The Registry (32 page)

Mia admired her short baby-pink eyelet dress and the light pink matching headband. Her makeup was a little on the heavy side but soft and feminine like the dress. She was surprised this whole experience had made her embrace her inner girl.

The bruises didn’t send that message. She looked at one on her arm and wondered if it was from Andrew grabbing her last night. She folded her arms and leaned against the counter. She knew it was a training bruise, but she was still so angry at him. He had no right to grab her like that. Nobody did.

Her anger flared when the front door opened; the boys were home from work. She heard Andrew’s footfall on the stairs heading down to the basement. She slammed the bathroom door, hoping to avoid seeing him. He hadn’t even apologized, no knock on her door, no note, no nothing. It was infuriating.

It struck her that tonight was Andrew’s shower night and she should get out of the bathroom before he came knocking. She gathered her things and made a beeline to her room, not bothering to glance toward his. It was better this way, she thought.

She returned the makeup and hairbrush to their spot and waited for the shower to start. Usually he was so fast and predictable with his schedule; maybe her being in the bathroom had thrown him off. The spray of the water came on and Mia ran out of her room and jumped up the stairs, away from him.

Carter was waiting at the top of the steps. He bent down and picked her up, placing a deep kiss on her lips as he spun her in a circle. She tried to push away from the lip-lock, thinking about Rod’s words yesterday. She doubted he would approve of this sight.

“I’ve missed you,” Carter said, setting her back down. “I wanted to come see you last night but Dad was pretty ticked at me. I decided to lie low in my room.”

“Where is Rod?” Mia asked in a quiet voice, assuming he was upstairs.

“Monthly poker game. He hates it, but it gets him a lot of work and keeps people from questioning him as the weird older unmarried man with a son.”

That was one of the first impressions Mia had of Rod, so it was easy for her to understand.

“I’ve got a surprise for you.” Carter walked over to the counter. “Ta-da!”

He flourished his hands behind some plastic bags before reaching in and pulling out groceries.

“Real food?” Mia was excited.

“You seem to love cooking so much,” Carter said. “And what the princess wants, the princess gets.”

“Thank you.” Mia ignored the nickname and wrapped her arms around Carter’s waist in appreciation. “You stink! Go get in the shower.”

He didn’t try to defend himself or show any offense, just nodded in agreement and headed for the stairs.

Mia was all alone in the kitchen and couldn’t have been happier. She looked through the bags and pulled out the items. Some peppers, onions, ground beef, onion, salt, cheese, eggs, limes, noodles. She knew she could throw something together with these.

Her mind flashed back to her mother teaching her how to cook. It was always important for a good wife to perform well in the kitchen, but being fantastic was even better. It was just another way to please a husband. They’d spent hours going over different combinations of flavors. Cooking had been one of the only lessons Mia enjoyed, and now she found a level of familiar comfort in the kitchen. She opened the fridge to put away the items she wouldn’t need while her brain started planning out future meals.

As she closed the refrigerator door Andrew appeared right behind it. Mia’s heart jumped as she choked back a scream. Placing her hand over her chest, she breathed heavily.

“You scared me.”

“I didn’t mean to,” he said. “Do you want some help?”

She wondered if this was his idea of an olive branch.

“Here.” She placed a tomato in his hand. “Chop this up.”

He took the fruit and looked confused about what to do next. Mia pointed to the counter. She pulled open a couple drawers and found a chef’s knife. She handed it over to Andrew.

“Be careful, they don’t have a cutting board, so don’t chop hard.”

She glanced at the sink and saw the pan she’d used for the French toast. This would have to work for browning the beef as well.

“What are you making?” Andrew asked.

“We are making tacos.” Mia started the stove. “Shell-less ones.”

“I have something to say to you.”

The sound of Andrew’s knife stopped.

Mia wasn’t sure she cared what he had to say. She was tired of trying to force emotion from him and getting nothing in return. He’d crossed a line last night.

“I’m sorry you’re a person,” he said.

“You’re . . . sorry . . . I’m a . . . person?” Mia was surprised by his words. She turned to face him.

“I didn’t mean it like that!” Andrew was nervous about something. “I mean, I am sorry. You are a person, and I should treat you that way.”

“Thanks,” Mia said. She went back to the meat. It was strange to get an apology out of Andrew for anything. She glanced over at him. He looked so anxious, chopping the vegetables. He dropped the knife and rotated toward her.

“There are, umm, some other things I’d like to say.”

A drop of sweat dripped down his forehead, though he was fresh from a shower and the air-conditioning was on full blast.

“Are you feeling okay? You look like you’re sick.” She grabbed a dish towel from the sink, walked over, and handed it to him.

“No, no, I’m fine.” He wiped the sweat away, taking a huge breath. “Mia, I—”

“So what’s for dinner?” Carter said as he barreled down the stairs. “Oh, hey, Andrew, you helping the princess do the cooking?”

Carter pulled out a chair and plopped down at the table. He was grinning ear to ear, paying no attention to Andrew’s current state. Mia didn’t even think he’d bothered to look toward Andrew. His eyes were glued to her.

“What are you doing here?” Andrew’s voice was filled with annoyance.

“Well, I live here.” Carter smiled back, still looking at Mia. “And I’m awful at cards. I told Dad I’d rather hang with you . . . two.”

Mia shrugged her shoulders. Carter might have lied to Rod about whether something was going on with them, but he sure wasn’t trying to keep it a secret from Andrew. She wasn’t certain what was happening between the boys right now, but it wasn’t good. She tossed an onion toward Carter.

“If you’re going to eat, you’re going to help.”

“Your wish is my command, princess.”

The sound of Andrew’s chopping was loud and constant. He was whaling away at the tomato. Mia let out a sigh of relief. She wondered what he wanted to say. He’d already apologized, and it did seem sincere. She couldn’t think of what would make Andrew so nervous. He was usually so strong. Part of her longed to ask him what was bothering him and to provide him the comfort he obviously needed, but his actions from the night before still weighed heavily on her heart. He wasn’t her husband, and it wasn’t her duty to comfort anyone.

Chapter 62

While a wife will never impose the obligation of a party on her husband, he may ask her to perform hosting duties. She should look forward to them and be prepared to show off herself, her home, and her husband to whomever he wishes to welcome.

—The Registry Guide for Girls

D
inner was awkward. Mia missed Rod, who seemed to serve as a better buffer between the two young men. Carter wouldn’t stop rubbing his foot against hers under the table and Andrew wouldn’t stop trying to get Carter to leave. Mia didn’t want Carter to go and she didn’t want to play foot games either.

“It’s getting late, we should go to bed,” Andrew said.

“It’s not too late, and we took last night off from self-defense. Maybe we need a little more practice?” Carter asked.

Mia glanced toward Andrew, who grimaced. This entire situation was making her more and more uncomfortable, and she couldn’t stop thinking about what Andrew planned to say.

“Well, Rod is playing cards, how about the three of us play a game?” Mia hoped to keep everyone together. “Do either of you know any?”

“War. I’ll go get my deck of cards,” Carter said with a hint of smugness. Mia knew it was from the name of the game he’d chosen.

“No!” She grabbed his arm and pulled him back down. “I meant a board game. I saw some in the basement. Andrew, would you grab one?”

She looked at Andrew with sincerity. He didn’t seem to take offense at her suggestion and made his way downstairs. She had to avoid any alone time with him, for tonight at least. She didn’t want to hear about how they would never form a relationship, never have a strong bond. Her worries were interrupted when Carter placed his hand on her chin, tilting her head up for a quick kiss.

“Tonight, after you go to bed, I’m going to sneak down into your room.”

Mia felt like her eyes were going to bulge out of her head; she was enjoying the kisses but that was as far as it went. There would be no sleepovers.

“Blink, princess. Just for a little bit. I miss our time alone.” Carter gave his reassuring smile. “I’m not about to go after anything you don’t want.”

She felt the air enter her lungs again, but her mind kept going. If she wasn’t ready to give up thoughts of Andrew it wasn’t fair to keep sneaking around behind his back. She cursed herself for thinking this way. She owed nothing to Andrew and there was no reason she couldn’t kiss Carter, but her heart still told her it was wrong.

“Carter, that’s not a good idea,” she said.

“Is it because of the old laugh machine down there?” Carter asked. “He doesn’t have anything to do with you and me; don’t let him. I’m coming down.”

He gave her hand a quick kiss, but the sound of Andrew’s footsteps made her rip it away. She shook her head no as he nodded his yes, sticking his tongue out and kissing the air. Mia burst out laughing at his gesture. His eyes went soft and he gave her a pleading smile, still nodding his head. She gave in and nodded hers in return. It was so comforting to have someone around who could make her laugh.

A
fter several hours of board games Mia had to get some sleep. She wished Carter pleasant dreams and was greeted with a wink. The thought of having him in her room scared and thrilled her at the same time. It felt so foreign, so dangerous. She couldn’t imagine what her parents would say if they knew . . . and that alone seemed like a reason to do it. She hopped into the bathroom to brush her teeth and Andrew was right behind her.

“Hey, I was hoping I could finish talking with you.”

He leaned next to the mirror, staring at Mia. His intense gaze sent shivers down her spine. With the distraction of Carter’s whispered promises, Andrew’s talk had nearly slipped her mind.

“Whatever you had to say, it’s okay. I’m not mad at you, we’re fine. More fights will happen before we leave and as long as we’re together. We’ll get used to it.”

She continued brushing her teeth, but out of the corner of her eye she could see the disappointment on his face. She stopped cleaning and spat. It was nice to get some reaction from him for once. Just when she was about to give him the go-ahead for the speech, his face changed. He was back to the standard cold-faced Andrew. He might as well be a robot.

“Yes, you’re right,” he said. “Good night.”

He walked out of the bathroom with his back stick-straight. Mia shook her head in disbelief. He had such a strange effect on her. She wanted to hug him and slap him at the same time. He was impossible. She washed her mouth out and walked back to her room, shifting her thoughts to her night visitor.

Looking through her closet, she decided it was best to stay in the pink dress. She didn’t want the pajamas to give him the wrong idea. This was going to be just some quick, wonderful, sweet, easy kisses. The lights clicked off; Andrew was ready for bed. She flipped on her lantern and sat up. Lying down would also give the wrong idea. She licked her lips in anticipation. She always had so much fun with Carter, and that was all it was. Easy fun.

Touching her lips, she wondered what it would be like to kiss Andrew. She had a hard time believing it would be the same. Carter’s kisses were soft and full of little giggles. She imagined kissing Andrew would be deep and passionate. Her thoughts were broken when she heard the door pop open. Carter walked in and closed the door behind him.

“Shhhh,” Mia said, not wanting to draw attention.

“Hi,” he said, and sat next to her.

He rubbed her shoulder. She looked toward him and he gave his cunning look. An idea popped into Mia’s brain. She reached over and flipped off the lantern, climbing on top of his lap in the process.

“Someone’s aggressive tonight,” Carter said. Mia held her finger over his lips, signaling that he should be silent.

She ran her fingers through his hair and closed her eyes. Instead of Carter she pictured herself with Andrew. The hair wasn’t long and blond, it was wavy and black. The body wasn’t wide and muscular, it was tall and lean. She leaned in and kissed him hard and deep. She felt herself push him back onto the bed. Lost in her thoughts, Mia felt like
this
was her first real kiss.

Chapter 63

You were born in the greatest country in the world. Your time in service will make sure we stay number one.

—The Boy’s Guide to Service

A
gent Ross twiddled his thumbs against the table. Irritated, Grant shot him a stern look.

“Relax. You’ll never get anywhere without patience.”

Grant turned back to the latest batch of files his research team had found for him. It turned out lots of oddballs lived in the Southwest Area. The latest face to cross his desk was a man who’d had his daughters removed from his home by force after refusing to enroll them in the Registry. It was revolting.

Grant knew Agent Ross was worried they had nothing now, but Grant was certain she was in the area. Everything she had done so far followed logic, and it was logical for her to hide here. He enjoyed Agent Ross and didn’t want to see him follow in Leonard’s footsteps.