by Marie Harte
He turned and glared at his sister before facing Jordan once more, this time wearing a sweet smile. “What can I get you two?”
“I’ll take a small vanilla latte and something like that.” Rafi pointed to the sign on an empty tray behind the glass case. “I wanted a ham and gruyere croissant too, but I think you’re out.”
“Not for you, handsome.” Elliot called over his shoulder, “Sadie! Chop chop. Get the young man an H&G, stat. And add a donut and a cowboy cookie. He needs to eat.” To Jordan, he asked, “And you, pretty lady?”
She laughed. “I’ll have a coffee and that Danish right there.” She pointed to the one she wanted in the glass case.
“By your command.” Elliot bowed and grabbed her an extra pastry as well.
She had to admit she liked him. She made a last attempt to reach into her wallet, saw his glare, and refrained. He had their order ready to go in no time.
“Thanks, Elliot.” She smiled.
“Anytime. Oh, there’s an empty table behind you. Hurry or you’ll miss it.”
They snagged the lone available table. Before they could sit, Sadie hurriedly wiped it clean. She eyed them both, her gaze flat, untrusting, before giving them a grunt and half smile. Then she ordered them to sit, eat, and enjoy before she left.
“Well, she’s happy to be here,” Rafi murmured.
“No kidding.” They grinned at each other then dug into breakfast.
Rafi polished off his croissant and an old-fashioned donut before starting a weird conversation about their terrific weather.
Curious to know why he’d wanted to come with her, Jordan remained quiet, letting him take the lead.
He fiddled with the lid of his coffee cup. Then he started talking about the various shades of blue and green in the park, which he associated with the summer blooms and clear sky.
Jordan let him ramble while she took her time appreciating the delicate raspberry filling of her light and flaky Danish. God, how are Elliot and Sadie not four hundred pounds? She could never work in the food industry, she decided. Not if she wanted to keep her fighting weight.
“Jordan, I have to tell you something.”
Please do. And if it’s about the shade of my Danish, I might brain you. She took a sip of coffee, felt human, and sighed. “I’m listening. I have food and coffee. The weather is fantastic, as you’ve said fifty times.” He blushed. She finished with “Life is good.”
“I got kicked out of school,” he blurted.
She froze then put her coffee back down. “You what?”
He looked so sad, so downcast, that she forced herself to remain patient.
“Rafi, tell me what happened.”
He fidgeted while explaining in detail an outlandish altercation between himself and his teacher. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have mouthed off, I know. But he was really mean.”
“Wait. That really happened?” Her brother was a lot of things, and, yeah, he occasionally lied. But she didn’t think he was lying about this. He looked too ashamed, for one, and he’d never been a bad student. Not until this year.
“I swear it did. I bet one of the kids recorded it on their phone. Jordan, he went off on me. He’s done that before to other kids during the school year. But I never had him until summer school.”
“He was a jerk.” She wanted to smash Mr. Simpson’s face in. “And I’m going to fix this tomorrow.”
“No, wait.”
“No one talks to you that way. I mean no one.”
Rafi stared at her then slowly smiled. “Thanks, Jordan.” The smile brought back the boy she’d grown up loving. Unfortunately, it faded as fast as it had appeared. “But he wasn’t all wrong.”
“What?”
“I’m not smart, and I never have been. I’m just good at faking it.” Rafi explained how he’d had help, pretending an understanding of math for the longest time. By the time he’d finished, Jordan wanted to cry for him.
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
He blinked back tears, his voice gruff. “It’s embarrassing. I can’t do what sixth graders can. I really am stupid.”
“You are not,” she snapped. “I don’t want to hear you talk that way. You’ve been reading at an advanced level since you hit elementary school. Mom still brags about you. And none of us can draw like you can. So you’re not good at math?”
“Or science, really.”
“Or science. No one’s good at everything.” But his details about his difficulties made her think something else might be at work. “You need to see a specialist. Someone who can help you specifically with word problems and multiplication. What was wrong with that tutor Mom and Dad got you a while ago?”
Rafi shrugged. “I don’t think he liked me. He knew I had problems. I didn’t want to stay.”
“Looks like I’ll be talking to him too. Jesus. If you hate kids and don’t want to be a teacher, don’t teach!” She gnawed on her last pastry, needing to tear through something. “You haven’t had the best luck with the other tutors I tried to get for you. But I understand now. So if we take care of all this, do you think you can stop bombing toilets and harassing your teachers?”
“Jordan.”
“I get it, Rafi. You hate school. I’d hate it too if my teachers were jerky to me, I didn’t understand stuff, and no one helped me. You’re there to learn, you know. Not just to put a check in the block that you attended class.”
“Tell that to Simpson.”
“Oh, I will. Trust me.”
They talked for a bit longer.
“I have to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.” Rafi left the table.
Jordan took the time to text her mom. Pleased to see her folks would be home for a few more hours before heading to a garden show, she set up a meeting. It was time to talk truth with her parents, and time to get Rafi back with the family that should have supported him from the get-go.
* * *
An hour later, Rafi sat in the living room at his parents’ house, staring at his mom and dad. He hated having to tell them he wasn’t smart. Knowing you were an idiot and having to admit it to those who believed in you hurt.
Jordan had accepted him even when he’d been a troublemaker. And she didn’t seem to mind he was a moron. He still had a tough time believing it, but Cash had been right. Finally confiding in her had been the right thing to do. Telling her about the drugs? Heck no. But in this, the school stuff, he’d done something right.
He just wished his parents, especially his dad, didn’t have to know about his lack of brainpower. They just stared at him. He’d told them everything about his problems learning, including Simpson losing it with him in front of the class. And still they didn’t speak.
Dad finally responded. He frowned. “All this time and you still can’t figure out what the big and little hands on a clock mean?”
“No, Dad.” Rafi glanced away, unable to look his father in the eye.
Having been in business forever, his father lived and breathed numbers. How disappointing it must be to have a son who didn’t.
“Hell.” His father swore again. “Rafi, if we’d known you didn’t understand, we’d have helped. I know Jordan’s got you brainwashed that we’re ogres.”
Jordan flushed. “Dad.”
“But your mom and I love you, Son. You were so full of anger and bravado that we didn’t know what we could do for you. Despite Jordan and you thinking we were just shipping you off to any old military school, I have friends whose children have attended, and those boys came back better than fine. It’s a safe place and still an option if you’d like.”
“No.”
“Okay. Like I said, it’s just an option.”
His mom squeezed herself between him and Jordan on the couch and drew him close for a hug. “Oh sweetie. We love you and miss you. We just want the best for
you.”
“So do I,” Jordan was quick to point out.
“But your methods aren’t ours.” Mom smiled. “The Army worked for you, Jordan, for a while at least. So we thought it could help you too, Rafi. But now we can see that’s not what you need. Although someone to kick you in the tail and get you to behave wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”
Rafi smiled. “Well, I don’t know that I’d join the Army anyway, Mom. Cash thinks the Marines are much better.”
“Cash?” His mother frowned. “Who’s Cash? A school friend?”
As expected, his sister went off. “Marines? Please. You need a magnifying glass to detect Marine brains.”
“I’m telling Cash you said that.”
“Go ahead. We all know the Army rules.”
“Jordan.” Their dad shook his head. “Rafi, you can come home whenever you want. We promise not to ship you off to Pennsylvania…unless you want to go. Once you see their brochures, you might change your mind. They have archery there.”
“Really?” He’d always wanted to try that.
Jordan shook her head. “Dad.”
Their father grinned. “Hey, I can try, can’t I?” He studied Jordan. “I think if you’re honest with yourself, honey, part of why you were so against Rafi going away to school is due to what you went through. You trusted your superiors, and they turned on you and your friend. What’s to prevent someone from taking advantage of Rafi?”
“True.” She frowned. “But my biggest problem was you guys dumping him. He needs help.”
“We know that now,” Carl said. “But, honey, sometimes tough love works wonders. It did with me.”
“It did?” Rafi had never heard that story.
His dad cleared his throat. “I was too smart for everything when I was your age. I thought I knew best. I never listened to my parents. They were dirt poor and lived out in the country. So what did they know? But they did me the biggest favor they could have when they kicked me out of the house. It made me grow up and learn to be a man, enough that when I came back to school, I gave it my all.
“Yes, I attended Stanford. And I have never worked so hard to get somewhere in my life. I’ve never been handed anything. I’ve had to work for it. That’s why we wanted you to go out and learn, the way I did. The way Jordan did.” He turned to her. “Say what you want. But it worked for you too.”
“We’re not all you, Dad,” Jordan said, but Rafi could see her thinking about what their father had said.
“I don’t know why you thought we wanted him to fail,” Mom said. “We love Rafi and you.”
“Not like you love Leanne,” Jordan muttered.
Mom blushed. “I swear, you are so competitive with your sister.”
“Please, Mom.” Rafi had to defend Jordan this time. “We both know you guys favor Leanne. It’s clear any time we’re all together. You treat her like she’s better than all of us. The rest of us might as well not exist.”
He was surprised to see his parents look discomfited.
“It’s just…” His dad trailed off. “We don’t mean to. She’s just so easy. Leanne did well in school and never gave us any problems, so of course we supported her.” His gaze narrowed on Rafi then Jordan. “Which we would have done for you two, but you had to be stubborn about things.”
Jordan gave him a rueful smile. “I guess you have a point. But you can’t deny you guys like her better. I could see that if she was your kid, but geez, Dad, she’s your stepdaughter. Rafi’s your own blood, and you treat Leanne better.”
Rafi loved that she said what he’d been dying to for years. “Yeah. Why is that? Is it because she’s blond, like you? And we look too Brazilian or something?”
Jordan tilted her head. “A good question. Are we too dark for the Youngers?”
“That’s nonsense,” their mother cut in. “You look just like me. You’re beautiful. Carl didn’t have to marry me, you know. He did it because he loves me, including the way I look.”
Their dad huffed. “I can’t believe you guys think like this. Of course I love all of you. Yes, you guys favor your mother. And you’re lucky you do. She’s gorgeous. I’m sorry if it seems we love Leanne more. We don’t. We love all of you equally.”
Jordan scoffed.
Dad pointed at her. “That’s why it’s easier to deal with Leanne. She never argues with us, never tells us we’re wrong about anything.”
“Even when we are.” Mom sighed. “I can see your point, kids. We’re sorry. We do love you all. And we’ll try to do better at showing it. If we seem like we like your sister more, it’s just because she’s on her own now and happy, in love. No matter how you feel about Troy,” she said, staring at Jordan this time, “he loves Leanne and takes care of her.”
Dad looked down. “She is easy to handle. But you shouldn’t feel less because of it. I’m so sorry, Son, Jordan. And Rafi, you should never feel like you can’t come to us with problems. That’s what we’re here for.” He turned to Jordan. “Before you step in with some remark about military school, we had no idea he had a problem learning or we’d have treated this differently. Defacing school property and mouthing off to teachers isn’t because of that though, is it, Rafi?”
“No.” He sighed. “You’re right. But I did some of that because I was frustrated I wasn’t smart.”
“You are smart.” Jordan, once again, refused to let him belittle himself. Man, he loved her. “You’re just not learning math at a level you should be. Now stop being a dork and let Mom and Dad get you a tutor you like. I’ll talk to the guy or lady and make sure they aren’t an asswipe.”
“Jordan.” Their mother pinched the bridge of her nose. “Language?”
“Sorry, Mom.” But she wasn’t because Rafi saw Jordan’s grin.
Mom laughed. “What am I going to do with you?”
They all sat around smiling at each other, and Rafi felt better about life than he had in a long time. “Now can we stop talking about me and instead talk about Jordan and her new boyfriend?”
His sister punched him in the arm. “Ow.”
“Who?” Mom straightened in her seat.
“Cash.” Rafi felt smug, glad not to be in the hot seat for once.
“Your school friend?” Dad’s eyes grew wide.
Jordan blushed. “No. Geez, Dad. That’s gross. And illegal.”
Rafi laughed. “No, Cash is Jordan’s boyfriend. They work together, and he’s a Marine.” Yeah, he’d thrown Jordan under. But he didn’t feel bad about it. He had a feeling Cash would be coming to family dinners soon enough. And maybe Rafi liked seeing his sister the center of his parents’ attention. Time for the good daughter to stand in the spotlight.
Now if he could just forget about Juan and the drug problem. He tried hard to have faith that Cash would sort it all out. But in Rafi’s experience, bad news had a tendency to circle back and bite a guy in the tail. He looked at his family, smiling and laughing with each other, and treasured the moment. Knowing it wouldn’t last.
Chapter 21
Cash couldn’t believe the change in Reid. Before, he’d had to beg his brother to help him with the house. This time Reid arrived with a box of donuts and coffee, a smile on his face.
Cash grunted, not pleased to be up and moving on a Sunday morning before ten. “Must have gotten laid last night, eh?”
Reid smiled. “Apparently you didn’t. Guess Jordan wised up about you.”
Cash smirked. “Oh, I’m a happy man. I just hate mornings.”
“Too bad. I like Jordan. Thought she was smarter than that.”
“Ha ha.” Cash could see his brother was yanking his chain. Reid liked Jordan. “So, ah, we’re gonna move in together. Here. Her, me, and her brother.”
Reid paused in the act of biting into a sugar bomb. “Moving in together?”
Cash hated the tension he could
feel growing. “Well, I mean, I know you and Naomi are moving in together soon. You’re just waiting to pull the plug on our place because of me.”
“That’s not exactly true.” Reid bit into his donut, studying Cash, and took his time chewing.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, spit it out.”
“The donut?” Reid said with his mouth full.
“No, asshole, why you’re not ready to move out.”
Reid finished chewing and swallowed. “Well, part of it was keeping the place for you. With two of us paying rent at Chris’s low rate, it’s a steal.” Their buddy Chris had kept the rent low, helping out two old Marine buddies. “But Naomi and I have been talking, and we want to be smart about our relationship. I mean, Bro, we just started dating not long ago. I love her like crazy, but slowing down a little is working for us. I hadn’t realized she was as nervous as I was about this. We still want to live together, but we’re not rushing it.”
“But you’re over there all the time.” Cash never would have guessed Reid to be anxious about moving in with the woman he loved.
Reid sipped his coffee. “Frankly, I’m surprised Jordan said yes to moving in with you. Wow.” Reid paused. “Is she desperate?”
“Ass. Yes, she is.” Cash sighed. “I maybe rushed her, ’cause I can’t stop thinking about her. And it’s the answer to all our problems. I figured you’d be moving out soon. I have this place, free and clear. And Jordan needs a place to stay.” He’d already explained to Reid about the landlord situation.
“I still can’t believe she beat him up then you beat him up. It’s like you’re the perfect couple to both attract lawsuits and do jail time together.” Reid shook his head. “I was hoping she’d be a good influence on you.”
“Hey. That fucker put his hands on her. She was defending herself.”
“Relax. I’m teasing. Well, kind of. She did the right thing. You, on the other hand, had better hope Alvarez is so scared he doesn’t realize he can press charges.”
“I think we’re good. Besides, I had witnesses.”
“Jordan and her brother. Oh great. Because they’re impartial.”