Answering to Him (Old-Fashioned Husband) (9 page)

“Oh, I get to make rules?” I asked, my interest piqued. “What about no kissing before you brush your teeth in the morning? No more wearing jeans to bed?”

“Maybe we should go to Fredrick’s to talk about it,” he suggested, a gleam in his eye.

I blanched, thinking of our poor waiter who’d overheard what was meant for Oliver’s ears only. “Oh, no. I don’t think I’ll be showing my face in there for quite a while.”

* * * * *

The first thing I noticed when we got home was that our tree had been rolled in toilet paper, which was hanging on to the bare branches in clumps thanks to the rain. Oliver and I traded glances, and I groaned. It wasn’t much better on the inside. There were plastic cups and Styrofoam plates everywhere, along with a good share of crumbs that had been ground into the carpet.

“Mom!” I called out. When my mother came into view, her black hair streaked with gray and falling out of her bun, she was smiling as though nothing was amiss. She hugged me tightly, before beginning to fuss over my ankle, which Oliver had wrapped tightly in gauze.

“What happened, dear?”

“That’s what I’d like to know!” I exclaimed, gesturing. “What happened
here
? Did you leave Jonah alone and go for bingo or something?”

“Of course not, dear,” she said, clearly affronted. “He had his friends over.”

“What friends?” Oliver asked.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she said, waving a hand dismissively, beginning to unwrap my ankle. “About twenty or thirty kids from his class.”

“Twenty?” I gasped. “Thirty? What the hell, Mom?”

“Alicia Ann!” she snapped.

Oliver gave me a look as sharp as her voice, and I shrank back, feeling twelve. “Sorry, Mom. It’s just, we’ve never let Jonah have more than one or two boys here at a time.”

“Really?” She seemed surprised. “He had girls over here too.
He said that all the kids took turns having each other over, and it was his turn.”

You
bought
that? I wanted to exclaim. What had happened to her? She used to be so strict! I groaned, but didn’t say another word. I didn’t want to risk another scolding from the pair of them.

“Why don’t we get you upstairs, honey?” Oliver suggested. “It’s time for you to take another pill, I think. I’ll talk to your mom, and then make a call to our doctor.”

I wanted to protest, but I could hear it in his voice; it wasn’t a request. That in mind, I agreed to be half-carried, half-dragged up the stairs. Once I had another Lortab in my system, my thoughts started growing fuzzy. “Can’t believe her,” I complained. “She never would have let me have a party, especially at Jonah’s age.”

“She’s not his mother,” he reminded me. “It’s her job to let him have fun.”

“It should be her job to make sure he behaves,” I grumbled.

“No, that’s my job. And if you don’t stop your whining, I’ll give you a demonstration of how I keep order in this house.”

I rolled my eyes, even though I could tell he was only kidding in part. “Fine.”

“I will handle it. I will get the details from your mom, but I will talk to Jonah when he gets home.”

“I want to be there.” Normally, I never would have pointed this out, but since I had to be carried around like an invalid, I supposed I better get used to letting my desired destinations be known, as least for the time being.

“You can sit in, but I plan on doing most of the talking,” he warned me.

I made a face at him, but he didn’t find it amusing, so I told him I was going to sleep.

By the time I woke up, school had been out for an hour. My head was pounding and my mouth was dry. I was just about to reach over and grab the telephone to call Oliver when I heard someone walking up the stairs.

This is the last house I will ever buy with stairs, I told myself as I waited for someone to appear. Oliver opened the door soon after, and smiled to see me awake.

“Hey, sleeping beauty. Want to join us downstairs? We’re about to have an early dinner.”

“It’s only five.”

“Yeah, but I’m starving.”

I never had much of an appetite when I was on painkillers, but I didn’t want to be stuck up here any longer, so I nodded, and he came to the bed for me to put an arm around his neck. He walked slower carrying me down the stairs, and my son was waiting at the bottom, the concern evident on his face even as he tried to play it cool.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Hey, yourself,” I shot back, looking to Oliver. He gave a small shake of his head, indicating that he hadn’t talked to him yet.

“You guys are home early,” he observed, and I could sense his nervousness.

“We didn’t have a choice,” I replied levelly.

Oliver carried me into the dining room and set me down, and I saw the casserole on the table, accompanied by a salad and a loaf of what looked to be my favorite Parmesan cheese bread.

“Did you call in the neighbors already?” I asked in surprise.

“I made it.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Well, aren’t you full of surprises? Let’s see if it tastes as good as it looks.”

Jonah promptly made a face the minute he put a bite in his mouth, but Oliver and I just laughed at him. He was a picky eater at the best of times. I thought it was delicious. He’d made a chicken, broccoli and rice bake covered in gooey cheese.

“It’s wonderful, babe. That’s it, you’re going to handle Thanksgiving this year.”

“Mom!” Jonah stage-hissed. “Remember last year? He burnt the turkey!”

“He did that on purpose,” I teased. “Dads everywhere across America burn the turkey. It’s a time honored tradition.”

“Hardy har har.” My husband was not amused, so I knocked off the teasing and hid my smile.

When we’d eaten our fill, Oliver ordered Jonah to clear the plates and put them in the sink. I was taken aback by the order—Jonah had never cleared the table in his life. I fully expected him to refuse, but although he sighed and dragged his feet, he made three trips back and forth into the kitchen until all the dishes
were removed.

“Can I go to my room now?”

“No, sit down. We need to talk,” his father replied. Jonah jammed his hands into his pockets and slouched, but remained standing. Oliver cleared his throat meaningfully and nodded toward the chair. With a dramatic sigh, Jonah trudged over and stood in front of it. “
Sit
.”

“Oh, really, honey,” I said. “Is it a big deal if—”

“Alicia.” The way he said my name made my lips tremble. “That’s enough.”

I pressed my lips together to stay silent, and for
some reason seeing me defer to his father was the encouragement Jonah needed to sit down. I felt my cheeks heat. It was a bit embarrassing being scolded in front of my teenage son.

“Now then,” he began. “It’s my understanding that you had a group of your friends over after I expressly told you not to.”

“Grandma said—”

“You took advantage of your grandmother being over here,” Oliver interrupted sternly. “And she knows it. You should be ashamed of yourself.” Jonah dropped his eyes, leaning forward and mumbling. “What’s that?” my husband asked.

“I said I’m sorry.”

“Did you honestly think you could get away with it?”

Jonah shrugged, cutting his eyes at the door.

“You didn’t, did you?”

“I guess not,” he muttered.

I raised my eyebrows at him. What did he mean, he didn’t think he would? Why do it then?

“You wanted to see what I would do?” Oliver challenged. “Well, I’m going to tell you what’s going to happen. Firstly, you’re grounded. No more parties, no going to the movies, or hanging out after school.”

“
Dad
—”

“For a month,” he stipulated, making me turn toward him in shock. We’d never grounded him for so long. “And furthermore, you’re going to call your grandmother, and help her with some housework she’s been needing to get done.”

“Dad!”

He held up a hand. “
And
I think it goes without saying that your video games will be under lock and key. Let’s see if having all that extra time on your hands improves your history grade any.”

Jonah slumped on the table, banging his head against the polished wood. I looked on, horrified, but Oliver seemed unaffected.

“Honey,” I tried to appeal to him in an undertone. “Maybe we—”

“He has to learn, Alicia,” he replied, quietly.

“But don’t you think—”

“Thin ice, young lady.”

I was shocked into silence. If this was what him being in charge meant, I wasn’t so sure I liked it.

“And one more thing. You will not have any girls over here without my permission. Is that understood?”

“Yes,” he spat out.

“I’m sorry?”

“Geez, when did this become military school?” Jonah groaned, looking up. “Yes, sir.”

Oliver ignored the comment, and Jonah put his head back on the table. “Anything you want to say for yourself, young man?”

“Can I go to my room now?” Jonah asked, his voice muffled as he still kept his face hidden.

“Assuming your mother doesn’t have anything else to add.” Oliver looked to me, but I had absolutely nothing to say. I didn’t know if I could speak if I wanted to. “OK then.”

Jonah was up like a shot and racing toward the stairs as fast as his legs would carry him as soon as the words left his dad’s mouth.

“And he thinks he shouldn’t try out for track,” he remarked with a wry smile.

Turning away from him, I pushed myself up and balanced unsteadily on one leg.

“Hey, now.”

I ignored him and started hobbling forward, cursing the fact that it took so much effort. Damn me and my clumsy ways! Damn Oliver and his stupid camping trip!

“Where do you think you’re going?” he insisted.

I wouldn’t have replied, but for the fact that he swooped me up, depositing me on his lap. “Hey!” I exclaimed, smacking his chest.

“Alicia.” His voice was firm and even. “Do you think that’s appropriate?”

“I don’t want to talk right now. I’m too mad.”

“We’re not going to run away from our problems. Now, why are you mad?”

“You were too hard on him!” I burst out, my voice in a heated whisper just in case Jonah hadn’t shut his door.

“Do you honestly think so?”

“I do. You grounded him for a month for a
party
? Come on, honey.”

“Not just for the party, Alicia. For being deceptive toward your mother, for deliberately disobeying what I’d told him, and for having girls over when he knew better. You heard him. He basically told me that he did it, knowing it was wrong, just to see what I’d do. How could I back down from that? The gauntlet had been thrown.”

I snorted at his analogy. “So this doesn’t just extend to me then? No one is safe?”

H
is eyebrows drew together as he frowned. “I told you I am going to be the head of the household, the leader of this family, and I intend to stand by my word. And don’t forget, you asked me to.”

“I didn’t ask you to abuse me in front of him.” With that, I pushed myself off his lap, but Oliver caught my wrists before I could escape.

“Excuse me? When have I ever abused you?”

“You shushed me right in front of him!” I insisted, forgetting to be quiet.

“He needs to know that we all answer to someone, Alicia. Like it or not, you answer to me, and he answers to us both. Think of it like a ladder, a chain of command.”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t appreciate it. We never talked about this, I never thought you’d call me ‘young lady’ in front of our son, and I don’t like it.”

“Sit with me,” he invited, his eyes warm. I sighed, and allowed him to pull me down on to his lap. “I’m sorry, you’re right.”

I turned toward him in surprise. “Really?”

He laughed at my expression. “Yes, really. I shouldn’t have scolded you in front of him, and I will try my best not to let it happen again, I promise. But honestly, honey, I don’t think it’s as big a deal as you think. He’s a kid, and kids understand and respect a system of order.”

“Maybe,” I said begrudgingly. “But you’d feel differently about it if it were you.”

“Maybe,” he echoed, kissing my nose. “Now, I am sorry I embarrassed you, and I will do my best to make it up to you. But that still doesn’t change the fact even after telling you to let me handle it, you think you know best. If you don’t want me to overrule you in front of Jonah, how do you think I feel when you do it to me?”

“I didn’t…” I trailed off when I realized that I’d done exactly what he said. I had made it known that I disagreed with how he was handling the situation, and my son knew that we weren’t a united front on this issue. “I’m sorry,” I finished lamely.

“Thank you for your apology.”

“Are you…” I found I couldn’t meet his eyes. “Am I in trouble?”