Unexpected Attraction

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.”