The Will (The Magdalene Series) (Volume 1)(201)

“I’ll be sure to tackle you or…whatever,” I assured her hoping I didn’t have to do that.

“Right. Later.”

“Later, Alyssa.”

She disconnected.

I drove and my heart skipped another beat, this one anxious, when I saw Jake’s truck in the lot in front of the school.

I parked, got out and hurried into the school.

The administrative offices were at the front and I walked right in.

The receptionist looked up at me. “Can I help you?”

And that was when my heart fluttered and my belly dipped.

This was because I heard Jake say, “She’s with me.”

I looked to the side to see him standing in an open door, his arm up and extended my way, his eyes locked on me.

Relief sweeping through me so profoundly it nearly brought me to my knees, I struggled past it and, without delay, moved to him, lifting a hand and taking his.

His fingers closed around mine and they did this tight, his eyes never leaving me.

Then he pulled me into the room.

* * * * *

“Go,” Mia’s father, Neal ordered.

“But Dad—” she started.

“Not another word, Mia,” he warned. “Told you, stay away from Conner Spear. Told you, you act like a decent person, you’d win folks back around. You didn’t listen to me. Now, we’re gonna find out if I can find other ways to make you listen to me.”

We were standing outside the high school and apparently, spoiled Mia had pushed her father too far.

Finally.

Mia had been suspended for three days.

Sofie had been suspended for one.

Conner had been released early seeing as, after the situation finally got sorted out, it was the last period of the day and there was no point in him going back and disturbing class. Especially after the ruckus that many in the school had seen and probably now all of the school had heard about.

The truth had outed, all of it, including the past bullying which Conner had stared intently at Sofie all the while she’d recounted it (in a rather adorable stammer, I might add).

It also included the lie about the pregnancy, something Mia’s father shared himself by saying, “First you lie about Con knockin’ you up, spreadin’ that crap around, and now this? God, what am I gonna do with you?”

Apparently the principal was rather hands on and had seen Mia at work, knew Sofie was an honor roll student and the belle of the choir, and thus understood the situation.

Therefore Sofie got suspended for pushing and kicking Mia but Mia bore the brunt of the punishment for starting the situation, not backing down, getting physical right back with Sofie and hurling rather unladylike profanities at Conner, then Sofie, doing this at the top of her lungs.

We watched Neal march Mia to his car and the minute they were out of earshot, Alyssa turned to her daughter.

“You…so...rock,” she stated and pulled Sofie into a tight hug. “So proud of you, not takin’ any shit.”

I saw Sofie’s tentative proud smile as she hugged her mother back. However, this hug was prematurely ended when Conner wrapped his fingers around Sofie’s bicep and gently pulled her from her mother’s embrace.

Alyssa’s arms dropped and her eyes moved to Conner.

“Takin’ Sofie home, Mrs. Harper,” he declared.

Oh dear.

“But, I—” Sofie began but she snapped her mouth shut when Conner cut his eyes to her.

“Takin’ you home,” he repeated a lot more firmly this time and considering his earlier declaration was very firm, this was rock-solid.

Oh my.

Sofie looked terrified. But then her eyes drifted to the red mark on Conner’s cheekbone, one she put there. Accidentally, of course, but she’d done it.

Then she whispered, “I…okay,” though she didn’t really have a choice.

Conner continued not to give her one.

He did this by sliding his hand down to hers, grabbing hold and dragging her down the sidewalk.

We all watched until they turned the corner toward the student parking area, Sofie looking back at us with an expression I couldn’t make out due to the distance, before they disappeared.

The instant they did, Alyssa turned happy eyes to me.

“Figure, she gets home, my girl’s gonna have the taste of Spear on her lips,” she announced ecstatically.

I pressed my lips together in order not to smile.

Jake muttered, “Jesus.”

Alyssa looked at Jake.

“Jake, babe, you do not get this but I’ll let you in the know,” she started. “See, a girl never forgets her first kiss. And this may not go anywhere with our two, but that doesn’t matter. I figure he’s got enough experience to give her a good one. He’s smart. Cute. Sweet. And very into her. So all her life she’ll look back at that and smile. And for a mom, well, a mom knows her girl got that, she thinks that’s a little bit of all right.”

“Can we stop talking about this?” Jake asked.

Alyssa smiled big and looked to me. “For a dad, the thought of his daughter’s first kiss is when latent murderous tendencies wake up. The thought of his boy kissing a girl, that’s when he starts buying stock in Babies ‘R’ Us.”

“I’m seeing we can’t stop talking about this,” Jake murmured.