Dragon Warrior (Midnight Bay) by Janet Chapman Page B

bedtime. I have an idea what’s bugging her,” she finished with a sigh, dropping her head in her hands to stare down at her plate.
    “What’s summer rec?” William asked.
    “It’s a program the town puts on for the kids while school’s out,” Patricia explained. “They play sports, do arts and crafts, swim, and sometimes take field trips.” She looked toward Maddy, who was still staring down at her plate. “Aren’t they going to Oak Harbor tomorrow, to the state park? Sarah’s been looking forward to that field trip all summer. Maddy, do you have any idea why she doesn’t want to go all of a sudden?”
    Madeline lifted her head, and after darting a quick glance across the table at William, she looked at her mother. “I imagine it’s because Billy’s fiancée lives in Oak Harbor.”
    “So?” Patricia said.
    “So, all of Sarah’s little buddies also know his fiancée lives there, and the snotty little girls will start pointing out the bus window at every woman they pass and say, ‘Is that your new stepmom, Sarah? Cool, you can play dolls with her!’ Or maybe the snotty little boys will say, ‘Is that the hottie your daddy knocked up, Sarah? I heard my uncle say he must have balls of brass to be boinking something that young.’”
    “Madeline Marie Lane, they’re only children!” Patricia cried. “They don’t know what a hottie is, much less what knocked up or . . . or boinking means. And I don’t appreciate that kind of language at the table.”
    Maddy snorted. “I knew more about sex when I was ten than I do now . And trust me, they know exactly what those words mean, and they won’t be shy about explaining them to Sarah.”
    “And this is why she doesn’t wish to go to summer rec?” William asked. “The other children are teasing her? But it’s not unusual for a divorced man to remarry.”
    “The girl he’s marrying is eighteen ,” Maddy growled. “She just graduated from high school two months ago .”
    Rick tossed his fork onto his plate, shoved his chair back, and stood up. “And word is she’s four months pregnant,” he sneered. “Sissy never hid the fact she wasn’t interested in any of us high school boys, not when there were real men around, ripe for the taking. Look up whore in the dictionary, and you’ll find a picture of Sissy Blake.”
    “Richard!” Patricia cried.
    Rick glared at his sister. “Sarah’s not the only one getting teased around here.”
    “Sarah is nine, Rick, not nineteen,” Trace said evenly.
    William saw the teenager’s hands ball into fists. “Yeah, well, having my cousin broadcast a Mayday that he saw a mermaid in the Gulf isn’t helping, either!” Rick kicked his chair out of the way so hard it banged to the floor. He stormed out to the porch, slamming the door hard enough to make the windows shudder.
    Maddy jumped to her feet to go after him.
    William also stood up, intending to head her off.
    But Trace—who remained seated—captured her by the wrist. “Let him go,” he said, gently pulling her back down into her seat. “I’ll check on him in town tonight, and keep him out of trouble.”
    “I think they gather down at Pinkham’s gravel pit,” Maddy whispered, darting a worried glance at her mother before looking back down at her plate.
    William silently picked up Rick’s overturned chair and then sat down.
    “I’m sorry, William,” Patricia said, her face flushed with embarrassment. She gave a nervous laugh. “We’re usually more civilized when we have company.”
    “Ye needn’t apologize, Patricia. A family squabble at mealtime is music to my ears. My sister could throw a tantrum that rattled the rafters. My poor sainted mother spent half her time chastising Gabby, and the other half defending her to our father.”
    “You have a sister?” she asked with a hesitant smile. “Is Gabby a nickname because she likes to talk, or is it short for something?”
    “It’s short for Gabriella, though the lass did like to speak