Games of the Heart (55 page)

“No, Miss Holliday, but by all of the accounts of those involved, it was Finley who started the physical altercation,” Mr. Klausen explained.

Clarisse watched as Dusty leaned forward, eyes narrowed and she hissed, “Because one of them
tried to touch Clarisse.
”

“He attempted to touch her hair,” Principal Klausen clarified.

Dusty leaned back, her face hard, her eyes locked on Mr. Klausen. “Is that okay? Is that okay with you? Because, seeing as I’m a woman and all, I’ll clue you into the fact that it’s not. It’s not okay. Not any way a man can touch me if I don’t want it. It…is not…
okay.
”

Clarisse felt her breath start to come fast and she reached out to grab Fin’s hand. Fin’s fingers curled around tight and she knew he was thinking the same thing she was.

That Dusty was remembering Denny Lowe.

And Clarisse knew her Dad thought the same thing when he whispered soothingly, “Angel.”

Dusty’s eyes flashed to Clarisse’s Dad and she whispered, “Am I wrong?”

And Clarisse saw it on her face and she knew Fin did too because his hand in hers got super tight.

She was remembering. And she was scared for what might have happened to Clarisse. And she was not going to stop for anything in defending her nephew.

And right then, staring at Dusty Holliday, Clarisse Haines fell in love.

And she knew she had to do something to stop Dusty’s pain.

So she did.

She let Fin’s hand go and stood.

“Mr. Klausen, I was scared,” she announced and felt everyone’s eyes come to her. She also felt stupid. She didn’t know what to say. Mrs. Layne said her writing was awesome and that felt great, especially coming from Mrs. Layne who was far and away the coolest teacher in school. But saying words was a whole lot harder.

“I was scared,” she whispered, holding the principal’s eyes. “And Brandon, Troy and Jeff are bullies. They’re mean. You know that, you have to the amount of time they’re in detention. They shouldn’t be at this school. I know Brandon’s Dad isn’t very nice, everyone knows it. And that’s sad and all but that shouldn’t be my problem. They said mean things, just callin’ Fin ‘Farmer Fin’ the way they did it is not nice. But all the rest was
really
not nice. Fin tried to walk us through them but they followed. He tried to ignore them but they wouldn’t let him. He tried to warn them off but they kept at him. And I’m glad he wouldn’t let Troy touch me. I was scared and he made it all right for me. He stopped me from being touched and being scared. And if that’s not okay, I don’t know what is.”

She stopped talking and no one said anything so Clarisse felt like maybe she sounded like an idiot but when no one saying anything went on a while, for some reason, her mouth kept moving.

“Fin’s Dad died, Mr. Klausen, and things aren’t good at home. Everyone in this school knows at least the part about Fin’s Dad dying. It isn’t cool for those guys to do the stuff they do all the time. It isn’t cool they did what they did to Fin and me. But it
really
isn’t cool for them to pick on a kid who just lost his Dad. I figure everyone learns in life all through their life. No one ever stops learning. But I’m not sure the lesson you’re teachin’ right now is fair. You’re sayin’ justice
is
blind but she’s also deaf. And Fin’s Dad dying, he’s already learned life isn’t fair. You may get mad me sayin’ this but I don’t think it’s right that after learnin’ that and him knowin’ it every day when he wakes up and fallin’ asleep knowin’ it at night, you teach him the same thing all over again even when he was doin’ a right that you just consider wrong.”

Again no one said anything and they did this for so long, Clarisse was sure she looked like an idiot.

She didn’t know whether to run out of the room, burst out crying or sit down and shut up.

Before she could make her decision, Principal Klausen said quietly, “How about this? Two days detention for Fin. No suspension. I don’t want fighting in my school and I want that message clear. But I’ll accept extenuating circumstances in this case.”

At that, Clarisse knew she wanted to cry, she was so happy, but she didn’t.

“We’ll accept that,” Dusty said immediately.

Fin grabbed Clarisse’s hand and tugged it so she sat down next to him. She twisted her head to look at him and saw him grinning at her.

She’d done good.

She even might have sounded just a little like Dusty which was
cool.

She grinned back.

Dusty, her Dad and Principal Klausen talked for a while. Then everyone stood and shook hands, including Mr. Klausen shaking Fin and Clarisse’s hand.

And when he shook Clarisse’s, he didn’t let it go so she looked up into his eyes.

“You don’t write a bestseller, Rees, then I expect we’ll hear you’re changing things in Washington,” he muttered. Clarisse smiled at him because that felt nice but no way she was going to Washington. Fin’s aunt lived there, she was a bitch
and
an attorney. Clarisse was not going to do anything like
that.

They left the office and her Dad grabbed her head, tugged it to him and kissed the top of it. “That was great, what you did in there. Proud of you, honey,” he whispered in her hair.

That felt good too but better.
Way
better.

When he let her go, she grinned up at him. Then he started walking to the front doors with Dusty and Clarisse was about to follow when Fin tagged her hand.

“See you later tonight,” Dad called and she looked from him to Fin and her brows drew together.

“Your Dad says I take you home,” Fin said quietly.

Clarisse blinked.

Fin smiled huge.

Then he pulled her closer and finished even quieter, “Every day.”

Wow! Awesome!

Clarisse smiled at Fin then her head jerked around so she could look her father’s way. Dusty was by him and smiling big at her feet, walking out the door her Dad was holding open. Dad was looking their way and he wasn’t smiling, he was watching close (as usual). Then he shook his head. Then his lips twitched.

Then he looked to his boots and followed Dusty.

Watching him go, Clarisse’s heart lurched as something shifted inside her. It was big. Huge.
Colossal
. And she kept feeling it as she watched her Dad walk away.

And it wasn’t until Fin tugged her hand then moved them toward the hall that led to the parking lot that she got it.

Fin let her hand go, she felt his arm slide around her shoulders and he tucked her tight to his side. She liked walking with Fin like this. No, loved it. His body was solid and warm and he was the perfect height for his arm to curl comfortably around her shoulders and hers to curl around his waist, which she did right away when he pulled her to him.

They fit. It felt right, natural. Fin tall and strong and handsome at her side. Clarisse proud to be held there.

And she knew what just happened.

Her Dad let her go a little bit and walking next to Fin, so close, Fin’s hold on her tightened and she wasn’t talking about the one he had around her shoulders.

But between these two men she loved, both in one way or another holding her close always, Clarisse Haines knew she would never fall.

And it was weird, like feeling lost at the same time feeling found. It made her feel like smiling and crying.

She did neither.

She just walked at her guy’s side to his truck, climbed in after he opened her door and sat there as he rounded the hood and angled in beside her.

But she grinned when he almost immediately muttered, “Buckle up, babe.”

She twisted to find the seatbelt, still grinning.

No, after that day, what Fin had done to protect her then him telling her to buckle up and be safe the minute he got in his truck, Clarisse Haines knew she’d never fall.

Not ever.

Not ever.

* * * * *

“Hang on a second,” I called.

Rees and Fin were headed out the backdoor, Fin with Rees’s book bag slung over his shoulder. He also had some swelling at his cheekbone that had also purpled the area under his eye. But like any hot guy who got tagged protecting his girl, for some reason, his war wound made him look even hotter.

It was eight thirty. Rees had to be home by nine. Fin always moved her out around eight thirty to walk her the five minutes home. Plenty of time to stop by the back gate and chat or participate in other activities. I hadn’t seen it. It was mid-March and the days were getting longer but it was still dark by the time Fin walked Rees home. But I suspected it was a good guess.

They both stopped and looked at me as I walked into the kitchen.

My eyes went to Fin.

“Can I have a second with Rees?”

He looked at me then he looked at Rees then, finally, he jerked up his chin to me.

To Rees, he muttered, “I’ll meet you outside, babe.”

She smiled up at him and nodded.

Fin looked at me again, this time assessingly before he moved out the backdoor, closing it behind him.

I moved to Rees.

She tipped her head to the side and I thought it was cute.

“Is everything okay, Dusty?” she asked.

I stopped close and said quietly, “Yeah. Just wanted to say those tacos you and Fin made for dinner were yummy.”

She gave me a big smile and I liked it. When I met her, those didn’t come easy. Now they were coming often.

“Thanks,” she said soft.

“Also wanna say…” I stopped, took in a breath then I went for it. I slid her beautiful hair off her shoulder, cupped the side of her neck in my hand and I dipped my face closer. “Not my place, you don’t know me very well but I’m going to say it anyway. Today, I was proud of you Reesee.”

Her lips parted and her eyes got big and that was cute too.

“Proud?” she whispered.

“For standing up, having your say and taking care of my nephew,” I explained, brought my face closer and whispered, “Yeah, proud.”

“I…uh…” she stammered.

“You don’t have to say anything,” I told her quickly. “Just know that. And know that I appreciate, more than I can say, you helping Fin out. Understanding him. Making him smile. Giving him something good when he lost something amazing in his Dad.” My hand squeezed her neck and I felt my eyes sting with tears but I kept going. “Means a lot to me but more, it means a lot to him. I know you ease him, Rees. And I thank you for it.”

“I think I like to be with him more than he does with me,” she whispered back.

I grinned. “Then, honey, you aren’t paying attention.”

She chewed her lip but I saw the hope flare in her eyes.

I slid my hand to her jaw and got even closer.

“Our boys, yours and mine, they’re strong. They’re
guys.
Anyone who sees them, how they act, what they say, they know they can take care of themselves and those they love. But we know,” my thumb stroked the soft skin of her cheek, “we
know
that someone behind the scenes has to look out for them. Today, what you did, wasn’t behind the scenes. But you looked out for your man. You took care of him. And I knew when you did that you do it behind the scenes too. Any good woman knows two things. She knows how to take care of herself and she knows how to take care of the ones she loves. Today, you demonstrated you’re a good woman, Rees. And it was an honor to be there because it was a sight to behold.”

I saw the tears start shimmering in her eyes before she asked softly, “You think all that?”

“No,” I replied, “I know it.”

Her hand came out and curled around mine, the one that wasn’t holding her face and she whispered, “Thanks, Dusty. That means a lot to me.”

I smiled and slid my hand back down to her neck. “Thank
you,
honey,” I whispered back. Then I studied her beauty, her eyes soft on me, the tears she was holding back glistening in her eyes and I told her truthfully, “My brother Darrin would have loved you.”

“You think?” she asked, the words pitched slightly high but still said in her soft, sweet voice. The tone was a tone of hope. And it was beautiful.

“No,” I replied. “I know it.”

“Dad knew him,” she told me. “He was around. But I didn’t know him very well. Was he like Fin?”

“Absolutely.”

She held my eyes then said quietly, “Then I would have liked him too.”

I lost hold of the tears I was controlling and felt one slide down my cheek.

My voice thick, I told her, “Yeah, you would have, honey.”

“Can I say something Dusty?” she asked, still talking quietly.

“Anything, beautiful,” I whispered, my voice still thick.

I saw the tears gather in her eyes, the wetness increasing then she whispered back, “I wanna thank you too, for making Dad happy.”

Oh my God.
Oh my God.

I loved this girl.

Then one second I was staring at a beautiful girl’s face and the next second I was in her arms.

I wrapped mine around her and held on. Her body bucked as a sob tore up and two seconds later, mine did the same. But we both held on. And we did it tight.