Two of a Kind (Fool's Gold #11)(80)

He stroked her hair and her back. “What happened?” he asked. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” she managed, her voice a choked sob. “I’m fine. Or I should be.” She sniffed and stepped back. “It’s Carter. We had a fight.”

She moved away. “That’s what it was. A fight. I’ve never had a fight with anyone before. It’s awful. How do people do it all the time? Why aren’t they crushed? He made a snack and left everything out. The bread, the peanut butter. He doesn’t do that, so I was confused. I went to see him to ask him to clean up what he’d done and he—”

She paused, her mouth trembling.

So far he didn’t see the issue, but she was upset and that made this his problem. “And?”

“He yelled at me. He said I wasn’t his mother and I couldn’t tell him what to do. The way he looked at me...” More tears fell. “I thought we were getting close. I thought he liked me.”

Gideon pulled her close again. “He does like you.”

“You didn’t see him. I’m trying to tell myself that he’s thirteen and there are hormones, or maybe he’s testing me to see if I’ll stand by him, no matter what. I hope it’s one of those, but I never thought it would hurt so much.”

He held her, knowing there was nothing he could say to make the situation easier. But he could try to understand it better.

“I’m going to talk to him.”

Felicia nodded. “I guess one of us should, and I don’t think I can right now.”

He was halfway down the hall when he saw the front door just out of the corner of his eye. It would be so easy to head out. Take off. Run up the mountain or get in his car and disappear. Leave all this emotional crap behind. Simple solution that wouldn’t solve the real problem. Because the letter he’d gotten two days ago said no matter how long he was gone or how much he avoided his responsibility, Carter was still his son.

He walked into his office and pulled the envelope out of his desk, then went down the hall. When he reached Carter’s room, he found the teen lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

“Go away,” he said as Gideon entered.

“No such luck, kid.”

Gideon pulled the desk chair next to the bed and sat down.

He’d been a teenager once, although trying to summon the memories was useless. During his captivity, he’d done his best to forget everyone and everything he’d ever known.

But now, as he stared at the boy who was his son, he had no way to connect. No funny stories about his past to share. He’d done a good job of forgetting, never thinking that if he survived, there might be a price to pay.

“You gonna be a shit much longer, or is this about over?” he asked, his voice conversational.

Carter sat up and stared at him. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. Felicia’s the smartest one in the house, but neither of us is stupid. What’s your endgame? Does hurting someone who cares about you make you feel like a man?”

Carter flinched. “She’s upset?”

“She’s crying.”

The last vestige of defiance faded, leaving behind a frightened and ashamed boy. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize to me.”

Carter hung his head. “I was mean to her.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t know why I did it. I really like Felicia. She’s cool, you know? Always nice and interesting.”

Gideon searched for the right words, for some parable to explain what was going on. The problem was, he didn’t understand Carter any more than he understood the two old ladies who had invaded his space a few days ago. The only thing he knew for sure was Felicia was hurting, and he wanted her to feel better. And his son was confused, and he needed to help him.

Carter nodded. “I get it. I’m testing her, right? To make sure she’s going to be there. She’s so patient and understanding. I want this to work. I want the two of you to get married and stuff, but what if you don’t? What if she leaves?”

Gideon was on his feet and nearly out the door before he caught himself and turned around. Fortunately, Carter was busy trying not to cry and hadn’t noticed.

“Married?” The sound was more croak than word.

He couldn’t get married. He couldn’t. That part of him had been beaten, electrocuted or just plain starved out of him. No way.

Carter looked up at him. “Sure. You like her, and she gets this funny look when you’re around. It makes a stable home for me. But if you don’t, she’ll leave eventually. I mean come on, she’s hot. Some other guy is going to snatch her up if you don’t make your play.”

“You fought with Felicia because you think she’s going to start dating another guy?”

Carter gave him a half smile. “No. I don’t want her to leave.”

“I don’t want her to leave, either.”

The smile broadened. “Cool.”

“No, not cool. Not anything. What happens or doesn’t happen with Felicia doesn’t change what you did to her. And it doesn’t change this.”

He pulled the envelope out of his back pocket and dropped it on the bed. “The DNA results are back. You’re stuck with me, kid.”