Mad About You

belongs with me—his mother."
    "But I don't want to live with you!" Chad shouted.
    She spun in surprise, as did Bailey. They hadn't heard him approaching on foot.
    "Chad—" She took a step toward him.
    "No!" He backed up. "Tell her, Bailey, tell her about our plan!"
    "Chad." Bailey's voice held a warning note.
    Virginia narrowed her eyes. "What plan?"
    Chad turned on her, his eyes flashing. "Bailey told me last week that I could move in with him and live at Shenoway, but you weren't supposed to know because you'd probably try to ruin it like you're trying to ruin it now."
    Her blood ran cold, her limbs were paralyzed. No wonder Chad had been alienating her more and more. Bailey must have promised him it would be just the two of them, without her in the way. All she could manage was a steady stare at Bailey. What had he said one night at her house? That he would have to resort to drastic measures? How foolish could she have been? A few flowers, a few kisses, and she'd jumped right back into his arms like a naïve coed.
    "Ginny." He raised his hand in stop-sign fashion. "He's taking my words out of context."
    "You can't keep me from living with my father!" Chad yelled.
    "That's enough, Chad," Bailey said, his voice low and commanding. "I need to talk to your mother alone."
    "She's not my mother!" Chad shouted as he walked away sniffling, pulling out his slingshot.
    "Be careful with that thing." He turned to her. "Ginny—"
    "How dare you," she said through gritted teeth, tears scalding her eyes. "How dare you pretend to care for me, take me out, even make lo"—she choked—"have sex with me… it was all a setup."
    "Ginny," he growled, clasping her arms, "listen to me! I meant that I wanted us all to be here together—Chad misunderstood, that's all."
    She pulled away. "Don't touch me.” Turning her head, she yelled, "Chad, come with me. We're going home."
    Virginia climbed back into her saddle, avoiding Bailey's eyes. She burned with humiliation… her heart felt raw.
    "No." Chad jutted out his chin, then rocketed another stone onto the pond's rippling surface.
    "Get on your horse and come with me," she said evenly.
    "Do it," Bailey said to his son, his voice sounding resigned.
    She watched as Chad moved to obey Bailey, biting her tongue to control her fury. Bailey had to get in one last demonstration of how well Chad minded him and how well he ignored her. Wheeling her horse away from Bailey, she waited until Chad's mount caught up with hers, then began a slow walk back.
    Bailey watched them ride away through watery eyes, his hands fisted in frustration. How had things gone from promising to impossible in the span of a few minutes?

    * * *

    "But I don't want to go," Chad said, his tone belligerent as he slung his duffel into the trunk.
    Ginny shut the trunk lid firmly. "I'm sorry. I know you don't want to go, but we have to."
    "But why?" he persisted.
    "Because," she said calmly, swinging into the driver's seat, "we can't stay here."
    "I can."
    She bit the inside of her cheek as she started the engine and shifted into gear. "You're coming home with me."
    "I hate that place—it's boring."
    "I've been thinking about that. I'll talk to a realtor next week about finding a house with a bigger yard."
    "Big deal," he said miserably.
    "I'm trying to make things better for you," she said, looking both ways before pulling into traffic and driving away from Shenoway.
    He looked out the window for several seconds quietly, then asked, "Why?"
    She frowned slightly. "Why am I trying to make things better for you?"
    "Yeah, you couldn't care less about me."
    Virginia nearly ran off the road, then slowed her speed. "How could you say such a thing?"
    "Because it's true," he said. "When I got in trouble at the mall, you wanted the cops to take me away."
    She gasped. "I didn't want them to take you away, I only wanted you to understand the consequence of your actions."
    "You won't let me do things by myself because you don't trust me."
    "That's not true," she said, shaking her head. "I guess I'm a little overprotective—I'll work on it."
    "You said you hated my mom."
    She closed her eyes briefly. "I said those words out of frustration and anger. I wish I could take them back. I don't hate Lois, I hate only that you and I lost all that time together."
    "You broke my game," he said, his voice growing more angry.
    She inhaled deeply. "You're right, I did, but it was an accident. I swear I didn't see it lying there."
    "Then you