“The two of you didn’t act like it Sunday night. You barely said two words to each other. If Mr. Steele is going to be our in-law one day, then the two of you are going to have to get along.”
Kylie threw her head back and began silently counting to ten, not believing the conversation she and her daughter were having. “Look, Tiffany, I don’t know where you are but I want you to end this call right now and come home. Better yet, tell me where you are and I’ll come and get you.”
“No, Mom, I can’t do that. Marcus and I aren’t going to do anything we shouldn’t, so don’t worry about that.”
“But I am worried about that! You’re only fifteen, it’s after midnight and you’re out somewhere with a boy when you should be home sleeping in your bed. How dare you tell me not to worry!”
“Then maybe I should ask you to trust me, and to also trust Marcus. We’re in a safe location and we won’t do anything that you and Mr. Steele will be ashamed of.”
“That’s not the point!”
“It is the point, Mom. You and Mr. Steele are going to have to trust us. Marcus and I figured the reason the two of you can’t get along is because you don’t trust each other and you don’t trust us.”
Kylie struggled to keep her voice calm. “I do trust Chance and I’ve tried to stop being so uptight and to start trusting you more, but I see doing so was a mistake. You either come home within the next thirty minutes or I’m calling the police.”
“Mom, please don’t. All it will do is cause unnecessary embarrassment for me and Marcus.”
“Tough! The two of you should have thought of that sooner.”
“Mom, I’m serious. If you call the police then we won’t come back. All we need is time to talk.”
“And just what do the two of you have to talk about that you had to sneak out in the middle of the night to do it?”
“We need to talk about you and Mr. Steele and your inability to get along.”
“We can get along!”
“Then you sure fooled us. You were getting along, then something happened. We don’t know what but the two of you sure acted like you were avoiding each other on Sunday.”
“Tiffany, I—”
“Good night, Mom. We’ll call you in the morning and tell you our decision.”
Kylie’s stomach dropped to the floor. “Your decision about what?”
“About whatever we decide. Marcus has to call his father now. Goodbye, Mom. I’ll talk to you in the morning, and I promise Marcus and I won’t do anything.”
Before Kylie could open her mouth to say another word, there was a resounding click in her ear.
KYLIE QUICKLY SNATCHED up the phone the moment it rang again five minutes later knowing it was Chance.
“Kylie, you okay?”
His deep, husky voice had a comforting effect on her. “Oh, Chance, what are we going to do?”
“You didn’t call the police, did you?”
“No.”
“Good. I got a chance to talk to the both of them and—”
“Can you believe what they’ve done? Just wait until I see them. I’m going to—”
“Calm down, Kylie.”
“Calm down? My child is out somewhere after midnight and you want me to calm down?”
“Yes. My child is out there, too. One good thing is that they’re together.”
“You think that’s a good thing?”
“I trust Marcus, Kylie. He won’t let anything happen to Tiffany. And he gave me his word that they won’t do anything they aren’t supposed to do.”
Kylie glanced out her bedroom window. A fist tightened around her heart knowing her little girl was out there somewhere. “Yes, that’s the same thing Tiffany said,” she murmured quietly. “And you’re right, we’re going to have to trust them.”
Kylie was quiet for a long while, then she said, “Did Marcus tell you why they did it?”
“Yes, he told me.”
“I thought we acted pretty normal on Sunday night,” she said.
“Yeah, but I guess they still picked up on something.”
“Well, even if they thought we weren’t on the best of terms, it wasn’t any of their business!”
“Oh? You finally agree with me about that?”