Kathryn Shay - Tell Me No Lies

For a moment, Tessa panicked. She never talked about her family, or lack of it. “I, um…” Four faces focused on her. It was then she realized this was some kind of test of trust.

Damned if she was going to fail. “I never knew my father. He took off when I was born.”

The girls were shocked.

Chelsea frowned. “I wouldn’t have guessed.”

Because I’ve spent my whole life covering things like that up. The burden of keeping that secret was heavy, and Tessa felt like a phony.

“I guess you can come from a dysfunctional family and still be a happy adult,” she told them.

“Was yours?” Dawn asked. “Dysfunctional?”

“Yes.” She kept her voice calm. “Maybe you’d like to share some of your background with me?”

The girls relayed much of what Tessa already knew about them. Poverty, depression, frustration and loneliness combined to send them into a downward spiral.

Chelsea, however, refused to share. “Can we talk about the book?”

By the time the girls left, Tessa felt like she had accomplished something important. The bond they’d been forming all year had strengthened, and they seemed to take comfort in it. Hard as it was, she was right to share her story.

Could she have some impact on the boys? She hadn’t followed up on Nick’s request a few weeks ago. How long was she going to let Frankie affect her life? She’d call Nick tomorrow to talk about a group for the guys.

After locking up the meeting room, Tessa headed down the long corridor to the office. The library had been built in the early 1900s, and, though she loved its quaint atmosphere, the corridors tended to get dark as the day wore on. She thought she saw something in the shadows. “Who’s there?” she asked, her heart pounding.

No answer.

Of course there was no answer. She was letting talk of her past spook her. Swallowing hard, she found her office and opened the door. She stopped when she heard another noise. Then she saw a man, his back to her, striding down the hall and out the front door. There was something familiar about his walk.

DAN WAS DETERMINED to keep his temper as he drove to Molly’s school. Tessa was chaperoning a field trip to the zoo with Sara’s class, and the elementary school principal had called him about yet another incident concerning his older daughter. Molly was always stirring things up at school—causing some kind of ruckus on the playground, planning pranks, daring the other kids to stretch the rules. The incidents were invariably harmless, but she was making a name for herself with the faculty.

This time, though, her actions were more serious. She’d cheated on a test. In fourth grade! Dan was shocked when the principal, Katie Gardner, someone he and Nick had gone to school with, called to tell him what had happened. He was more than a little disappointed in Molly. But as he pulled up to the building and headed inside, he curbed his reaction. He knew he tended to overreact to anything resembling public embarrassment, and Molly would need a sane parent now. The secretary showed him to the appropriate office.

Katie, a pretty blonde, sat behind her desk with Molly across from her. His little girl swung her sneakered feet back and forth, staring down at her hands in her lap.

Katie looked over at him. “Hi, Dan.”

Molly didn’t acknowledge his arrival. He greeted Katie then crossed to his daughter. Kneeling in front of her, he said, “Mol, what happened?”

She kept staring at her lap and so he tilted her chin. Her eyes were red-rimmed and her usually smiling face distraught. She bit her lip, the vulnerable gesture making her father’s heart ache. “I…I…”

She threw herself at him and sobbed into his chest. He held on to her solid little body and let her cry. Lord knew this wasn’t the worst thing that could happen, but he was glad she was showing repentance. Or maybe it was fear. They’d had stern talks with both girls about fairness, integrity and doing your own work. When the outburst subsided, still holding on to her, he sank into a chair.

Katie gave him a sympathetic smile.

He smoothed down his daughter’s hair. “We need to talk about this, kiddo.”

She shook her head.

“Yes, we do.” After one more hug, he set her in her own chair. “Mrs. Gardner says you cheated on a test.”

Molly wouldn’t look at him.

“Why, Molly? You’re a good student. You know your math. Why would you cheat?”

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