Read Online The Fight for Us by Elizabeth Finn - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elizabeth Finn
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her down the right path—a path Joss couldn’t even claim to recognize. Parenting had suddenly gotten very real the past month. That damn word again, but there was just no better word for it.
“I like Natalie just fine, but I can’t make other people like her. I wish I could. She’s really good at volleyball, though. Lots of other kids want to practice with her now, and she’s always picked fast in P.E., so that’s good. I mean, I think. Maybe it’s getting better for her?” She shook her head as she turned to look out the passenger window at the passing coastline. It wasn’t until they were turning into the driveway that Harper finally turned back to her. But her stress was gone now, and she had a wry smile on her face. “You know, some of the older girls on the varsity squad think he’s hot.”
She knew exactly what her daughter was talking about, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to acknowledge that. “I’m sorry, who?” Joss tried for a quizzical expression, but the patronizing expression Harper returned said she wasn’t buying it.
“Oh, come on, Mom. I’ve seen the way you act around him. You get…weird.”
“What does that mean?” She threw the car in park once she’d pulled into the garage. She hit the remote, and the door started lowering as she climbed from the car.
“You have a crush on him. And by the way, Steph said the same thing when she picked me up from practice the other day, so don’t deny it. If Steph said it, then it’s true.”
“Remind me to kill Steph.” She muttered as she opened the side door into the breezeway. “So, he’s considered handsome —” she used her finger quotes on that word “—by people?”
“Duh,” was all she got in return to that question.
“And you? Do you think he’s handsome?”
“Eww! Of course not. He’s like eighty years old.”
“Nope. He’s not actually even close to that.” She hung her jacket up before tossing her purse on the kitchen counter.
“Well, whatever. He’s Natalie’s dad, and Natalie said he was some sort of cop or FBI agent or something. Probably why he’s a little scary.”
“Really?” Now Joss’s interest was piqued—not that it hadn’t been already.
“Well, no, not really. He seems pretty nice actually. I used to think he was a little sca—”
“No, I mean, he’s a cop?”
“Or, FBI, or Special Agent, or one of those kinds of people when they lived in Chicago.”
“Chicago…” She was fidgeting with the scar on her chin mindlessly as she leaned against the counter.
“You know, for having a crush on him, you’ve done a pretty lousy job of finding anything out about him.” Harper turned to her after fishing a juice box out of the fridge. “Tell me what you want to know, and I’ll ask Natalie—all covert like.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Joss harrumphed for a moment, but then she was picking at her scar again. “Well, you could find out if he’s divorced. I mean, I’m assuming, but you know…”
Harper’s mouth dropped open as she stared at Joss, but it wasn’t disdain or any reaction Joss would expect to see, it was surprise. “Mom, Natalie’s mother is dead.” It was Joss’s mouth that dropped then. “She died like a year, year and half ago maybe. I don’t know how. Maybe she was sick or something. Didn’t ask. Nat mentioned it one day when I was waiting with her after volleyball. I think it might even be why they moved away from Chicago. Or maybe not. I don’t know, but I know she’s dead.”
Joss sank into a kitchen chair then. She could feel the crease in her brow as she contemplated it. Dead. She’d not expected to hear that at all. Divorced, sure. Hell, separated even.
“Wow. I didn’t know.”
“Well, how would you? You’re lousy at this stalking business.” Harper watched her for a moment longer. “I have homework. I’m going upstairs.”
“Yeah…yeah, okay.” And then as an afterthought she threw out, “No T.V.! You’re still
“I like Natalie just fine, but I can’t make other people like her. I wish I could. She’s really good at volleyball, though. Lots of other kids want to practice with her now, and she’s always picked fast in P.E., so that’s good. I mean, I think. Maybe it’s getting better for her?” She shook her head as she turned to look out the passenger window at the passing coastline. It wasn’t until they were turning into the driveway that Harper finally turned back to her. But her stress was gone now, and she had a wry smile on her face. “You know, some of the older girls on the varsity squad think he’s hot.”
She knew exactly what her daughter was talking about, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to acknowledge that. “I’m sorry, who?” Joss tried for a quizzical expression, but the patronizing expression Harper returned said she wasn’t buying it.
“Oh, come on, Mom. I’ve seen the way you act around him. You get…weird.”
“What does that mean?” She threw the car in park once she’d pulled into the garage. She hit the remote, and the door started lowering as she climbed from the car.
“You have a crush on him. And by the way, Steph said the same thing when she picked me up from practice the other day, so don’t deny it. If Steph said it, then it’s true.”
“Remind me to kill Steph.” She muttered as she opened the side door into the breezeway. “So, he’s considered handsome —” she used her finger quotes on that word “—by people?”
“Duh,” was all she got in return to that question.
“And you? Do you think he’s handsome?”
“Eww! Of course not. He’s like eighty years old.”
“Nope. He’s not actually even close to that.” She hung her jacket up before tossing her purse on the kitchen counter.
“Well, whatever. He’s Natalie’s dad, and Natalie said he was some sort of cop or FBI agent or something. Probably why he’s a little scary.”
“Really?” Now Joss’s interest was piqued—not that it hadn’t been already.
“Well, no, not really. He seems pretty nice actually. I used to think he was a little sca—”
“No, I mean, he’s a cop?”
“Or, FBI, or Special Agent, or one of those kinds of people when they lived in Chicago.”
“Chicago…” She was fidgeting with the scar on her chin mindlessly as she leaned against the counter.
“You know, for having a crush on him, you’ve done a pretty lousy job of finding anything out about him.” Harper turned to her after fishing a juice box out of the fridge. “Tell me what you want to know, and I’ll ask Natalie—all covert like.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Joss harrumphed for a moment, but then she was picking at her scar again. “Well, you could find out if he’s divorced. I mean, I’m assuming, but you know…”
Harper’s mouth dropped open as she stared at Joss, but it wasn’t disdain or any reaction Joss would expect to see, it was surprise. “Mom, Natalie’s mother is dead.” It was Joss’s mouth that dropped then. “She died like a year, year and half ago maybe. I don’t know how. Maybe she was sick or something. Didn’t ask. Nat mentioned it one day when I was waiting with her after volleyball. I think it might even be why they moved away from Chicago. Or maybe not. I don’t know, but I know she’s dead.”
Joss sank into a kitchen chair then. She could feel the crease in her brow as she contemplated it. Dead. She’d not expected to hear that at all. Divorced, sure. Hell, separated even.
“Wow. I didn’t know.”
“Well, how would you? You’re lousy at this stalking business.” Harper watched her for a moment longer. “I have homework. I’m going upstairs.”
“Yeah…yeah, okay.” And then as an afterthought she threw out, “No T.V.! You’re still
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