Chapter 11

I had never been inside a house anything like this. I couldn’t help gawking at the sheer size of the place and the luxury of the furnishings as we walked. Tara said, “Let me do all the talking. Please don’t say anything unless my parents or I ask you to. And for God’s sake, quit looking like an awe-struck tourist!”

Tara opened one of the double doors into her father’s study, and I walked in behind her. Her father was an imposing-looking man, immaculately dressed in an expensive-looking suit, even at 5 in the morning. He was sitting behind a massive oak desk when we entered the room. Her mother, a stunning who must have been close to fifty years old, also expensively dressed, was sitting in a large leather chair next to the desk.

Her father said, “We’re listening, young lady. We need to know exactly what happened. And who the hell is this?”

“Daddy, Mom, this is Seth Johnson, a friend of mine from college. Seth, my father, Joshua Hawthorne, III and my mother, Amanda Hawthorne, MD.”

In a very clipped and stern tone, Tara’s father said, “Sit down, Seth. You too, Tara. I can hardly wait to hear your excuse for having stolen a car!”

Tara told her parents the whole story, leaving almost nothing out. The only thing she didn’t explain was what the relationship had been between her and me on campus. As she spoke, her parents listened intently, stopping her several times to get her to clarify some details. The longer Tara talked, the less angry and more concerned her parents seemed to be. At the end of Tara’s story, they stood up and came over to Tara. She stood up, and they grabbed her, hugging her tightly and kissing her hair.

“My poor baby girl,” her father said quietly. I’m so sorry this had to happen to you. I just thank God you’re safe here at home.” Her mother, dabbing her eyes with a hankie, said, “We love you, honey. We’ll do everything we can to make sure that you’re protected. You did nothing wrong. You did what you had to do.”

Her father turned to me. “Son,” he said, taking my hand in both of his, “I don’t know how to thank you for everything you did to try to protect my little girl. You’re a very brave and fine young man. My wife and I are forever in your debt.”

Tara’s mother came over to me, looked deep into my eyes, and then threw her arms around my neck and hugged me. She started to cry, holding me tight. “Thank you for being there for our baby. She is very lucky to have a friend as wonderful as you.” After a few moments, she pulled away and stood next to her husband, holding his hand tightly.

Tara’s father said, “You two must be exhausted. Tara, Suzette has unpacked your things and drawn you a bath. Seth, I will ring Lawrence. He has put your things into one of the guest rooms and has furnished the bathroom with anything you should need to be able to freshen up from your ordeal. I have a number of things to attend to regarding this matter.