Sacred Trust

“Now, Tedi.”

This was new.

“Theadra Zimmerman—”

“Okay.” Tedi didn’t look at anyone else as she got up and followed Mrs. Watson out the door. She could imagine Abby’s smirk behind her back, but who cared? Nobody liked Abby.

Mrs. Watson closed the door on the classroom and turned to face Tedi, arms folded in front of her. “Ordinarily I would send a sleeping child to the nurse’s office to take a nap, but you are not an ordinary child. I’ve had high hopes for you, but you’ve done more daydreaming, talking and disrupting than you’ve done homework in the past few weeks. I want to know why.”

Tedi stared at her teacher’s frowning face. She didn’t look mad, but she wasn’t happy.

“Are you taking me to the principal’s office?” Tedi asked in a meek voice.

Mrs. Watson sighed and leaned against the hallway wall. She studied Tedi’s face. “Does your father help you with homework?”

Uh-oh, she is going to drag Dad into this. “He’s been really busy lately.”

“How about your mother?”

“I don’t see her every night.” And she wasn’t about to waste time on homework during visitations.

Mrs. Watson put a gentle hand on Tedi’s shoulder. “What’s going on at home?”

Tedi looked away. “Nothing.”

Another sigh. “Look, I’m trying to be fair about this, but your parents are paying a lot of money to send you to this school, and—”

“My mother is paying the money.”

Mrs. Watson nodded thoughtfully. “Nevertheless, this is an accelerated class, and you’re falling behind. We need to do something about it.”

Tedi didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t done all her homework lately. Dad wasn’t there to nag her about it much, and it was just easier to read or watch TV.

“Come on.”

Tedi’s eyes widened. “Where are we going?”

“We’re going to call your father. Maybe he can help us find out what the problem is.”

Tedi drew back. “Why don’t we call Mom? She’s the one—”

“Your father has custody.”

Tedi didn’t move. “I still have a mother.”

Mrs. Watson continued down the hallway. “Fine, stay there. Your father will find you there when he comes to get you.” She turned around. “Unless you want to talk about it.”

Tedi shrugged. “I guess he’ll find me here.” Then he’ll kill me. My blood and guts will be all over the hallway when class gets out. Hope it makes Abby Cuendet throw up.

But then what would happen to Mom and Grandma Ivy?

At least an hour later, Tedi saw Dad coming down the hallway from the principal’s office. She held her breath until he reached her. His neck and face were flushed all the way up to his short blond hair.

The bell rang, and classroom doors opened all along the hallway.

“Let’s go,” Dad said.

Tedi breathed again, following him out the side exit. She ignored the other kids as they rushed out of class. Dad ignored them, too, which probably broke Lyssa Cole’s heart. She had a crush on him. She was weird.

After Tedi stepped into the passenger side of their red BMW, Dad slammed the door so hard she went cold all over. Yep, he was mad.

Her hands gripped each other tightly in her lap as the engine roared into life and the car sprang forward. Why had she been so stubborn with Mrs. Watson? She’d refused to even go back into the classroom and get her books. Now she’d not only be in trouble, but she would be making trouble for herself for later.

But she wasn’t trying to be stubborn. Not really. She just hadn’t wanted to face the class.

Okay, maybe she was a little mad at Mrs. Watson. Why did she expect so much?

Tedi glanced sideways at Dad. Was that alcohol she smelled?

He made a turn too fast, and Tedi fell against the door. She didn’t have her seat belt on. She reached up and pulled it down and fastened it. Just in time.

Dad slammed on the brakes, screeching the tires for at least three feet.

Yes, that was alcohol on his breath.

Tedi looked at him. He had “patriotic” eyes—red, white and blue. She’d heard Mom use that term about him often enough that it wasn’t funny anymore. Especially now.

He stared straight ahead. “You think I’m a reckless driver?” he demanded.

Reckless was a stupid word. Made it sound like you could never have a wreck. Dad was “wreckful,” not “wreckless.” He’d had several accidents to prove it.

“No, Dad, I don’t think you’re reckless. I just forgot to put my seat belt on when we got into the car. I always wear my seat belt. Mom makes me wear it. When you turned—”

Dad gunned the motor and sped along Highway F toward home. “I get your point.”

How could he get a point she was trying not to make?

She glanced sideways at him again. “Um, Dad, would you please slow down a little? This is scaring me.”

“You should’ve thought of that before you made that airhead teacher of yours call me.”

Tedi grimaced with growing anger. “I didn’t make her call you. I fell asleep in class, and she made a big deal out of it.”

“That’s not the way I heard it from her. I heard this isn’t the first time you’ve caused trouble in class lately. Do you know she had me paged from an important luncheon meeting with some prospective buyers for the Reynolds Ranch? Do you know how much commission I stand to lose on that deal?” He turned into their drive at home.

Tedi wondered if that was one of those martini lunches she’d heard about. “Sorry I’m such a pain to you, Dad.”

He didn’t even catch the sarcasm in her voice. “If I lose that sale, we may think about taking you out of that fancy school of yours.”