Kids. Was she serious about getting pregnant? They’d just gotten married! Joe looked at Tori out of the corner of his eye as he ate. He had no intention of leaving his work as a superhero. If he didn’t have his abilities and could lead a normal life, he’d probably let Tori talk him into starting a family right away. He loved what his parents had, and he wanted it for himself. But his dad had quit working as a superhero at his mom’s insistence when Joe was born.
No, he wasn’t ready to quit. He wasn’t even sure how serious Tori was anyway. She’d been kind of hot and cold that night. Maybe she didn’t really mean it. One of the long list of things they needed to discuss. Sooner rather than later.
“Tori and I will clean up the kitchen, Mom,” he said. It would give them a little bit of alone time. They needed to regain some of their newlywed excitement, shake off the stress of the last few weeks. Then they could have the talk.
“Yes!” Stuart exclaimed.
Tori laughed.
“I get the remote!” said Melissa.
“I’ll help in the kitchen, too,” said Katie.
“That’s very sweet of you,” Hannah told her. “But why don’t you sit in the living room with us so they can have a little bit of time together, okay?”
“You two should stay here tonight,” Owen said.
Joe met his dad’s eyes. Yup, that’s what he was thinking. No telling if their house was safe tonight or not. “Sounds great,” he said. He turned to Tori. “It’ll be fun. We’ll stay up late and make popcorn and watch movies.” He hoped she didn’t guess the real reason. He needed to get his house wired with Mickey’s security system the way his mom and dad’s house was. This place could be a fortress when necessary.
As people finished eating, they cleared their places and headed to the living room.
Joe considered what to say to Tori about her car blowing up. He was pretty sure it was hers. If things ever quieted down, they needed to go car shopping now, too.
He was still trying to figure out which events were linked. They all seemed so random. But Bull and Hayley both worried that maybe Joe was the link. Great! How? He hadn’t been doing anything big enough to make enemies yet. And how would they find out his real identity anyway? That would be the only way to find Tori.
He scraped the plates while Tori loaded the dishwasher. He was lucky. His wife wasn’t a weepy, needy, girly type who fell apart when life got rough. And since she’d never acted like a throw-caution-to-the-wind type, he felt confident that he could put her someplace safe and expect her to be there when he was done fixing the problem. That’s the kind of woman he wanted, someone he could rely on. Someone who understood he had a job to do and wouldn’t get in the way.
TORI used her thumbnail to scrape a bit of cheese off a plate before she put it in the dishwasher. She didn’t know what it was about Joe’s family, but she felt calmer here than she did at her parents’ house. She felt like she didn’t have to hide anything around them. They didn’t have any secrets from each other.
She rinsed out a glass and placed it in the top rack. Joe handed her some silverware, the touch of his hand sending a shiver of warmth down her arm. They shared a smile.
Tell the truth. The words echoed in Tori’s mind.
Not now, with all his family around. She heard them laughing in the other room, a comforting sound. She wanted to tell Joe this weekend, sooner rather than later. Maybe when they were in bed. Just not with an audience. She’d gotten herself too riled up about whether he would accept it.
And now that she thought about it, she probably was too riled up. This family knew at least one superhero and had no problems with it. They accepted her exploding car with little more than concern over her welfare. Joe would handle her news as calmly as he did everything.
Tell the truth.
She looked at her husband, her head cocked as she tried to understand this funny urge to tell him now.
“You okay?” he asked, concern on his face.
Tori wondered if this was something weird having to do with her power, something she didn’t know about yet. The urge overwhelmed her and she said, “Do you trust me enough that I can be honest with you?”
Joe frowned. “What do you mean, do I trust you? You’re my wife. Of course I trust you.”
Tori finished with the dishes and wiped her hands on a towel. “No matter what?” Tori crossed her arms. Her hands squeezed into fists. She didn’t really want to do this now. Not here in the kitchen.
Joe cocked his head and narrowed his eyes. He suddenly seemed very uncomfortable. “Uh, maybe.”
Oh, that was so the wrong answer.
“Maybe?” Tori took a step toward him. She wanted to stop this conversation right now but she couldn’t and it was pissing her off. “You want me to be honest with you, right? Tell you everything that comes into my head without knowing if it will be something you do or don’t trust me on? That’s ridiculous!”
Joe shook his head and took another half step back. “I didn’t say I wanted to know everything that came into your head.”
“Ugghhh!” Tori turned back to the cupboards. She felt scared and angry. What was happening to her? “Joe, that’s not what trust is! You don’t get to pick and choose. You trust me or you don’t trust me.”
Tell the truth.
She opened the refrigerator and pulled out butter. She went through some more cupboards looking for the popcorn.
“Why would you think I don’t trust you?” Joe's voice was raised now, too. “What shouldn’t I trust you about?”
Why was Joe upset? He never raised his voice. She was the one with the big secret about to pop out. And now she was more worried than ever about how he would take it.
“You don’t have a reason?” he yelled. “You’re just mad at me for no reason?”
Tori turned to see Joe shaking his head and walking away. Forget it. She’d obviously picked the wrong time for this conversation.
Tell the truth.
“Okay, you want to know how I expect to be trusted?” Tori felt a growing panic. This was not the right time for this discussion, but she couldn’t help speaking. “Here’s an example for you. I trust you. I trust you with my heart, my life, my secrets, my everything. Ready? I have a super power! I might be a superhero, Joe! There’s the truth! There’s honesty!”
She waved a bag of popcorn in the air like a mad woman. “And I’m going to fully expect you to trust me on whatever decisions I make in that regard. Because I don’t know what the heck I’m doing, but I’m doing it!”
Tori watched Joe's expression go slack-jawed. Her hands flew to cover her mouth. They stood and stared at each other, silent, processing. All Tori could think was, what did I just do?
Then she noticed Katie standing slack-jawed as well near the hallway.
Oh great. She’d scarred her niece for life, too.
Tell the truth. Tori could still feel the urge to speak, but she clamped her jaws together as hard as she could and put both hands over her mouth.
Joe opened his mouth. He closed it and cleared his throat. “Okay, the truth is…” Then he frowned as if he were listening to something. He looked around the kitchen, then abruptly turned around to see Katie watching them, eyes wide.
“Katie Clarke! Get in here!”
KATIE could not believe her ears.
Aunt Tori was a superhero? And Uncle Joe didn’t know?
She’d wanted to hang out with them, so she leaned against the wall outside the kitchen with her iPod turned down so she could listen. They weren’t whispering so it wasn’t like she was eavesdropping. If they saw her and were under the impression she was listening to music and not to them, well, they were half-right. Then when they started yelling at each other, she was too stunned to even think about giving them some privacy.
“Now!”
She jumped and hurried toward her uncle. She felt herself chewing on her lower lip. She’d worried it to bleeding a few times at home. Her uncle would understand better than her d
ad, right? Way more than her mom.
She looked at her aunt. Aunt Tori would surely understand. But why had everyone been keeping the family secret from her aunt if she was a superhero?
Katie cocked her head at her uncle and folded her arms. She was tough. She had nothing to be afraid of. And she would not cry.
Her uncle imitated her pose. Inside, she shrank back. He looked much more intimidating than she probably did. She couldn’t hold his gaze. She looked at her aunt, hoping she’d find relief in that corner.
“Katie, I’m so sorry,” Tori began. “Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be–”
“Is there anything you’d like to tell me, young lady?” Joe interrupted, his voice reminding her of the rumbling of a volcano she’d heard in a movie in science class.
Katie didn’t have to think about that one. “No,” she said, trying not to sound timid.
“Joe!” Tori frowned, looking from Joe to Katie and back.
“You’re sure?” Joe asked.
Oh yes, very sure. Not when he glowered like that. “Yes,” she said in a stronger voice.
“What did your dad mean when he told me to be careful?”
Katie felt her mouth fall open in shock. Her dad said that? How rude!
“Joe, why are you grilling Katie?” Tori moved closer, stopping halfway between Katie and Joe.
Katie looked from one adult to the other and made up her mind. She’d come in here seeking solace and understanding, but she didn’t realize she’d picked the wrong adult. “Aunt Tori, I haven’t done anything wrong. Honest.”
She sidled over to her aunt, keeping an eye on her ferocious-looking uncle.
Tori put her arms around Katie and squeezed. Katie felt a sense of relief so strong she almost leaned into her aunt and wrapped both arms around her. But then she remembered her dignity. If she wanted to grow up to be the kind of person people loved and respected, thirteen wasn’t too early to start. Nobody respected a wuss.
“Katie, do you know what I’m asking you?” Joe’s expression softened infinitesimally.
Katie swallowed. She hated questions like this! What could she say? How could she answer? Slowly, she nodded her head. As she continued to meet his gaze, she beseeched him in her mind to tell the truth first. If Aunt Tori knew about him, too, then it wouldn’t be so hard. They could be one big, happy family. A super freak family, but…
“That’s you, isn’t it?” he asked.
Tori pulled away enough to look at Katie’s face. Then her eyes widened. “Oh my gosh…” she breathed out on a whisper.
Katie’s insides were cramping up. But she couldn’t let them know she was scared. She pulled away from her aunt, lifted her head and stared into the kitchen, not looking at anyone or anything.
“Oh, sweetie,” Tori said as she hugged Katie again. “It’s okay. Don’t let your grumpy old uncle scare you. You and I are going to be okay, understand?” She pulled back and looked into Katie’s eyes.
Katie tried for a moment to act cool, act like an adult, but then she fell into her aunt’s embrace. She could act like a kid for just a minute. She closed her eyes and hugged her back. The first adult who didn’t look at her funny. Besides her grandparents, but they loved everyone.
“So you can talk to people in their heads?” Tori asked.
Katie shrugged. “Um, I don’t…I don’t think so.”
“She makes people tell the truth,” said Joe. “Right?”
“Maybe,” she mumbled, not looking at him. She let her aunt hug her and felt better than she had in months.
Tori led Katie over to the kitchen table and made her sit. Then she pulled a pitcher of lemonade out of the fridge and brought it over with two tall glasses. Katie thought it was a little funny that her aunt didn’t get a glass for her uncle, but she didn’t say anything.
“So,” Tori said as she poured, “you didn’t know till recently that you had a super power?”
Katie sipped her lemonade and shook her head, not meeting her aunt’s gaze.
“Me neither,” Tori said with a smile. “Do you know how it works? What you can do? How to do it?”
Katie kept her eyes on the table and shook her head again.
“Same here,” Tori said. She put her hand under Katie’s chin and lifted it so Katie was looking at her. “Don’t worry. I met someone who’s going to help us figure this out. Well, I mean, I haven’t asked him yet, but I know he’ll help us.” Tori smoothed Katie’s hair away from her face and said, “We’re going to be fine. You’ll see.”
Katie finally smiled at her. Maybe her aunt was right. Maybe everything would be okay.
Her aunt frowned at her uncle. Katie peeked over her shoulder to see his reaction. He didn’t look like a thundercloud anymore, but it wasn’t good.
He cleared his throat and moved to pat her on the back. “Tori’s right. You’ll be fine.”
She turned back to her aunt. If only Uncle Joe would tell Aunt Tori and get it over with. She hated having to keep secrets. She peeked at him one more time, wishing he would–
“No!” The way he looked at her when he said that, Katie thought lightning might come out of his ears.
JOE stood in his parents’ kitchen staring at his scowling wife and his miserable niece wondering what he’d ever done to deserve this. How was he going to keep any secrets from Tori if Katie was around?
Then he caught himself. He didn’t want to keep secrets from his wife. He let a growl escape into the back of his throat and ran one hand through his hair. He needed to get control of the situation.
“Tori, we have to talk. You can’t do this. You’re going to get yourself killed.” Joe sighed, closing his eyes. It was one thing to put himself in danger. There was no way he wanted his wife in harm’s way.
The silence in the kitchen was deafening. He looked up to see what the problem was. His sweet-tempered wife had murder in her eyes. For him? Because he wanted her to be safe? He groaned again. “What?”
“What? You’re asking me what?”
It looked like Tori was grinding her teeth. Joe figured keeping his distance would be prudent.
“Katie, would you mind giving us some privacy, please?” Tori smiled tightly at Katie, who grabbed her lemonade and fled the room.
Joe hoped she wasn’t telling her grandparents. He needed a minute with Tori first. What had gotten into her head that she thought she had a super power? Who told her that? He wondered if she hit her head tonight when the explosion knocked them off their feet. He took Katie’s seat and reached for Tori’s hand.
“Let’s start at the beginning,” he said in his best customer service voice. Calm, cool, collected, he’d get to the bottom of all this. What did Tori know about super powers anyway? She was probably confused about…about something. But he’d help her figure it out.
Tori eyed him with a distrustful gleam in her eye. She let him take her hand, but it lay limp in his. “All right,” she said cautiously.
Joe rubbed her hand between his. Calm. They’d both stay calm. He cleared his throat. “So when did you find out you had a…” He hesitated, but when her eyes narrowed to razors, he finished. “A super power.”
“A few weeks ago,” she said, “after the convenience store robbery.”
“And you didn’t tell me?” Joe heard his voice rise and Tori tried to pull her hand away. “Sorry, sorry,” he said in a softer voice, not letting go of her hand. “So…you found out…something, and then what?”
“Joe, you not believing me is the same as you not trusting me,” Tori said. She sounded disappointed in him. Which really pissed him off under the circumstances.
“You throw this at me – honey, I think I’m a superhero – moments after a superhero rescues you again–”
“I don’t need rescuing!”
“And I’m supposed to say, Congratulations, let’s watch a movie?” Joe shook his head. “Huh-uh, it doesn’t work that way. I can’t switch gears that fast.”
Tori ripped her hand out of his a
nd marched over to the stove. “I don’t expect you to not be surprised,” she said. She opened drawers until she found scissors and cut open the top of the popcorn bag. “But you should know me well enough to know I don’t make up outrageous stories!” She poured oil into a frying pan and turned the burner on high.
She turned back to face him. “You think this didn’t shock the socks off me? You bet it did! The SLU tried to convince me–”
“The SLU? The Superhero Liaison Unit? They’re involved?” Joe slammed his fist down on the table causing everything to jump. Grimacing, he looked down to see if he’d damaged his mother’s table. A bit of a dent, but no cracks in the wood. He needed to calm down or he’d have to explain why he could crack an oak table in half. Now was not the time.
“They’ve been helping me get acclimated–”
“Acclimated to what? You haven’t done any fighting, have you?” Joe raked his fingers through his hair, his heart pounding. Memories of some of the thugs he’d battled in the past assaulted him. Tori would be torn to pieces!
“Not fighting, saving!” Tori poured popcorn into the heating oil. Her delicate hand clenched a spatula. A hand that could so easily be broken. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I stopped that robbery and–”
“What do you mean you stopped the robbery? How?” Joe couldn’t stay seated any longer. He paced over to the stove and leaned against the counter, hands clutching the counter edge to keep them still.
Tori explained about the robbery, the talk with the SLU, how she realized she could use her power on herself. She could control people with her mind? That’s incredible! Unbelievable! And she’d done it to him. It couldn’t be true, could it?
“The only people I know who can do that are villains!” Joe burst out. A chunk of the counter broke off in his left hand.
Tori gasped. A long intake of breath accompanied by a look of mingled pain and anger and disbelief.
He looked at the piece of countertop in his hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll fix it.” He saw her face and realized she was upset about the villains comment, not the counter. Crap. “No honey, honey, I didn’t–” Joe dropped the piece of countertop and reached for Tori as she turned on him with the spatula.
Unexpected Superhero (Adventures of Lewis and Clarke Book 1) Page 21