“I can’t count the times he’s been in detention lately. When I’ve talked to him about it, he tells me to get off his back and claims it’s no big deal. He doesn’t get that if he fails calculus or has too many absences, he won’t graduate. It’s as if he’s determined to screw up. I don’t know what to do.”
Mama, I know I promised I’d help raise Ryder, that I’d make sure he grew into someone you could be proud of, but it’s gotten so hard, and he’s so angry, particularly at me. I’m afraid I haven’t done the job you would’ve.
“I can’t give up on him. There has to be a way to reach Ryder, to turn around his attitude before he throws away his future.”
One she’d have given anything to have had at his age. Didn’t he realize how lucky he was to have the option to attend a major university and live on campus? Apparently not, from his actions which put his graduation and scholarship at risk.
To obtain her bachelor’s degree and then her Master’s of Speech Pathology, she’d driven an hour and a half each way to attend classes. And that was only possible after she’d completed mountains of paperwork for her father to receive financial assistance for after-school daycare for Ryder.
“If you could talk to your mother, what would she tell you?”
Her mother’s melodic, soothing voice filled with optimism rang in her ears.Just do the best you can, baby. And trust your instincts. No one can ask more than that.
Clarity rippled through Carly along with another dose of anger. She’d done her best with Ryder, but she wasn’t his parent. “It’s way past time my father cowboyed up in more ways than dealing with his son. Maybe I’ll have more success with that than I have teaching Dad economics. Do you know what he did?”
“My guess is he bought another horse.”
Carly rubbed the back of her neck, trying to ease the tension tightening her muscles into one big knot. “Yup. Despite promising he’d check with me before making any major purchases. Where I made my mistake was not spelling out what constitutes major.”
“You didn’t really expect him to listen, did you?”
“People can change.” Her flat voice lacked conviction, even to her ears.
“Others say the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.”
Touché. Had I been foolish to hope just this once he could try?
“What’re you going to do?”
“If he hasn’t taken delivery, I’ll try to talk him into getting out of the deal.”And after that she’d write the president and submit her resume to negotiate a peace treaty in the Middle East.
Carly chuckled. The nervous, brittle sound swirled around her. She might be optimistic, but she wasn’t delusional. “Who am I kidding? My father will go along with that about the same time Jerry Jones stays out of Dallas Cowboy coaching decisions.”
“How does he think he’ll come up with the funds to cover the expenditure?”
“Hewon’t. He’ll expect me to.” Carly’s chest tightened, and she pressed her left hand against her breastbone. Her frantic heartbeat danced against her palm.
“Then don’t.”
She shouldn’t, but letting her father suffer the natural consequences of his foolishness, even if he lost everything including the roof over his head, would hurt her brother too. But Ryder would leave for college soon, provided he got his act together and graduated. Time to make her father dig himself out of his messes.
Carly closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, held the breath for a second, and then exhaled, picturing herself on the beach, the warm sugar-like sand squishing between her toes. The roll of the waves soothed her battered nerves. “June third can’t come soon enough. I’m thinking about putting up a countdown calendar.”
“A visual reminder that the end is in sight would help you get through the rough days,” Reese said.
And those would come as surely as bluebonnets sprang up every spring.
“A lot of the management information I’ve read says keeping the goal in mind and the steps needed to get there are keys to success,” Reese said.
Carly chuckled. “I love your business words of wisdom. I gather you’ve been to another seminar?”
“The one I want to attend isn’t until next month, but I’ve done research because we’re having staff issues at the bar.”
“In other words, you’re having as much fun as I am.”
“You got that right. They may be older than Ryder, but The True-Blue’s bartenders act like teenagers. They think work should be one long party, and they wait until the last minute to ask for time off. Then they get mad if I say no. Like Sunday. So many asked off, I had to start saying no. When I did, they threatened to call in sick, so Gramps and I decided to close early. We figured we wouldn’t have much business anyway.”
“What’s happening Sunday?”
