Chapter 14

FOURTEEN

Chaos reigned in the Richardson kitchen as Carly absently pushed food around on her plate. The sound of sausage sizzling in the frying pan competed with ESPN on the television. Penny stood at the griddle flipping pancakes as she chatted animatedly with their guests: three hungry football players and an exhausted, forlorn little boy. The older boys sat together at the table with C.J., their conversation a series of grunts as they devoured breakfast faster than Penny could serve it. Molly sat at the breakfast bar absently swinging her leg as she nibbled on a piece of sausage and peppered Shane's little brother with questions. How old are you? What's your favorite TV show? Do you play any sports? Troy was too well mannered to ignore her, but his responses were quiet and brief. Penny made a point to ruffle the boy's hair or rub his back as she shuffled between the stove and the table as if she, too, sensed the boy's desolation.

Carly basically had acted on instinct bringing Troy and his friends to her sister's home. The boy needed some TLC, and who better to provide it than her sister, a professional psychologist, and Penny, the ultimate mama bear. The three football players weren't hard to convince, either. She thought the opportunity to meet an NFL head coach would be attractive to them, but it was their devotion to Troy that ultimately swayed them. Clearly, the college students were fond of Troy and would do just about anything to see him happy.

It was also obvious the three had been close to Bruce Devlin and were nearly as devastated by his death as Troy was. On the short ride to Lisa's, Troy dozed off while Tiny shared with Carly whispered stories of how Coach Devlin had impacted his life and those of so many of his teammates. She was having difficulty reconciling the icon he described with the demon Shane portrayed his father as.

"So, exactly how are you involved in all of this?" Lisa asked quietly, not that anyone else could hear their conversation over the din in the kitchen.

Carly looked up from the pancake she'd been pushing around on her plate. "Leave it alone, Lisa."

Not that her sister would. Lisa had a spidey sense well honed through motherhood and years of professional training. Her sister couldn't resist probing. It was in her DNA. Carly sighed, wondering if her sister could just be grateful she'd been handed her first client for her fledgling grief counseling practice.

"Well, were you out for a jog at six thirty in the morning when you saw Troy arriving at Shane's?" Lisa continued to dig.

So much for her being grateful.

"I just want to know what's going on," her sister continued when Carly remained mute. "Why is Troy here and not in Florida with his grandparents? You can't just dump a kid and the Three Amigos on my doorstep and not expect me to want answers, Carly."

"His grandparents were supposed to take him to Florida today. Troy doesn't want to go or to live with his grandparents. He wants to stay with Shane," Carly said tersely .

"And how does Shane feel about that?" Lisa asked, employing her best psychologist's voice.

Carly felt her eyes fill with unshed tears. She wasn't sure who she was more angry or upset with: herself or Shane. How could she be so attracted to a man who would refuse a relationship with his only living family? A kid who'd just lost his parents, no less. She shivered at the thought of Lisa not reaching out to her when Carly was a young teenager in boarding school. If Lisa had ignored her as Shane planned to do with Troy, Carly wasn't sure she could have made it through the whole ordeal with Maxim and the media circus that followed.

Yet the man she'd come to know over the past few weeks wouldn't abandon his younger half brother. At least, the man she thought she knew. It was almost as if Shane Devlin had two personalities: the Devil of the NFL and the kinder, gentler version he kept hidden from everyone else. She hated that she was so disappointed in him because clearly it meant she wasn't doing such a good job keeping their relationship simple.

Lisa reached out and gently squeezed Carly's hand.

"Bruce wanted Troy to live with Shane. He went so far as to stipulate it in his will. But Shane doesn't want him," Carly finally managed to whisper.

As the shock registered on Lisa's face, Carly wiped her own eyes. She needed to get herself together and dressed for work. Mini-camp started at noon and she needed to figure out a plan for dealing with Troy and his friends. She wouldn't ignore the boy even though his brother wanted to. Lisa would help, but she'd demand her pound of flesh from Carly, seeking information about the exact nature of her relationship with Shane. Information Carly did not want to share.

An escape route arrived as Emma waltzed down the stairs dressed in a Mickey Mouse T-shirt and shorts so short, they were indistinguishable under the shirt. Lisa opened her mouth to warn her teenage daughter they had guests, but Molly beat her to it.

"Look, Em, college boys!" Molly shouted gleefully.

With a shriek, Emma retreated up the stairs as C.J. and Molly barked with laughter. The boy who'd introduced himself as Evan leaned back in his chair to get a better glimpse of Emma scrambling back to her bedroom.

"Whoa! How old is your sister?" he asked C.J.

Penny whacked him on the head with a dishtowel. "Too young for the likes of you, buster!" she said. "Now, if you boys are finished, bring your plates into the kitchen. This isn't a restaurant."

Molly jumped down from her stool and grabbed for the remote control. An argument followed between her and C.J. over what channel the TV should be tuned to. It was a daily occurrence in the Richardson household. Lisa interceded before the inevitable tears began.

"Hey!" she called. "Molly, why don't you and Troy go downstairs to the playroom and watch TV down there?"

Molly stomped out of the room, pulling Troy with her. "We have a Wii. Do you wanna play?" Her voice trailed off as they headed down the stairs.

"Do you have Xbox?" Evan asked.

"What do you think?" C.J. said, and they headed after Molly and Troy, Dante following behind. The big Samoan boy stayed to help Penny with the dishes, much to her delight. While Lisa dealt with the kids, Carly made her escape upstairs.

She kept some work clothes and essentials in the guest bedroom for nights when she watched the kids. Lisa found her there a few minutes later. Carly mentally sighed as her sister sat on the bed and watched her pull a suit out of its dry cleaner wrapper. Obviously, Lisa wasn't giving up .

"Do you have a camisole I can wear with this?" she asked, trying to distract her.

"I could dig one up," Lisa said, reclining back against the headboard and crossing her arms in front of her. "If I get some answers."

"Now I see why you're such a good psychologist. You're annoyingly persistent." Carly realized the futility of avoiding her sister's questions and sat down on the bed with a thump. "Shane didn't know what to do with him. He's freaking out about mini-camp starting today and winning the starting job. As if that's the most important thing in life. His agent is looking into changing the custody codicil of the will. The grandparents want to raise Troy, apparently. But the process could take a couple of days. I said I'd help out. Hank would want me to. For the team."

"Well, of course, you're just doing your job," Lisa said as she picked at a loose thread on the comforter. The room was quiet for a few moments as Lisa employed her psychologist skill of waiting a patient out. It was a skill that really annoyed Carly. Probably because it always wore her down.

"I was there when Troy showed up." Carly's back was to Lisa, so at least she didn't get to see the look of disappointment on her sister's face.

"So you just happened to pop over at the crack of dawn with coffee and donuts?"

Slowly, Carly turned her head at her sister's sarcastic tone. "No. I never left after dinner. Are you happy?"

"Are you happy?" Lisa asked, once again employing her best psychologist voice.

"Ugh!" Carly moaned, flopping back on the bed. "Please don't use your psychobabble on me! You know I hate it when you do that. "

Lisa unsuccessfully bit back a small smile. "How long have you two been dating?"

"We're not dating," Carly said. "It's just sex." Carly closed her eyes, bracing herself for a rant from her sister.

Instead, Lisa surprised her with a simple question, still using her best psychologist voice to ask it: "And how long has it been ‘just sex'?"

"Just last night. And the night before." Carly continued to avoid Lisa's eyes, staring at the ceiling instead.

"Ahh," Lisa said.

Carly grabbed a pillow and clutched it to her face before screaming into it.

"Did you have to take a class in that?" she asked as she threw the pillow across the room.

"A class in what?" Lisa asked, not working very hard to suppress her grin.

"The condescending ahh," Carly said. "It's so annoying."

Lisa did smile now. "It's not meant to be condescending. My apologies."

Carly desperately wanted her sister to tell her that she was an idiot for making the same mistake twice. That she had awful taste in men. But Lisa remained frustratingly mute.

Giving up, Carly let out a heavy sigh. "I thought he was different. Different than Maxim. With Max, I always knew it was about the publicity." Carly turned her head to stare at a startled Lisa. "I'm not stupid. I knew I was being used to keep Max's name on the cover of the tabloids. But Max made me feel so needed and, in his own stupid way, loved. Aside from you and Julianne, no one had ever made me feel that way before."

Lisa reached over and intertwined her fingers with Carly's as they lay side by side on the bed.

"And let's face it," Carly continued. "It was kind of nice living the rock-star life. Except for the paparazzi, of course. And, up until a few nights ago, I thought the sex was great."

Lisa turned her face toward her sister, arching an eyebrow.

"American football wins," Carly said with a blush and smile. "And that's all I'm saying on the subject."

"Ahh," Lisa said again.

Carly jumped from the bed in frustration. "Will you stop that!" She threw the pillow at her sister. "It's over anyway. It wouldn't have worked. He plays on the team I work for. The media would eat me alive if I fell for another jock. Besides, Shane is incapable of a relationship of any kind," she said solemnly. "It's better to find that out now, than later on."

"What makes you think he's incapable of a relationship?"

"Great, that's the part you want to discuss. You couldn't just agree that I should stay away from him because of who he is?" Carly thrust her hands on her hips, staring down at Lisa in challenge.

"Okay, fine," Carly huffed and slumped back down on the bed when Lisa continued to stare at her without answering. "It's the whole thing with Troy. Just because Shane has a boatload of abandonment issues over his father, doesn't mean he should take it out on a twelve-year-old boy."

Lisa arched an eyebrow at her.

"I've read some of those articles you've emailed me," Carly said curtly.

A chuckle escaped as Lisa sat up and curled an arm around Carly's shoulder.

"Do you honestly think Shane couldn't have a relationship with either Troy or you?" Lisa asked, giving her sister a gentle squeeze.

Carly shook her head slowly before letting it drop to her chin.

"You know what I think?" her sister asked, cupping Carly's chin and lifting her face up. "I think the reason you're so upset by Shane's treatment of Troy this morning is because you do believe Shane is capable of a relationship. Hmm?"

"You said you wouldn't psychoanalyze me."

"You're right." Lisa laughed as she stood and pulled Carly up with her. "You need to get to work and I have a house full of college boys to entertain. I think I'll try to get Troy to sleep today. I'll talk to Shane this afternoon and see if he wants Troy to stay here for a few days."

"Don't do him any favors, Lisa. I told him I'd help, but only because I wanted to help Troy, not Shane."

"Try not to be so hard on Shane," Lisa urged. "He's struggling to come to terms with his father's death, too. No matter what he says."

Carly gave a little snort as she pulled a pair of heels out of the closet.

"I speak from experience when I say having a half sibling show up out of nowhere can be . . . well . . . a little unnerving," Lisa said.

Stunned by Lisa's revelation, Carly swung around to face her sister, her eyes wide and her mouth suddenly dry.

"Give him some time to work through his emotions, Carly, before you paint him with the same brush as Maxim. Shane hasn't had that many positive relationships in his life. He might surprise you yet."

"Did you hate me when you found out about me?" Carly's voice trembled as she asked the question.

"No!" Lisa cried as she pulled Carly into a tight hug. "And I don't think Shane hates Troy."

"Is that your professional opinion?"

"Yes, it is," Lisa said with a smile.

Carly desperately wanted to believe her sister. She wanted the scene she witnessed this morning to be a reaction to the grief Shane wasn't prepared to deal with. Not an indication of the man he actually was. The alternative meant she really needed to examine the type of guy she was constantly attracted to.

Troy slid under the big down comforter. He hated sleeping during the day. He didn't need a nap. Naps were for babies. He was getting sick of people treating him like he was in kindergarten. His parents had just died. He could take it like a man. Unfortunately, the manners his mom had drummed into him for the past twelve years kept kicking in. It was easier to just smile and do what he was told.

The housekeeper, Penny, said he could watch TV if he wanted. She was nice. Her pancakes tasted a little like the ones Consuelo used to make, except Consuelo would put sprinkles on them when his parents weren't home.

Penny wanted to give him a hug, he could tell, but he wasn't ready to be hugged by anyone. He brushed a tear off his cheek. He missed his parents. He missed Consuelo. He wished his grandmother hadn't sent her away. Consuelo didn't have a cell phone or a car. How would she find him?

Troy snuggled a little deeper under the covers so Penny wouldn't see his nose start to run. She closed the blinds so the room was almost dark. Quietly, she walked around the bed and put the remote on the table beside it.

The lady who'd been at Shane's house this morning—Carly—turned out to be a lot more welcoming than Troy's brother. She didn't try to baby him or touch him like every other lady who'd been around him since his parents died. Instead, she'd made him program her number into his cell phone.

"Whatever you need, whenever you need it, wherever you are, you can call me, okay?" she told him. "You're never alone as long as I am around."

Then she'd taken them to the Richardson's. She said they were her family and he could rest there as long as he wanted. Troy wished they taken the big dog with them, but apparently he belonged to the butthead. He could care for a dog, but not his own brother. Carly must have thought Shane was being a jerk, too, because she didn't even say good-bye to him. Good. His brother didn't deserve a girlfriend who was so nice. And pretty.

The Richardsons seemed like a nice family. They teased each other a lot, but it didn't seem like they actually meant it. Troy had always wanted to have more brothers and sisters to hang out with. Instead, it had just been him and his parents. Now it was just him. He dragged in a deep breath and tried not to think about what happens to kids nobody wants.

Molly was in the hallway arguing with her mother. Troy liked Dr. Richardson. She smelled like a mom and she had a pretty smile—the kind that made you feel like she'd keep you safe always. His stomach hurt as he realized his mom would never smile at him that way again.

The voices grew quieter and Troy tried not to think of his parents as he listened for his new friend. Molly was okay—for a girl. Even now, she was trying to get her mom to let him rest on the sofa in the playroom so they could play Wii some more. He didn't hear what Dr. Richardson said because they'd moved down the hall. But he could tell Molly was the persistent type. Maybe if he just laid here and watched TV, she'd get her mom to change her mind. He really hoped so, because he didn't want to be alone.

He turned on the TV and Penny reached over to push the hair off his forehead.

"You're so much like your brother," she said.

What a bunch of crap! He didn't look like that a-hole, Shane. Not at all. Troy looked like his mom. Everyone said so. Shane Devlin was a dick and he hoped he never had to see him again. His stomach clenched again. Troy really had thought his brother would be different. When Shane left his parents' house late the other night, Troy was sure he'd be back the next day to take him to Baltimore. But he never showed up. Instead, his grandparents told him he was going to Florida with them. Troy didn't want to live with them. And, deep down, he knew it wasn't what his parents would have wanted.

He needed a new plan, but his mind was really tired and it was hard to think. Maybe if he just watched a little TV, his stomach would stop hurting. Tomorrow, he'd get Tiny to take him to find Consuelo. She could take care of him until he was eighteen. He didn't care what that stupid lawyer said. No way was he going to live with his grandparents. And if his jerk-faced brother didn't want him, he'd live with Consuelo.

If he could find her. He gulped back a sob. Why was this happening to him? How come his brother didn't want him? This all had to be a bad dream. Maybe if he went to sleep, he'd wake up back in his own house. With his mom and dad and Consuelo.

Penny quietly shut the door as she slipped out. Troy tried to concentrate on the Nickelodeon show he'd seen a thousand times before, but his eyes kept drifting shut.