Dangerous Love Read online

  Quickly she joined the rest of the crowd now surrounding Todd.

  “You saved my life,” she heard Danny say gratefully as he shook Todd’s hand.

  Unaware of the scene that preceded him, Todd was perplexed. “All I did was offer Crunch a ride. What’s the big deal?”

  “I’ll tell you.” Elizabeth stepped forward, forcing herself to smile. “You rode in here like a knight in shining armor, that’s what,” she said, giving him a kiss. Despite her conflicting emotions, she was proud of him.

  Crunch returned with the bike a few minutes later and dismounted with surprising agility. “You’re a lucky guy,” he told Todd. “If you ever want to sell this baby, just let me know.”

  “Don’t hold your breath, Crunch,” Todd answered, bending over to secure his helmet to the bike. “I plan to hold on to this bike until it dies of old age. But if you ever want to take it for another spin, just let me know.”

  “Thanks, Todd. See ya around.” With a wave of his hand, Crunch turned and headed toward his van. Then, remembering he had some unfinished business to attend to, he turned around and glared at Danny. Apparently satisfied by the look of terror that once again crossed Danny’s face, Crunch merely smirked and called out, “Next time watch where you’re going, or you’ll really have a reason to be scared.”

  And with that he was off.

  Mandy was handing Todd her helmet as John Doherty, one of the Dairi Burger’s owners, came up to him. “I could have ended up with a lawsuit on my hands if it hadn’t been for you. Come on in,” he said, smiling. “To show my appreciation I’m going to give you and your girlfriend a free hot clam special!”

  Elizabeth groaned inwardly at the thought of having to down another one of those torpedoes, but it quickly became clear that the offer wasn’t meant for her. John Doherty had grabbed both Todd and Mandy by the arm and was leading them to the restaurant.

  Before they got to the door, though, Todd stopped him. “Thanks for the offer, but that’s my girl,” he said, pointing to Elizabeth.

  “Very well, then,” John said, grinning. “Free specials for you and your two lovely ladies.”

  Todd rolled his eyes toward Elizabeth as they all entered the Dairi Burger.

  * * *

  That night the twins were in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner. Elizabeth was rinsing the dishes while Jessica was loading the dishwasher. Jessica hadn’t had a chance to be alone with her sister since she got home, and she was dying for the lowdown on what had gone on that afternoon.

  But Elizabeth didn’t seem interested in volunteering the details of her conversation with Todd. Jessica could see she’d have to be the one to speak up first.

  “Todd sure doesn’t waste any time, does he?” she said. Her contempt for Todd was thick enough to cut with a knife.

  Elizabeth almost dropped the dish in her hand. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she declared, staring down at the dirty dinner plate as if it were the most important thing on earth.

  “Come on, Liz, we all saw Mandy get off that bike with Todd. You know what I mean.”

  “I’m not sure I do.”

  “Well, it’s obvious that Todd feels the need to keep the backseat of his bike warm.”

  Elizabeth carefully rinsed the plate before handing it to her sister. “Oh, Jess, you’re just jumping to conclusions. Give me a break, OK?”

  But Jessica was undeterred. She knew Elizabeth would let the problem fester inside her unless Jessica forced her to talk about it. The last thing in the world Jessica wanted was to see her twin get hurt, and as long as Todd had that motorcycle, she saw nothing but trouble ahead. “Listen, Elizabeth,” Jessica continued, “didn’t you notice the way Mandy was holding on to Todd as they pulled up? It didn’t look so innocent to me.”

  “How else was she supposed to stay on the bike?” Elizabeth snapped back as she handed Jessica another plate. But even though Todd had explained it to her, she was still upset. And she didn’t like feeling that way at all. “It was no big deal,” she added, echoing Todd’s earlier words. “She and Todd are working on a class project together. So he gave her a lift. He was just being friendly.”

  “You may see it that way, but I don’t. A guy who’s ‘just being friendly,’ wouldn’t let a girl drape herself all over him like that, and you know it. In case you haven’t noticed, those bikes have arm rails on them.”

  “I didn’t know you knew so much about motorcycles.”

  Jessica took the saucepan from her sister and examined the nearly full dishwasher. “Where am I going to fit this?” she mumbled to herself, finally rearranging several dishes to make the pot fit. Looking back at Elizabeth, she continued, “Let’s just say that I know enough about them to know I wouldn’t tolerate my boyfriend riding one.”

  “I don’t like it any better than you do, but I respect Todd’s wishes enough not to force any demands on him. I’m willing to accept his bike riding, just as he’s willing to accept my reasons for not riding with him.”

  “Well, at least I’d ask him not to give lifts to strange girls.”

  “Mandy’s hardly a strange girl. She’s your sorority sister.”

  “Even sorority sisters aren’t above stealing someone else’s boyfriend.”

  “There’s nothing between Todd and Mandy,” Elizabeth insisted.

  “Maybe not—now,” Jessica conceded, “but I’d keep my eyes open if I were you.”

  “You’re making too much out of this,” Elizabeth said. “Anyway, Todd’s coming over tonight to talk to Mom and Dad. He wants to try to convince them to change their rule.”

  Jessica closed the dishwasher door with a thud. “You don’t mean to tell me you’re actually thinking about getting on that motorcycle!”

  “Well, no…” Elizabeth wavered. “But Todd insists it’s safe. And lots of people ride around without getting hurt.”

  “And a lot of others get killed—like Rexy!” Jessica shouted angrily.

  “Jess, please calm down—”

  “I’m not sticking around to listen to you talk about that death machine. If anyone wants me, I’ll be at Cara’s!” Jessica turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.

  Elizabeth understood Jessica’s anger. But Todd was right, too. The bike could be looked at as simply a means of transportation, no more dangerous than a car, in the right hands. Accidents happened to people who drove cars, too, and she didn’t go around worrying every time she saw a car go by.

  How could two of the people she loved the most both be right, she wondered, and both be on opposite sides?

  And where did that leave her?

  Four

  Several hours later Jessica opened the front door of the Wakefield house, stole inside, and listened silently to the conversation going on in the living room.

  “We appreciate your coming over tonight,” her father was saying. “Most boys in your situation wouldn’t have bothered, I suspect.”

  “But that doesn’t change your mind, does it, sir?”

  “No, Todd, I’m afraid it doesn’t. I’m sure you’re a capable driver, and you’ve impressed us with your concern for safety. But I still can’t allow my daughter to ride with you.”

  “I hope you understand, Todd,” added Alice Wakefield.

  “Of course. I agree with you that Liz’s safety is the most important thing. I’d hoped to convince you that she’d be safe with me, but I can understand your fears. You have my word that you’ll never see your daughter on my bike.”

  “Thank you, Todd,” Ned Wakefield said. “That’s one promise I’m going to hold you to.”

  Todd rose from his chair. “It’s getting late, and I still have some homework to do. Good night, Mr. and Mrs. Wakefield. Liz, want to walk me to the door?”

  Elizabeth rose from the sofa, where she had listened silently while Todd and her parents had debated her fate. In a funny way she was relieved that the decision wasn’t hers to make. She joined Todd for the short walk to the front hallway. Jessica, mean
while, had tiptoed, unseen, up to her room.

  “I had to try,” Todd said, cupping her hands in his. “But it won’t make any difference, I promise.”

  She was relieved to hear him say that. “It doesn’t matter how we get to and from places as long as we’re together the rest of the time, right?”

  “Right,” Todd agreed. Pulling her close, he looked tenderly into her aquamarine eyes. Then, with a hint of a smile he asked, “Say, do you think your parents would mind if I kissed you in their hallway—or should I ask their permission first?”

  Elizabeth picked up his cue. “There are some things a girl can do without parental approval,” she said, trying to imitate Jessica’s attitude of carefree abandon. “And this is one of them.” Wrapping her arms around Todd’s well-muscled torso, she proceeded to demonstrate that riding a motorcycle wasn’t the only kind of fun available to him.

  “Hmm, maybe I’ll stay a little while longer,” Todd said.

  “No, we both have work to do,” Elizabeth reasoned. “I’ll see you tomorrow. And, Todd?” She looked lovingly into his eyes. “Could you do me a favor?”

  “Anything.”

  “Would you call me as soon as you get home?”

  Todd knew immediately that the request stemmed from the worry Elizabeth still couldn’t quite shake. “Sure,” he said, tousling her hair. “And I’ll drive extra slowly, too.”

  Elizabeth lingered at the door for a few minutes after Todd left before heading upstairs to her room. It was only now that Todd was gone that she realized just how relieved she was that her parents had stuck by their rule. That big black-and-chrome machine truly scared her. Sighing, she sorted through the books on her desk for her French notebook. There was nothing better than work to blot out the day’s events. But before she had a chance to start her homework, Jessica barged in.

  “Liz, I was just wondering about something,” she announced.

  “I’m not riding with Todd,” Elizabeth answered, quickly looking down at her notebook. The last thing she wanted to do was hash out the subject of Todd and his bike for the umpteenth time that day.

  But Jessica’s earlier eavesdropping had convinced her that the motorcycle was now a dead issue. “That’s not what I came to talk about,” she declared impatiently.

  Surprised, Elizabeth turned around in her chair and eyed her sister. “Then what is?” she asked.

  “Enid’s cousin Brian,” Jessica announced with a flourish, plopping down in the middle of Elizabeth’s neatly made bed.

  Elizabeth remained frozen in her seat. “What about him?”

  “Is he going to be in town for Enid’s party?”

  Elizabeth thought for a moment. “Now that you mention it, I think Enid said he’d be there. She’s his favorite cousin, you know.”

  “I bet Enid’s thrilled he’s coming,” Jessica remarked, appearing to take a sudden interest in Elizabeth’s friend. “He’s still at UCLA, isn’t he?”

  “Yes, a sophomore.”

  “How fortunate.” Jessica let the words slip out.

  “For whom?” Elizabeth’s eyebrows shot up.

  “For me—that is, if you’ll help me.” Jessica turned her doe-eyed, innocent face toward her sister. “Will you ask Enid to fix me up with him for the party?”

  Elizabeth sighed. “I was afraid of that.”

  “Afraid of what?” The innocence disappeared, and Jessica’s face took on a hard, haughty look of mortally wounded pride. “Afraid of ruining Brian’s time by setting him up with some high school reject?”

  “That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” Elizabeth said, wishing she could pretend this day had never started. She’d known that sooner or later the time was going to come when she’d be squeezed between her sister and her best friend, but Jessica had really picked an awful time to spring this on her. With the motorcycle business preying on her mind, she wasn’t sure if she could think clearly enough to step across this potential mine field. If she slipped, she risked offending one of them. Or maybe both. “I was afraid of your asking me to have Enid do you a favor. After what you did to her, Jess, it’s really not fair.…”

  “I get it.” Jessica sniffled and turned that innocent look back on. “So I told an old boyfriend of hers about her less than perfect past. I admit it. But that was a long time ago. Is that one mistake supposed to follow me around and torture me for the rest of my life? I could understand how Enid might see it that way, but I hardly expected you to agree.”

  “I don’t.” Elizabeth sighed wearily. Once again she felt herself getting sucked into another sticky situation courtesy of Jessica.

  “Besides,” Jessica continued, “if Ronnie hadn’t dumped her because of what I told him, she wouldn’t have gotten back together with George. He’s the one she really wanted in the first place, right?”

  “Right.” Elizabeth had to agree.

  “So actually I ended up doing Enid a favor. She owes me one,” Jessica concluded.

  Elizabeth shook her head at her twin’s twisted logic. “You’ve missed the point, Jessica. It’s easy for you to talk now that everything’s worked out fine for Enid. But I don’t recall you having such sympathy for her at the time.”

  “Oh, am I going to get a lecture from you now, too?” Jessica threw her arms in the air. “What did I do to deserve this?”

  “Calm down, Jess, I—”

  “As a matter of fact,” Jessica interjected, “it seems to me I actually did you a favor today. Didn’t I help you get a handle on how to deal with Todd?”

  “In your own way I suppose you did,” Elizabeth answered.

  “So can’t you help me out now with this itty-bitty favor?”

  Elizabeth knew she was being manipulated, but she was in no mood to challenge her sister. “OK, I’ll ask her,” Elizabeth said, “but don’t be surprised if she says no.”

  “I know you’ll do your best, Liz,” Jessica said, once again full of her usual confidence. “You always do.”

  * * *

  The following morning Enid caught up with Elizabeth at the bus stop. “Heard I missed a lot of excitement yesterday,” she said, her bright green eyes sparkling as she spoke.

  “The grand reopening? All you missed were free T-shirts and greasy food.”

  “And what about that super rescue by our hero Todd Wilkins?”

  “Well, it wasn’t exactly heroic. He just happened to come along at the right time.”

  “Gee, I’d think you’d be the first one to be singing his praises.”

  Elizabeth caught her breath. She didn’t know why she was putting Todd down this morning. Ordinarily she’d have made a big deal out of the event in the Dairi Burger parking lot. Was she, despite her better judgment, letting the motorcycle influence her feelings about Todd after all?

  It was better not to think about it. “Oh, by the way,” she began, changing the subject, “how are the party plans coming along?”

  Enid rolled her eyes heavenward. “Liz, my mother’s really starting to go wacko over this affair. First the engraved invitations, now it’s the food. Last night she was threatening to fire the caterer. ‘I’m not going to use a person whose idea of haute cuisine is pigs in blankets,’” Enid said, imitating her mother’s nasal twang.

  “Pigs in blankets don’t sound so bad to me.”

  “Me either. But Mom insists on going first class all the way. It wouldn’t surprise me if we ended up with caviar on toast points. Yech.” She wrinkled her nose. “Well, at least I got the invitations made out. I even have one for you.”

  Elizabeth saw this as her opportunity to help out her sister. “Did you send one to your cousin Brian?” she asked, trying to sound as casual as she could.

  Enid replied, “Didn’t I tell you he was coming? He’ll be in on the Friday before the party.”

  “I forgot,” Elizabeth fibbed. “You know, I don’t think I’ve seen him since the summer.”

  “That’s because he hasn’t been here since then.”

  “Is he sti
ll as cute as I remember?” Elizabeth went on. Jessica would certainly want to know.

  “Cuter,” Enid noted. “He’s been working out with weights. He’s really started to fill out.”

  “I’ll bet you can’t wait till he gets here.”

  “You’d better believe it. Besides you, he’s the only one I can complain to about Mom.” She did a double take. “Hey, why the sudden interest in Brian? You want me to fix him up with somebody?”

  With the matter put so bluntly before her, Elizabeth felt her confidence slipping. Maybe now wasn’t such a good time to try to sell Enid on Jessica, Elizabeth thought. “I just think Brian’s a great guy. I’m glad he’ll be in town,” she said weakly.

  “I’ll tell him you said that.” Enid was sure there was more to it than that, but she didn’t push her friend. “Now, tell me how Todd clobbered Crunch McAllister.”

  “He didn’t clobber him. All he did was let Crunch ride his Yamaha.”

  “It must have been a sight.”

  “It was.” But the sight Elizabeth recalled was the one of Mandy holding on tightly to Todd’s waist.

  “Well, how do you like that? Here’s the great man now,” Enid announced, looking up the street.

  Elizabeth felt her stomach tighten as she turned to see Todd approaching on the bike. About a block away he cut the engine and rolled along the curb silently until he reached the bus stop.

  To reassure herself of her feelings for him, Elizabeth walked up to him, unsnapped the visor on his helmet, and kissed him on the lips.

  “Well, and a good morning to you, too,” Todd said, removing his helmet. He got off the bike and hugged her. “I started to come up your street to pick you up when I suddenly realized I wasn’t in my car. Stupid of me, huh? I guess old habits die hard.”

  “I’m glad you decided to stop here,” Elizabeth said, returning the hug as hard as she could.

  While the two of them continued to wrap themselves in each other’s arms, Enid sorted through a thick stack of cream-colored envelopes she’d taken from her canvas carryall. She picked out two of them and held them up in the air.