“I tried. He won’t go.”
“He’ll go,” Jason muttered, daring Dana to contradict him. “Thank you, Mr. DeRosario. I think I understand what’s been happening here. If Sammy can go now, we’ll take him home.”
Mr. DeRosario nodded. “I sincerely hope you can reach him. He’s a bright boy, but he’s going to have serious problems if his attitude isn’t dealt with soon.”
“I assure you it will be,” Jason said.
As soon as the principal had gone after Sammy, Dana whirled on him. “How dare you interfere like that! This has nothing to do with you.”
“It does now.” He wondered if he was losing his mind. Why would a sane man willingly get involved in the salvation of a kid who used a knife to solve his problems? Maybe there was more of Kevin Halloran in him than he’d ever realized. He’d always chalked his father’s do-gooder tendencies up to leftover sixties social consciousness.
“Jason!” Dana protested.
“We’ll discuss it later,” Jason said quietly. “Right now, you and I are going to show your brother a united front.”
“Just why are we going to do that?” she snapped, obviously fuming at his intrusion into what she considered a family matter.
He cupped her face in his hands, barely resisting the desire to kiss away the last traces of tears. “Because if we don’t, Sammy might never have a chance.” He said it slowly and with enough conviction that Dana swallowed whatever she’d been about to say next. She looked thoroughly shaken and, for the first time since he’d met her, she looked defeated. That look touched his soul.
But when Sammy walked out of the principal’s office, Dana squared her shoulders and leveled a no-nonsense look straight at him. Sammy started to protest his innocence, but she glared at him and he fell silent.
“I’ll see you back here in two weeks,” the principal said, his hand on Sammy’s shoulder.
“Whatever,” Sammy said, his tone sullen.
“Think about what we discussed.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Sammy backed toward the door, then whirled and sprinted outside. They caught up with him at the bottom of the steps. No one spoke until they reached the car, then Sammy balked.
“I’m not riding with him,” he said to his sister.
“I’ve had just about all I can take from you for one day. Get in the car. Now!” she said, all of her fury spilling out in that one order.
Sammy took one quick glance at her stormy expression and began to look uncertain for the first time. He climbed in.
When they finally reached Dana’s apartment, the tension in the car swirled like a thick, dispiriting fog. Dana started to open the door, but Jason put his hand over hers.
“In a minute,” he said. “I have to go back to the office, but I want to say something first.” He turned to face Sammy. “I’m sure you love your sister and I’m sure you don’t set out to make her unhappy, but you have. I don’t want it to happen again, so you and I are going to make an effort not only to get along, but to fix that lousy attitude of yours. We’re starting tonight. I’ll pick you up at eight.”
“Not a chance,” Sammy said. “I didn’t commit no crime. I don’t need a probation officer.”
“Actually you did commit a crime. You’ll be very lucky if the other student doesn’t press charges, so don’t smart-mouth me on that score. It’s me or a counselor. Take your pick,” Jason said, his voice clipped. Where the hell was his father when he needed him? Was he going about this the right way? All he had to guide him were his instincts and that faint glimmer of hope that was finally sparking in Dana’s eyes.
Sammy turned pale. He studied Jason closely, as if measuring the chances for a reprieve, then glanced at Dana. Whatever she was thinking about Jason’s plans, she didn’t contradict him. Apparently Sammy decided that his choices truly were limited to those two. “I’ll be ready,” he said resentfully.
Jason nodded. “Good. Bring your gym clothes and sneakers.”
Sammy looked startled. “Why?”
“Just bring them.” He squeezed Dana’s hand. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
She nodded. All the way back to the office, Jason had to fight the image of the fearful expression in her eyes when he’d mentioned the possibility of assault charges. How many times had she walked into that school dreading such an outcome? How much longer could Sammy escape serious jail time? If it took being pals with a juvenile delinquent to wipe away Dana’s fears, then that’s what he was going to do.
For one fleeting instant Jason wished like crazy that he’d had the good sense to override his grandfather’s manipulating moves and refused to work with Dana. What he knew about dealing with a kid as troubled as Sammy would fit on the head of a pin. As for what he knew about a woman like Dana, his expertise failed him there as well, but he was definitely learning fast.
* * *
“CUTE GIRL,” BRANDON HALLORAN observed when Jason finally got to his office. “Reminds me of someone I used to know.”
“I’m surprised you lived to tell about it,” Jason muttered.
Brandon chuckled. “I think you’ll be surprised at just how easily you adapt.”
“I don’t want to adapt.”
“But you will,” Brandon said with confidence. “You will. By the way, I’ve been thinking it’s time to bring your father up to speed on this whole marketing thing we’ve got working. You know how he gets if he thinks one of us is keeping secrets from him. He’s been meaner than a tied-up pit bull these last few weeks. Any idea what’s going on with him?”
“I think he and Mom had some sort of disagreement. Neither one of them is saying much, but the last time I dropped by their house the
