“Jesus, Mom. Don’t you knock anymore?”
Jenna was paralyzed by both shock and embarrassment. Embarrassment for herself more than for the kids. After all, they were just being kids. She’d done the same things when she was fifteen. But as the bumbling adult walking in on them, she felt more the fool. Could she not have imagined Jared might have a girl in their house after school?
“Oh, shit, honey,” she said, her words rushed. “I didn’t know.”
The girl—the beautiful girl—was straightening her shirt, smoothing it back down over her jeans. Jenna did the only thing she could do—she stepped back, pulling the door shut behind her.
Jenna wandered out to the kitchen in something of a daze. A girlfriend? How did she not know? She turned on the light above the sink. The darkened window gave back her own reflection. She’d never given him rules about having girls in the house. She’d never given him many rules about anything, so she had no reason to be angry. Not about that. She was a little pissed he hadn’t returned her text or locked the front door, but she knew her worries were her own problem, letting the dog and pony show at the barn get inside her head. Jared was fifteen. He didn’t have to stay in constant contact with his frazzled mother.
Jenna opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of beer, which seemed essential after the day she’d had. She popped the cap and took a long drink, feeling the pleasant burn as it ran down her throat.
She stared at the bottle. A couple of beers or glasses of wine became the norm after Celia disappeared. Sometimes more than a couple. She needed them. Every night she needed them.
That’s when she heard Jared’s door open followed by footsteps coming down the hallway.
“Mom? I’m walking Tabitha home.”
Jenna turned and saw Jared’s head peeking into the kitchen. She recognized the look on his face. He wanted to rush out of the house, make a break before she could say or do anything else. No way, she thought. She wasn’t going to let everybody go their separate ways on that crazy note of embarrassment.
“Come on in here,” Jenna said, making a waving gesture with her hand.
“Mom,” Jared said, teeth gritted.
“I want to meet . . . did you say Tabitha? Come on.”
“Are you kidding?” Jared asked.
“Tabitha?” Jenna called. “Can you come here for a minute?”
Jared looked as if someone had just dropped a ton of bricks on his shoulders. He possessed the teenager’s ability to overexaggerate even the slightest indignity.
Jenna walked to the hallway and saw the girl making her way toward her. Jenna’s quick first impression in the bedroom had been correct—the girl was beautiful. Bright green eyes and a long neck. She’d pulled on a winter coat, a little too big and two seasons out of style even to Jenna’s eyes, but it wasn’t zipped yet, and Jenna saw the slender, shapely figure that almost every teenage girl seemed to be blessed with. Once upon a time, Jenna had that body too, and she cursed herself daily for not appreciating hers when it was in full bloom.
Jenna held out her hand. “I’m Jenna Barton. Jared’s mom.”
“Hi.” The girl took her hand in a limp shake. Her skin was warm, a little sweaty.
“I’m sorry I walked in that way,” Jenna said. “I had a long day, and I wasn’t thinking. You’re welcome here anytime.”
The girl smiled, but the look seemed forced, as though she didn’t want to show her teeth. Jenna couldn’t tell if she was shy or embarrassed or both. Up close, Jenna saw that the girl’s haircut looked unprofessional, as if someone just trimmed the edges straight across every once in a while. Maybe she even cut it herself. And her clothes weren’t anything special either. Knockoff jeans and a fading top, the sneakers, once white, scuffed and dirty. A kid without a lot of money, which made her beauty all the more impressive. It wasn’t enhanced by the clothes or the haircut or orthodontry. She was the real deal, a stunner.
“What did you say your last name was?” Jenna asked.
“Tabitha Burke.”
The girl didn’t look up and meet Jenna’s eye. But there was something about her face, and not just its youthful beauty. Something about the shape, the set of the eyes looked familiar.
“Burke,” Jenna said, leaning against the hallway wall. “Are you related to Tommy Burke? He manages that electrical supply company out on the bypass.”
Tabitha shook her head. “No.”
“Mom, Tabitha doesn’t have relatives here. She’s new to town. Don’t start asking her about everyone you went to high school with.”
“I was just asking about the Burkes I know.”
“We have to get going, okay? I’m walking Tabitha home.”
“Do you want me to drive you? It’s dark and cold.”
“I’ve got this, Mom. Okay?”
“Are you sure? I mean—” Jenna stopped herself. Life had to go on. They couldn’t hide inside all the time.