“I disagree. And anyway, that’s not the point.”
“But-”
“No buts. When I give an order, I expect it to be obeyed.”
“Yes, sir. No big surf alone. Got it.”
“Good.” Treading water, I studied the waves. “I swear, kid, I thought you were the smart one of the pack. You nearly gave me a heart attack taking off on that wave.”
“Biggest one of the morning,” said Allison, brightening.
My teeth had begun to chatter. “I’m glad you survived. Saves me the trouble of killing you if you’d drowned. Let’s head in.”
“C’mon, Dad. Now that we’re out here, let’s catch a couple more. You’re not cold, are you?”
“I’m getting there,” I admitted. “Girls have more fat than men, Allison. Keeps ’em warmer.”
“Thanks, Pop. I knew there must be some advantages to being female. Our fat keeps us warm. Kinda like a seal, huh? Or maybe a big ol’ walrus?”
“Jeez, you’re getting as touchy as your mother. I’m not saying you’re fat; only that you’re better insulated, okay? Hell, if you were any skinnier, you wouldn’t cast a shadow. Now, let’s head for shore. I need to have a little conference with Travis.”
Minutes later, after waiting to ride in on a smaller set of waves, Allison and I reached shallow water. Callie, her fur crusted with sand, bounded into the backwash to meet us, then returned, shook, and dropped down beside Nate. Without speaking, Allison took a place on the berm between her brothers, her manner clearly signaling them that something was up.
“Travis, what were you thinking, letting your sister go out there alone?” I demanded when I arrived, raising my voice to be heard over the roar of the ocean.
“She was already in the water when I got here,” answered Travis.
“That’s no excuse.”
“I was going to go out, but Travis stopped me,” said Nate.
“It’s a good thing he did. Those waves would’ve eaten you alive,” I said, ignoring Nate’s crestfallen look. “Travis, if something had gone wrong, do you think you could’ve done anything for Allison sitting here on the sand?”
“I don’t know.”
“Not good enough. Could you have helped your sister or not?”
“No, sir.”
“It was my fault,” interrupted Allison. “I-”
“Don’t interrupt when I’m yelling at your brother, Allison. I’ll get to you in a minute. Speaking of which, I still can’t believe you went out there alone. If anything had happened to you…”
I hesitated. Things weren’t going the direction I’d intended. Granted, Allison had taken an unacceptable risk by surfing those waves alone, but I was also concerned that the other two hadn’t done anything to stop her. Unsure how to proceed, I decided to fall back on an old standby. I looked at all three and asked, “What’s the one rule about being a Kane that sets you apart from your thumb-sucking friends, the single thing I’ve insisted on from the time you were all in diapers?”
“Kane’s stand together, no matter what,” they answered as one, their response as reflexive as breathing.
I nodded. “No matter what. Not ‘unless something better is going on,’ or ‘unless you don’t feel like it,’ or ‘unless the waves are too big.’ No matter what. Allison, you screwed up by going out there alone. And Travis, you screwed up by not dragging her back in-whether she wanted to come or not. You may think I’m making a big deal out of this, but this is important. It’s a tough world out there, and things go a lot better with family backing you up. Now, I know some people, your mother included, think I’m overly hard on you three. If I am, it’s because you’re the smartest, strongest, and most athletically gifted kids on the face of the planet. As such, I expect a lot from you. And if I have to boot your butts to get you operating at full potential, then that’s what I intend to do. Is that understood?”
All three nodded.
“Another thing,” I went on. “Seeing as how I have your attention, this seems as good a time as any to go over some other breaches I’ve been noticing.”
“Oh, joy,” said Allison, rolling her eyes.
“Don’t worry, princess. I’ll make this quick. And as you seem so eager to run your mouth, let’s begin with you. Maybe you’d like to explain all the moping you’ve been doing around here lately. Teen angst is one thing, but your behavior is in a class by itself.”
“You’ve been talking to Mom,” said Allison.
“Your mom and I never talk; we just pass notes back and forth,” I said, noticing that Nate had begun working on his nails. “Of course we talk. Now, answer my question.”
“Sorry my cheerfulness hasn’t measured up to your expectations, Pop. Now that you’ve enlightened me on the wonder of my existence, I’m sure it’ll improve.”
“See that it does. There’s more to life than hanging out in your room. And while you’re at it, how about losing the attitude? Don’t be such a wiseass. It’s not an attractive trait in a girl.”
“Yes, sir. No more sarcasm for me. That’s charming only in the men of the family.”
“Right,” I said, deciding she had a point and to let that one go. Instead I turned to my youngest. “Nate, why have you been punching out all your little classmates at school?”
“They aren’t all little,” said Allison. “He’s been working his way through the older kids, too.”
“Nate?”
“They asked for it,” Nate replied sullenly.
“Kid, like I told you, sticking up for yourself is fine, but too much of a good thing can land you in trouble. You have to learn to get along with others.”
“Like you, Pop?” interjected Allison.
“Nate, I also hear your grades haven’t been that hot,” I continued, deciding for the moment to ignore Allison. “Like all your siblings, you’ve been blessed with plenty of intelligence, so I expect you to excel in all of your academic endeavors. From now on I want to see straight A’s. Allison, you’ll help. Make sure his homework is completed on time and go over anything he doesn’t understand.”
“Aw, Pop, ” Allison protested.
I turned to Travis. “Speaking of school, what’re these calls I keep getting from the music department? Have you been screwing up?”
“I… I don’t think so,” Travis stammered. “Who called?”
“Petrinski. He left another message on the machine last night. Says he wants to talk to me. Any idea what about?”
“No, sir.”
“I haven’t got time to be holding your hand, Trav. Going into music was your choice, so if you’re going to do it, you need to give it your level best.”
“I’ll speak with Petrinski and-”
“I’ll take care of that myself, as soon as I get a chance,” I said, cutting him off. “Meantime, keep your end of the bargain. Now, one last thing. Before your mom left, she expressed concern that during her absence you three weren’t going to flourish under my care. I’m expecting a call from her around dinnertime, and I intend to calm her fears. Okay?”
“We’re not eating out tonight, are we?” asked Travis in a transparent attempt to change the subject.
Steve Gannon
Kane
“Don’t worry, we won’t miss her call. We’ll be eating at home.”
“Are you cooking?” asked Allison, also clearly trying to steer the conversation in another direction.
Yep,” I said, deciding to end my harangue and hoping I’d reached them. “I’ll be whipping up something we haven’t had in a long time.”
“Sushi,” guessed Nate.
“Nope.”
“Jambalaya?”
“Naw. We had that last month.”
“That southwestern dish you make,” Allison chimed in. “Wild mushroom enchiladas with red pepper sauce?”
“Wrong again.”
“I know-linguini with clam sauce,” said Travis. “I saw clams in the fridge.”
I’d stopped by the market on the previous evening to pick up several items I would need for the dinner I planned. “You’re getting warmer. If you had looked closer, you would’ve also noticed chicken, shrimp, and chorizo.”
“Paella! We’re having paella!” Nate shouted triumphantly.
“All right!” said Allison. “Is it okay if I invite Christy?”