Jameson didn’t give me much time to stare, though, as he hid it immediately in his coat pocket before I could make out anything else. “Doctor business is alive and well?”
He sighed. “Yes, Mia. That’s exactly why we don’t go out and about. Because the doctor business is goingsowell.”
“He didn’t seem dangerous—”
“He could have been, and you would have never known.” He was white knuckling the steering wheel. “I pay you to do a job. Do it and don’t do mine.”
“What exactly is that job?”
“To keep my daughter safe and you safe.”
“You don’t have to keep me safe.” I wanted to take away some of his anger or maybe some of his responsibility, because it seemed he was carrying the weight of the world there in that car. I felt guilty because he looked so troubled with it.
“But I’m going to, Mia. I’m going to.”
Thankfully, Archer’s familiar knock roused me from my scream. “Mia, wake up or you’ll wake the house up.”
“I’m up. I’m up,” I grumbled and threw my blankets off in frustration. I’d fallen asleep fighting my mind and body, trying to resist the dreams of Jameson Knight. But not thankfully, I had nightmares instead.
And then I groaned remembering what day it was. Friday. The day Valerie was coming to see Franny and Jameson.
Would I honestly be able to endure this all summer for two million? I had to find a way to stop myself from listening this time.
I even gave myself a pep talk while I slid on a black skirt and buttoned up my white blouse to my neck. I pulled my dark waves into a bun and rubbed moisturizer on my face. When I dragged lip gloss over my bottom lip, I wondered if he bit hers while she was in the study, and then I slammed the gloss down on the counter.
My secret obsession had gone too far, and I knew it. So, I did what I didn’t want to do. I called my sister, knowing she’d put me in my place.
“Hello?” her husband’s voice growled over the phone after two rings.
“Hey, Felix. It’s Mia. I got a new phone.” My words were measured, knowing that man seemed to steal some more of my sister’s spirit every time I talked with her. “Is Marian with you?”
“Mia.” He sighed my name like it was a relief to know I was the one calling from an unknown number. “You should text us if you’re changing your number.”
“I know. I’ve been busy. Sorry.” My neck muscles were already tightening at how I succumbed to apologizing immediately to him. “Is she there?”
“She’s still asleep. We had a long night, and you know how she is.” His tone was patronizing, and his words circled the real reason for her not talking with me.
I considered my options. “I got a new job and really wanted to tell her about it.”
“Did you now?” That piqued his interest. “Where?”
“A private residence. Better money than the academy, you know?” I dangled the only information I knew he’d bite on. I could see him licking his chops the way he used to when we were younger.
“Better than the academy?” I held my breath for his response. “That’s good news. Hold on. I’ll see if I can get her up.”
After a few moments of rustling, she came on the phone, her voice bright. Too bright. “Mia, your phone has been dead. I’ve been worried.”
“I know. I know. My other phone got lost in the shuffle of moving because I got a new job.”
“New?” Immediately, her tone changed. “The public school was stable, Mia.”
“Yeah, but they’re not going to have me back there and you know it.”
“Mom and Dad think that maybe if you apologized—”
“I won’t,” I cut her off. “They supported hiring on my coach,Marian. They supported him and didn’t stand up for their daughter when she said something.”
She sighed and whispered, “I know.” Marian wouldn’t argue that. She knew the pain he caused, knew I was right even if every damn person in that town thought I was wrong. “Where’s the new job?”
