"I refuse to believe that my daughter would initiate such a thing."
Cassie bit back another sharp retort. She didn't know how far down in
the trenches she should take this conversation. She would love to spareher parents the gory details of how she had all but jumped Austin'sbones that evening on the beach. But it looked as though they weren'tgoing to accept a surface explanation.
"I'm prepared to give you the details, if you want them."
Wilma glared at her. James made a choking sound.
"Look, Austin and I made love on the beach the day of my eighteenth
birthday party."
"Oh my stars," Wilma said, throwing her hands up, then dropping them over her heart.
"Are you all right, Mother?" Cassie asked anxiously.
"No, I'm not all right. I'll never be all right again, especially in
light of the fact that soon everyone in town will know that you had a
baby out of wedlock."
"I did not have Tyler out of wedlock. I married Lester in order to save you that humiliation."
"It's Austin's fault." James took a deep breath.
"He did nothing to defend himself the other day, which is a sure sign of guilt to me."
"Stop it! Both of you." Cassie had never talked to her parents in such a
manner, but she wasn't about to let Austin take all the blame.
James gave her a startled look.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Would you for once just be my daddy," Cassie said, "and not a
preacher?" ^ Her soft plea seemed to have hit its target. James lookedat Wilma, his face flushed, before turning back to Cassie.
"Go on."
"Making love to Austin and getting pregnant, then marrying Lester, was not what I had planned for my life, that's for sure. But those things happened, and I can't undo them."
She paused to make sure she had their attention. "Anyway, Austin wasengaged to Alicia, and by the time I knew I was pregnant, they weremarried."
"This is a pastor's worst nightmare," James said in a cold tone.
"That's why I never wanted you to know."
"Then why did you tell us?" Wilma asked.
"Because Daddy wouldn't let it go, wouldn't accept that Lester hadn't
turned over a new leaf, that he hadn't stopped playing with guns.
When he kept on about how Lester had accepted the Lord and only wanted to see his son, I couldn't help myself. That was the final straw."
Cassie broke off abruptly and stared at her father, whose features still
showed no remorse.
"I couldn't take any more, because I knew that Lester didn't care one thing about Tyler. He just wanted to use him for his cause."
"What you're saying is that I'm to blame for your sin?"
"No, Daddy, I'm not. It's just that Lester knew how to manipulate you
and did. You're too good for your own good."
"That's not a compliment." James's tone was rebuking.
"No, but it's a fact," Wilma said, her eyes on her husband.
James glared first at his wife, then at Cassie.
"Regardless, your behavior was inexcusable."
"I'll have to agree with your father on that, Cassie," Wilma added.
"You know how much this family guards our privacy. Now we'll be the talk
of the town." Cassie felt such deep anger at this hypocrisy that for a moment shecouldn't say a word. Finally she said, "It sickens me that you care whatpeople think about something that happened a long time ago. It's alsosickening to think you care more about the family name and reputationthan you do your grandson." "That's not true," James said in a hurryvoice.
"Of course we want our grandson returned safe and sound."
"Well, you sure could've fooled me."
James clenched his jaws.
"I won't tolerate any more disrespect from you, young lady. This is all
too disgusting."
"Don't you mean'm disgusting?" Cassie asked quietly.
"That, too, if you must know. And Austin--I feel the same about him.
He betrayed me and our friendship, two things I can forgive but can't
forget.
"Oh, James, that's not the right attitude for a minister to have," Wilma
said.
"I'm a man of God who preaches His word and who's expected to live His word," James said in his pulpit voice.
"I expect both of you to remember that." He paused and stomped toward
the door.
"I'm going to the church. Let me know if Lester calls."
When he left, the room was silent. Cassie took a sip of her cold coffee
and instantly regretted it. Her stomach rebelled. Getting up, she saidto her mother, "I have to do something. I can't just sit here and waitfor that damn phone to ring."
"I'm so sorry about all this, Cassie. And I certainly take my share ofthe responsibility. If only I'd been a better mother, more" -- Cassiegave her head a hard shake.
"It's too late to place blame. Besides, the blame is mine, and I fully accept it."
"What about Austin?"
Her heart sank.
"What about him?"
"Have you two spoken about ... Tyler?"
"No, not alone, that is."
"You have to talk, you know."
Cassie bit down on her lip.
"I know, but right now both of us need to focus our efforts on finding Tyler."
"I understand. So where are you going?"
"To see Lester's parents."
"If he calls again I'll ring your cell phone immediately."