Sherryl Woods - Tea and Destiny

“Hey, David,” he called out. “Why don’t you get out there and challenge him? I’ll bet you’re every bit as good at basketball as he is.”

David shook his head.

“He doesn’t play much,” Tracy explained. “Ann says it’s because he got kicked out of so many foster homes for being too much trouble. He was always getting hurt and stuff.”

Hank was shocked. “But that’s what boys do.”

“I know, but some foster parents don’t want to be bothered. Now I guess he’s scared Ann will make him leave, too.”

“That’s…” He couldn’t even think of a word to describe an adult who’d beat down a child’s spirit that way.

“Awful,” Tracy supplied. “I know. Sometimes Jason can get him to do stuff, but most of the time he doesn’t bother, either. Ann figures we just have to keep trying. Sooner or later David’s gonna realize that it’s different here.”

Hank’s respect for the challenges Ann faced with these kids increased tenfold as he studied the wistful expression on David’s face. His heart ached for him. While he was trying to figure out if there was something he could do, Tracy cast a sidelong look at him. “You’d better go catch those fish. Ann will be home soon. She’ll never let you forget it if she has to cook that chicken tonight.”

Reluctantly he got to his feet. “Never fear,” he said, then leaned down to whisper, “I know where the fish market is.”

Tracy giggled at that and, for an instant anyway, her somber expression vanished, replaced by that glorious smile that would turn her into a heartbreaker in another couple of years. An unfamiliar stirring of tenderness welled up inside him and he got the first inkling why some adults got so hooked on parenting. It was the first time he’d experienced the impact that youthful, carefree laughter could have on a jaded heart.

The water was calmer on the gulf side of the key. The setting sun was hovering at the edge of the horizon, a huge orange ball ready to dip below the endless sea of blue. Already there was a chill in the air, which made Hank glad he’d thought to grab his jacket from the truck on the way over. When he spotted Jason, however, the teenager was huddled at the end of the dock wearing jeans and a T-shirt. He could practically see the goose bumps standing out on his skinny arms.

Hank walked to the end of the dock and put down his gear. Jason didn’t acknowledge his presence with so much as a glance. Only a slight stiffening of his shoulders indicated that he was even aware that Hank had joined him.

“Catch anything?” Hank asked.

Jason said nothing.

“Sorry I’m late. I got held up at work.”

The apology was met with silence. Hank’s earlier feelings of guilt were rapidly changing to impatience. “Jason, I’m talking to you.”

The boy turned a sullen gaze on him. “So?”

“I expect you to answer me.”

“Why should I?”

“Because it’s polite.”

“It’s polite to keep your promises, too. Ain’t that right?”

Hank held on to his temper. He recalled what Ann had said about these kids having been mistreated by far too many adults along the way. “Yes, that is right. I’ve explained, though. I am sorry I got held up.”

“Right.” He sounded skeptical and angry. Years of rejection had obviously taken their toll.

Hank tried again with a more neutral topic. “I understand I’m borrowing your room.”

“It’s Mom’s house. She can do what she wants.”

“But it’s your room and I appreciate your letting me use it. I like the posters.”

Jason ignored him. Hank had no idea what else to say in the face of all that pent-up hostility, so they sat on the dock in silence until Jason reeled in a good-size snapper.

“That’s a beauty,” Hank said. Jason almost managed a smile as he unhooked the fish and plopped it into a bucket of seawater. “You’re good at this.”

Jason shrugged, dismissing the success. “There’s not much to it.”

“I don’t know about that. I haven’t caught anything yet.”

After another instant of suspicious silence, Jason suggested grudgingly, “Maybe it’s your bait. What’d you bring?”

“Shrimp.”

“That should be good.”

“You fish a lot?”

“Some.”

“Who taught you?”

“I just did it. All the guys in Key West did.”

“That’s where you’re from? Key West?”

Jason nodded, then said, “Why don’t you just say what’s on your mind?”

“What?”

“Don’t you want to know how I got here?”

Hank knew at once he was treading on treacherous ground. As he had earlier with Tracy, he felt out of his depth. “If you want to tell me,” he said finally.

“I was in jail,” Jason said bluntly. His expression was defiant, daring Hank to react badly.

“Mom bailed me out,” Jason added. “Then she brought me here.”

Hank had to swallow his shock. He didn’t want Jason to see how troubled he was by his belligerent announcement. Was Ann out of her mind, though? What on earth had possessed her to take in some kid who was in trouble with the law?

“What did you do?”

Jason glared at him. “Who says I did anything?”

“There usually aren’t too many innocent people in jail, at least not for long.”

“Okay, so maybe you’re right.”

“And?”

“I stole a car. So what? It was no big deal.”

“Grand theft sounds like a big deal to me. Why’d you do it?”

“I needed to get to the store.”

His sarcasm set Hank’s teeth on edge. Again he swallowed his irritation and repeated, “Why’d you do it?”

“My old man needed the money.”

The flat tone sent a chill through Hank. “Bad enough to make you steal?”

“When you need a fix bad enough, you don’t worry about how you get it. It wasn’t the first thing I did. It was just the first time I got caught.” Jason made it sound as though that were the crime.

Hank felt his stomach churn. Anger and pity welled up deep inside him. “What you did was wrong,” he reminded Jason.

Jason regarded him defiantly, then retorted with youthful bitterness, “Where I come from you’re taught to mind your parents.”

Hank could see the twisted logic at work. What worried him, though, was how much it was still affecting Jason’s thinking. Was the boy ready to break the law again at any provocation? What kind of influence could he possibly be on all those other kids Ann had taken under her wing? He tried telling himself it was none of his business. He tried telling himself she’d be furious at his meddling. He looked again at the tense, angry kid beside him and decided he had no choice. There was no way in hell he could remain uninvolved. He would talk to Ann the minute they were alone.

Getting Ann alone, however, was no easy task with six children underfoot. It was after nine by the time the little ones were in bed and the older kids were settled down doing their homework. Hank took a beer from the refrigerator, popped it open and held it out toward Ann. She shook her head.

“You want something else?”

“No.”

“Feel like taking a walk by the water? It’s a nice night.”

She regarded him warily. Hank grinned. “Don’t panic. I’m not planning to rip off your clothes and have my way with you.”

Ironically, as soon as the denial was out of his mouth, Hank realized it was a blatant lie. He did want to strip away the layered T-shirts, the too-long skirt and those ridiculous socks. Those socks were orange tonight. With a blue skirt and yellow and green shirts. She reminded him of a particularly colorful parrot.

She also smelled like strawberries again, which made him want to taste the creamy white skin of her neck. Which made him achingly hard. Which would have made the lie obvious if she’d looked anywhere other than straight past him as she said stiffly, “I never thought you were.”