Determined to rid Brian Malone from her mind and get some sleep, Tess returned to her bedroom with the drink. The last thing she needed right then was complications and regrets. At least that’s what she kept telling herself until she finally gave in to slumber.
Chapter 9
Andy tried to concentrate on Mr. Paulsen’s review for the upcoming science final—he really did—but Kelle Vaughn’s long, blonde hair smelled so damn good that it was distracting. AP Chemistry was the only class they shared, and Andy had spent the entire school year sitting directly behind her, doing his best to hide the crush he had on her. She was way out of his league—way, way out. And it killed him that when school ended for the summer break, he probably wouldn’t see her again until September. If he were lucky, she would be in one or two of his classes during their senior year.
In his eyes, Kelle was gorgeous, and as if her physical features weren’t enough, she was smart as hell, too, and among the top five candidates for valedictorian when they graduated next year. And that just madeher even more beautiful. While Andy was a mostly straight-A student, he struggled in a few classes to maintain a high grade point average—English, Spanish, and, of course, phys ed. A jock he was not. Seriously, who the hell wanted to get all sweaty during their first period, an hour or so after waking up and taking a shower?
So, yeah, Andy wouldn’t be in the running for valedictorian or even salutatorian, but that was fine with him. He might still win a few of the many scholarships his guidance counselor had helped him apply for. While he knew there was money from their parents’ life insurance policies and the lawsuit settlement, he didn’t want his college tuition to eat through it all. Acceptance to his top three choices—the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Carnegie MellonUniversity in Pennsylvania, and Duke University, located in his home state—didn’t come cheap.
“Andy?”
He blinked several times before he realized Kelle had turned in her seat and was staring at him. Her blue eyes were the color of the Caribbean waters. He still remembered the trip to St. John’s that his family took two years before his parents were killed. Kelle’s eyes always reminded him of what a great time they all had.
Around them, the other students gathered their things and headed for the door. When the hell had the bell rung?
“Um... w-what did you... um... say?” God, why was he so shy when it came to her? He could talk to any other girl in the school—well, at least the ones that talked to geeks like him—but he got all tongue-tied when it came to Kelle.
She smiled, and his breath caught at how it transformed her face to that of an angel.
“I said, some of us are having a cram session and quizzing each other in the library after school. Do you want to join us?”
Did cows moo? Of course, he wanted to join them if it gave him more time with Kelle. “Um, s-sure. That sounds great.”
“Awesome.” She stood and picked up her book bag. “We’ll be in the second-floor study room. See you there.”
She spun around and sashayed up the aisle to the front of the classroom. Andy scrambled to gather his things so he could follow her. However, by the time he hastily stuffed everything into his backpack, Kelle had exited the room and disappeared into the crowd of bustling students making their way to their lockers or their next class.
Damn it. Well, at least he knew he’d see her later. Four more periods to go.
Hurrying into the hall, he weaved his way through the throngs. His math class was completely on the other side of the school, so he didn’t have time to swingby his locker. If he didn’t stop to talk to anyone on his way, he usually could make it with thirty seconds or so to spare before the bell rang again. Mrs. Chang was a stickler for being on time and for not allowing cell phones in her classroom. If she saw you using one, she took it and placed it on the small shelf under the whiteboard at the front of the room, and you had to pick it up at the end of class. Andy would have to wait until lunch period to text his sister to let her know he was staying late to study and ask if she could pick him up after the cram session. Their temporary home in Whisper was outside the school district, so his only option, aside from Tess driving him, was to take public transit and change buses twice, which was a pain in the ass. He could take an Uber, but it was hooked up to Tess’s credit card, and he didn’t want to abuse his access to it. Thankfully, she had a meeting with a contractor at their house, so she wouldn’t have to drive far to get him afterward.
Ten minutes later, Mrs. Chang talked about what would be on her final exam, but Andy couldn’t recall a single thing she said. He was too busy fantasizing about Kelle.
Tess and Andy had been home about thirty minutes, after she’d picked him up from his study session, when there was a knock on the back door. Leaving him at thetable, eating the penne alla vodka she’d quickly reheated for their dinner, Tess stood and hurried over to the door, silently hoping it was Brian. She hadn’t heard from him since he left there last night, and she wondered if he’d been at the shooting that morning.
When she opened the door, she found it wasn’t Brian standing on the porch, but an older couple, a younger woman about her age, and a black dog that appeared to be a Labrador mix. The gray-haired man grinned at her and held out his hand. “You must be Tess—I’m Brian’s uncle, Dan Malone.”
Her eyes widened as she automatically shook his hand. “Oh, Mr. Malone. Hi. Thank you so much for letting my brother and me stay here. I’m so grateful.”
He waved her off. “No thanks necessary. This beautiful lady is my Bonnie, and this one is her niece, Grace, who is engaged to Brian’s brother, Sean. And the brat who just walked by you like he owns the place is Jinx.” The dog sniffed around the dining area and the living room. “We just stopped by to see if you or your brother needed anything.”
Tess shook hands with both women. “It’s nice to meet all of you. Please, come in.” She held the door open for them, then closed it after everyone had entered. She flashed a hand toward her brother. “This is Andy. Andy, this is Agent Malone’s uncle, Dan Malone. And this is Bonnie and Grace.” She would have used their last names had she known them. “Mr. Malone owns this house and is letting us stay here.”
“Please, call me Dan, and I’m glad I could help you both out.”
Tess tilted her head toward the older man while glaring at her brother. It took a moment before he realized she wanted him to say something. As a typical teenager, Andy toasted the man with a forkful of pasta. “Thanks, uh... Dan.”
Shaking her head, she rolled her eyes before turning back to the trio. “Sorry. He’s at that age when the less said is better.”
Dan Malone chuckled as Jinx rejoined them, his tail wagging. “Try having three of them at that stage. KC, Brian, and Sean brooded like the best of them.”
She wouldn’t be surprised if that were true. Photographs of the brothers were scattered throughout the house, taken at various ages, some with and without their parents, and a few with their uncle. While Tess completely understood what it was like to lose both her parents at once, Brian and his brothers understood it more from a teenage boy’s perspective.
“We didn’t mean to interrupt your dinner,” Bonnie said. “We just stopped by to see if you needed anything and to take a walk on the beach. It’s such a beautiful evening.”
Tess gestured to her empty plate. “Oh, no worries. I’m finished. Andy eats like he’s got a bottomless stomach. If I don’t grab any food within the first minute of setting it down, it would be all gone.” When herbrother scowled at her, she scrunched up her nose at him. “Just kidding.”
“If you’re done eating, would you like to take a walk with us?” Grace asked.
