Penalty Points Read online

  When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she found her mother waiting for her. One look at her mother’s jittery expression and too-bright smile and Lisa knew that something was going on. When she took in Mrs. Atwood’s outfit—a short, form-fitting jersey dress more suited to someone Lisa’s age—Lisa guessed that Rafe was involved.

  “Oh, don’t you look lovely!” Mrs. Atwood exclaimed when she caught sight of her daughter. “That sweater is so perfect on you.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” Lisa said. “I’m going to head over to the Lakes’ now. I promised Stevie and Alex that I’d come a little early and help them set up.”

  “That’s fine, dear,” Mrs. Atwood replied brightly. She winked and leaned a little closer. “I have some special plans tonight myself. Rafe’s coming over, and we—”

  “That’s great,” Lisa interrupted, her voice a little too loud. Why couldn’t her mother see how uncomfortable she was discussing Rafe? She didn’t think she was particularly good at hiding it. Every time she thought about Rafe, she remembered catching him making out with her mother. Recalling that unpleasant little scene still gave her the heebie-jeebies, and she couldn’t help wishing, irrational as it was, that the whole Rafe problem would just go away. That didn’t seem likely to happen anytime soon, so all she could do was continue to try to limit her exposure to him and hope that her mother came to her senses someday. Of course, she also needed to tell her mother that Alex had invited them to Thanksgiving dinner before Mrs. Atwood did anything stupid, like actually inviting Rafe to share a turkey with them.

  No time like the present, right? Lisa thought, gazing at her mother and willing herself to bring up the topic. But she wasn’t sure she could manage the energy for that particular discussion at that moment, so soon before the party. Especially when Rafe himself could arrive and interrupt them at any moment. Oh well, she thought. I guess it can wait one more day. I’ll just make sure to tell her tomorrow before she leaves for work.

  “Okay,” she said, grabbing her light corduroy jacket out of the hall closet and pulling it on over her dress. “Well, I guess I’d better—”

  The phone rang, cutting her off. Mrs. Atwood stepped across the hall to answer the extension just inside the living room. Her voice was bright as she answered, but as soon as she heard who was at the other end of the line, her expression tightened.

  “It’s for you,” she told Lisa, holding out the receiver as if she’d suddenly noticed it was actually a scorpion. “Your father.”

  “Thanks.” Lisa hurried to grab the phone. “Hello? Dad?”

  “Hi, sweetie. How’s it going?”

  “Great.” Lisa glanced at her watch. “Um, so what’s up?”

  Her father’s familiar laugh came through the line. “Do I need a reason to call my own daughter?”

  “Sorry.” Lisa smiled and pressed the phone closer to her ear. “It’s just that Stevie and Alex are having a party tonight, and I was just on my way out.…”

  “Say no more,” her father said immediately. “I won’t keep you. I was really just calling to see if you’d made up your mind about Thanksgiving yet. Evelyn and I are really hoping you’ll decide to come out here. We’d love to see you.”

  Lisa bit her lip. “Um, I’m not sure yet,” she lied, not ready to break the news to him about spending the holiday with Alex. I’ll call him tomorrow, after I talk to Mom, when I have time to explain, she promised herself. “I’ll let you know soon, okay?”

  “Okay. Have fun tonight.”

  “Thanks.” Lisa heaved a deep sigh as she hung up. Her mother had pointedly left the room after handing her the phone, so Lisa was alone when she reentered the hallway.

  Time to make my escape, she thought, grabbing her purse off the chair where she’d dropped it. Pausing just long enough to check her reflection in the small decorative mirror on the wall near the door, she spun, pulled the door open, and hurried through it.

  She stopped short on the threshold, just in time to keep from crashing into Rafe, who was standing on the doorstep with his hand raised, poised to knock.

  “Whoa,” he said, his full lips stretching with mild amusement at her startled face. “Where’s the fire?”

  “Hello, Rafe,” Lisa greeted him carefully. She found herself shuddering as she caught a whiff of his musky cologne, which he seemed to have applied with a garden hose, and noticed that he was carrying a bottle of wine. Obviously he’d come prepared for an evening of major romance and minor subtlety.

  Lisa tried not to think about what that meant as she dodged around him, making a hasty exit. Once she was safely down the front path, she paused to take a few deep breaths of the cool early-evening air and forced herself to relax before heading across the yard in the direction of the Lakes’ house. Tonight’s going to be fun, she thought. And nothing—not even Mom’s sudden insanity—is going to spoil it.

  “Lisa’s here,” Alex called from the front hall.

  Stevie hardly glanced up from the snacks she was arranging on the long table she’d set up in front of the living room fireplace. She’d been busy getting the house ready for the party since early that morning, and now that the zero hour was rapidly approaching, she wanted to make sure everything was perfect. “Hi, Lisa!” she called back automatically.

  “Hi.” Lisa came into the room, glancing around at the decorations as she shrugged off her jacket. “Looks good in here.” She dropped her purse and coat on a handy chair. “So what can I do to help?”

  “Keep my hyper brother occupied,” Stevie replied, only half kidding. She gestured at Alex, who had come into the room on Lisa’s heels. “He’s been driving me nuts all afternoon.”

  Lisa smiled and wrapped both arms around Alex’s waist. “Easy enough,” she said, standing on tiptoes to kiss him on the ear. Leaving her arms around him, she glanced at Stevie. “Where’s Phil?”

  “Coming later.” Stevie gave her friend a meaningful look. “With A.J.”

  “Really?”

  Lisa sounded surprised, and Stevie didn’t blame her. She’d been amazed herself when Phil had called earlier to report that he would be playing chauffeur for A.J. McDonnell and his girlfriend, Julianna. Phil and A.J. had been best friends for years, but just the week before they’d had a fight that Stevie, for one, wasn’t sure they’d ever get over. It had all started when A.J. had discovered, purely by accident, that he was adopted. He hadn’t been planning to tell his parents that he knew, but Phil had told, and A.J. had been furious.

  “Really,” Stevie confirmed. “I guess Julianna was behind it—she arranged a sort of truce between them. Don’t ask me how. All I know is that they’re all coming over here together a little later.”

  “Wow. Big news.” Lisa shook her head slowly.

  Stevie shoved aside a bowl of peanuts to make more room for a stack of napkins that was hanging half off the edge of the table. “Speaking of news, is there any about Prancer? I didn’t get over to Pine Hollow at all today.”

  “Nothing new,” Lisa said, worry creeping onto her face. “Judy’s going to try to stop by tomorrow and check again.”

  “Well, I guess all we can do until then is wait.” Rubbing her stomach absently, Stevie stepped back from the snack table and looked Lisa over. “Hey, by the way, you look great. Awesome sweater.”

  “Thanks. Are you all right?” Lisa asked. “Is your stomach bothering you or something?”

  “Not really.” Stevie waved one hand dismissively. “I guess I’m just a little hungry, that’s all. I didn’t really have time to eat dinner.”

  “Not unless you consider a candy bar and a handful of popcorn dinner,” Alex put in, grabbing a cookie out of a bowl on the table.

  Stevie slapped his hand. “Stop that, you pig,” she ordered briskly. “I don’t want all the food gone before the guests start arriving.”

  As if on cue, the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” Lisa offered, hurrying off toward the entryway. A moment later she returned, followed by Scott and Callie Forester.

 
“Hi, guys,” Stevie said, glad to see them. Scott had promised to arrive early—partly to help with final party prep, but mostly so he wouldn’t miss a moment of time he could spend campaigning. Cool, she thought. Looks like Veronica didn’t manage to bum a ride over with him. Maybe she finally got the hint.

  Scott’s handsome face wore his usual easygoing smile. “Hey, we heard there was a party here,” he said. “We came to crash it.”

  Meanwhile, Callie was glancing around the room, looking surprised at all the patriotic decorations. “Wow, this place looks like one of Dad’s postelection victory parties,” she commented. Leaning on her crutches, she slipped out of the denim jacket she was wearing over slim black pants and a cashmere sweater. “Is that supposed to be some kind of statement on Emily’s departure from the good old U.S. of A.?”

  “Oh, um—sure,” Stevie said. “That’ll work.” She reached out to take Callie’s jacket. “Anyway, thanks for coming early. You two look great.” She had checked Scott’s appearance first, making sure that he’d worn the conservative cotton sweater and khaki pants she’d decided would best fit the mature but approachable image she wanted him to project at this party. His wavy hair was brushed back neatly, and he looked as solid and handsome as always.

  When she turned her attention to Callie, Stevie noted that she, too, had paid a little extra attention to her appearance for the party. Callie was always beautiful, with her long, smooth blond hair and her flawless face. But tonight, with her hair caught at the crown of her head in a pair of sparkly barrettes and a touch of pale gray shadow highlighting her intense indigo eyes, she looked downright stunning.

  George is probably going to flip his lid when he gets a load of Callie tonight, Stevie thought, her mind wandering back to the evening the week before when George Wheeler, a classmate of hers and Callie’s and a fellow rider at Pine Hollow, had confessed to Stevie that he was interested in Callie as more than a friend. Stevie wasn’t sure how to feel about that knowledge. She hadn’t said anything to Callie, mostly because she was pretty sure that Callie wouldn’t return George’s feelings. He was a nice enough guy, smart in school and an excellent rider, but he was also short and stocky and moon-faced, awkward with girls and shy and bumbling in social situations. Hardly the kind of stud muffin to sweep Callie off her feet, Stevie thought ruefully.

  She pushed those thoughts out of her head. There was still plenty of work to do in the hour remaining before George and the rest of the world started arriving. “Okay,” she said briskly. “Chad should be here soon with the ice, and then we can—”

  “Stevie!” Chad’s voice called from the hall. “Alex! Get out here and help us carry. This ice weighs a ton!”

  “Keep your shirt on!” Stevie called back. She glanced at Scott, Alex, and Lisa. “Ready for a little exercise?”

  Scott struck a pose, flexing his biceps like a bodybuilder. “Lead the way,” he replied with a grin.

  Callie drifted along behind the others, even though she knew that with her crutches, she wouldn’t be good for much more than holding the door. When she reached the front hall, she saw that Stevie’s older brother wasn’t alone.

  Callie found her gaze drawn instantly to Chad’s friend, a lean, tall, edgily good-looking guy with sleek dark hair and a hint of stubble on his chin. His eyes, which were narrow and icy blue, met her own with frank curiosity and a hint of a challenge.

  “Hi there,” he said, lowering the bag of ice he was holding to the floor, taking a step toward her, and running his eyes casually up and down her body, hardly seeming to notice the metal crutches. “I’m Luke. And you are?”

  “Callie Forester,” Callie replied as coolly as she could, feeling a little thrill at the obvious admiration in Luke’s eyes. “Nice to meet you.”

  Chad glanced at his friend. “Hey, watch it, man,” he complained, balancing a large bag of ice on each broad shoulder. “Don’t leave that bag on the floor. If it leaks on the hardwood, Mom and Dad will freak.”

  “I’ll get it.” Scott stepped forward to retrieve Luke’s bag, slinging it easily over one shoulder.

  Callie was glad. Luke was still holding her gaze with his own, and somehow she didn’t want him to stop. She hardly noticed as Scott and Chad headed down the hall with their bags while Stevie, Alex, and Lisa trooped out through the front door on their way to the car.

  “You must be the girl who was in the car accident this summer, right?” Luke said, taking another step closer so that he was close enough to touch. “Chad told me about that. Bad luck.”

  “Yeah.” Callie was glad she didn’t have to explain about her crutches. “So you go to college with Chad?” She found herself wishing that she’d paid more attention to Stevie’s older brother the few times they’d met. If he hung out with guys like Luke up at college, it might be worth her while to get to know him better.

  Luke ran one hand through his dark hair and shrugged. “Yeah, I’m a senior at NVU. Econ and prelaw.”

  “Cool.” Callie felt a little breathless, unable to say much more. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had this sort of instant physical reaction to a guy. Not since her accident, or maybe even longer—since before her family had moved to Willow Creek.

  Chad returned at that moment, mopping his brow and shooting Luke a slightly sour look. “Come on,” he said. “It was your idea to bring all that extra ice for the young ’uns, remember?”

  “In a minute.” Luke still hadn’t taken his eyes off Callie, though he was speaking to Chad. “I’m starting to think maybe this bachelor party is going to be kind of lame. Who wants to go to a party with a bunch of guys when there are gorgeous girls to hang with right here?”

  Callie blushed as Chad rolled his eyes and headed for the door to help Stevie, who was staggering in under the weight of two large bags of ice. “Too bad you can’t stay,” Callie told Luke, keeping her voice casual. “It should be fun.”

  “I’ll bet.” Luke’s gaze was hungrier than ever as he reached out and ran a hand down her arm, from shoulder to elbow, making her skin tingle under her sleeve. “Lots of fun.”

  Chad was walking past again, heading down the hall to the kitchen, but he paused and gave Callie a worried glance before continuing on his way. Callie didn’t pay much attention to him. She was too busy trying to figure out what to say next to keep Luke interested. I’m getting rusty, she thought in dismay. It’s been so long since a cool guy gave me the time of day that I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like.

  “So listen,” Luke said, leaning a little closer. “Callie. Do you think you might be coming up to visit Chad with Stevie anytime soon? Because I—”

  “Luke.” Chad had returned just in time to interrupt his friend. “Listen, man. I’m serious. Get your butt out to the car and help carry in the last few bags, or we’re going to be late. Remember, we’ve still got to move all our ice from your car to Mom’s if you want me to drive tonight.”

  Luke shot his friend an annoyed glance, then sighed. “Yeah, yeah, okay,” he said, sounding a bit irritable. “I’ll go get the damn ice, okay?” He rubbed Callie’s arm again lightly. “Don’t go anywhere, okay, beautiful? I’ll be right back.”

  “Sure.” Callie shivered with anticipation as she watched him turn and lope toward the door, leaving her alone in the hall with Chad.

  “Callie.” Chad’s voice was serious. “Listen, I feel like I ought to say something here. I mean, it’s pretty obvious that Luke is into you.”

  “Really?” Callie tried to act casual, though she couldn’t help smiling. “You think? He seems pretty cool.”

  Chad glanced toward the door, then gestured for Callie to follow him into the quiet, empty dining room. She did so, feeling intrigued.

  “Okay,” Chad said when they were inside, running one hand over his handsome but worried face. “Here’s the deal. I don’t know you that well, and I don’t want to come across as, like, some kind of busybody. But I just think you should know what you’re getting into with Luke. He’s kind of ba
d news.”

  “I thought he was your friend.”

  “He is.” Chad shrugged, looking slightly sheepish. “I’m not saying he’s all bad, you know? It’s just that he has kind of a history when it comes to women. He’s a love-’em-and-leave-’em kind of guy.”

  Callie bit back a smile, thinking about everything she’d ever heard from Stevie and the others about Chad’s own dating history. According to all reports, he’d made a habit of dating a different girl just about every week from the age of fourteen on. You’re one to talk, loverboy, she thought with amusement. But she didn’t say anything, since Chad still looked very serious and concerned.

  “Really.” Chad’s voice was earnest. “I mean—Look, Callie, you’re a big girl. You can do whatever you want about Luke. But I just thought you should know what you were getting into. He’s always really attentive and everything at first, but as soon as the girl starts getting into it, really liking him, he dumps her. Not usually in the nicest way, either.”

  Callie couldn’t help frowning a little at that. She could take care of herself, but maybe Chad had a point. Right now, with everything else that was going on in her life, it might not be such a good idea to get involved with someone like Luke.

  “Thanks, Chad,” she said, meaning it. “I get your point. And I appreciate it.”

  Chad nodded, looking relieved. “Good.” He patted her on the shoulder and smiled. “Sorry if I came across like the date police there.”

  “You didn’t,” Callie assured him, returning his smile. “Thanks again.”

  It was nice of him to warn me, she thought as the two of them returned to the hallway. Luke was just entering with a large bag of ice. He didn’t have to do that. And he was so cool about it, too—he didn’t lecture me like Dad would, or even Scott.