“That might be a job for Walker, he’s the expert around here. I barely know the rules,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “But I would like to take you to the dance on Friday night. What do you say? I know you might think that it’s a waste of time, but I think you need a break.”
“I don’t know, Jackson, that’s only two days away,” she said. “I don’t have anything to wear, and I wouldn’t have the slightest idea where to start; I’ve never been to a formal dance before.”
“All the more reason we should go,” he said, grinning at her. “Don’t tell me that you’re chicken to go to the dance with me.”
“I’m not chicken,” Abby said, giving him a dirty look and then sighing. “Okay, maybe I am a little scared. I don’t want to embarrass either of us.”
“Abby, you could never embarrass me,” he said, shaking his head. “We’ll find you something to wear, I’m sure Yvonne will be happy to help. Come on, don’t say no. It will be a lot of fun, I promise.”
“If I can find something to wear, I guess we could go,” she said, still hesitant. “But I have to warn you: I don’t know how to dance, and I’ll probably step all over your toes.”
“All you have to do is follow my lead,” he said, grinning at her. “You’ll be fine, I promise, I happen to be an excellent dancer. My mother made sure of that.”
“I think I might be able to help with the dress, if you don’tmind something vintage,” Hattie said, walking over to the table and handing Jackson a cookie, a look of satisfaction on her face. “Believe it or not, I was about your size when I was in college, and I saved all my dresses.”
“Oh, Hattie, that’s so sweet,” Abby said, smiling at the older woman. “Are you sure you don’t mind…I’ll be really careful, I promise.”
“It would bring me a great deal of pleasure if you wore one,” Hattie said, then looked over at Sam. “Watch those cookies for me. Abby and I are going to the cottage to look at dresses.”
When they were gone, Sam grabbed a cookie and took a big bite. “She’ll never know,” he said, then let out a long sigh. “Take my advice, young man. Marry a woman who can cook. You’ll never be sorry.”
“I don’t know if Abby can cook, but I plan to marry her someday,” he said, the thought warming him from inside. “She just doesn’t know it yet.”
Mindy was sittingbehind her desk when he walked into Dean Proctor’s office later that afternoon. “I’ve got an appointment this time,” he said, smiling at her. “Is he ready for me?”
“You can go on in,” she said, returning his smile. “He’s been waiting for you.”
Steven was sitting behind his desk when he walked in and a big smile instantly appeared on his face. “Dean Proctor, thanks for seeing me,” he said. “I know that you’re a busy man.”
“I’m never too busy for you boys. I wish you’d call me Steven, at least behind closed doors. All this formality makesme a little sad,” Dean Proctor said, shaking his head. “Now, what can I do for you?”
“I was wondering what progress you’ve made on shutting down the Kappas,” he said, sitting down across from his old sponsor. “It’s been two weeks, and I don’t know how much longer Abby can keep this up; she’s getting restless being cooped up all the time.”
“I can imagine, but I’m afraid these things take time. There are channels we have to go through,” Steven said, then hesitated. “Look, Jackson, I know you have a personal interest in all this, so I’m going to tell you a few things I shouldn’t, but it has to stay between us.”
“You know you can trust me,” he said, leaning forward. “I want this to be over as much as anyone. I’ll help any way I can.”
“I wish it were a matter of needing your help, but this is too dangerous for you boys to be messing with,” Steven said. “It’s becoming more and more clear that the Kappas haven’t been acting on their own. They’ve got someone very powerful backing them. That bomb the police recovered was an advanced piece of workmanship. No one in that house could have made it. Until we figure out who is really responsible, the Kappas are our only link, and we can’t afford to sever that connection yet.”
It took him a second to absorb what that meant. “Are you telling me that you’re not going to do anything to stop them?” he finally asked. “You’re just going to let them keep vandalizing the school and threatening students.”
“Well, no, not exactly,” Steven said, wincing a little. “Look, I don’t like this any more than you do, but right now, the police just want to watch them. They’re hoping the Kappas will lead them to the real criminals. I’ve hired extra security, the police are doing extra patrols, so someone is watchingthem every minute of the day. They won’t have the opportunity to go after Abby again. If you want my guess, they’ve forgotten all about her. They’ve got bigger problems.”
“I wish I could say that was reassuring, but it’s not,” he said, getting to his feet. “You’re putting a lot of people in danger, not just Abby. I can’t believe that you’re going along with this.”
“It wasn’t my idea,” Steven said, standing up. “You have to believe me, Jackson, I fought against it. I wanted to throw them off campus, evidence or not, but I was outranked. My hands are tied.”
“Well, mine aren’t. I stayed out of this because you asked me to,” he said. “But I’m not making that promise anymore. Abby needs her life back, and if you won’t give it to her, I will.”
He turned and stomped back out of the office before he said something he would regret. Steven was calling his name, but he kept walking, his dragon surging to life with the anger rolling through him. He was done standing on the sidelines. The Kappas had to be stopped, and he was going to find a way to do what the police and the school administration wouldn’t do.
***Abby***
Abby stood in front of the mirror, not sure that she was looking at her own reflection, but the smile on Yvonne's face behind her convinced her, and she let the grin she’d been holding back slowly spread over her face. Hattie had been right about the dress, a pale blue silk creation that hugged her in all the right places but still left plenty to the imagination. Yvonne had done something fancy with her hair and applied just enough makeup to highlight her blue eyes andcreamy complexion, turning her into a princess on her way to the ball.
She’d been unsure about going to the dance with Jackson, sure that she’d look silly all dressed up, but looking in the mirror, she saw a sophisticated woman looking back at her. “Jackson isn’t going to know what hit him when he sees you,” Yvonne said, making a few final adjustments to her hair. “You look beautiful, Abby.”
“Thanks to you two,” she said, looking over at Hattie. “The dress is perfect, Hattie. Thank you for trusting me with it. I feel like a princess.”
