out of control. All three together were practically guaranteed to. Grace had tried reasoning with Jessica, talking to her, pleading with her, bribing her. Now, in the face of this latest catastrophe, she was applying tough love. If that didn’t work, she didn’t know what she would do.
Sometimes it seemed to Grace that she was living with a hormone-driven, teenage version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One rulinute Jessica was her familiar sweet self, and the next she was a monster. Over the last few weeks, since Jessica had started high school, Grace had felt as if they were more adversaries than anything else. Basically, Jess told her nothing and blamed her for everything.
THE MIDNIGHT HOUR
97
Grace sighed again. Motherhood was the hardestjob in the world.
Jess and Tony Marino were in the kitchen. They glanced up in unison as she entered. He at least had the grace to look faintly guilty for being there.
“Your daughter was kind enough to offer me a glass of water.” Standing by the sink, one hip restig against the counter, he held up the glass he’d been drinking from as proof He was sweaty, his hair curling slightly, his skin shiny with a faint moist sheen.
“I’m going up to take a shower,” Jessica announced, swallowing the last drops in her own glass and setting it down on the counter. She looked at her mother. “Have you see Mr. Bear, by the way? He’s not on my nightstand.”
“I took him to the cleaners. There was something yucky on his fur,” Grace lied. She didn’t want to admit the truth-that Mr. Bear was hidden away in her closet because she felt he had somehow become tainted with evil. For one thing, it sounded ridiculous. Besides, there was no point in frightening Jessica.
“Oh.” Jessica accepted that without difficulty and smiled saucily at Marino.
“You’re pretty good, for an old man.”
“So are you,” he said, “for a little girl. Maybe next time you’ll beat me.”
“Maybe nothing. I will.”
Grace thought with pride, there’s my confident girl. Then Jessica’s gaze switched to her mother again. “We need to eat soon. I have to be over at Maddie’s at seven.”
“Darling, you’re grounded, remember?”
98
KAREN ROBARDS
Jessica was already heading for the door. She stopped, turning, her eyes widening on her mother’s face.
“But I have to go! Talent show tryouts are Friday after school, and we have to practice our act! We’re going to do a dance routine!”
” Traid not, sweetie pie.”
“I have to go!” Jessica’s voice grew shrill. Her eyes were as big as quarters in her whitening face. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “I promised Madlie and Becca and Allison and Jenna I’d be there. We’re going to be the Spice Girls! If I’m not there, it’ll rui
n in it! We needfive!”
“I’m sorry about that, but you can’t go.”
“I have to. I promised them. They’ll get somebody Rise if I don’t show! Mom, please!”
“No.” “Mom! It was a wail.
“We’ll talk about this later, Jessica,” Grace said in a ow, even voice, acutely conscious of Marino leaning igainst the counter watching every gesture and listenng to every word.
“No! There’s nothing to talk about! I’m going over :o Maddie’s at seven! I don’t care if I’m grounded!
3eing grounded is stupid! What good does it do? Do rou think it will keep me from doing anything I feel ike doing? I’ll drink beer if I want, and I’ll smoke pot f I want, and I’ll go out with my friends in the middle )f the night if I want! And you can’t stop me!”
“Jessica Lee Hart, that’s enough!” “You can’t! You can’t!”
“Watch me,” Grace said through her teeth, patience
THE MIDNIGHT HOUR
99
lost, her eyes snapping as they met Jessica’s turbulent gaze. “For starters, young lady, you can go to your room. Right now.”
“I hate you!” With a sob, Jessica whirled and fled. Eyes closing, Grace listened to her feet pounding up the stairs and then running
Sometimes it seemed to Grace that she was living with a hormone-driven, teenage version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One rulinute Jessica was her familiar sweet self, and the next she was a monster. Over the last few weeks, since Jessica had started high school, Grace had felt as if they were more adversaries than anything else. Basically, Jess told her nothing and blamed her for everything.
THE MIDNIGHT HOUR
97
Grace sighed again. Motherhood was the hardestjob in the world.
Jess and Tony Marino were in the kitchen. They glanced up in unison as she entered. He at least had the grace to look faintly guilty for being there.
“Your daughter was kind enough to offer me a glass of water.” Standing by the sink, one hip restig against the counter, he held up the glass he’d been drinking from as proof He was sweaty, his hair curling slightly, his skin shiny with a faint moist sheen.
“I’m going up to take a shower,” Jessica announced, swallowing the last drops in her own glass and setting it down on the counter. She looked at her mother. “Have you see Mr. Bear, by the way? He’s not on my nightstand.”
“I took him to the cleaners. There was something yucky on his fur,” Grace lied. She didn’t want to admit the truth-that Mr. Bear was hidden away in her closet because she felt he had somehow become tainted with evil. For one thing, it sounded ridiculous. Besides, there was no point in frightening Jessica.
“Oh.” Jessica accepted that without difficulty and smiled saucily at Marino.
“You’re pretty good, for an old man.”
“So are you,” he said, “for a little girl. Maybe next time you’ll beat me.”
“Maybe nothing. I will.”
Grace thought with pride, there’s my confident girl. Then Jessica’s gaze switched to her mother again. “We need to eat soon. I have to be over at Maddie’s at seven.”
“Darling, you’re grounded, remember?”
98
KAREN ROBARDS
Jessica was already heading for the door. She stopped, turning, her eyes widening on her mother’s face.
“But I have to go! Talent show tryouts are Friday after school, and we have to practice our act! We’re going to do a dance routine!”
” Traid not, sweetie pie.”
“I have to go!” Jessica’s voice grew shrill. Her eyes were as big as quarters in her whitening face. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “I promised Madlie and Becca and Allison and Jenna I’d be there. We’re going to be the Spice Girls! If I’m not there, it’ll rui
n in it! We needfive!”
“I’m sorry about that, but you can’t go.”
“I have to. I promised them. They’ll get somebody Rise if I don’t show! Mom, please!”
“No.” “Mom! It was a wail.
“We’ll talk about this later, Jessica,” Grace said in a ow, even voice, acutely conscious of Marino leaning igainst the counter watching every gesture and listenng to every word.
“No! There’s nothing to talk about! I’m going over :o Maddie’s at seven! I don’t care if I’m grounded!
3eing grounded is stupid! What good does it do? Do rou think it will keep me from doing anything I feel ike doing? I’ll drink beer if I want, and I’ll smoke pot f I want, and I’ll go out with my friends in the middle )f the night if I want! And you can’t stop me!”
“Jessica Lee Hart, that’s enough!” “You can’t! You can’t!”
“Watch me,” Grace said through her teeth, patience
THE MIDNIGHT HOUR
99
lost, her eyes snapping as they met Jessica’s turbulent gaze. “For starters, young lady, you can go to your room. Right now.”
“I hate you!” With a sob, Jessica whirled and fled. Eyes closing, Grace listened to her feet pounding up the stairs and then running
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