Natalie sat up to rest her back against the headboard. “Okay?”
“So, I told my mom that I was planning to stay here all weekend, but the only close friend I had growing up just told me he’s going to be house-sitting for his dad this weekend.” Brittney fidgeted with her laptop.
Victoria watched with interest as she slowly devoured her baked potato.
“Okay,” Natalie slowly enunciated.
“So he’s having this party, and I haven’t gotten to see him in forever and I kind of really want to go, but because it’s been forever and I kind of don’t want to go alone.”
Natalie sighed and tried not to think about just how hard Brittney had worked all semester. She sighed again and shrugged. “Alright, where is this party?”
Brittney grinned and bounced up and down on the bed. “At my friend’s house in Sage Falls.”
“Sage Falls? Your hometown, where we both kinda just told your mom we would not be this weekend?” Acid churned in Natalie’s stomach. She hated the kind of lie of omission she would be a part of if they went to the party.
“Natalie, how many times have you seen me get excited enough actually want to go to a party?” Brittney asked softly.
Natalie bit back a groan. “So are we going to be spending the night with this friend?” There was no way she was going to drive an hour back to the city in the middle of the night after the week she’d just had.
Brittney’s grin was back, no doubt sensing Natalie’s resignation. “Yep, his house is huge. He can’t wait to meet you.”
That makes one of us. Natalie hadn’t really heard about many of Brittney’s friends from before she’d started at KTU. “I really don’t feel good about going there and not stopping by your parents’ house.”
“Okay, how about we stop by Sunday morning for breakfast, then?” Brittney looked so hopeful that Natalie couldn’t bear to tell her no.
The breakfast concession made her feel a little better, and it might actually be kind of cool to meet one of Brittney’s friends. Surely the dude had some serious dirt she could use to tease the hell out of Brittney.
She ignored the little twinge of guilt at unintentionally having lied to Maddie and focused on the positive.
“So what’s this friend’s name and what time does the party start?” She smiled when Brittney leaned forward to pull her into a hug.
“Natalie’s going to a part-tay,” Victoria sing-songed as she threw away her trash.
“Shut up, Tori.”
“You shut up, Nat.”
“Look—”
“You wanna watch a movie with us, Tori?” Brittney cut in.
“Yeah, sure. Just nothing too mushy, alright?” Victoria made a face as she kicked her shoes off.
“That’s doable,” Brittney agreed as she stood. “I’m just going to use the bathroom real quick.”
Natalie’s smile dimmed as she watched her go. Her hand was curled up around her phone in her pocket, one thumb brushing against the dark screen. She pulled it out and unlocked it.
The picture Maddie had sent flared to life on the screen. She’d left it open after sending her reply to Maddie, and once again her stomach churned.
Sorry, Maddie, she thought. She hated the notion of stealing away precious mother/daughter time. It had been Brittney’s choice, though, and her friend really did deserve to cut loose a little after a semester of perfect studiousness.
Knowing how Brittney was, the party would actually probably pretty chill anyway. Brittney always made faces at the flyers for the rowdy parties that went on at the sorority and fraternity houses.
Brittney re-emerged from the bathroom, and Natalie hastily tucked her phone away.
“Ready?” Brittney asked with a bright smile.
“Yep,” Natalie declared. She looked over at Victoria. “Pick something?”
Chapter Nine
Natalie knew from the moment she turned down the final street that the party wasn’t going to be what she expected. On either side, rows of parked cars were crowding the road. She squeezed into the first space she could find with trepidation.
“I thought you said this was supposed to be a small party?” The sun hadn’t gone down yet but she’d been lucky to find the lone, small parking spot. The address she’d been given led to a massive white house that was set off from the road; even part of its front lawn had been turned into a temporary parking lot.
“It was supposed to be,” Brittney murmured as she stared at the house. “Michael is usually the guy to warn against these kinds of parties. This doesn’t make sense.”
“People change, Brittney, especially when they go away to college,” Natalie reminded her. “We don’t have to go in if you don’t want to.”
Brittney stared a few more beats and then let out a sigh. “I already told Michael I was coming. I really need to let off some steam. Maybe it won’t be so bad?”
“Whatever you want to do, I’m okay with it.” Natalie turned from the wheel and waited.
“Well, we did get all dressed up.” Blue eyes lingered on Natalie’s loose hair. It was a rare sight, as well as the minimal makeup and dress.
Natalie grinned. “Alright, princess. Just let me know if things get too crazy for you and we’ll cut out of here right away.”
She couldn’t resist flicking a finger at one of the wavy blonde curls dangling from Brittney’s simple, elegant updo. Brittney smacked her hand away and opened the passenger side door.
Natalie sent the house another long look before getting out of the car. Her low heels clicked against the road, and she wondered if she’d regret wearing her favorite, if very rarely used, red halter-top dress.
The v-neck and draping asymmetrical hem always made her feel sexy, but she didn’t want some drunken idiot to spill something on it.
She’d stolen Reeve’s coziest pea coat since it was nice and long, but the cool air still pricked harshly against the exposed skin of her legs. She’d had a different sort of party in mind when she’d gotten dressed.
Sourly, she wished she’d just worn jeans with her favorite boots. At least she wasn’t alone in being overdressed—Brittney’s cream-colored dress was even nicer than her own.
Red and blue plastic cups were already haphazardly strewn on the otherwise well-manicured lawn. Natalie was having second and third thoughts. It’s not that she didn’t like to chill or have a few drinks, but she’d never liked the very big parties. She could feel the exhaustion she’d tried to extinguish with two cups of coffee creeping back into her awareness.
As she rounded the front of the car, Brittney linked their arms. Natalie withheld a sigh. Right, the party was for Brittney. Long before they reached the house, Natalie could feel the thumping of the music in her bones.
It was just a party. She could handle a party.
*****
Her favorite red dress really wasn’t the best thing to maneuver in at night when she was trying to guide a half-asleep Brittney to her El Camino, Natalie decided.
She grunted as she got Brittney settled into the passenger seat of her car, buckling her in and shutting the door.
The party couldn’t have gone worse. Brittney had drunk a little too much, despite Natalie’s attempts to the contrary, and had ended up fighting with Michael. To top it all off, their screaming had only been interrupted by the sheriff. He hadn’t arrested anyone, but he’d definitely noticed Brittney as he shut down the party.
Her stomach twisted as she considered just how long it would be until she got an angry call. Even though Sheriff Louis hadn’t made any arrests, there was no way he wouldn’t be calling Maddie.
At nearly three in the morning and with their original sleeping arrangements no longer an option, Natalie decided to bite the bullet.
Her heart sped as she dialed Maddie’s number.
The sound of the call being answered made her inhale a sharp breath. “Maddie—”
“Just bring her home, Natalie,” came Maddie’s sharp interruption.
; The call was abruptly ended, and Natalie stared at her phone until the screen dimmed. Her head thumped back against her seat as she let out a sigh and glanced over at the dozing Brittney. God, she could have been in bed hours ago. She was too old for this shit. She’d felt too old for it even when she’d been twenty-one.
With a sigh, she turned the car on. She needed to get to the Garret house before she fell asleep in her seat. Even though she wasn’t familiar with where she was, Sage Falls was only so big and she had a good sense of direction. Within several minutes, she was parked in Adam’s empty spot.
Nearly all the lights were on downstairs. She bit her lip, not sure if Adam being gone was better or worse.
Natalie squared her shoulders and exited the car, grabbing their overnight bags from behind her seat and quickly walking around the side to collect the drowsy Brittney. She grunted as she helped Brittney to her feet, gently closing the door and maneuvering the tipsy, sleepy blonde to the front porch.
Maddie opened the door almost immediately, her light colored robe flaring at the sudden movement. Natalie fought a tired smile at the thought of the older woman pacing in the hallway like the overprotective mother she was.
To her relief and consternation, Maddie didn’t say a word. Her lips were pressed into a thin line as she took up a spot on Brittney’s other side. They maneuvered Brittney up the steps, the effort going slightly easier with both of them helping.
Brittney grumbled a thanks as they made it into her room, and Maddie dismissed Natalie with a hard glare.
Natalie steeled her jaw at the look, managing a quick ‘night’ to Brittney before stepping out of the room. She wearily dropped her overnight bag near the wall. Maybe she’d be sleeping in her car after all.
She didn’t have to wait long for Maddie to join her. She opened her mouth to speak but was halted by a raised hand. Maddie pointed down the stairs, and Natalie had to hurry to follow.
*****
Maddie led Natalie into the kitchen since it was furthest from her daughter’s room, flicking the light on angrily. She paced across the open space for a few moments as she gathered her thoughts.
Natalie watched Maddie go back and forth a few times before deciding to take a seat at the breakfast nook.
Almost as soon as Natalie had taken her seat, Maddie exploded.
“What the hell were you thinking, getting my daughter drunk? I can’t believe that you both not only lied to me, but decided to do something as reckless as underage drinking! Brittney is just a child—”
“No, she’s not,” Natalie interrupted firmly.
Maddie’s face flushed red with fury, her hands clenching at her sides as she stalked toward the seated Natalie.
She wasn’t sure what it was about Natalie’s expression. There was exhaustion and resignation… but also something else that made Maddie’s rage seem out of place. She swallowed hard and took a seat across from Natalie. It hit her. Natalie was completely sober.
Natalie waited for another beat before speaking. “Maddie, I know that Brittney is your child, and I know you were worried, but she is an adult.” She looked into Maddie’s eyes. “I know you know this isn’t the first time she’s gotten drunk, and I was with her the entire time to make sure she was safe and didn’t drink enough to make herself sick. We didn’t even know it was going to be that kind of party to begin with.”
Maddie combed a tired hand through her hair, at a loss for words in the face of Natalie’s composure.
“I didn’t drink. Brittney wanted to cut loose a bit and I didn’t want her to go to a party alone. It was easy for me to agree to be the designated driver.”
“You’re both just so young,” Maddie admitted softly. “A lot of things could have gone so wrong tonight.”
Natalie shook her head. “Maddie, I’m almost twenty-five. I’ve been to a few of these things. I know how they go down, and I know that Brittney was going to go with or without me. To be honest, she needed to blow off some steam. The party wasn’t ideal but Brittney is safe.”
Maddie leaned back in her chair and expelled a heavy breath. She wasn’t sure why she was so upset—she recalled attending a few rowdy parties herself when she was in college. “It’s just terrifying to get a call from the sheriff in the middle of the night, especially involving Brittney. And, despite what she might have told you, I didn’t know she’d gotten drunk before.”
To her surprise, Natalie smiled. “Brittney is lucky to have you. I hope she understands that.”
A lump rose in Maddie’s throat. Natalie looked like she was about to cry.
“Sorry,” Natalie said as she brought a hand up to rub her face, hiding her eyes from sight. “I’m just really tired and didn’t expect any of this to happen.”
“I,” Maddie started as she fumbled for words. Her throat worked. “I’m sorry I lost my temper.”
Natalie abruptly dropped her hand and shot her an incredulous look. “Maddie, you have every right to be upset.”
Maddie sucked on her lower lip, still seeing something in Natalie’s expression. “Maybe. You don’t deserve to be the recipient of my anger, though.” She paused. “Why are you so upset, honey?”
The sheen that had begun to fade from Natalie’s eyes was suddenly back at full strength. Natalie visibly clenched her jaw and shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m just so damn tired and I didn’t want to go to the party and then all this stuff went wrong and—” She cut herself off with a sigh. “Brittney always acts so maturely that I sometimes forget just how young she is.”
Maddie covered her mouth to hide a smile. “Up until a few minutes ago, I didn’t think you were even twenty-one yet.”
Natalie snorted and pinched the bridge of her nose. “God, I don’t ever want to be twenty-one again.”
“Did you drink too much?” Maddie asked as she smothered a laugh. “I know I did.”
“Ha, are you kidding? I got all of that out of my system when I was a teenager. No,” Natalie began tugging her loose hair up into a ponytail. “When I was twenty-one I was still working my ass off at two jobs to save up for KTU.”
Maddie straightened. “Oh.”
Natalie finished adjusting her hair and glanced her way. “Don’t look so surprised.”
“Sorry, I—oh, don’t know. It’s just a little bit of a paradigm shift.” Maddie leaned back in her seat, suddenly not understanding how she’d gone from fury about Brittney’s state to finally learning something more personal about Natalie.
“I get it. Honestly, Pops offered to help me out but I knew he had both Reeve and Tori to worry about. He made sure to help me find work since I wouldn’t take his money.” Natalie’s lips were upturned in the barest of smiles.
Maddie frowned. “Pops? Isn’t that—”
Natalie arched her eyebrows as she searched Maddie’s face. “Brittney didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?” Maddie’s frown deepened. It’s not that she hadn’t been curious about Natalie. She had. Asking Brittney was just… difficult.
“Of course she didn’t—fine. I’ve been emancipated since I was sixteen. The family I was born into wasn’t the best but I kind of love the Holders. They’re my family now.”
Maddie clamped her mouth shut so she wouldn’t flounder her words again. “I’m glad you found them, then.”
When Natalie looked at her, it seemed as though she was looking right through Natalie. “Don’t pity me, Maddie. I’ve worked hard to get where I am and I have a good life.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it, Natalie.” In truth, pity was the last thing Maddie felt. She loved her daughter, but she’d always been privy to her more… immature tendencies. How the heck had Natalie and Brittney become friends? Oh, right, she knew that story. She slowly inhaled. “I’m glad you were looking out for Brittney tonight.”
“What are friends for?” Natalie said with a wry twist of her lips.
Letting go of the last of her upset, Maddie uncrossed her legs and leaned forward. She lightly grabbed Natalie’s
wrist. “No, really. Thank you.”
Their eyes met and something flashed over Natalie’s face. “No problem,” she murmured.
Her eyes flicked down briefly and widened, jumping straight back up to Maddie’s face.
Maddie became aware of the draft at the top of her robe and eased back. Her cheeks felt warm as she tugged the robe tighter to her body. At least Natalie hadn’t commented. She cleared her throat. “It’s late. Why don’t I show you to the guest room?”
“I know the way, remember?”
“Do you need to borrow something to sleep in?” Maddie inquired instead of acknowledging the gentle tease. At three in the morning and after high emotions, among other things, she was lacking her usual sense of equilibrium.
Natalie smiled and slowly shook her head. “No, I brought an overnight bag. I dropped it outside of Brittney’s room since I wasn’t sure if I would be staying here tonight.”
“Where else would you stay?” Maddie asked as she stood.
“My car.”
When Maddie shot her an askance look, Natalie only shrugged.
“What? You were pretty angry.”
“I would never make you sleep in your car.”
Natalie raised her hands in a placating gesture. “Noted.”
Maddie sighed. Natalie looked as tired as she felt. She tilted her head as she finally registered Natalie’s attire. “It’s a shame the party was a bust. You look lovely.”
“Ugh.” Natalie stepped out of her heels and picked them up. “I don’t feel lovely.”
Maddie only bit her lip and turned to lead the way upstairs.
“If Adam were here I’d make him carry you,” Maddie joked some moments later as they reached the top of the stairs. Natalie had swayed dangerously the entire way, prompting Maddie to brace a hand against her back.
Natalie paused and leaned back into Maddie’s hand, sending the older woman a sideways glance. “This isn’t so bad.”
All of a sudden Natalie’s body heat seemed too warm through the fabric of the vibrant dress. Maddie self-consciously dropped her hand. “Well, good night.”
Natalie nodded and yawned, her movements sluggish.
Meeting Mrs Garret Page 10