"So how did your day go, sweetheart?" Kate turned to face Sam as she carefully placed her golf clubs against the garage wall, right next her mother's set.
"It was really nice Dad. But I have to admit I'm exhausted. I feel like I need a nap. How about you?" She then let out a tiny, tired laugh.
"It's been quiet here. I fixed a few squeaky door hinges and patched up that little hole in the upstairs hallway." Sam was careful before broaching the sensitive subject, so he tentatively asked, "You finally picked up a club. That's real nice, Katie. That would make your mom so happy. So, how did you play?"
A sad smile played across her face as she wistfully answered, "I'm rusty, Dad. Kept hooking the ball. But I managed to work through it by about the ninth hole. I sure could have used mom out there today, though -." Sam understood how difficult playing golf today was for his daughter. He wished Diane was still here and that he could also take back the events of that fateful day….
"I know, I wish we could go back to the way it used to be too. Next time, you should use your mom's clubs. She would've wanted you to. I bet they will bring you luck."
Kate reached out her arms and Sam embraced her. He wanted so much for Kate to have a female figure in her life. Although they were as close as a father and daughter could be, he imagined that Kate yearned for a feminine ear. Someone that she could talk about dating and other personal matters with. There wasn't a day that passed that he didn't thank god for blessing him with such a good and reliable daughter.
"So, do you have big Saturday night plans?" Sam casually asked over her head.
Kate drew away and looked at her father, "Well, it depends what you have on the agenda for us. Should we order in and watch a movie?"
"That sounds like a date, honey." He winked playfully at his daughter. He swung his arm over her shoulder as they walked back into the house.
No sooner had Kate made it to her room to change than she received a call from Claire, "So Kate, when can I pick you up?"
Kate pleaded tiredness, "Ummmm, about that… I'm exhausted. Golfing all day knocked me out. I'm gonna just stay in tonight, if that's okay?"
"Nooooo. You have to come out. It'll be so much fun. Don't you want to hang out with Curtis? Maybe he'll ask you out?"
It gave her a funny feeling, having a guy specifically express interest in her. Part of her was curious to find out what Curtis was like. Would he try to kiss her? But her attention quickly shifted to Jack. He was the one whose lips she wanted to feel on hers. Anyone else would be a waste of time as far she was concerned.
"I'll go out with you guys next time. I promise."
Half jokingly, Claire told her, "You suck."
It was Monday afternoon and Jack hadn't spoken to Christian since their confrontation on Saturday, nor did he expect to for some time. He hated that his father seemed to be able to detect his innermost workings. But what lingered most in his mind were his father's words - 'the way you both looked at each other and carried on told me a very different story'. His father had said 'both'. Jack was fully aware of his feelings, but it had yet to dawn on him that Kate saw him the same way. He had been so certain that whatever was between them was a strictly one-sided, misplaced lust. And now, knowing otherwise actually worried him more, that what he thought was only a fantasy could actually turn into a reality. And he knew his father was right. It was wrong and dangerous.
During class, Kate sensed that something was off in Jack's behavior. He seemed to deliberately look past, around and over her. He didn't acknowledge or greet her when she sat in her seat as he usually did. Once Physics class was over, Kate lingered while the students prepared to leave. She wasn't sure what she wanted to say to him. Once everyone left and it was just the two of them, she approached his desk. He glanced up at her and there was no way to mistake his icy gaze, "Is there something you need to ask me?" He sounded impatient, as if irritated by her presence.
Jack then looked back down at the papers before him. Kate gripped her text book closer to her chest, perhaps to shield her heart from the pain that seemed to be shooting through it. He looked back up at her, his eyes were empty and bore none of the warmth and friendliness she saw on Saturday. Suddenly, she felt foolish for thinking that there was something between them. That she deluded herself into believing that they shared some connection because they played golf together. The absurdity of it actually embarrassed her. She choked on her words, "No, it's nothing. I'm sorry to bother you." She then promptly walked to the door with unconscious, unshed tears stinging her eyes.
He winced when he saw her leave hurriedly. Jack detected the slight hint of hurt in her reaction and it took all his strength to resist the urge to chase her down and apologize for his rudeness. But it had to be this way. He had to establish the boundaries, he needed to know where that line was.
Kate cried off and on that night. And she didn't even know why she felt so distraught. He was her teacher and nothing more, she had no right or reason to expect anything from him. She was seventeen and he was a grown man with a real job, a real girlfriend - an adult life. She knew she had to let her feelings for him go.
From that day forward, Kate had to grit her teeth in order to force herself to be polite and cool each time he called on her during class. Somehow, her hurt feelings had transformed into bitterness and resentment overnight. It was easier to be angry at him she quickly realized. Kate's newfound demeanor had not gone unnoticed by Jack either. She barely looked him in the eye anymore and she made sure to be one of the first students to leave the class when it was over.
He missed her smile.
Two weeks later, at precisely 7:30, she was on Claire's doorstep ringing the doorbell. She was going to hang out with Shannon, Claire, Curtis and a few other lacrosse players. Kate was surprised to see Jack open the door. Her expression must have betrayed her mild astonishment because he quickly explained his being there, "My father is out of town for a few days and asked me to stay at the house." Kate shrugged her shoulders as she walked past him into the foyer and pretended to not notice how good he looked in his jeans and black t-shirt.
She felt uncomfortable in his presence, she glanced up at the light fixture before furtively looking down at her ankle boots. She chewed on the inside of her mouth as she stuffed her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. Kate began to rock on her heels as as she waited for Claire to come down. She turned her back to him in order to face the stairs while Jack stood still in the entryway watching her. He drank in her appearance. To put it mildly, he thought she looked incredibly hot and sexy, wearing skintight black jeans and a snug t-shirt. Every dip and curve of her little frame was on display for him. Her hair was wavy and shiny. Her skin glowed. He could even smell the scent of her shampoo. Jack was intoxicated.
The doorbell rang again and tore Jack away from his daze. He turned the knob and opened the door to find Curtis and Kyle standing before him, "Hello Mr. Shephard. Ummmmm, we're here to pick up Claire." Jack gestured for them to step in. His expression of disapproval evident in his face and posture. He stood there with his arms crossed, neither inviting them to sit down or relax.
Curtis's eyes lit upon seeing Kate there, "Hi Kate. I thought we were supposed to pick you up at your house."
"Hi. I figured it would be easier to just come here instead." She answered shyly.
Forgetting that he was in the presence of Jack, Curtis murmured, "You look nice." Kate felt an uncomfortable prickly feeling crawl up her neck as she caught Jack's dour expression out of the corner of her eye. She let out a sigh of relief when Claire appeared at the top of the stairs.
Claire was bubbly and brimming with excitement, "Hi!'
Jack waited until she was on the bottom landing when he asked her, "So where are you all going tonight?" Claire rolled her eyes, embarrassed by her brother's bossy tone. "We're going to Shannon's house to watch a movie." Jack threw her a skeptical look and then stared at the boys making sure that they saw his disapproval. "Are Shannon's parents home?" Jack saw Claire stiffen. "So I take it that they are not home then?"
Claire shot the boys an anxious look, "No, I think Shannon said they would be home."
"Claire, I can call the Rutherfords right now to confirm…"
Claire approached Jack and grabbed him by the elbow to lead him into the living room. Kate and the boys watched the scene in awkward silence. Seconds later they were overhearing the conversation between brother and sister in the adjacent room.
"Jaaaaaack! You're embarrassing me. Stop acting like Dad."
"Claire. Dad asked me to chaperone this weekend. You think I have nothing better to do than babysit you and your friends?"
"So don't! Mind your own business. Plus, I thought you and Dad weren't talking to each other."
He threw her a dark look, he didn't appreciate her airing out personal information, "He emailed me. And it also said that you had to be home by 12:30."
"12:30?! I'm a senior, not a sophomore. Please let me stay out until 1:30. Pleeeeeease."
"There's no point arguing with me about it and I don't think you should go to Shannon's if there are no adults around."
Claire was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, "Don't...Do...This...To...Me! You're humiliating me. Jack, I'm begging you."
With his hands resting on his hips, he looked down at his petite little sister. Her eyes were scrunched up and watery. His behavior was overbearing, he knew it - he was officially the epitome of uncool. He then relaxed a little and tried to see it from her point of view.
"Fine, go to Shannon's. Be home by 12:30, though." He then put his hand on her shoulder and in a serious tone added, "If there is any alcohol, please do not get into a car. Call me and I will pick you girls up. I won't judge or lecture, you have my word. Just promise me that you will NOT get into a car."
"I promise." A wide smile of relief crept across her face. They both re-entered the foyer and Jack turned to the boys, "You heard that, right? But I shouldn't have to be concerned because there's not gonna be any drinking, right? Jack threw them the most menacing look he could muster.
Once they had left, he walked into the kitchen to grab a snack. He looked at the clock on the microwave and sighed. The next five hours were going to be torturously long for him. He went into the family room to watch some TV hoping for some distraction. Would he have been so stringent with Claire, if Kate wasn't going? He thought of Claire's little face, how young she looked as she was close to throwing a tantrum. He was reminded of the first time he met his sister.
After Claire's mother had died, Christian was no longer able to keep his daughter's existence a secret. He had confessed to Margo and even had a sliver of hope that she would accept his daughter into their home. Over the years, Margo had been aware of his chronic infidelities, as was Jack to a lesser extent. But this pain was just too much for her to bear, so their marriage ended under the weight of her hurt and humiliation. With all things considered, it was an amicable divorce, for the most part. To Christian's credit, he didn't fight Margo on anything. He gave her everything she wanted and then some. The only request he had was to keep the house, it had been in the Shephard family for two generations. Because Margo felt that Christian had more or less tainted all the happy memories they shared in the home, she had no qualms relinquishing all rights to it.
Jack was home for summer break from Columbia. His parents had already separated and initiated their divorce proceedings. Christian had gone to Sydney to pick up his daughter and asked Jack to pick them up at LAX. Jack didn't want to do it and had adamantly refused to at first. He and is father were barely on speaking terms because of this situation. Jack had made it abundantly clear that he was on his mother's side. Christian begged him to come to the airport and Jack finally relented. Dressed in shorts, an army green t-shirt and flip-flops, he waited by the Arrival gate at the airport. He saw Claire first, somehow he just knew it was her. She was a tiny little girl, with a mop of messy blond chin- length hair. She looked bewildered and terrified as she gripped onto her father's hand with a grasp so tight her little knuckles were white. He waved to his father to get his attention and once he did, he resumed his steady focus on his approaching sister, his little sister. Jack had already decided to reject her and never accept Claire as part of his family, but his resignation melted in a matter of seconds upon seeing her.
Christian looked wearily at his son, trying to read Jack's body language for any hint of his true feelings. He wasn't sure what to expect, but he hoped, no he prayed, that Jack would come around and perhaps love Claire one day.
With a hint of relief in his voice, Christian told Jack "Hello son. Thank you for meeting us at the airport. I appreciate it." Jack nodded his head at his father. He then bent over and rested his sweaty palms flat on the tops of his thighs as he stared directly into Claire's eleven year-old face. His heart was racing.
In a soft, but shaky voice he introduced himself, "I'm your brother Jack." It must have been the warm look in Jack's trustworthy brown eyes, because Claire released the death grip she had on Christian's hand and flung her arms around his neck. Jack's eyes welled up in an instant and he looked up questioningly at his father and saw a tear roll down Christian's cheek.
It was almost 12:30 and Jack hoped that Claire would honor the curfew. He was sleepy and ready to go to bed. He had received three text messages from Amy over the course of the evening. She kept hinting at coming over to keep him 'company', but he just wasn't in the mood to entertain her. He would have probably broken up with her already if it weren't for that fight he had with his father. He didn't want to give his father any reason to think that he was right about Kate. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a car door slam. He walked towards the main entrance and peeked through the window. He shouldn't have, but he did anyway - he opened the door and ominously stood there waiting. Kate had emerged from the backseat, followed by Claire. Curtis stepped out of the driver's seat and waved over to Jack, "Hello Mr. Shephard." Jack nodded soberly. Claire waved goodbye to her friends as she walked up the steps to the house. Kate was about to step back into the car when Jack walked towards it.
"Curtis, I'll drive Kate home. Good night and get home safely."
The expression of disappointment was more than evident in the boy's face, but he tried to get control back of the situation, "It's okay Mr. Shephard, I'll take her home." Jack gave him a reproachful glare as he dismissed him, "I'm taking her home, Curtis. Good night."
Kate stared dazedly at Jack as she heard the car pull away. He looked at her and said forcefully, "Come wait in the house while I get my keys and wallet." Dumbfounded, Kate merely followed.