Her eyes dropped to the table. "I understand." When she lifted her eyes, they were calm. 'That science project that Jenny and I have been working on is due tomorrow. Can I at least go to her house to finish it? It's not fair that her grade suffers, too."
Reed looked over at Lauren who shrugged. "All right," he said. "Get your things. I have a meeting to go to, so I'll pick you up when I'm done."
Her jaw clenched, Beth nodded and walked away.
Reed sighed. "I'm a sucker, aren't I?"
"Yep. But you love her. I'm so glad she has this life, but sometimes I wish she could understand how much harder it is to say no. My birth mother didn't care enough to."
"Mine, either." Reed brooded into his coffee. "She was never sober enough."
Lauren's face scrunched with worry. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you remember."
"It's okay." He looked up- "It's just that Mia and I had to visit juvie today."
"So now she's Mia. So, Reed, to quote Beth, what's the deal with the dame?"
"She's my partner, Lauren."
Lauren's mouth curved. "But no 'that's all.' I call that progress."
"I'm ready," Beth said from the door.
Reed stood up. "Then let's rock and roll, kid."
Wednesday, November 29, 7:45 P.M.
Dana eyed Mia's clean plate, then nodded. "You're done. Finally." They were the last two sitting, Dana's foster kids having cleaned their plates long before.
Mia rolled her eyes. "You're a bully. I hate vegetables."
"You come here because you want me bully you. I'm always glad to oblige."
Much of her temper over Holly Wheaton's call had dissipated over dinner. Being around Dana's kids made it hard for her to stay mad. But she still had enough mad left for a final jab. "You'd make a good dominatrix," Mia grumbled and Dana laughed.
"Dana the Dominatrix. I like the sound of that."
"So do I." Dana's husband, Ethan, wandered into the kitchen and kissed the back of her neck. "We could have some fun with that. Gives me ideas."
Dana smacked him playfully. "You don't need any new ideas." She pulled his head down for a kiss and Mia felt the pang she always felt when she saw them together. Except tonight, it wasn't the same. It was sharper, somehow. Darker. Normally the pang was happiness for Dana and sometimes wistful longing for herself.
But tonight it was jealousy and… resentment. Troubled at herself, she cleared her throat. "Guys? For God's sake, do you mind already?"
Ethan was the first to pull away, looking puzzled at her harsh tone. "Sorry, Mia. I'll take care of overseeing homework tonight, honey. You two can talk." Tenderly he ran the back of his fingertips over Dana's face before he left the room and Mia couldn't block out the sensation of Reed Solliday's thumb brushing against her jaw.
She'd run tonight. She'd gotten scared and run like a little girl. Wheaton's phone call was just an excuse to be angry with him. It was easier than dealing with what she'd felt when he touched her face. He'd done it last night as well. She'd pulled away then, too.
"I'm ready whenever you are," Dana said quietly.
Mia slid a nickel across the table and Dana smiled. "It's a quarter now," Dana said. "Inflation. But I'll just put it on your tab. Go ahead. Talk to me."
"I'm a stupid idiot."
"Okay."
Mia scowled. "You're not earning your quarter."
Dana's laugh soothed. "Point me in the right direction, Mia. I'm not psychic." She sobered. "I'll make it easier for you. A, it's the woman you think is your half sister. B, you're ripped up because two people are dead and you can't bring them back to life because you're not God. C, you were almost killed last night, which you haven't mentioned once by the way, or D, Reed Solliday."
"How about E, all of the above?"
"Mia."
Mia sighed. "E, all of the above, but at this moment mostly D?"
"Is he being mean to you?" Dana asked, as if she were comforting a five-year-old.
She opened her mouth to say something snide, but her repository of comebacks was suddenly empty. "No, he's been a perfect gentleman. He opens doors, pulls out chairs, holds umbrellas over my head."
"He should be shot," Dana drawled in a deadpan voice.
"I'm serious, Dana."
"I know, honey. So besides making you feel awkward by treating you with the respect you deserve, what else does he do?"
"Ooh, you're good."
"Thousands agree. Stop stalling."
"Last night he followed me to the prison. I went to tell Kelsey about Liam and her."
"That's interesting. So how is Kelsey?"
"Stubborn as ever about the parole board. And she knew about Liam and his mother, but not the woman. Oh, and she said you could keep your crabs."
Dana's lips twitched. "I'm not touchin' that with a ten foot pole. Okay, time-out's over. He's handsome, kind, and I'm betting he's interested and you're scared."
All those years as a social worker had honed Dana's observation skills. All the years as Mia's best friend had sharpened them to a razor edge. "Essentially, yes."
Dana leaned forward conspiratorially. "So, has he kissed you yet?"
A laugh bubbled up. "No." She sighed. "But it's headed that way."
"And?"
"And… I'm not looking for a relationship."
"Neither was I."
"That's different."
Dana lifted a brow. "How?"
"You love Ethan. You married him." And for Dana, that had been a huge step.
"At first I only planned to use him for sex and cut him loose when I was done."
Mia blinked. That one she hadn't heard before. "Oh?"
"But I didn't get done with him. I'm still not done. Don't think I'll ever be done. He's just too good in bed. All those muscles and all that energy…" She fanned her face.
Mia found herself tightening her thighs against the throbbing between her legs. "Not fair. You know how long it's been since I've had any and you're just rubbing it in."
Dana laughed. "I'm sorry. I couldn't resist. Oh, Mia." Her smile became sad. "Look at yourself. You're thirty-four years old and all you have is work. You go home to a dark, cold apartment and an empty bed. You wake up the same way. Your life is passing and you're just watching the days go by."
Mia swallowed hard, but the lump still closed her throat. "Not fair," she whispered.
"I'm tired of being fair," Dana whispered back. "I'm tired of watching you throw your life away because you don't think you deserve any better. Dammit, your father's dead, Mia. Kelsey's in jail and your mother… God only knows about her. But you, you I know. You, I care about. And if you think it's not fair to live like you do, you should be the one to watch you do it. It breaks my heart, Mia." Dana's voice broke. "And that's not fair."
Because her own heart ached, Mia lifted her chin and dropped her eyes. "I'm sorry."
Dana slapped the table. "Goddammit, Mia, yank that stick out of your ass and listen to me. You deserve a life. Don't tell me you don't want that." She spread her arms wide. "That you don't want this. Look me in the eye and tell me you don't want this."
Mia looked around the kitchen, at the cheerful colors, the sink filled with dishes, the refrigerator covered with the artwork done by small hands. And she wanted it, so fiercely it stole her breath. "Yes," she hissed. "I want it."
"Then take it." Dana leaned forward, her eyes turbulent. "Find someone and take it."
"I can't."
"You mean you won't."