Love Me True (Love Me Book 2)

Chapter 12

Andrea immediately started to talk in what Faye guessed was Dutch. She sounded so convincingly upset that Faye looked at the officer. "Please tell me what happened?" Faye requested, talking over Andrea who wisely stopped.

"You don't understand what she's saying?" Palmer asked. "They were caught drinking and they're underage," he added seriously before Faye could answer his question.

"Oh no!" Faye was truly concerned, she knew her brother was behind it and had probably bought the drinks. "I'm so sorry, I don't know what she's saying." Faye had to think quickly as Andrea broke into Dutch once more. She was apparently pretending not to speak English and Aaron was wise enough to play along.

She noticed a movement over the officer's shoulder and saw Silas standing quietly at the end of the hall. He was also wise enough to stay silent as Faye did her best to keep from looking at him. The last thing she needed was for him to rush in and mess things up more in an attempt to save his children.

"They're exchange students," Faye said with a sudden rush of inspiration, "they wanted to go out tonight and see some of the city. I tried to tell them that the drinking age was twenty-one, but I guess they didn't understand me. The drinking age in their country is eighteen, so they might not know they can't drink here." Faye had no idea if that was true or not, but Andrea must have thought that Faye was playing at looking suitably upset because she bit her lip to keep from grinning.

She watched as Silas stepped back around the corner and out of sight, but she guessed not out of hearing range. "Are they going to have to go to jail?" Faye asked seriously.

Officer Palmer looked at her then at Andrea and Aaron. "Will you be able to get the point that they can't drink across to them so that they don't do it again?" he asked.

"Oh yes, I'll call the agency tomorrow and have their representative explain it all to them. I promise," Faye said urgently as she sensed he was going to let them off lightly. She had no clue how earnest she looked in her bathrobe with her hair hanging loosely around her shoulders.

The officer turned to look over his shoulder at Andrea and Aaron, who did their best to look nervous.

"We should go out sometime," Officer Palmer suggested. Faye did her best to hide her startled expression, and she had the impression that his looking the other way about the situation was contingent upon her agreement.

"Sure, that sounds like fun," she agreed.

"I'll track you down at the hospital soon." He turned to look at Andrea and Aaron. "Be sure you make them understand. Next time I won't be so lenient." He nodded and walked towards the door. "I'll be in touch Faye," he said as she opened it for him.

"I look forward to it," she lied as she watched him walk down the front steps to his car and get in before she closed the door.

As soon as the door closed Andrea started to giggle. "You were great Faye, that was a close one, and you even got a date with that cute police officer," she crowed as she put her arm around Faye's shoulders.

"So, you knew the drinking age was twenty-one?" she asked. "Who bought you the drinks?"

They ignored the question, but she knew it was Hayes without them saying it.

"It's no big deal, it was only one drink," Andrea insisted, her smile fading as she saw that Faye was truly upset.

"Except now I have lied to a police officer that I work with and I have to go out on a date with him," Faye said between gritted teeth as she passed them heading toward the back of the house and the kitchen. When she rounded the corner, it was to find Silas leaning against a wall, waiting for them.

Faye breezed past him, knowing he was there, but Andrea and Aaron stopped short when they saw him.

"Poppa, what are you doing here? Were you and Faye spending time together," she asked innocently.

"No, I was downstairs when I saw the emergency lights. I thought it best to come up and check it out. Thankfully, the door was unlocked so I didn't need to knock and give the game away. That is what it is, after all, a game, right?"

Faye remembered what she had told Hayes the day before about upsetting Silas, and she could see that she hadn't been wrong, he was livid. He wasn't one to yell, but by the set of his shoulders and the deadly calm in his voice, she could tell that he was barely holding in his rage. His eyes were like ice as he watched his daughter and son who were now very honestly scared.

"I suggest you two go up to bed while I apologize to Faye on your behalf, we'll talk in the morning."

They both nodded and turned to climb the stairs in silence.

Faye moved to the fridge and poured herself some tea. "Would you like some?" she offered.

"No," he shook his head watching her. Her hand shook as she lifted her glass to her lips. She had to admit that she had been a little scared, and now that the ordeal was over, she was losing the adrenaline rush that had kept her calm.

She realized that she should be honest about her brother's part in it all.

"Don't be too hard on them, they're young, and they had help," Faye said quietly, unable to look at him.

"What do you mean?" His voice was just as quiet.

"I have a feeling that Hayes was the one who bought them the drinks, and I know he knows the drinking age. You don't have the monopoly on trying to control young adults." She finally looked up at him with a smile, but she was unable to read what he was thinking as he stared at her.

"I did remind them of the drinking age, and I told them to remember it. They knew the rules," he said not giving an inch. "I'll deal with it, Faye."

Faye turned towards the sink to rinse out her glass in the tense silence. Faye wondered what was going through his mind, was he upset with her and Hayes, did he think they were a bad influence on his children, she had just lied to a police officer after all.

"We'll be leaving in the morning," he said, and the words sounded like gunshots in the silence.

Faye was glad her back was to him so he couldn't see the surprised look followed by the one of despair. "There's no need. You're welcome to stay as long as you like," she insisted once she had control of herself and she turned to face him with a reassuring smile.

"No, they need to go home," he insisted.

There was a heavy silence and neither one said anything as Faye struggled with the thought of him leaving. All she could do in the end was accept the news, so she nodded and watched as he turned and silently left through the backdoor. How had things gone so badly so quickly? Maybe he had been looking for an excuse to leave and this was it.

But he wasn't the kind to need an excuse, he had told her early on that he wasn't in the habit of doing what he didn't want to do.

Faye sighed, her head hurt and she had to be at work extra early in the morning. As she turned off the light in the kitchen, she felt as if her life was once again taking a turn on her, and she wondered which direction it was now headed.