Jill Sorenson - Set The Dark On Fire

Shay pocketed the knife. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

Dylan ran a hand along the line of his jaw, feeling for tenderness. “Good thing I wasn’t on school property?”

Shay fumed all the way to the Bighorn. Chad Pinter was a major pain in the ass, and she hated his parents, but she would make nice with them for Dylan’s sake.

The Pinters were already inside the café, chowing down on Betty’s after-school special: burger, shake, and fries. At least, Chad and his father were. They had their plates piled high with greasy goodies, while the missus picked at a leafy green salad.

Chuck Pinter was the full-time football coach and part-time Driver’s Ed teacher at Palomar High School. He had a take-charge attitude, ham-sized fists, and a burly physique. Marianne Pinter was pretty, petite, and very well preserved. Her slim jeans and tight T-shirt showed off her surgically enhanced chest and skinny legs to perfection.

They hadn’t met Luke before, so Chuck did the introductions. When Marianne placed her dainty hand in his, she gave him a thorough once-over and fluttered her lashes.

Shay gritted her teeth and smiled.

After everyone was seated, Luke glanced at Shay, letting the mediation begin.

“I’d like to start by apologizing,” Shay said. “I’m horrified by Dylan’s behavior.”

Marianne pursed her lips as if she’d just sucked on a lemon. Chad stared back at Shay with his usual half-lidded gaze, imagining God only knew what kind of disgusting sexual scenarios. Chuck merely grunted and took another bite of his burger.

“Dylan also has something to say,” Shay added.

Dylan placed a hand over his heart. “I am truly, deeply, madly sorry.”

Keeping her smile firm, Shay kicked him under the table. “I’ll pay for any damages. New tires, towing fees, the works.”

Marianne’s face puckered again. “I’m afraid that won’t be good enough,” she said, giving Luke a simpering glance. “Dylan won’t learn his lesson if you keep bailing him out, Shay. Surely you know that.”

Shay arched a brow. If Marianne Pinter wanted to play hardball with her, she was more than willing to engage. “What do you propose?”

Marianne lifted her snooty little nose in her husband’s direction. “He can work off what he owes us in our backyard. Chuck has plenty of digging and hauling to keep Dylan busy.”

Shay’s temper flared. She’d rather give what little cash she had to the Pinters than have her brother doing their dirty work. “Will Chad be doing yard work also?”

Marianne bristled. “Of course not. What’s he done?”

With his loud car, expensive clothes, and entitled attitude, Chad Pinter was the most spoiled kid in Tenaja Falls. “That’s what I’d like to know,” she said, turning toward her brother. “I don’t think Dylan slashed his tires on a whim.”

Dylan slouched down in his chair and looked away, refusing to offer an explanation for his actions.

“Perhaps he’s jealous,” Marianne said. “Chad is a star quarterback.”

“Dylan is a starting forward,” Shay shot back.

Marianne’s mouth curled up at the corner. “My son also has a loving family and a stable home life. Have you given Dylan that?”

Shay’s jaw dropped. She drew in a breath to tell Marianne where to go, but Dylan beat her to the punch.

“I’ll tell you what else Chad has that I don’t,” he said in a cool voice. “An extensive collection of adult movies, downloaded on that fancy new computer you bought him. He brings printouts of his favorite images to school.”

“Shut up,” Chad grated, gripping the edge of the table.

“Today he was circulating a picture of a porn star with my sister’s face superimposed over her head.” After brief consideration, he dug a wadded up piece of paper out of his pocket. “Check it out.”

Shay looked down at the image and gasped. “Why, you filthy little-”

When Luke put his hand on her shoulder, she bit off the word she was about to say. After a brief glance at the printout, he passed the page on to Chad’s father. “I’m fairly certain that bringing this kind of material to school is against the rules. It may even be illegal.”

“You have no proof that my son did this,” Marianne sputtered.

“Sure I do,” Dylan said. “I know the combination to his locker and the password for his laptop. I’m also familiar with the websites he frequents and the content he prefers.”

The Pinters were speechless, and Chad was seething, but Dylan wasn’t done. “It’s kind of obvious the lady in the picture isn’t Shay. You see, in addition to his bond age fetish, Chad collects photos of busty older women. Ladies who are built like you, Mrs. P.” He smiled at Marianne’s appalled expression. “It’s terribly Oedipal, don’t you think?”

Luke made a choking sound and reached for his glass of water.

While Chad stuttered excuses and Marianne turned red with humiliation, Chuck dug a few bills out of his wallet and threw them down on the table. “Just keep your brother away from my kid,” he said, pointing his finger at Shay. Clamping his hand around Marianne’s arm, he led her away, continuing to grumble as they went out the door. “Should have known the sheriff would side with her. She’ll probably thank him on her knees.”

Over his shoulder, Chad couldn’t resist making a crude gesture, thrusting his tongue against the side of his cheek.

Dylan shot to his feet, but Luke held him back.

“Assholes,” Shay muttered when they’d settled down in their seats again. They all looked at each other, and perhaps because the day had been so harrowing, the situation struck her as hilarious rather than sad. She started laughing, and once she started, she couldn’t stop. Dylan laughed along with her, and it must have been contagious, because even Luke joined in.

“I can’t believe you told Marianne Pinter her son had an Oedipus complex,” she gasped, wiping tears from her eyes.

“Too bad she doesn’t know what that means,” Dylan replied, and set them off again.

Her stress level had reached its breaking point, and the laughter relieved some of the tension that had been escalating all week. It also opened the door for another outpouring of emotion, and before Shay knew it, she was crying.

Not crying laughing. Crying period.

Dylan’s laughter trailed off and Luke cleared his throat, handing her a tissue. She took it and cried some more, hating that she was breaking down in front of them, the two people she wanted to be strong for, the ones she cared about most.

Pulling herself together, she blew her nose and took a long drink of water.

“Are you okay?” Luke asked, glancing down at her hand.

Her malady was general hysteria, not hemotoxic shock. “I’m fine,” she said, offering him a wobbly smile.

“Because I can take you back-”

“No.” She darted a nervous glance at Dylan. “Really.”

Her brother frowned at Luke. “Take her back where?”

Luke’s eyes bored into hers, letting her know that if she didn’t tell Dylan what happened, he would. “The hospital,” she said, sighing.

Dylan straightened in his chair. “What happened?”

“Someone left a snake at the preserve. I was careless in handling it.”

“What kind of snake?”

“A rattler.”

“You got bit by a rattlesnake?” he asked, raising his voice.

“It was more of a graze. No venom.”

“Jesus Christ! What the hell is wrong with you?”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” she returned, her insides quaking. “I don’t need you slashing tires to defend my honor. You could have been kicked out of school!”

Dylan leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, reverting into sullen silence.