Acting Up (16 page)

One glance at Julia revealed she had taken a trip to
la-la
land. Judging from her smile, the man had to be Seth. The same man who'd inspired the outlandish window display. Addison couldn't blame her. She'd be doing her share of fantasizing if she was dating Minister McHottie.

Julia rose from the booth and greeted him with a kiss. “Seth, I thought you had a meeting.”

“I made sure things moved along fast.”

“I've made a new friend,” Julia said, pointing toward Addison. “I found her gazing in Karen's boutique window. This is Addison Covington.”

He blinked. “I know. I'm… hi…”

“Nice to meet you.”

Julia socked him in the arm. “Watch it, buster.”

“Ow,” he said, though there was no heat. He even laughed and rubbed his arm playfully.

An eye roll was Julia's response. “Addison, this is Seth Graham.”

“So I gathered,” Addison said. “Unless you greet every man in town with a kiss?”

Seth glanced at his girlfriend with mild speculation, and Addison laughed again. The two seemed so at ease with other. Not to mention the smoldering attraction. They practically set off smoke detectors.

Julia slid back into the booth, dragging Seth down with her. She slipped her arm through his, and their fingers intertwined. Addison glanced down at their joined hands. A fist lodged in her gut, like she'd done a belly flop off the high diving board.

Dragging her gaze up, she discovered Seth watching her. His eyes were filled with such compassion, and Addison had to look away before she collapsed right there in the booth.

“I hear you're directing the musical at the high school,” Seth said. “How are the rehearsals going?”

Addison could almost hear the
take a deep breath — you'll be all right
in his knowing gaze. So, she concentrated on sucking the air back into her stricken lungs. The oxygen allowed her to see Julia had pulled away, and they were now both sitting with their hands clasped on the table in front of them.

“Don't mind me,” Addison said. “I've simply come to realize my marriage was dead long before Merrick took up with my co-star.”

An oath ending in words sounding suspiciously like
stupid man
drifted across the table, and Addison laughed.

“Addison knows Ethan Thomas,” Julia said, abruptly changing the subject. “They used to live next door to each other when they were kids.”

The statement might have been delivered in a casual manner, but there was nothing casual about the teasing gleam in Julia's eyes.

Seth obviously sensed it, too. “Uh-huh?” he asked, sitting back like he was waiting for the punch line.

“Isn't it nice they've been reunited?”

A long pause hung in the air, as if Seth was contemplating how to respond. “I suppose.”

“And now he's the principal of the high school, where Addison is working,” Julia continued. “What an amazing coincidence.”

Seth gave her a warning glance and shook his head. “Don't.”

Julia's eyes widened in a show of innocence. “Don't what?”

“You know what.”

Feeling the flush creeping up her cheeks, Addison grabbed her purse and scooted out of the booth. “I should get going. Seth, it was nice meeting you.”

Julia grinned. “Catch you later, Addison.”

New rule. No more accepting coffee invitations from strangers
.

****

“I love Jonah because he teaches us so much about what happens when we try to follow our own path instead of the one God planned for us.”

Addison couldn't help smiling. So much for thinking her aunt would be all by herself at the rehab facility. Aunt Ruth sat in the middle of a group of other patients. Most of them had varying shades of white hair, not to mention all manner of walkers, canes, and wheelchairs. There were a few younger ones, however, including a teenage girl with her leg in a cast.

Addison didn't remember much from her long ago Sunday school lessons, but she did know the story of Jonah. Since it seemed she'd arrived during a Bible lesson, she found an empty seat in the back and settled down to wait.

Aunt Ruth continued with her lesson. “Jonah didn't want to follow God's request. He ran. Isn't that what we all do?” she asked, her eyes suddenly locking on Addison like laser beams. “But like Jonah, we usually end up running into trouble. It only leads to pain and disappointment.”

Addison squirmed. Clearly, this message was partly directed at her. Aunt Ruth talked about following God's plan, but Addison couldn't figure out what His plan could be. Or even if there was one at all. Of course, Aunt Ruth was the second person today who had brought up the subject of running away from God, so maybe Addison needed to pay more attention.

“So, if we don't want to wind up rotting in some smelly old fish, we'd better follow God's will, right?” the teenage girl said.

The comment broke the stalemate.

“Something like that,” Aunt Ruth said with a robust laugh.

The laughter seemed to be a signal for the Bible lesson to end, because the group began to break up. Those who were ambulatory headed back to their rooms. The rehab center staff assisted the rest. Finally, they all dispersed, and Addison went to greet her aunt.

“I hear there's a teenage boy living in my house,” Aunt Ruth said.

Addison laughed as she sank into the empty chair. “I keep forgetting about the incredible communication system you have in this town.”

“Hmm. My neighbor, Mary Alice Walker, called on Friday to let me know a young hooligan had moved in. His presence was confirmed by Elsa Greer, who lives across the street, and Fred Brinks, my postman. When you didn't come by over the weekend, I figured their eyesight wasn't playing tricks on them.”

“Sorry about not visiting,” Addison said with a twinge of guilt. “I'd planned to come as soon as they moved you over here. Things came up, however.”

“So, there is a young man?”

“Yes. He's not precisely a hooligan. He's Merrick's son.”

“Aaron?”

“Yeah, there was a big blowup with Merrick, so Aaron came looking for me out of the blue. I should have asked you first if he could stay, but I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't send him back when he was so upset.”

Aunt Ruth waved a hand. “I don't mind. My old house has been too quiet anyway.”

“I still can't believe Aaron sought me out,” Addison said, leaning back in her chair.

“He must have felt some connection to you.”

“I don't know why. I only saw him a couple times a year. He just said I looked at him when we spoke.”

“You cared.”

“Of course. He's Merrick's son, but I never expected I'd turn out to be a refuge. Or have to play mommy to a moody teenager. I'm terrified I'll scar him for life by making him go to public school and feeding him store-bought microwave meals.”

“I remember the feeling.”

“Yeah right, you were born maternal.”

“Then I must have done a good job of faking it,” Aunt Ruth said in a dry tone. “You scared the life out of me with your haunted eyes and broken spirit. You wouldn't even speak for the first two weeks.”

“I don't remember,” Addison said. Everything about that time was a bit foggy.

“I lived in fear you'd never speak again and some social worker would come and take you away.”

“Aaron doesn't have that problem,” Addison said, wryly. “He's pretty vocal about things he finds lame and uncool. Both of which I seem to be.”

“Sounds like you've got your hands full.”

“Do you think this is some sort of punishment for the grief I put you through?”

“Perhaps he's here because you need Aaron as much as he needs you.”

Addison's eyes widened. “Why would I need a surly kid?”

“Perhaps to give you something to focus on other than your grief.”

A reluctant grin escaped. “I guess irritation is better than grief. I only hope we don't kill each other.”

“You'll do fine, I'm sure. I hope you're getting out of the house, other than rehearsals. I worry about you being on your own... and don't tell me you have Aaron.”

“It's sweet of you to worry, but I can take care of myself. I'll have you know I met two new people today. Your minister and his fiancée.”

“You did?”

“I went for a walk through town and ran into Julia. We went for coffee, and Seth showed up, too. She's not exactly the kind of woman I pictured as a minister's girlfriend.”

“No, but I think she's perfect for Pastor Graham. We're all thrilled to see him happy again. He suffered so, having to watch his wife waste away a little every day.”

“I can't even imagine,” Addison said as a shudder worked its way down her spine. “He looks over the moon now, though.”

A pensive expression flashed across Aunt Ruth's face. “I only wish Ethan Thomas could be so fortunate.”

The comment caused Addison's pulse to jump. “Ethan?”

“He lost his wife only a couple months after Seth Graham. Such a tragedy. Ethan didn't even get to say goodbye.”

Addison plucked at an imaginary thread on her blouse. “What if he never gets over his wife? Some people don't. You never recovered from losing your fiancé.”

“Don't use me as an example. I think Ethan will be able to let go of Jenny when the right woman comes along,” her aunt countered. “And she will be able to embrace the memory of his first love and be thankful Jenny helped him learn how to be a good husband and father.”

“Why can't you take me home before your rehearsal?”

There was one reason to be grateful for Aaron's presence in her life. It kept her from thinking about Ethan.

Addison paused with her hand on the door of the auditorium. “What would you do at home?”

His shrug-of-many-meanings came right on cue.

“That's why,” she said. “I don't want you lying around watching TV or playing video games. I talked to Mr. Olsen, the shop teacher, and you'll be working with him on the sets. As I already explained at least a dozen times.”

Aaron pulled his shoulders back. “I don't even know how to use a hammer.”

“I'm not sure you should brag about being useless with tools.”

He scowled. “This is so—”

“I know, I know. Lame.” Addison put up a hand to forestall the familiar lament. “Get over it.”

“Whatever.”

At this rate, Addison's eyes might stay in a permanent roll-back-in-her-head state. “Please do me one other favor.”

“What?”

“These are nice kids, so don't act like a little jerk.”

Aaron's mouth dropped open. “Did you just call me a jerk?”

“No, I said you can choose to
act
like one, or you can choose to act like a decent human being. Maybe even make some new friends while you're here. It's up to you, of course, but I'd try for nice.”

Leaving him to follow or not, Addison opened the door.

“Um… your nice kids look like they're in the middle of a bar fight,” Aaron said, pointing toward the stage.

Spinning around, Addison saw Luke Mitchell had Brad Connors wrapped in a headlock. The rest of the cast was standing around them with varying degrees of horror and fascination. A couple of the boys were even throwing out tips to the combatants.

“Hey!” Addison called out.

Her cry alerted most of the witnesses, but Luke and Brad were too involved to hear her. Addison raced down the aisle just as Marjorie hurried out from the wings and threw herself between the boys.

“That's enough!” Marjorie cried.

Addison could hear Luke and Brad's labored breathing as she finally reached the stage. “What in the world is going on?”

The two boys eyed each other with menacing glares, but otherwise said nothing.

“Someone better start talking,” Addison said, looking from one to the other.

Still nothing.

Addison scanned the faces of the observers, but they managed to avoid looking her in the eye. She searched out Robin Bradley, the stage manager. The resident town crier would know the cause of this blowup.

“Robin, come here please.”

With a little squeak of alarm, the girl shuffled over. “Yes, Ms. Covington?”

“Do you know anything about this?”

Robin nodded.

“Care to share?” Addison prompted.

“They're fighting over Susan Davidson.”

Addison still had no clue. “Who is she?”

Robin took in a big breath. “Susan's on the cheerleading squad. Luke and Brad both asked her to the Spring Fling, but didn't know it. Anyway, Tracy Bannister told me Susan likes Luke, and she was going to go with him. She heard it from Nancy Vitnor, who heard it from Vicki Patterson, who heard it directly from Lisa after she ate lunch with Susan. But Mark Nichols heard from Karla Jones that Brittney Williams said Lisa told her Susan likes Brad, and that she was going to dance with him, and not Luke. By fifth period it was all over school.”