Chapter 22

The next morning at breakfast, Mom growled at me.

“Can you wipe that silly grin off your face, Mary? I feel like you’re rubbing my face in everything. You know I’m not comfortable.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just, you know...”

“Stop! Sam, help me out.”

“Mary, look at me. I’m pleased that you’re happy. We like Leo. But he’s not here right now, and you are still on restriction. Perhaps the next time you see him will be when high school starts again.”

I stopped dead in my tracks. No! Not that! I studied my feet, submissively.

“Mother, Father, I’m very sorry. I promise to control myself around you both.”

“No, Mary, I mean all the time. Come with me.”

He led me to my bedroom, not bothering to look back. He knew I would be right behind him.

“Mary, I want you to recognize you are the only kid here having sex. It’s bad for them for you to prance and preen around like you’re hot shit. How do you think Nick feels? Or Joy? Holly is about one finger away from blocking your access to Leo. So cut it out. Your words and your attitude have to be in line with the story that you’re simply practicing cooking at Denny’s house.

“Look, I have to go to work. Tonight, we’ll talk some more.”

Dad was right. Damn it.

We had another conference that night—me and my parents. Holly started us off.

“I’ve been wrestling with a big problem named Ethan. We’ve been more or less ignoring him since his confession. I’d like to think somewhere deep inside he’s a good kid. But he spent so much time with Dallas, my ex, while I was away working...”

“Let’s be clear. Mary, Holly was supporting that leech. While he was there, Ethan picked up a lot of nasty ideas from him.”

“Yeah, instead of caring for him, Dallas was filling Ethan’s ears with poison. He taught him how to lie to me, like when he pretended to be religious. I can’t believe I fell for the same shit from him that I used to get from Dallas.”

I mentioned to her how Ethan had pretended to be hopefully expecting a Bible as his Christmas present.

“Oh, no!”

She shook her head, abashed at being so gullible. Dad put his hand on her arm, supportively.

“So this is the problem now. I can’t turn him loose on the world all messed up the way he has been. I’m going to make a huge request, Mary. I’m going to put you back in charge after New Year’s Eve.”

I couldn’t suppress my doubtful look. This whole month went wrong the minute I tried to tell Ethan what to do, and he retaliated against Joy and me.

“Since I won’t be working on January 1, I’m going to spend the day working with him so he understands. He needs to work his way into our good graces, and yours too, Mary. You are going to be giving him directions and chores to do, starting slowly at first.

“These are assignments beyond the chores the boys are already doing, like clearing the snow and ice. If he shows reluctance or defiance, Mary, don’t argue with him; just make a note or two for us to deal with him when we get home.

“I’m going to be straight with him. If he can’t control his behavior and his attitude, he will be sent to my mother and father’s Texas ranch, where there are more leather straps.

“It’s as simple as that; if I can’t leave him here with you and your siblings, he will be gone. It’s the last thing I want to do, but this is the last month in his life where he’s a mis-, a misogynist. No son of mine will leave home willing to mistreat women.