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“I don’t know. He has a fever of a hundred and four and says his throat hurts.”
I closed my eyes and rubbed my face. Fuck. “Have you called the doctor? Is he drinking enough fluids? Where’s Mom?”
“I don’t know.” Caroline exploded into a round of sobs. “She hasn’t been home all week. Colton begged to stay back from school yesterday and since he hadn’t missed yet this year, I thought it’d be okay. But he’s worse today and—”
“Okay, okay.” Out of habit, I lifted my hand to stop her, even though I knew she couldn’t see me. “It’s going to be fine. Just calm down. He probably has strep throat or something like that. See if you can get him to take some Tylenol and water. Get that fever down. I’ll contact the doctor’s office and find out if they can see him today. Call you back in a few.”
I hung up on my sister before she could pile any more shit on me. Caroline had been forced to shoulder a lot of responsibility after I’d left home, but I was doing the whole college bit and gunning for a pick on the NFL draft for them, so I could take care of her and our two younger brothers.
Because our mother sure as hell didn’t give a shit.
Relieved I had saved the number of Colton’s pediatrician in my phone after last year when he’d gotten chicken pox, I dialed the receptionist and was grateful they could fit him in for a late afternoon checkup.
When I called my sister back, she sounded calmer. “Thanks, Noel. I’m sorry I freaked on you. I just—”
“Hey, no apologies. I know what it’s like,
remember? And that’s what I’m here for. Just let me know what the doctor says. Oh, and wait, do you have any money for the appointment or medicine they’ll prescribe?”
She sighed. “Yeah. I have...a little tucked away.”
I winced. From her reluctant tone, I knew she’d have to take from her private stash she’d probably been hiding from Mom. That was what I’d always had to do.
“What were you saving for?”
“Nothing,” she mumbled.
“Caroline.” The warning in my voice made her sigh again.
“I just…there’s a sweetheart dance coming up at school. And Sander Scotini asked me go. I was hoping I could afford a new dress—”
“Wait, wait, wait.” I shook my hand to stop her. “Hold up. Sander who? Do I know this kid? Why have I never heard of him before? Is he your boyfriend or just a date for this dance?”
“Noel.” I could practically hear her rolling her eyes, but I didn’t care. It pissed me off that this was the first I was hearing of her and some guy. I didn’t like the idea of any horny dick sniffing around my pure, innocent little sister.
“And did you say Scotini? As in Terrance Scotini, the tire king?” A visual of the commercials I’d watched on TV when I was growing up flashed through my head. Terrance Scotini liked to stroll through his store, wearing a dorky cape and crown, telling his audience to shop at his place for all their automotive needs.
“His son,” Caroline quietly admitted.
The hairs on the back of my neck spiked with concern. I knew my sister was nearly eighteen and almost legally an adult, but she was still my little sister. Always would be. I didn’t want some rich prick’s son thinking she handed things out for free just because she was Daisy Gamble’s daughter.
“Is he—?”
“He’s nice,” she stressed. “And he likes me for me, okay. I know what you’re thinking.”
“What? That no piece of slime ball shit bag will ever be good enough for my little sister?”
She laughed. “Yeah. Something like that.”
“What about his parents?” I pressed, still not liking the idea in the least. “Are they okay with all this?” Because if they treated her with anything less that absolute respect, I’d snap. I’d just...snap.
After a quiet pause, Caroline admitted, “I don’t think they know.”
I groaned. “Car—” Her situation already had trouble written all over it.
“Don’t,” she pleaded. “Please. It’s just one dance. He’s nice, and fun, and I know we’d have a good time together. That’s all.”
That wasn’t even close to being all. I hadn’t been born yesterday. I knew if some punk, high school douche was defying his parents to take the poor, trailer park girl to a dance, there had to be a hell of a lot more going on. I was ready to borrow my roommate’s truck and drive the eleven and a half hours back home so I could kick some rich Scotini ass.
