I stopped walking, my stomach sinking. “Just tell me.”
“Do you promise?” she repeated, her voice wobbling.
“Okay, I promise.” Which was a lie, but I was starting to get worried. “What’s happened? Are you okay?”
“I’m coming home to live with you,” she said brightly. Too brightly. “It’s going to be great!”
Amelia was my good sister, the one who always did what she was supposed to do and followed the rules, so this news was the last thing I’d expected. When our parents had died and I’d taken on custody of both my sisters, Amelia had been eleven, and Billie sixteen, so managing Billie’s rebellious behavior had taken up most of my time. Amelia had been sweet and eager to please, as opposed to Billie’s anger at the world. Though, I couldn’t blame Billie—I’d been pretty angry at the world, too.
When Amelia had begged to be allowed to go to a boarding school that had a specialized dance program, it had seemed like the perfect solution—she’d have the dance classes she wanted, as well as adult women around her to help her into womanhood in a way I couldn’t.
I started walking again, double time, so I wouldn’t be late. “Why do you want to come home?”
“I miss you,” she said, and I could tell that, at least, was genuine.
“I miss you, too, sweetie. How about you stay put and I come up at the weekend so we can talk about this?”
“Um. It’s a bit late for that.”
There were tears in her voice, and adrenaline flooded my system. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for her. The most powerless I ever felt was when something was wrong with one of my sisters and I couldn’t fix it. I sent up a quick plea that whatever was going on here would be fixable, and that she was fine.
“What’s going on, Amelia?”
“The school says I need to leave as soon as possible. It will take me a couple of hours to pack my stuff, so any time after that will be good for you to come get me.”
I arrived at the classroom and pushed through the doors. “Just tell me you’re okay. You’re not hurt,” I said, hoping my voice didn’t break while I was being watched by the students.
“I’m fine. I promise.”
Letting out a deep breath, I dropped my books on the desk at the front of the room. “Look, I have to go, but I’ll call you as soon as I’m on my way. Will you be okay till then?”
“Yes,” she said, her voice soft. “Thank you, Finn.”
My heart breaking, I tried to sound calm so I didn’t freak Amelia out before I unearthed the full story. “That’s what I’m here for.”
“I love you,” she said.
“Hang tight. I’ll be there soon.” As I disconnected and looked at the roomful of students in front of me, I tried to remember what the class was about. All I could think about was Amelia.
Chapter Five
Scarlett
The reception phone rang, and I clicked the button. “Good morning, Ferguson and Johns. How may I help you?”
“Scarlett, it’s me.” Finn’s voice had an edge that immediately had my attention.
“Are you okay?”
He blew out a breath. “I’m fine, but I need your help.”
“Name it,” I said, without needing to think.
“Is there any chance you could get the afternoon off?”
I glanced around. “Maybe, I don’t know. Why?”
“Something’s happened with Amelia and she has to leave school today. I’m driving up to get her.”
Amelia? My stomach clenched. She was such a sweet kid. If she was in trouble, I wanted to be there. Also, if something was wrong with one of his sisters, Finn would need support. They were the world to him.
“I’ll see what I can do and ring you back in a few minutes.”
Thankfully, when I explained to my boss that it was a family emergency, and Cathy said she was happy to help cover the front desk for the rest of the day, I was able to take the afternoon off as half a sick day. Finn picked me up at the front of the building about ten minutes later.
“Thanks,” he said as he pulled the car away from the curb.
“Always,” I said. “Do you have any details yet?”
“Nothing that explains anything.” He shrugged and I noticed how pale his face was. “She called as I was going into class, but I couldn’t concentrate, so I gave the students some extra reading and cut the tutorial short.” He winced. “I hope Professor Davids understands once I explain.”
“Of course she will,” I said, trying to sound reassuring.
“When I called Amelia back, she said she was packing her things but wouldn’t give any details. I didn’t want to push too hard until I see her face-to-face.”
“I’m sure it will be all right,” I said, despite not being sure at all.
We stopped at a red light and he threw me a grateful smile. “Thanks again for coming. I might need someone to hold me back when I talk to the principal.”
The only time I’d ever seen Mr. Cool and Calm Finn lose his temper was the night we’d met, and even then his actions had been efficient and controlled. I couldn’t imagine him ever really losing it.
“Have you spoken to the school yet?”
“The school secretary called after Amelia to inform me that she was being expelled, but wouldn’t tell me why. She said the principal would talk to me when I arrived.” He smoothly changed lanes to overtake a car travelling under the speed limit. “The other thing is, I don’t know what shape Amelia is in, and it might help to have a woman with me.”
In the past year, while I’d been living with Finn, I’d been around for all of Amelia’s visits. And even before that, in the years before I officially moved in, I’d spent lots of time with Finn and his sisters during the holidays. Billie had become a friend, and Amelia was practically a little sister.
“I really like Amelia, so I’m glad I can help. And I’ll drive home if you need to sit in the back with her or anything.”
He reached over and grabbed my fingers, squeezed them, then returned his hand to the steering wheel. For the rest of the trip, I talked about my day at work, the songs on the radio, anything I could think of to divert his attention so his fears didn’t swamp him. It might have even worked a little.
Finn
When we arrived, we were told Amelia was waiting outside the principal’s office. Scarlett grabbed my hand and gave it a quick squeeze, which helped, but my gut was clenched tight and I couldn’t drag enough air into my lungs.
As soon as I saw her, sitting on a wooden bench in the corridor, my heart broke. She was so very young, with her long, dark ponytail draped over her shoulder, and she looked completely alone. Her head lifted and she saw me, her eyes uncertain, but when I held out my arms, she ran into them and hugged me tight. I enveloped her, cradling her head with a hand, as if I could physically protect her from the world. If only.
“Finn,” she whispered, her voice cracking.
“It’s okay, sweetie. I’ll sort it out.” Of course, I still didn’t know if she was traumatized by whatever had happened, or she was scared of being kicked out of her dream school, but whatever it was, I needed to fix it. I met Scarlett’s eyes over the top of Amelia’s head, grateful and relieved she’d come with me.
A woman in a pantsuit appeared. “Ms. Crosby will see you now.”
Nodding, I disengaged Amelia from my waist and, with a protective arm around her shoulders, led her to the door. From the corner of my eye I saw Scarlett grab Amelia’s other hand, and I smiled my thanks.
Ms. Crosby stood as we entered the room, with a stern, disappointed expression. I used the same one on my undergrads when they failed to hand in an assignment, so I wasn’t intimidated.
“Ah, Mr. McKenzie.” She held out her hand and I shook it briefly.
“I don’t know what’s happened here, Ms. Crosby, but Amelia’s behavioral record is spotless, so I can’t think of any reason the school would be talking about expulsion.”