Can't Stand the Heat?

by Margaret Watson

  “I know. I’ll drive from now on.”

  “I’ll take you and pick you up. Just in case someone is waiting in the parking lot.” Anger glittered in his eyes and his jaw worked. “Nothing’s going to happen to you, Jen.”

  A gust of wind blew past the corner, and she tugged her sweater more tightly around her. “They followed us out of the Harp.” Her teeth chattered, and she was suddenly freezing.

  “Yeah. They were waiting for you to leave.” He took off his coat and wrapped it around her. “Let’s get you home.”

  He tucked her close, and she leaned against him.

  “You were so fast.” She’d barely seen him move.

  He took a deep breath, and some of the tension left his shoulders. “Working on the boat was good for something, I guess. One of my jobs was breaking up fights on the charters. It didn’t take long to figure out what worked.”

  “Fights? On fishing boats?”

  “Alcohol, testosterone and competition. Never a good mix.”

  “Oh, Walker.”

  Another thing to lay at her door.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “I HAVEN’T TASTED SALMON in a long time,” Walker said to Jen as they sat around the dinner table the following Monday. “It was…good.”

  “Right,” she answered, a smile tugging on her mouth.

  “Jen! You could be more gracious,” her mother scolded.

  “You’re right, Mom.” She turned to him. “Thank you, Walker. It’s so kind of you to say so. Your praise makes me giddy with joy.”

  “Smart-ass,” he said under his breath.

  Everyone was talking at once. Nick and Stevie were chattering about something that had happened at school that day, and Adam and Tommy were arguing about the video game they’d been playing earlier. Jen sat next to Walker, and she’d given up trying to inch away every time her leg bumped his. Her parents beamed at them from their seats at either end of the dining-room table.

  The chaos was comfortable.

  “Walker, you are gonna kick ass tomorrow night,” Nick crowed, snapping him out of his trance.

  “Nick,” his grandmother said, her smile disappearing. “That’s not appropriate language for the dinner table.”

  Walker cleared his throat. “Uh, thanks, Nick. You’ve been a big help getting Sorceress ready.”

  He shrugged, but Walker could practically see his chest swell. “I’ll probably be able to get extra credit from my programming class.”

  Walker had been surprised how much help Nick had contributed. He’d done good work and had learned fast. The kid was talented. “Let me know if you need a note or something.”

  “Sure.”

  Stevie elbowed him, but Nick pretended he hadn’t noticed. Before Walker could say anything more, Tommy and Adam demanded that he settle their argument about the video game.

  By the time Jen and her mother signaled the kids to clear the table, he felt as if he’d been having dinner with them for years.

  He carried his plate into the kitchen, and when Nell Horton went back to the dining room, he said to Jen, “Thanks again for inviting me.” He nudged her hip with his. “To eat the fish we caught together.”

  “I had nothing to do with catching those fish. And you know I thought you’d refuse.”

  “Is this what it’s always like?” He gestured to the other room, where the kids were still talking.

  “Unfortunately, no. If you want the complete experience, you’re welcome to join us when Nick is sulking and sarcastic and Tommy is whining.”

  “No, thanks,” Walker said. “I’ll keep my illusions.”

  “Homework time, guys,” Jen called.

  The four headed for the basement without an argument, and Jen narrowed her eyes.

  “What?” he asked.

  “They agreed to that way too quickly.” She called down the stairs, “I’m coming to check on you, and there better not be any horsing around.”

  “Horsing around?” Nick’s voice floated up to her. “What’s that?”

  “Remember, I’m listening.”

  “I talked to CPS today,” Nell said quietly. “They think they have a foster home for Stevie and Adam. I said they were welcome to stay here for now.”

  “Thanks, Mom, but they should probably go to a foster home, anyway. Stevie and Adam are assuming they’ll go home once their parents are out on bail, but they may not be allowed to go back there. That would be terribly upsetting for them, and they’ll need to be with a family who knows how to care for them in that complicated situation.”

  “Those Meltons don’t deserve such sweet children.”

  “No, Mom, they don’t. But we have to deal with the reality, not what we want things to be.”

  Jen shifted her gaze to Walker, then quickly looked away.

  “Do you want coffee, Walker?” Nell said with a smile as she noticed him standing there. Apparently she hadn’t noticed the sudden tension.

  “No, thanks,” he said easily. “I have a lot to do before we launch the game tomorrow night.” He glanced at Jen. “Walk me to the door?”

  “Take your time, honey,” Nell said, squirting dish detergent into the sink. “Your dad and I will be in here for a while.”

  “Mom,” Jen said under her breath. “Knock it off.”

  Biting back a smile, Walker waited until they were on the screened porch to say, “She’s not very subtle, is she?”

  “She doesn’t know the meaning of the word. Sorry.”

  “It’s kind of funny.” He ran his fingers down Jen’s arm. “Are you going to be at the Harp tomorrow?” he asked.

  “Of course. I’m working.”

  “Think your boss would let you out of the kitchen for a while?” He wanted her to see his work. And wasn’t that pathetic? It was as if he were a kid again, waiting for his crush to notice him.

  “I wouldn’t miss it.” She put her palm on his chest, and his heart jumped. “Nick is so excited about this. Thank you for making him feel special.”

  “He is special.” Walker put his hand over hers.

  “He’s been his old self again,” she said, cupping Walker’s face. “I suspect it was a lot of extra work for you, but it was so good for Nick. Especially since…” She clamped her mouth shut.

  “Since what?”

  She shook her head.

  “You can’t leave me hanging,” he said, drawing her closer. “Tell me.”

  Sadness flickered in her eyes. “Tony and Nick fight a lot.”

  “About what?”

  She smiled, but it looked strained. “Oh, everything. You’d know exactly what I was talking about if you had a—”

  Her eyes widened. “If I had a what, Jen?” he asked slowly. “If I had a child? A son of my own?” Carefully, he let go of her and took a step away.

  “Nick’s not—”

  “He’s not my son. I get it. Good night, Jen.” Without a backward glance, he was gone.

  THE NEXT NIGHT, Jen could hear the buzz of anticipation in the Harp all the way from the kitchen. The pub had been packed since the doors opened, and now it was so crowded that people could barely move. She’d sent out the last order, and was looking around to check that she’d cleaned everything.

  She was dragging her feet, she realized.

  She had to make a decision about the paternity test, and soon. Once Walker showed his game, he’d have no reason to stay in Otter Tail.

  It was the right thing to do. And the idea made her sweat.

  She threw the sponge into the sink. “Damn it.”

  Nick poked his head into the kitchen, his eyes bright. “Come on, Mom. Walker’s just about ready.”

  “I’ll be right out,” she said, struggling to smile. “Two minutes.”

  “Okay.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Maddie said to tell you she’s saving you a stool at the bar.”

  “Are you going to sit with us?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Duh. I’ll be with Walker.”

  How would Nick feel if
it turned out that he was really Walker’s son?

  He’d be confused. Shaken. Upset. In spite of his battles with Tony, he knew his father loved him. What would happen to their relationship?

  She wouldn’t think about it tonight. Right now she was going to enjoy watching the game and savor the knowledge that her son had a role in getting it ready.

  When she slid onto the seat next to Maddie, her friend held up a small black box. “Walker gave me one of the controllers,” she said. “You want it?”

  “God, no. I wouldn’t know what to do with it. Give it to someone who plays video games.” Augie Weigand was standing at the end of the bar, looking hungrily at the boxes four other patrons held. “Hey, Aug. Use this one.”

  Augie’s face lit up. “Thanks, Jen.” He ran his fingers over it, testing the buttons and the joystick.

  Ian Hartshorn elbowed him. “Give you twenty bucks for it.”

  “No way, man.”

  “What do you know about this game?” Maddie handed Jen a beer.

  “Not a thing. When Nick and Tommy talk about gaming, my eyes glaze over.”

  “Yeah, I never got the appeal of sitting in one spot and staring at a TV for hours,” Maddie said cheerfully. “But it’s great for the Harp. And Walker is going to leave the system and a bunch of games, too. We can have regular tournaments.” She nodded toward the door. “Hey, look, Tony’s here.”

  Her ex had just walked in, and Jen almost wanted to kiss him. Nick would be thrilled that his father was taking an interest in what he did. “Nick must have told him about helping Walker with the game.”

  “He’s making an effort,” Maddie said, apparently reading her mind. “That’s great.”

  “Yeah.” It was good that Tony was trying with Nick. Really, it was. But sometimes it would be easier if Tony had been a complete jerk with his sons and they could simply cut him out of their lives.

  As Nick and Walker fussed with a machine, Maddie asked quietly, “What’s going on with you and Walker?”

  “Nothing.” Jen’s face burned, and she tried to hide it by drinking her beer.

  “Really? Your kid helps him with the game. You blush when I ask about him. But there’s nothing going on?”

  “Okay, maybe he wants there to be something.” And so did she. “But he reminds me of the person I used to be. And I don’t want to be that girl anymore. I don’t even want any reminders. I was so horrible to him.”

  “You can move beyond that,” Maddie said softly. “Look at me.”

  “What I did to Walker is a lot more than a bunch of kids teasing each other.”

  Maddie narrowed her eyes. “When you and Delaney were helping me plot revenge on Quinn, you mentioned something that you’d done in high school. Something bad. Was that Walker?”

  “Yes.” She shifted on her seat, trying to find a way to change the subject.

  A blast of trumpet music from the speaker drowned out Maddie’s response, and a picture of an enormous castle appeared on the screens. Lightning crackled above the gray stone building, and clouds swirled around the turrets. Mist rose from the ground, curling up the walls.

  A sword appeared on the screen, and then lifelike images of four young men walking up to the castle door. It creaked open and they stepped inside.

  A flash of light appeared at the top of the staircase, and a woman materialized out of it. She was tall and blond and wore a black leather bustier, tall leather boots and the world’s skimpiest black leather bikini bottom. Her face was indistinct.

  “Who dares to intrude?” she asked.

  She started down the stairs, and her face slowly swirled into focus. Jen shifted uncomfortably. The sorceress looked a lot like her. Hazel eyes, mouth and nose…she could be looking in a mirror.

  The crowd in the pub stirred. “That’s Jen,” a man said loudly. Everyone swiveled to look at her.

  When the sorceress reached the bottom of the stairs, she turned to one of the four characters. A tattoo of a sun and moon, twined together, peeked out from the edge of her bikini.

  Jen gasped. The sorceress’s tattoo was almost identical to hers. Only two men knew that tattoo was there.

  One of them was Walker.

  Her glass wobbled as she set the beer on the bar. Maddie turned to her. “Jen? Tell me you don’t have a tattoo on your butt.”

  She ignored her friend as she stared at the screen. The leather-clad woman raised her arm. Light and smoke flew from her fingertips, and one of the men tumbled over. A lightning bolt quivered in his chest, right where his heart would be.

  “Leave my house,” she said, turning to the other characters. “Before you meet the same fate as your friend.” She snapped her fingers and disappeared in a flash of smoke.

  The game went on, with the three men, joined by the recovered fourth, scouring the castle for signs of the sorceress. She shot lightning bolts at them, changed them into dogs, set traps for them. Jen was numb. Walker had made her the villain of his game.

  She felt people watching her, but she focused on the screen. The picture was wavy and blurred, but she refused to let the tears fall.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Walker weaving through the crowd. Toward her. She looked around frantically, but there was nowhere to go. Too many people, packed too closely together. She was trapped.

  “Jen, I’m sorry,” he said in a low voice. “I didn’t realize—”

  “Go away, Walker. You’re making it worse,” she said without looking at him.

  He hesitated, and she kicked him in the shin. “Go. Away.”

  As he backed off, she wanted to run out of the Harp, crawl into a hole somewhere and stay there for about a hundred years. Far from Otter Tail.

  As the game progressed, every time the sorceress appeared on the screen people glanced at her. Comparing. Wondering.

  Tony’s gaze burned into her, and her stomach twisted. He would have figured out how Walker knew about that tattoo.

  By the time the sorceress had been vanquished and the screen faded to black, Jen was shaking with humiliation. Her face was hot and she wanted to squirm. But she made herself sit perfectly still.

  Her hand cramped, and she realized she was clutching her beer glass. Setting it carefully on the bar, she stared blindly at the logo for GeekBoy, Walker’s company, on the screen.

  Walker had made her the villain in a video game that millions of people would see. Starting right here in Otter Tail.

  She had been the villain in his life.

  She’d embarrassed him publicly, all those years ago. Humiliated him.

  Maybe she deserved to be a villain in his game.

  Maybe now they were even.

  “That’s not my mother.” Nick’s voice rose above the crowd. “It didn’t look anything like her. And she doesn’t have a tattoo. Right, Mom?”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  WHEN JEN DIDN’T ANSWER, Nick repeated, “You don’t have a tattoo, Mom. Right?”

  Did she want Nick to see his mother run away? Refuse to face what she’d done?

  What kind of example would that be?

  She slid off the bar stool and pushed through the crowd toward the big plasma television Walker had installed. Nick was standing beneath it, his cheeks flushed, his leg jittering.

  “Tell them, Mom.”

  She touched his shoulder, knowing he’d hate any public display of affection. “It’s okay, Nick,” she said quietly.

  Taking a deep breath, she turned to face her friends. People she’d grown up with and known for years. Walker, white-faced, moved to intercept her. She ignored him.

  “I’m sure you all think Walker used me as the model for Neoma.” She dragged in a shuddering breath and tried to smile. “I don’t know about that—she’s way too hot to be based on me.”

  Nervous laughter rippled through the crowd, and people shuffled their feet. Jen put her hands behind her and grabbed on to the table for support. “But if that was me up on the screen, it would only be fair. Because I was the villain i
n his life. In high school.”

  “Jen, no,” Walker said, elbowing his way toward her.

  “Any of you who went to school with us know that Walker was expelled right before we graduated. It was my fault. I did something to him that I’ve been ashamed of ever since. And no, Hank,” she said to the guitar player as he started to speak. “I’m not going to tell you what it was. That’s between Walker and me.”

  Nick stared at her as if he didn’t recognize her, and she couldn’t bear to meet his gaze. At some point in every kid’s life, he finds out that his parents aren’t perfect. She swallowed hard. If Nick hadn’t realized it before, he sure knew it now. If she allowed herself to think about his disappointment, his embarrassment, she would run away.

  Get through the next two minutes. Then she could leave with a scrap of dignity.

  “Walker tried to tell me he didn’t realize Neoma was me, and I believe him.” Did she? It didn’t matter. This was her penance. She clenched her hands more tightly around the table and managed a wobbly smile. “But maybe I should ask him for residuals.”

  Laughter rippled across the room.

  “Enjoy the game, everyone, and the system Walker donated to the Harp,” she added. “We’ll all remember his generosity long after he leaves.”

  She pushed her way back through the crowd, not meeting anyone’s eyes. Refusing to stop. Until Tony appeared in front of her.

  “Jen. How did—”

  “Not now, Tony. Later.”

  Oh, God. He knew. She saw it in his tight jaw, the anger in his eyes.

  She was almost at the door, her face still burning, when her mother put a hand on her arm. “We’ll take Nick out for dinner,” she said quietly. “We’ll go get Tommy and pick up Stevie and Adam, too. Even though they were moved to the Fisks’ today, we promised to let them know how the game turned out. We’ll be gone for a while.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” she said around the lump in her throat. “I’ll tell you about it later.”

  “You don’t have to, dear. It sounds as if you’ve paid for your mistake many times over.”

  Her mother’s understanding, her gentle voice, made the tears overflow. Jen didn’t deserve her mother’s kindness. Jen deserved exactly what Walker had done.