“Trade?”
She glances at Carter. “Cooking for me. Or, at least, doing the dishes. I love to cook, hate to clean up. And cooking for one sucks. I’d rather cook for three.” She focuses on me again. “How’s that sound?”
A chance to spend more time with her? “Sold.”
Carter snickers. “Slick negotiator. I’ve already got him agreeing to do my laundry, and I thoughtthatwas a victory.” They bump fists and share another smile.
My face heats at that, but he didn’t say it in a mean way, more playfully.
Still, her smile widens and the dimple makes a reappearance. “I have a washer and dryer. Bring your laundry here. It’ll save you time and money. That’s one of the sucky things about living here—I’m aloneallthe time. I was looking forward to being able to make friends in the dorm. Get to have a normal life and normal friends, for a change.”
Her smile fades. “Except Daddy’s right that it’d be hard for me to trust people. I’d never be able to let my guard down there. Not once they know who I am.”
“You trusted us,” I note.
She cocks her head and smiles at me. “There’s just something about you I…trust.”
“Ha!” Carter says to me. “See?” Then, to Susa, “I told him the same thing.”
“Daddy says I’m an excellent judge of people. I mean, I trusted you, too,” she says to Carter. “Sorry, didn’t mean that to sound wrong.”
“No worries,” he says. “I didn’t take it that way.”
She glances up for a moment, apparently composing her thoughts. “I am Daddy’s daughter. I’m driven, I can be cut-throat. But I’m also going to show him I can do this without needing him to plow the way for me.” She motions at the house. “I have a trust fund he set up when I was little. It’s paying for college and living expenses, and I’m in control of it. He said to consider this house a gift. He bought me a car for graduation.
“But I don’t go running to him every time I have a problem and asking him to fix it for me. I’m still mad at him for making me get a house, but on the other hand, I understandwhyhe did it. He’s trying to make sure I don’t end up with a scandal attached to my name before I even have a political career. It’d take one stupid decision by a roommate to putmein a newspaper article. I hate that he’s right about this, but it was an argument I decided wasn’t worth having with him.”
She’s not merely an old soul, she’s ancient, in this way. Seriously, if I couldn’t see her face, I would assume she’s at least thirty or older. This is a grown woman wearing a hot teenager’s body, and I’m totally…gone.
Lost.
It’s nearly six thirty when the doorbell rings. Susa and I freeze, she in mid-sentence while discussing an environmental bill that is in danger in the state House, a bill that she actually helped work on during high school.
Carter doesn’t skip a beat. He heads out of the kitchen, toward the front door.
Susa and I realize where he’s going and we both scurry after him. My throat goes dry because I have no idea what we’re getting into.
I do notice as I follow Carter into the front hall that his limp has virtually disappeared, and he’s holding himself tall, spine straight.
I don’t know how long he can maintain that, but I plan on backing him up however I can. I might not be much use, but I’ll try.
I won’t leave him alone, that’s for sure. Even if he probably doesn’t need me.
Carter motions for Susa to step up to the front door and peek out the viewfinder. She does then nods, confirming it’s Kendall.
“Here we go,” Carter softly says. He points for Susa to move back and stand behind me. With me looming right behind him, he opens the front door.
The guy standing there is somewhere between me and Carter in height, so maybe six feet tall. But he’s downright skinny. Compared to him, I’m a damn bodybuilder. I’m feeling pretty cocky about our chances now.
As long as he doesn’t, you know, pull a gun and murder us right where we stand.
Carter keeps his left hand on the edge of the door, his right on the doorframe, his body blocking the doorway. “Can I help you?”
The guy frowns at him, then sees Susa standing behind me where she’s peeking around me. “Who the hell are these guys?” he asks, obviously directed at her.
Carter snaps his fingers and points at his face with his right hand. “Eyes onme, kid. Answer my question.” Even Carter’s voice has changed, deeper than normal, an easy force behind his words that I realize was probably pretty damn helpful during his time in the military.
I pull myself to my full height, put on what I hope is a dark, threatening scowl as I cross my arms over my chest, and stare down at the guy. I can’t guess his age, definitely younger than Carter, maybe my age.
