Deceptive Cadence (13 page)

“Melanie!” she called with a hint of frustration in her voice. “Stealing? What’s going on?”

“Mum, I wasn’t stealing.” She glanced at me, and I knew she wished I would just vanish into thin air.

“Then why did I get a call saying a girl stopped you from taking a birthday present from her bag?”

James’ gaze flashed to me before he glared at Melanie. “You tried to take the present I gave Cadence, didn’t you?”

I started backing away.

“You’re such an idiot sometimes!” Melanie yelled at him.

Their mum gasped. “Melanie!”

They seemed unaware of me creeping away as they squabbled between themselves. I almost made it back inside the door to the main building when James said, “Cadence! Where are you going?”

I flinched as they fell silent, staring at me.

“That’s Cadence?” their mum asked. “Well, James, introduce me.”

James motioned for me to come over. I took a step forward as Melanie glowered at me.

“Ah, I’m going to miss my bus,” I said.

James shot Melanie an icy stare. “You have a few minutes.”

“We can take you home.” His mum had a gentle smile as she gazed steadily at me.

“No, it’s okay. I don’t want to inconvenience you,” I said.

Melanie scoffed. “Let’s just go.”

Her mum ignored her and walked toward me with her hand outstretched. “I’m James and Melanie’s mum, but you can call me Karen.”

I took her hand. “Hi.”

She held on to my hand firmly and pulled me toward their car. “James has told me a lot about you. I’ve been eager to meet you.”

“Oh?”

James ran his hand over my ponytail. I looked up at him and he smiled warmly.

“Yes,” she said. “Anyone who could get him to cut off that horrible hair is a winner in my books.”

I couldn’t help giggling.

James laughed and rested his hand on my waist. “Yeah, well, I liked it.”

“You look much better now.” She tapped his cheek fondly.

He looked down at me. “I think so, too.”

My cheeks warmed.

Karen chuckled. “For someone who told him what for so often, you’re very quiet.”

“Oh, ah . . . sorry.” I had no idea what to say. How could I respond to something like that?

“She’s just nervous.” James wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

Her gaze darted to his hand resting on my shoulder and a smile curled the corners of her mouth. “Well then, all the more reason for us to take you home. You should feel comfortable with us.”

“No!” Melanie moaned.

James shrugged. “She’s probably missed her bus by now.”

“There we go. It’s settled. We’ll take you home.”

“Mum!” Melanie whined.

Karen turned to her. “Melanie Gordon, you’re in enough trouble as it is. Now get in the car.”

James guided me to the back door and opened it for me as Melanie climbed into the front and sat pouting. I shuffled in behind her and she pushed the seat all the way back. I gasped and pulled in my legs. As James climbed in the other side, he reached across and smacked her in the back of the head. “Mel!”

“I needed more room!”

“No, you didn’t!”

She shoved her backpack in front of her feet and folded her arms.

Karen climbed into the driver’s seat and scowled. “Melanie . . .”

Melanie huffed and pulled the chair forward.

On the ride home, Karen talked endlessly. She asked about my schoolwork, my hobbies, my family . . . I thought it would never end, and struggled to interject directions into the conversation.

James’ hand drifted down and caught mine. I smiled as she talked about something or another. Looking at him, my heart fluttered as he grinned at me and leaned closer. He grasped my chin and pulled me closer. “She likes you.”

He kissed my cheek.

I squeezed his hand. When I glanced up, I saw her in the rearview mirror smiling at us. I blushed.

As we turned onto my street, my stomach did a somersault. I hoped more than anything Dad hadn’t come home early to celebrate my birthday.

Mum lifted groceries out of the back of her car as we pulled up. She paused, surprised by the unfamiliar vehicle parking in front of the house. Before I had a chance to get out, Karen leaped out and waved. “Hi! You must be Cadence’s mum.”

Melanie slapped her forehead as James and I hurried to climb out of the car.

Mum looked startled by the strange woman approaching her, and glanced at me rushing up behind her. “Yes, I’m Harmony Anderson.”

Karen stretched out a hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Mum took it, her gaze darting to me. “You too.”

I hurried over and stood beside Mum. “This is James’ mum.”

Mum flashed me a confused look. James stepped up behind me.

“Oh! James!” A smile spread across her face as she looked back to Karen. “So what brings you here?”

“Cadence missed her bus, so I told her we could bring her home.”

Mum gave me an odd look. “Again?”

“Ah . . .” It looked suspicious, I had to admit. “I got caught up.”

Mum’s gaze lifted to James. “With what, exactly?”

Karen smiled. “With me. I was interested to meet her since James is forever talking about her.”

James’ arm wrapped around my waist just as Mum looked back to me. Her gaze fell to his arm, then flashed back up to meet my eyes. “Oh, good heavens. Your father isn’t going to be impressed.”

“Mum,” I muttered, embarrassed that she would say something like that in front of James’ mum.

She sighed and turned back to Karen. “Thank you for bringing her home.”

“You’re very welcome,” Karen said. “She’s a lovely girl. You’ve done a wonderful job with her.”

Mum smiled at me. “Yes, we’re very proud of her.”

“Thanks, Mum.” My gaze fell to the ground.

“Mum!” Melanie groaned from the car.

“Well, I’d love to stay and chat, but I have a daughter to ground.” Karen flicked her short hair back out of her face. “It was nice to meet you.”

“You too.” Mum took Karen’s hand again.

“Mum, can I stay?”

We turned to face James. I subtly shook my head, but he just grinned at me.

“Well, honey,” Karen began. “I don’t think I’m the person to ask.”

James’ gaze shifted to Mum. “Mrs. Anderson, would you mind if I stayed? I’d like to help celebrate her birthday.”

I turned to get a read on Mum. She looked agitated, her eyes fixed on James. “Ah, we were going to go out for dinner―”

“That’s all right. I can cover myself.”

Mum’s eyebrow twitched. I knew if Karen wasn’t standing right beside her she would snap at him and send him away. But, she was not one to be rude. “Cadence, what do you want?”

Great, she dumped it all on me
. I turned back to James. His gray-blue eyes gazed steadily into mine. I just about melted.

His hand came up and touched my cheek. “What do you want?”

I took a deep breath to compose myself. I caught his hand and pulled it away. “You can’t do that when my dad gets here.”

A wide grin spread across his face.

“Does that mean he stays, dear?” Mum asked.

“It does.”

She sighed. “Okay, help me with these groceries, then.”

James rushed over and grabbed several bags, then headed to the front door. Mum watched him, her eyes wide with shock, and Karen chuckled.

“Yes, he’s been full of surprises lately.” She reached across and squeezed my hand. “It was nice to finally meet you, Cadence. Please feel free to come by our place sometime. I’d really like him to do things like that for me more often.”

She nodded toward James as he waited for the door to be unlocked.

I smiled at her. “Okay. Thank you for the ride.”

“No, Cadence, thank
you
.” She waved to James as she walked back to the car, then drove off.

Mum’s arm rested around my waist. “He’s the boy the fight was about, right?”

I nodded.

“Great. Your father’s going to be a nightmare.” She pulled me around to the groceries. “So, he’s your boyfriend now?”

“Yeah. He’s persistent, Mum. He’s completely changed from what he was before.”

She grabbed a couple of bags and pulled them in to the crooks of her elbows. “How so?”

“At the beginning of the year, he smoked, drank, and acted like a total rat bag, but now he’s going to classes and cleaned up his act.”

She straightened. “That explains his mother’s thank you.”

My cheeks warmed. “Yeah, I told him I’d never date him how he was, but now . . .” I trailed off as we turned toward the house and looked at him. “Mum, he’s actually pretty nice underneath all those bad choices.”

We walked toward the door, while she dug for her keys in her pocket. “Okay, Cadence. I can see you’ve thought this through, so I trust you.”

We approached James and fell silent as she unlocked the door. James held the door open as we slipped inside and we set the groceries down in the kitchen.

“Thank you,” Mum said.

“Do you need help putting everything away?” James asked.

Mum chuckled. “No, thank you. Stop trying so hard to impress me. Save it for her father.” She rested her hands on her hips and looked him over. “So, James, do you intend on wearing your uniform out to dinner?”

He looked down at himself and brushed some dirt off his sweaty shirt. “I guess so.”

“No. I doubt Dusty would have anything big enough to fit you, but my husband might have something small enough. Just give me a minute.”

She hurried down the hallway into her bedroom.

James turned to me and grinned. “So, where’s your room?”

I scowled. “No.”

“What?” He laughed.

“Just no.”

He grabbed me by the waist and lifted me over his shoulder.

I screeched and slapped his shoulder. “James! I’m wearing a skirt!”

He ran his hand up the back of my thigh. “I know.”

I kicked and he rolled me off his shoulder. He caught me as I almost landed face first on the floor and pulled me up to face him.

“You idiot!”

He grinned and kissed me. I tried to push him off, but I couldn’t. I was too enraptured by his kiss.

“Oh gross!”

James pulled away and we looked across to see Dusty entering the house. He walked up to me and shoved my shoulder. “You left me to walk home alone.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, you better be.” He turned to walk toward his room.

“Why didn’t you walk with Harper?” James asked him.

Dusty let out a sarcastic laugh and looked at me. “Cadence, do you like dumb guys or something?”

I rushed at him. He darted down the hallway to his room.

The front door banged and Harper came at me, her eyes on fire. “Are you kidding me? What’s
he
doing here?”

“Hey, Harper,” James said.

She raised her hand and covered his mouth. “Shut up. I’m talking to my sister.”

Her glare burned into me, waiting for me to answer.

I shrugged. “He’s coming with us.”

She stepped back and folded her arms. “Dad’s going to lose his mind.” A smirk spread across her face. “This is going to be the best family thing yet.”

Mum appeared beside her and handed James some clothes. “Leave him alone, Harper. I hope these are okay, James. They might be a bit old-fashioned. I’m fairly certain they’re from the seventies.”

James opened the gray trousers and cream-colored shirt to look at them. “I think I can work with them.”

Harper scoffed. “Yeah, he’s definitely worn worse.”

“That’s true.” James looked down at me. “Show me to your room so I can change.”

Mum grabbed his arm. “Ah, no. You can use the bathroom.”

Dusty sprinted through the house with an armful of clothes. “No! I’m using the shower first!”

He slammed the bathroom door behind him and started the shower.

“I guess you’ll have to wait,” Mum said. “Go watch TV or something for a while.”

James glanced down the hallway, obviously wanting to see my room.

“No boys in the bedrooms,” Mum said as she turned to put away the groceries.

James slumped, but let me guide him to the living room.

He sank onto the sectional and pulled my hand so I’d sit beside him. I sat stiffly, feeling weird for having him there. I remembered visiting my parents with Austin when we were engaged and making out on the sectional, but I shook off the memory. That was still in the future. I needed to focus on the now.

James ran his fingers through my ponytail. “Why so tense?”

I forced myself to lean back into the couch. “You’re the first guy I’ve had here.”