Alessia (Casella Cousins #4) - Kathryn Shay Page 0,11
conclusion.”
Their gazes locked. They didn’t talk anymore. When the song ended, Gideon’s head was filled with the scent of her. A bit dazed, he stood there on the floor while she opened her purse, and slipped her spare key card into his pocket.
“When?” he croaked out, then cleared his throat.
“An hour?”
“See you then.” He held up the key. “There.”
He turned away and started to leave, then pivoted back, and leaned over. “It’s gonna be really good, Anabelle.”
“I know it will.”
Chapter 4
* * *
Alessia’s high from the wedding plummeted. “What did he do?” she asked her father-in-law.
“He smoked these.” Billy’s dad, only sixty and still worldly, held out the remnants of two joints. “I caught them out back by the oak tree at midnight.”
“I’m so sorry, Dad. I don’t know what to say.”
“I talked to them, but they were mutinous. Maybe coming from you a lecture on the dangers of pot would be better.”
“I’m tempted to call Gideon to read them the riot act.”
“Police.” Billy’s father frowned. “Won’t he be required to arrest them?”
“Good point. I’ll check.”
Sighing, Alessia walked out to the car where she’d sent Peter and Jason. The wind whipped her face, and she pulled up her collar. She was mad about having her weekend spoiled and upset about her son’s involvement with drugs. Pete was waiting in the front seat, Jason in the back.
They remained silent when she slid behind wheel. Good. She drove the short distance from Billy’s parents to Jason’s house. She got out with him, and on the way to the door, he said, “I’m sorry, Mrs. Benatti.”
“Thank you for the apology. I have to tell your parents. Go on in and please ask them to come out.”
The Andersons both came to the door. “Alessia, is something wrong?” his father asked.
“Yes. I—”
“Come inside?”
“No, thank you. Tim, Susan, I’m sorry to say my father-in-law caught Pete and Jason smoking marijuana at midnight in his backyard.”
“At twelve, they’re doing this stuff?” his mom said, alarm present in every word.
“Yes.”
“We’ll deal with it.” Tim frowned. “Do you know where they got if from?”
“Not yet. But I will.”
“Us, too. We’ll be in touch.”
Alessia drove home. A thousand thoughts on how to handle this latest crisis ran through her mind. She’d been so pleased when Pete hugged her Friday because she found a compromise to him staying with his grandparents alone. Now, even that joy was ruined.
She also knew what he’d do. Run upstairs. Slam his door. So, when they pulled into the driveway, she locked the car doors from her side.
It was then that she saw a car pull up. Joan Mason, the mother of the boys’ friend had brought her twins home. For a brief moment, she wished Pete could be more like her dark-eyed sons with their little boy haircuts.
Exiting the Honda again, she went to the driver’s window. Joan smiled at her. “They were great.”
“Thanks for having them. We’ll return the invitation to take Lincoln whenever you need us to.”
“You’re on.” When she left, Alessia crossed to the boys
“We got so much to tell you.” This from Mattie.
“I know. And I want to hear everything. But right now, I’ll put the garage door up and you can go inside. I have to talk to Pete first.”
“Is he in trouble?” Mikey asked.
“He’s fine. I’ll be right there.”
When she returned to the car, she pushed the garage door button and waited until the twins got inside.
“What’re you doing?” Pete seemed surprised, not confrontational.
“We have to talk. And I know your patterns.”
Now, his dark eyes turned hot. “I don’t wanna talk.”
“I don’t want a kid who smokes pot.”
“Hell, Mom, everybody does.”
“Even if that was true, it’s a dangerous gateway drug.” He stared out the windshield, not making eye contact.
Then he faced her. “Have you smoked pot? Did Dad?”
She thought of hers and Billy’s experimentation, not in high school, but when they were in their twenties. What to say? Lie?
“Dad and I smoked some when we were in our twenties. When you’re that age, you can experiment, too.”
“Did you go onto other drugs?”
“We did not.” She zeroed in on him. “But I believe once this kind of high becomes old hat, you’ll want more highs.”
“Gimme some credit. I’m not a child.”
“In the eyes of the law you are. How long have you been doing this?”
“That was only the third time.” He held her gaze. “But if you never took harder drugs, why would I?”
“Because you’re young and impulsive and rebellious. Besides, that isn’t the only reason I’m against marijuana.”
“Geez, it