Ashton
Jennifer is waiting and looks at me with concern. “What’s the matter, honey? You’ve gone whiter than milk.”
I struggle to regain a normal expression and shake my head.
“Cassie was caught punching a boy yesterday and his parents have complained.”
Jennifer grins wickedly.
“Oh yes, Imogen told me about that. Apparently, Samuel snuck up on them and pulled Imogen’s hair and took her candy. Cassie was angry and chased him and as Imogen said, punched him and stole it right back. Typical playground behavior, I wonder why his parents complained? I mean, it’s a bit embarrassing for him, really. Then again, his father’s a wet lettuce and his mom a first-class asshole.”
I smile but don’t feel very much like laughing. If only she knew the rest. Jennifer smiles sympathetically.
“It’ll all be over by tomorrow. Get Cassie to write a letter of apology and that’ll be the end of it.”
She grins. “Anyway, how about grabbing a coffee with me? I could use some water to dilute the neat vodka swimming in my veins.”
I look at her with surprise and for the first time note the tired lines around her eyes and the unhappiness in them. So, I push my own worries away and link arms with my only friend here.
“Come on then. I’ll drive though. You may need a ride home as well. I’ll pick up Imogen later and bring her back.”
Jennifer nods sadly and we head off to the local coffee shop.
Driving home later, I focus on Jennifer’s problems rather than my own. It didn’t take much before she spilled her own secrets, largely due to the Dutch courage inside her. It appears her husband has been doing more than working on his trips abroad and has got another woman pregnant. He wants to leave Jennifer and move to France to be with his new family. This would leave her with no money other than the allowance he gives her and they would have to sell up and move to a cheaper house in a rough neighborhood. No more Harvey-Vallard and no best friend for Cassie.
I worry about her because she doesn’t appear to have anyone else to turn to. Her family live in Massachusetts and she moved out here to be with her husband. She could move back but her family disowned her because she got pregnant out of wedlock. They’re puritans and don’t believe in sex before marriage. They may take her back as a sinner but her child wouldn’t be welcome.
Sighing, I turn into the drive to the compound. Maybe I can find Bonnie and talk it through with her. She’ll know what to do.
As I bring the SUV to a standstill I’m surprised to see Cara, Ryder’s sister waiting by her car. I haven’t seen her since that first day and she looks about as welcoming as she did then.
Mustering a smile that I don’t feel, I walk towards her after parking nearby.
I feel her appraisal and the anxiety grips me. What she thinks matters to me because she’s the only family Ryder has. I know she has Cassie’s best interests at heart so I try to calm my nerves and smile happily.
“Hi, it’s Cara, isn’t it? I’m sorry we didn’t get much time to talk the other day.”
She looks at me with a hard look and smiles thinly.
“So, you’re still here then.”
Trying not to let her words affect me, I shrug and laugh nervously.
“Yes, like Ryder said, I’m his wife now, and that’s for life in my book.”
Cara rolls her eyes. “Then you’re as stupid as I thought you’d be.”
Fixing her with a hard look I say, “Excuse me. What did you call me?”
She grins.
“There, that got your attention. I had to see if there was any backbone behind that pretty facade. My brother has a habit of surrounding himself with vacuous vessels who are there to just serve as a parking place for his dick. I was hoping that his wife would be different.”
Despite her words, I laugh softly. “You know him so well.”
She laughs. “Unfortunately, I do. I mean, don’t get me wrong, we haven’t lived together for most of our lives but we’re all we’ve got. Like most brothers and sisters, we fight a lot and don’t tolerate each other’s weaknesses.”
I smile wryly. “I have a brother too. We get along well - united in our common hatred of our father. You’re lucky if you don’t have one like him to deal with.”
Cara looks interested and I nod towards the house.
“Come in and I’ll make us a coffee. I expect you have a lot of questions that need answers.”
Cara follows me inside and in no time, I set a coffee before her and take the seat opposite. Then I fix her with a hard look and say, “Right, what do you want to know?”
For the next hour, I answer all of her questions as honestly as I can. I skirt around the reason that brought me here and can tell she isn’t fooled. Luckily, she doesn’t press the matter and just seems more interested in finding out about Cassie. One hour soon turns to two and I find myself warming to Ryder’s sister. She is hard and uncompromising, yet has a softer side that shows the deep love she has for him and Cassie. I do everything I can to put her mind at rest and as she stands to leave, she smiles at me warmly.
“I’m glad I came, Ashton. It’s been worrying me and now I can see that my brother hasn’t made another dick decision I will sleep easier in my bed. I also wanted to ask if I can have Cassie to stay on the weekend. I’ve missed the little terror and can’t wait to see her.”
Smiling, I walk her to her car. “I’ll check with Ryder but it shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll call you.”
As she climbs into her car, she smiles warmly.
“Thanks, Ashton. Now, remember, don’t let my cocky brother run rings around you. Stand up to him and play him at his own game. Men like a challenge and a weak woman does nobody any favors, least of all herself. Men like Ryder need a strong woman to come home to, don’t be any less than that for all your sakes.”
As I wave her off, I feel the resolution setting in. She’s right. I need to be strong, not weak. Men like Principal Armstrong better watch out because I’m not the girl I was when I came here. Ryder won’t have to deal with my problem because I intend on sorting it out myself.
The only trouble is, I don’t know the first thing about doing it.