LITMIR.BIZ

       Chapter Two

      “You what?” Sophie said, staring at Joy.

      Joy grimaced. “I got sent to the office because I wasn’t paying attention in history class.”

      “I don’t believe it. You of all people. Why, I thought you loved history.”

      “I do love history. What I don’t love is old sourpuss Gardner.”

      “Don’t call him that. It’s disrespectful.” Sophie kept her expression neutral, even though privately she had called Philip Gardner worse. He was more than a sourpuss. He was downright nasty.

      “I’m sorry. But he’s so mean.”

      “No excuses, Joy. You weren’t paying attention in class, and Mr. Gardner was perfectly justified in sending you to the office. So, what happened there?”

      “Mrs. Woodson gave me a week’s detention.”

      “Good.” Connie Woodson was the assistant principal.

      Joy hung her head. “I’m sorry, Sophie. I really am. It won’t happen again.”

      Sophie suppressed a smile. She knew why Joy was so apologetic. She didn’t want to be punished by Sophie, too. “You’re not going to escape punishment because you’ve apologized, you know.”

      Joy bit her bottom lip. Her eyes, the same soft blue as their mother’s, never failed to elicit tenderness and sympathy in Sophie, although she fought to conceal it.

      “I should ground you,” Sophie said.

      “Please don’t. Not now.”

      Sophie knew exactly why Joy had said not now. Homecoming was Saturday night. And Joy wanted to go. Of course she did. All her friends would be going. Weakening, Sophie said, “Well...if you promise...”

      “I do! I promise! I’ll pay so much attention in all my classes, I’ll bring home straight A’s this semester.”

      Sophie chuckled. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, sweetie.”

      Joy gave her a sheepish grin. “I’ll make you proud, Sophie.”

      Sophie sighed. “Oh, all right. I won’t ground you...this time. But see this doesn’t happen again.”

      “It won’t.”

      “So you have a date for homecoming? Is that why you’re so eager to go?” Sophie picked up the mail, which Joy had placed on the gate-legged table in the entryway of the home that had belonged to Joy’s parents.

      “Um, sort of...”

      Sophie idly leafed through the advertisements and credit card offers. When would these banks quit sending her this stuff? She never responded. Suddenly realizing that Joy was standing there quietly, Sophie looked up. “Sorry. I wasn’t paying attention. What did you say?”

      “Um, I said I did kind of have a date.”

      “Oh? Who with?”

      “Um, Aidan Burke?”

      Sophie blinked. Aidan Burke? Dillon Burke’s nephew? Alarm bells began ringing in her brain. She opened her mouth, then closed it, not sure what to say. Her first instinct had been to say over my dead body, but she knew she would have to justify an answer like that, and what could she say? I don’t want you seeing anyone even remotely connected to Dillon Burke. The Burke men are bad news. Really bad news. Sighing again, she met Joy’s hopeful gaze. “How old is this Aidan Burke?”

      Joy’s expression became hesitant. “He’s a senior,” she said softly.

      “Yes, that’s what I thought.” Oh God. Is history repeating itself? “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to date a senior, Joy.”

      “Why? He’s really nice, Sophie. You’d like him.”

      Sophie could just imagine. She’d seen Dillon’s nephew from a distance. He was a good-looking kid. In fact, he reminded her of Dillon when he was a kid. No. This would never do. “You are too young to date a senior. And when did you meet him, anyway?”

      “At the pool. This summer.”

      “I see.” She studied Joy for a moment, but Joy evaded her gaze. “Have you already gone out with him?” At first, Sophie wasn’t sure Joy was going to answer her. But then she looked up.

      “We’ve never had a date.”

      There was something about Joy’s answer that bothered Sophie, but she certainly wasn’t going to accuse her sister of lying to her. Was she lying?

      “Sophie, I just wish you’d meet him...”

      “I’m sorry, Joy, but I’ve made up my mind. You cannot go to homecoming with him. You can dance with him if he asks you, but you cannot go with him or allow him to bring you home.”

      Joy’s face crumpled. “This is so unfair. You...you don’t even know him!”

      “Joy,” Sophie said quietly, “you knew what my reaction was going to be before you even told me about him.” When Joy just stared at her, Sophie added, “We agreed last year, when you first began dating, that you would stick to boys in your age bracket.”

      “But that was before I’d met Aidan. Please, Sophie, just give him a chance. Let him come over and talk to you. I know you’ll change your mind if you meet him.”

      Sophie shook her head. If Aidan had even one quarter of the charm his uncle had, she would be putty in his hands. “No, honey. It’s out of the question. When you’re older and in college, you can make your own choices about who you date. While you’re here, and I’m in charge, the rules will stand.”

      Joy gave her one last beseeching look, then walked away dejectedly. Sophie sighed. Please, God, give me the strength to get her safely through high school.

      An hour later, dinner on the table, Sophie called upstairs to tell Joy it was time to eat. Hearing nothing in return, she called louder. When there was still no response, she climbed the stairs and knocked on Joy’s bedroom door before opening it, all ready to deliver a reprimand. Her mouth instead fell open. The room was empty.

      “Joy?” Sophie walked in, then checked the adjoining bathroom. Joy wasn’t there. Where was she? Sophie looked at Joy’s nightstand where her charger lay. Joy’s cell phone, which was always connected to the charger when Joy was in the room, wasn’t there, either.

      Her niece had sneaked out.

      Somehow Joy had come down the stairs noiselessly, opened the front door and left without making any noise or saying a word to Sophie.

      Sophie’s heart sped up. She was furious. In fact, she couldn’t believe

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