The Rivals by Joan Johnston

Author:Joan Johnston
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: 2004-06-01T16:00:00+00:00

12

Drew wasn’t sure why he hadn’t kicked Nate out of his Porsche. Maybe because the boy reminded him of himself at the same age, yearning to be grown up but caught in a boy’s body, with a boy’s need for adventure. It was harder to prove yourself in the modern world. There were no savage Sioux to battle, no wild mustangs to break, no unexpected blizzards to catch you out on the range and force you to fight your way back home in blinding snow and freezing cold.

So you stole antlers from the town square.

Nate had a teenager’s true reverence for fast, sleek cars, and Drew was sorry there wasn’t time to stop and let the boy drive. But he could see Sarah’s Tahoe in the rearview mirror, and he didn’t think she’d appreciate him letting Nate drive his Porsche when she’d just, according to Nate, taken away the keys to the truck for “God knew how long.”

Nate launched himself out of the Porsche with the same exuberance with which he’d entered it, talking a mile a minute as he led the way to the front door of Sarah’s house. Nate shoved it open, and Drew followed him inside.

Sarah’s stepdaughter was sound asleep on the couch, the younger boy tucked against her, dressed in pajamas. The girl woke the moment the door opened and sat up, startled. She instantly checked on the sleeping boy and put her fingertip to her lips and whispered, “Shh. Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick!”

“I’ve been riding in Drew’s Porsche,” Nate whispered back.

“Where’s Mom?” the girl asked.

“Right here,” Sarah said as she stepped inside behind Drew. “Move, Drew. You’re letting all the heat out.”

“You should see all the dials in Drew’s Porsche, Mom,” Nate said excitedly.

His voice was so loud it—or maybe it was the cold air—woke the younger boy.

“Mom?” he said, scrubbing at his eyes. “Where were you? Me and Brooke were worried.”

Sarah crossed and sat beside her son and took him in her arms. “You should be in bed.”

“Brooke and me waited up for you and Nate. But we fell asleep.”

Despite the fact the boy was too big to be carried, Sarah picked him up. Drew instinctively stepped forward and took the burden from her arms. At first she held on, but he said, “Where’s his bedroom?” and she turned and headed down the hall.

Drew could hear the two older children following them. Sarah stopped them at the bedroom door and said, “I’ll put Ryan to bed. Nate, go take a shower. Brooke, go get ready for bed.”

Drew set Ryan down on his bed and stepped back, ready to leave the room. The boy caught his hand and said, “I know you.”

“Yeah, we met at breakfast,” Drew said.

“What’s your name?”

“Drew.”

“Hi, Drew,” Ryan said. “Did you help Mom spring Nate from jail?”

Drew laughed at the image Ryan’s words had conjured. “Your mom did that all by herself.”

“Get under the covers, Ryan,” Sarah said, pulling the covers down and tucking her son’s legs under them.

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