Angel of Redemption (37 page)

“
Oh, that
’
s a doozy. I think I
’
d have caved, too, if I were you.
”

“
I know, right? I mean, what
’
s a little extra promotion, menu
finalization, and follow-up phone calls compared to an entire week with nothing
to do but my husband. I made a good deal, didn
’
t I?
”

“
I think you made a very good deal,
”
I assure.
“
Anything I can help with?
”

“
You want to come over and help me with the programs this
weekend? I
’
ll order in some food, and we can have
wine.
”

“
Uh, Sara and I were going to hang out
and watch movies,
”
I say hesitantly.

“
Bring her,
”
Emily says happily.
“
We
can do a girls night. It
’
ll be fun. Aiden and Dean are having dinner at their
parents
’
and taking the kids, so it
’
ll just be us. You guys can stay the night if you want to.
We
’
ve
got plenty of room.
”

“
All right,
”
I agree.
“
Let me talk to Sara and I
’
ll text you.
”

“
Great! So, here
’
s the other thing, which is more important but not nearly
as fun. I just got a call from Matty
’
s school counselor. She wants to have a meeting at the
school next Tuesday about the possibility of setting up an IEP for Matty.
”

“
Really?
”
My heart sinks.

“
Yeah. His grades are tanking, which I don
’
t quite understand. I know he
’
s doing his homework. Aiden, Dean, and
I have all checked it. I don
’
t know what
’
s happening between the time we go over it and the time he
’
s supposed to turn it in, but it
’
s not always making it into his
teachers
’
hands. On top of that, he was caught cheating on his world-history test this
morning.
”

“
You
’
ve got to be kidding me.
”

“
Nope. I called Dean, but got his voicemail. He had to take
Edgar to a couple of appointments, so he probably has his phone turned off.
Aiden said he would go if Dean wasn
’
t able to.
”

“
How
’
s Matty been doing at home?
”
I ask curiously.

“
He
’
s okay. He still doesn
’
t talk much, but I get the impression he never really did, right?
”

“
No. He
’
s not a talker.
”

“
He sits with Dean a lot. Just sits. Usually when Dean
’
s reading or working in the den, Matty
will sit with him.
”

“
How about Logan?
”

“
He
’
s good. We went to the bank and set him up with a training
account. He can write checks, and he
’
s got a debit card. He got his first paycheck, so he
’
s excited. Aiden
’
s going to take him down to pick out a
cellphone.
”

“
Oh God. I
’
m not sure that
’
s a good idea,
”
I groan.

“
Kayla, really? He has to learn responsibility. He wants to
buy a car. If he can
’
t handle a cellphone, how
’
s he going to handle a car?
”

“
He
’
s not ready for a car, either,
”
I panic.

“
Of course he
’
s not. He
’
s got two hundred dollars. It
’
ll be awhile.
”

I
’
m about to start hyperventilating. I keep picturing Logan
as the smart-ass eleven-year-old whose first words to me were,
“
Go fuck yourself!
”
That was right before he broke down
crying because he thought we were going to separate him from his brother. I
also picture the thirteen-year-old who drove his foster parents
’
riding lawn mower through their fence
and into a ditch because he was distracted by the teenage girl next door.
Picturing him behind the wheel of a car all by himself is highly disconcerting.

“
Be proud of him, Kayla. I don
’
t know what switch flipped, but he
’
s doing a good job.
”

“
I am proud. I
’
m just scared.
”

“
Of what?
”

“
I
’
m afraid that when he figures out what succeeding means, he
’
ll let himself fail.
”

“
Succeeding doesn
’
t mean he has to leave Matty behind,
”
Emily says gently, reading my mind.

“
We need to make sure
he
knows that.
”

“
Have you seen them this week? Logan picked up a Saturday
shift to work with the owner, Santiago, so he
’
ll be home tonight.
”

“
No. I need to. I
’
ll stop by on my way home and talk to them.
”

“
Oh good. You can meet Simon,
”
Emily chirps.

“
The new guy?
”

“
Yep.
”

“
How
’
s that going?
”

“
Uh, well it depends on who you ask. He
’
s okay around me and Aiden, but I
think he
’
s trying to prove himself to Dean.
”
Emily laughs abruptly.
“
I think he feels like he needs to be
more badass. Some of the shit he says is absolutely ridiculous. I don
’
t think Dean likes him much.
”

“
Surprise, surprise. He didn
’
t want to hire anyone to begin with.
”

“
Yeah, but we really needed to. Dean needs to distance
himself a little. Aiden literally has to push him out the door. Pretty soon, he
’
s going to stop leaving entirely.
”
She pauses.
“
So, what do you want me to tell the
school about Matty?
”
Emily switches gears again.

“
Tell them to send me an email with the details, and I
’
ll be there.
”

“
Sounds good. I
’
ll see you later.
”
I hang up the phone and take a deep breath.

“
What
’
s wrong, honey?
”
Dana asks when she walks in the room to find me almost
asleep at my desk.

I
look up at her through tired eyes.
“
I need a vacation.
”

“
Don
’
t we all?
”
she laughs.
“
Oh, I got the information you requested.
”
I perk up immediately.
“
Frances says Jaxon was placed in the
Catholic Charities RTC in St. Cloud.
”

“
Is he in the lockdown unit?
”
I ask.

Dana
shakes her head.
“
No.
He
’
s
been on watch since the weekend, but so far, so good. That
’
s all she told me.
”

I
nod.
“
Thanks,
Dana. I appreciate it. How are your cases going?
”

Dana
rolls her eyes.
“
I
’
m about to kill Lizzie Turkins.
”

“
How come?
”

“
She
’
s got a new boyfriend. She says he
’
s not living with her, but I
’
m pretty sure he is.
”

“
Did you meet him?
”

“
Yeah.
”
Dana wrinkles her nose and scowls.
“
He promptly informed me that the state
has no reason to keep Garrett away from his mother anymore and that we need to
return him ASAP.
”

“
Okay,
”
I laugh.
“
And what did you tell him?
”

“
I told him I
’
d get right on that.
”

Dana
and I chat for another half hour before I have to head to my biweekly case
update meeting with Kate and then out for a visit before seeing the boys.

* * *

“
Cheating, Matty? Really?
”

I
’
ve been at Wyatt House for about
twenty minutes. I spent several minutes with Emily before she left, then
grabbed Matty and sat him down in the den. Logan followed.

“
I wasn
’
t cheating.
”
From the corner of my eye, I see Dean appear in the
doorway, leaning against the frame.

“
Oh yeah? What do you call writing answers on your wrist,
then?
”

“
I wasn
’
t looking at it!
”

“
It was just there in case you needed it?
”

“
Yeah.
”

“
That
’
s cheating.
”

“
Whatever.
”

I
hear Logan snicker and glare at him.

“
If you find this funny, you can leave,
”
I warn. Logan holds up his hands and pretends to zip his
mouth. I huff in frustration and return my attention to Matty.
“
Are you trying to flunk out of school?
”
He shrugs. I
’
m about to throttle him when Dean walks over and sits down
next to me.

“
Matthew, this is serious,
”
he says firmly.

“
It was a stupid test.
”

Dean
frowns.
“
It was your midterm. And you got a
zero on it. The best you can get in the class right now is a
C
. You
’
re lucky they didn
’
t automatically fail you for the
entire class.
”

“
‘
Cause the world would end if I failed
U.S. History,
”
Matty says sarcastically.

“
What
’
s the matter with you?
”
I beg.

“
Nothing,
”
he insists.
“
I just don
’
t get what the big deal is. It
’
s not like I
’
m out drinking and messin
’
with girls I shouldn
’
t be.
”