Page 28 of The Long Way
Cain and Damon exchanged a glance. “That sounds awful,” Cain told her. “Did the security people arrest him?”Did they tell you I helped the man get away?
“No! They let him go, and no one even mentioned it until after the fact. Your father is very upset!” she cried. “Veryupset. You know how hard he works to keep us safe.”
His father liked to keephimselfsafe, that much Cain could agree with. He made a non-committal sound that his mother took for agreement.
“I think we’ll all feel a bit more relieved when he’s finally eligible for Secret Service coverage,” she sighed. “Real professionals who understand how security should work.”
Cain lifted a hand from the steering wheel and ran it over his forehead, imagining a world where his father was a presidential candidate. He’d never survive it - figuratively and possibly literally, as well.
“Butnoneof this excusesyourbehavior, Cain. I’m very disappointed in you. We didn’t provide you with that phone so you could ignore my calls, and we didn’t provide you with your education so you could abandon your father when he needed you.”
Cain felt a familiar curl of humiliation and anxiety in his gut. Even after nearly a quarter of a century of dealing with his parents, even knowing the terrible things his father had done, hearing his mother speak like that triggered something that compelled him to soothe, to please.
“I’m sorry,” he told her. “I really wasn’t feeling well. I didn’t want to ruin the evening for everyone, or to make anyone question why I was acting strangely. It was better that I left.”
His mother would never admit he was right, but he could tell she’d been somewhat mollified when she continued, “You know these gatherings aren’t just for your father’s sake. They’re an opportunity for you to meet influential people, to grow your own name so you can be just like your father someday.”
Be just like your father someday.He could feel Damon flinch at those words, could almost sense when he began to withdraw into himself, to sever the easy connection they’d had. His own chest clenched. But what could he do? What could he say without making things worse, without giving things away, without his father getting back at Jesse?
His mother sniffed. Having successfully completed the angry portion of the call, he predicted she was about to move into the guilt-inducing phase instead. The part where she laid out exactly what he’d do if he wanted any hope of erasing his mistake.
He wasn’t disappointed.
“I didn’t even have a chance to finish telling you all the details about Mr. Fassbender’s ski party.”
Oh, God. Skiing with the Fassbenders. If he could bang his head on the steering wheel while still navigating down the two-lane highway, he would.
“Mr. Fassbender has a daughter, Penny, you remember?”
His mother’s eager voice made his stomach flip, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Damon shaking his head in disbelief.
“Remember I told him you’d attend and gave him your number? They’re leaving Monday morning. I’ll text you his information, and you can contact him to make arrangements. It’s the least you can do, after disappearing so rudely before I’d even introduced you to Penny.”
Anger and self-loathing churned in his gut, but what could be do? “I’ll call him,” he whispered.
“Do it soon,” she instructed. Then, apparently pleased by the outcome of the call, not that there had ever been any doubt she’d get her way, she said fondly, “I am so pleased that things are turning out so well, Cain. You and Cady working alongside your father and I for the good of our family, knowing that we’re all safe after everything that happened with Jack Peabody, and now knowing that you’re making just therightsort of friends, socializing with young people who’ll be good influences on you, like Penny Fassbender.”
Cain swallowed, though his throat was dry. “I didn’t think you’d met her until last night.”
“Oh, but you can justtellabout a person. Just like I could tell Camden Seaver was never a good friend for you, and thatJesseperson would be a troublemaker.”
He ground his teeth together. Jesse hadn’t been the troublemaker, not ever. Without thinking, he snapped, “Just how much is Penny’s father donating?”
Beside him, Damon snorted quietly, but his mother didn’t catch his sarcasm.
“He’s a huge supporter of the party!” she said happily. “He pledged a hundred thousand to various candidates and PACs just last night, and there’s more where that came from!”
This explained Penny’s charm.
“I’ve got to run,” she told him. “I’m taking Marnie Fassbender to hot yoga with me. You’ll call Mr. Fassbender?”
“Said I would,” Cain muttered.
“Oh! Before I forget!” Cain could hear a muffled crackling as his mother moved the phone around. “Your father wanted me to ask if you’d been in touch with the Seavers recently. Cam and thatmanhe’s been seeing.”
“I haven’t seen Cam in weeks,” he told her honestly. “And he hasn’t contacted me.”
“Ah. I didn’t think so, but I wanted to be sure. Will you let me know if you speak to him?”
