to blame.

Sam slid a glass of orange juice in front of her. She glanced up at him.

“Hope that’s okay. Only other choice is beer.”

That’s what he’d picked for himself. She watched as Sam twisted the cap off a bottle of lager, then took a long swallow. She considered asking for a beer, herself, then decided against it and had some of the juice. The beverage slid down easily, and she realized that she was starving. It was almost nine o’clock and she hadn’t had anything to eat since lunch.

Sam settled onto the stool next to hers and she was struck by the breadth of his shoulders, the size of his arms. In a flash she saw that she’d been just as foolhardy as her daughter. She’d followed a stranger to a remote location, put herself totally at his mercy.

Logically, it had been a very stupid thing to do. And yet she couldn’t summon the energy to feel afraid, or even slightly nervous.

She didn’t know Sam Wallace was a decent person. But she thought that he was. If only she could say the same for his son.

At the sound of steps on the stairs, she turned. Her daughter and PartyMan were dressed and coming to face the music. She studied Taylor’s face for signs of contrition and was dismayed to see none.

Before she could say a word, Taylor started.

“I don’t see why you had to drive all this way. I’m just visiting Josh for a few days.”

“Visiting? It seemed to me you were doing more than that. ”

“ Mom. ” Taylor sounded mortified.

“If you wanted to come to New Hampshire, you should have asked.”

Josh put his arm around Taylor’s shoulders. She smiled at him gratefully, but the smile dropped away when she turned back to her mother.

“You know you wouldn’t have let me. Anyway, I don’t need your permission anymore.”

“Maybe not,” Leigh conceded. “But I would have hoped you’d have at least had the consideration to discuss this with me. Or, at the very least, waited an extra day.”

“I am sorry about the party, Mom. But you can’t blame me for that. I didn’t even want one.”

Taylor’s words stung, mostly because they were true. Taylor had tried to talk her out of the party, but Leigh had convinced herself that Taylor really did want it. But maybe she’d just been projecting her own wishes on her daughter.

Leigh had never had the chance to celebrate her own high school graduation. She’d been a new mother-to-be by then, taking her remaining credits by correspondence. She’d so much wanted to give her daughter the party she’d never had.

“Look, Mom, I am sorry. But there was no other way. You never listen to what I say. You don’t trust me.”

“Maybe for good reason.” Leigh waved a hand at Josh. “You’ve never even met this young man. How could you travel all this way to visit him? He’s a stranger. I thought you had more sense than that.”

“He isn’t a stranger. I love him.”

Love.

A silence left the word lingering in the air. Josh looked overwhelmed, then he recovered and pulled Taylor closer.

“Love,” Leigh repeated. “This is the first time the two of you have met and you’re telling me you love one another.” Sam hadn’t said a word since the kids had come on the scene, but now Leigh turned to him, certain that he had to support her on this point at least.

“Maybe we should leave these kids alone for a bit.”

“What?” As far as Leigh was concerned, their discussion had barely started.

“Just give them some space,” Sam added, holding out a hand as if he expected her to go with him. “I’m not leaving without my daughter. Come on, Taylor. We can continue our discussion in the car.” The keys were still in her hand. She didn’t relish tackling the freeways in the dark, but she supposed she would have to manage.

She started for the door, then stopped when she realized Taylor wasn’t following. “Taylor?”

“No.”

Josh moved behind her, planting both of his hands on her shoulders. Leigh took a deep breath. “Okay, we don’t have to go back to the city. I’ll find us a room and after we have a good night’s sleep we’ll be able to—”

“No, Mom. I won’t go with you. Josh invited me for the weekend.”

“Taylor, this is crazy. We don’t know these men. Come with me and—”

“No, Mom. I’m staying. You want me to, right?” She glanced over her shoulder at Josh.

“Sure.” He cleared his throat nervously. “Mrs. Hartwell, we haven’t officially met, but—”

“Ms. Hartwell. Not Mrs.” Leigh tried not to be swayed by the boy’s charming smile. It was a lot like his father’s, without the crowded bicuspids. He’d probably had the braces his father had done without.

“Oh. Sorry. Anyway, we haven’t met, but I’m Josh Wallace and I do care about your daughter. I didn’t trick her into coming to Jefferson. She wants to be here.”

“Josh, you’re a nice-looking kid and I’m sure you have a lot of friends who think you’re great, but what you’re doing with my daughter isn’t right.”

“I have to disagree. There’s nothing wrong with what we’re doing. This is my place and I’m sorry, but I’m asking you to leave.”

“What?” This kid—this boy who had lured her daughter hundreds of miles from home—was kicking her out of his house?

Sam crossed the room. Took her arm.

“Let go of me.”

He immediately did so. “You going to exit on your own steam?”

Obviously, she had no choice. She gave her daughter one last look, but Taylor wouldn’t meet her eyes. Leigh fought a sudden urge to cry. “If you need me, dial my cell, Taylor. I’ll keep it on all night.”

It was pitch-dark now and Leigh had to rely on Sam to guide her as she stumbled along the dirt path in her high heels toward their parked vehicles. By the time they reached her rental car, tears were streaming down her face. She averted her head so he wouldn’t see.

Taylor had never talked to her that way before.

Was it Josh’s influence that was making her do so now? Or was this the result of some parenting mistake Leigh had made along the way? Had she been too protective? Too controlling? Had she somehow forced Taylor into this act of rebellion?

“So,” Sam said. “You heading back to New York City now?”

Was he crazy? “I can’t just leave her.”

“Why not let her stay the weekend, like they planned? I’ll drive her to the bus on Monday morning.”

How could he say that? “You don’t see anything wrong with what they’re doing?”

“I admit I’m not one-hundred-percent happy about the situation. But that’s not the point.”

“It is the point. They’re just kids. We have to stop this.”

“But they’re not kids, Leigh.” Sam’s voice was now gentle.

“I don’t care about the technicalities. My daughter demonstrated more good sense when she was ten.”

Sam surprised her by smiling. “Love can do that to a person.”

There was that word again. In Leigh’s opinion people used it far too frequently. Far too easily. “They’re young and attracted to one another. All the more reason for us to step in. Their judgment is seriously impaired right now.”

“Maybe they’re not the only ones.” Sam passed her a tissue from his pocket.

Despite the dark, he’d noticed her tears. Leigh blotted them, then sighed. She was so tired. And confused.

“Want to come in for a minute and regroup?” Sam offered.

His house had no lights on, save a dim glow near the front door. In contrast, Sam’s son’s cottage was ablaze with light. As Leigh watched, first one light, then another, went out. The last one off was in the upstairs loft area.

The bedroom.

Oh, God. Could she really leave Taylor alone like this?

“Leigh? It’s okay. Really. I saw the way Josh looked at your daughter. He does care about her. And if you’re worried about diseases or pregnancy, don’t. I’ve been very open with my son and Josh knows how to protect her.”

Leigh was glad of the dark. Glad that Sam Wallace—new-age dad of the open communications era—couldn’t see her blush. “I had those same talks with Taylor.” At night. In Taylor’s bedroom. In the dark it had been easier to say all the things that needed to be said.

“Good. Then you know we don’t need to worry.”

As if. Leigh had known, naturally, that one day her daughter would put all that good advice into practice. She’d just hoped that it would be later. And a little more discreetly.

“I need a place to spend the night. Can you recommend someplace nearby? An inn or maybe a bed-and-breakfast?” She’d seen dozens of signs along the highway. There had to be something available in Jefferson, even if it was the smallest town she’d ever been in.

“That’s a good idea. It’s too late for you to drive all the way back to New York City. Come on inside and we’ll phone around.”

He cupped her elbow, and she felt it again. That sizzle of awareness. To counter the effect, she tried to picture him in a dental chair with drool dripping down his chin.

The feeling wouldn’t go away.

“Is there a decent place nearby?”

“Several. But it is summer. Tourist season. Finding a vacant room is going to be a long shot.”

She let him lead her down a cobblestone walk toward his home. The delicious aroma of stewing meat and vegetables met them at the door.

“Is your wife at home?” Funny she’d been cooking in the dark, though.

“No. I’m a widower.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“It’s been six years,” Sam added, his tone a little softer. “That’s my dinner in the Crock-Pot you’re smelling.” He flicked on a series of lights and she saw immediately that the interior of this house was as welcoming as the exterior.

Family pictures on the walls, a hand-crocheted afghan resting on a footstool, candles on the tables.

“Wait there. I’ll be right back,” he promised as he disappeared down a hallway that ran parallel to a set of stairs leading to the second story.

She took a closer look at the surroundings and saw that the scene wasn’t quite as perfect as it first appeared. The potpourri in the crystal bowl near the entrance looked more like dust than dried flowers and pinecones. The curtains in the living room were likewise dusty…and frayed in one corner. The mirror in the entrance was slightly askew.

Six years his wife had been dead?

Other than some superficial cleaning, Leigh was willing to bet the place hadn’t been touched since.

“You’re sure? Thanks a lot, Kate.” Sam’s voice grew louder as came back along the hallway. “I’ll let you know. You bet.”

He disconnected the call, just as he reached her. “Good news. My sister has one room left at her inn. You would have passed it on your way here. It’s just a mile from the gas station, on the main highway. Washington Inn…did you notice it?”

“Yes.” A cream-colored colonial, with light blue shutters and tons of flowers out front. It had seemed well maintained. She hoped the beds were comfortable. She hadn’t realized how tired she was, or how hungry. “Is there a restaurant on the way?”

“Sorry. This is a small town. They sell sandwiches at the general store across from the school, but on weeknights they close at seven.”

“You’re kidding. There must be someplace where I can find a bite to eat.” In New York nothing closed at seven. Even her dental clinic stayed open until nine, three days a week. Of course, it was well past nine now.

For a moment Sam didn’t answer. He just stared at her. She could guess what he was thinking. Something along the lines of spoiled city woman has no idea how things are done in the country.

Well, she didn’t care what he thought. She was starving. And she’d had a really, really bad day.

“You’re welcome to join me for dinner if you like.”

She studied Sam’s face. “Are you serious?”

“Why not? I have plenty.”

She didn’t think she’d endeared herself to him tonight. In fact, she’d been a bit of a pain. “That’s very kind of you.”

“I’m just being practical. You’ve been driving for hours, you’ve admitted you’re starving. I’ve got a Crock-Pot full of stew…more than enough for two.”

“It smells divine.”

“So you accept?”

He was obviously a very polite man. He even managed to sound like he wanted her to stay. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt for us to get to know each other a little better.”

And, who knew? Maybe she’d be able to change his mind about how to handle Josh and Taylor. They’d be so much more effective if they were working as a team.

CHAPTER FOUR

“Y OU MUST HAVE BEEN young when you had Taylor. You don’t look old enough to be her mother.”

“I was young. Only eighteen.”

The exact age as her daughter was now. No wonder the sex thing was such an issue for her. Now he’d pressed her hot button again, when all he’d been trying to do was give her a compliment.

Better change the subject. Fast.

“Want some more stew?” She’d already had two helpings, just like him, so he wasn’t surprised when she shook her head. He stacked the dirty plates, then pushed them out of the way.

“I was eighteen,” Leigh repeated. “And, as you may have guessed, the pregnancy wasn’t planned.”

He’d hoped to bypass this. Should have known better. “Must have been difficult for you.”

“You have no idea.”

She was right. He didn’t. He and Susan hadn’t been much older than her when they’d had Josh, but they’d been in love and excited about starting a family. “What happened to the father?”

“Not in the picture. Never has been. My parents helped me in the beginning. They made it possible for me to go college. I’ll always be grateful to them for that.”

For that, but not much else, he surmised. “Is Taylor close to her grandparents?”

“Not really. We don’t see each other very often. They live in Boston. In the same neighborhood as my sister and her family.”

It sounded like there was a lot more than that to the story. But he sure as hell didn’t want to hear it. “Want some dessert? I’ve got ice cream.”

“No, thanks.” She glanced at her watch. Sighed. “What the heck. I’ll run it off tomorrow. What flavors do you have?”

“Maple pecan or chocolate. Are you a runner?” That would explain those great legs.

“Yes. Maple pecan, please. Do you run, too?”

Automatically he sucked in his stomach. He’d managed to pick up an extra pound or two every year since he’d quit ball. “I’ve been thinking of starting. We have a lot of great trails around here.”