if it was from the confrontation or the fumes, maybe both. I did know I could live without this kid in my home, needy or not.
We chatted by the fire for a while longer before Cory offered to help me do the dishes. I declined his offer, but he and Brennan gathered the pie plates and took them into the kitchen anyway. Erica and I followed, carrying the coffee tray and the pies.
Brennan approached me. “Thank you for a lovely evening, Jolene. My mother has been dead for years and I’m an only child. I was going to be alone. I really appreciated the invitation.”
“We’re happy to have you.”
The front door slammed. It sent a shock wave through the house. We all jumped in surprise.
A car motor turned over in the driveway. A lump formed in my throat as I raced to the window.
Danny backed Erica’s Porsche out of the driveway. His aim was true, but his speed too fast for the slippery conditions. The car spun out of control on the road, colliding first with Brennan’s Mercedes then bouncing into the snowbank.
He floored it, trying to horse his way out of the snowbank. The Porsche smoked but refused to budge.
Erica appeared at the window beside me. She screamed.
“That little shit. He smashed my car.”
Brennan and Cory took one look and grabbed their coats, racing across the two-foot-deep snow in our front yard.
I dug out a pair of boots and slid into my coat, silently cursing Ray for bringing this nightmare home.
Cory and Brennan were examining the damage to the rear quarter panel on the Mercedes. I darted past them and crossed the road to Danny, who had his head down on the steering wheel. The car was shut off.
I noticed the keys in Cory’s hand. He must have wrenched them away from Danny while I got on my coat.
Danny’s shoulders heaved up and down. I grabbed his bicep.
He raised his head from the steering wheel, sobbing, “I want my dad. I want to see my dad.”
Erica skidded to a stop next to me, arms flailing to catch her balance. “You little shit. Get out of my car.”
“Erica!”
She shoved me aside and dragged Danny out from behind the wheel. “I’ve had it with you. Don’t you ever touch my stuff again, you little brat.”
He stood in the road sobbing as Erica collected her keys from Cory. The two men pushed her car out of the snowbank. She took off down the road without even a thank you.
Cory looked at me. “I can fix both cars. Don’t worry.”
I nodded, feeling numb. Was chaining a child to a bed frowned upon in modern society? What the hell was Ray thinking bringing this boy home?
Cory glanced at Brennan then back at me. “Do you need me to stay?”
“No, go on. We’ll be fine.” Too bad I wasn’t as sure about that as I sounded.
After I apologized profusely, Brennan and Cory climbed into the Mercedes, Brennan seeming unperturbed by the damage to his car. I watched him creep down the slick road, thinking perhaps Cory had finally gotten it right.
I turned my attention back to Danny, who used his fists to dry his eyes and the arm of his coat for his nose, leaving a long trail of mucus on his sleeve. “Danny, what were you thinking?”
“Ray said he’d take me to see my dad, but he left. He’s not going to take me.”
True, Ray would not be back in time to take him as promised. “That’s no reason to steal a car, Danny. If you wanted to see your dad, all you had to do was ask me. I could have taken you.”
His eyes brightened then dimmed again. “Oh.”
If Ray had been home, he would have made Danny sit in his room or wash the dishes or some other punishment. But he wasn’t, I was. And I felt sorry for the kid, even though he’d ruined an otherwise lovely day, not to mention two very nice cars. He was twelve and without his father. I knew all about missing a parent and wanting them desperately.
I sighed. “Promise me you will not drive any more cars. You don’t have a license.”
“Okay.”
His hands were in his pockets so I couldn’t see if his fingers were crossed. I wouldn’t hold my breath. “Do you want to go see your father now?”
He lit up like a Christmas tree. “Can we?”
“Sure.” I wanted to get a look at his father anyway.