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“For now.” Tammy collapsed in the chair behind her desk and covered her face with her hands. “What am I going to do?”
“Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out.”
“He’s taking me to court. I know him. He’s painfully systematic. And thorough. What if he manages to get full custody?”
A tightness settled in Cassie’s chest. “Where are the boys?”
“I asked Carmella to keep them in her classroom.” She lowered her trembling hands. “I’m afraid to let them see me like this. They’ll know. They’re so smart. They will sense something.”
An idea struck. Cassie pulled her cell phone from her purse.
“What are you doing?”
“My sister can be a real bitch, but she’ll come through in a pinch.” When her sister answered, Cassie made arrangements for Jennifer to pick up the boys and keep them overnight. When she ended the call, Tammy stared at her with regret.
“Jennifer is taking the boys? I’m sorry, Cassie. Now you owe her your soul.”
“Don’t worry about it. She’s good for some things, although I’m not sure what.” Cassie slid her phone back into her purse.
“That girl has two faces,” Tammy said as she cocked her head. “If I didn’t see how she treated you, I’d think she was one of the sweetest people around.”
“That’s her front. The face she shows the rest of the world. She wants everyone to believe she’s sugar and honey. She’s an angel, blah, blah.”
“Why do you let her get to you?”
“Believe me, before I became a teacher, it was ten times worse.” Cassie remembered how Jennifer thrived being in the spotlight. As long as Cassie had remained in the background, they mostly got along fine. She’d learned at an early age that she had to toughen up and ignore her sister’s digs.
“I learned to cope. She still gets my hackles up, but I’m used to it.”
“I have three sisters and none of them ever treated me the way your sister treats you. Though, we do have our share of fights. With four of us, usually one of my siblings takes my side.”
“I’m glad Jennifer is my only sister. I have my hands full dealing with her. Just because she’s older she thinks she can boss me around.”
Tammy stood, propped a hand on her hip and said in a comical voice, “You ain’t the boss of me.”
Cassie laughed at the childish pose.
“Didn’t you ever tell your sister that? We did it all the time.”
“I remember kids at school doing that. Didn’t work with Jennifer.”
“You’re one of the strongest people I know,” Tammy said. “But when your sister is around, you shrivel up.”
Shrivel?
“I do not.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew they weren’t true. Her sister always made her feel inadequate.
“Well, your defense mechanism turns on, anyway. You go all stiff, your jaw does that clench thing, and it literally looks like you could kill someone.” Tammy tightened her arms by her sides as though demonstrating. “And when you’re around men, humph.”
Cassie narrowed her eyes as her anger surfaced. “Just what do you mean by that remark?”
“Okay. Example.” Tammy shoved out of her chair. “The night we met the fire guys in El Puerto’s.”
Cassie wasn’t sure where this was going, but where men were concerned, Tammy was constantly pushing Cassie out of her comfort zone. “What about it?”
“You’re a beautiful woman, Cassie. Striking. You have the looks, the hair, my God, a fabulous figure. You could be on the cover of Vogue. Yet you act like you’re unattractive.” Tammy leaned in her personal space and glared. “Mike was hot for you.”
Yeah. He was. She’d found out just how hot Friday night.
