Family Talk

"On Friday, they faced Gallatin High School's football team at Craven-Shot Stadium. Austin came in during the third quarter and rushed for a full 70 yards on six carries, like Tomlinson of the Chargers—the NFL's best running back in 2007. He helped Hendersonville beat their archrivals, so of course the team invited him to tonight's celebration. You saw what happened. He only had one drink, and it was a small one."

In Taylor's tastefully decorated living room, Ryan explained everything, holding a cup of Ceylon tea brewed by Taylor's mother.

Taylor's parents, seated beside each other on a loveseat, exchanged a glance. They didn't see anything wrong with his explanation.

"Then why didn't you answer your phone earlier?" Taylor's mother asked, still shaken.

"I probably forgot to turn the ringer on." Ryan pretended to think it over, though the real reason was that the nightclub had been too loud.

"Where were you celebrating?" Taylor's mother asked again.

"A n-nighttime... Where else could we go at night? We found a restaurant nearby." Ryan quickly changed his answer.

Taylor's mother nodded, accepting Ryan's story.

But then Taylor's father suddenly spoke up. "You said they won the game, so they were celebrating. Weren't you at the game?"

Ryan shook his head.

"What position do you play?"

"Tight End."

"Then where were you at the time?" Taylor's father immediately pressed, apparently spotting a hole in Ryan's story.

"He was at school, studying. He's a transfer student, remember?" Taylor spoke up quickly. She was sitting across from Ryan.

"That's right. You know how hard it is to keep your grades up at a time like this." Ryan nodded repeatedly.

Ryan and Taylor worked together to try to bluff their way through the whole thing.

But Taylor's father wasn't easy to fool. He suddenly turned to his daughter. "You know him?"

"No." Taylor quickly shook her head.

"You don't?"

"Um... I know him a little. I met him through Abigail." Taylor hurriedly corrected herself with an awkward smile, her nerves plain to see.

How could a man who had watched Taylor grow up fail to notice how nervous she was? He seemed to sense something was going on.

"Sweetheart, your mother and I are both here. You need to tell us the truth. What exactly is your relationship with him?"

"We're not related at all. Well, technically, we are a little. He's Trey's nephew..." Taylor smiled.

"You really have no connection?"

Taylor shook her head vigorously.

"Then why did you slap him?" Taylor's father raised his voice.

"I... I didn't mean to," Taylor muttered.

"Apologize to him. Now."

I have to apologize to him?! Taylor was absolutely unwilling.

"Your father's right. He went out of his way to bring your brother home. You should be thanking him," Taylor's mother chimed in.

Under her parents' stern orders, Taylor finally apologized to Ryan, though she clearly didn't want to.

Taylor's father nodded, then started making small talk with Ryan.

This time, his questions were much more detailed. He asked about Ryan's relationship with Trey, his grades, where he had lived before, and his plans for the future. Ryan didn't mention that he used to be a model or that he was currently working at a nightclub. Instead, he presented himself as a classic case of "a kid whose family had fallen on hard times, left without anyone to look after him, who came to Nashville to return to school and work hard so he could make it onto a top college football team"—exactly the sort of kid American middle-class parents loved.

What a great way to make himself look good. Taylor scoffed, cursing Ryan's shamelessness.

Then Taylor's mother even offered to let Ryan stay the night.

"He has his own car. Don't make a fuss," Taylor said, quickly getting to her feet and leading Ryan away.

"Who told you to get close to him? What are you even trying to do? If you keep this up, I'll... I'll..." Taylor suddenly couldn't think of a threat. Ryan used to need her help, but now things were completely different.

"Help me get my Myspace page decorated. Ideally, use the same management company you do." Ryan didn't waste time and went straight to the point.

Taylor was so busy with work that she must have people handling all that for her.

"Want me to get you a PR manager, too?" Taylor sneered.

"That'd be even better."

"Hmph." Taylor waved him off.

"Then restart your collaboration with Trey." Ryan made a second request. This whole thing had started because of him, so he had to make it up to Trey somehow.

"Beg me!" Taylor blurted, crossing her arms.

"What?" Ryan didn't understand at first.

Taylor gave an awkward smile. "I mean, you have to swear you won't bother me anymore, or my family, or Abigail."

"Bother you? Without me, your brother would still be passed out in that nightclub," Ryan reminded her.

"Then break up with Abigail!" Taylor ordered.

"Okay. I'll tell her tomorrow that I have to break up with her because your friend doesn't like me."

"So what? I'm only doing it for her own good." Taylor sounded a little unsure.

"Don't even think about it. She's gentler than you, more considerate, better at caring about other people, and ten times more passionate in bed. We're a great match." Ryan smiled.

"Bullshit!" Taylor finally snapped and swore at him.

While Ryan and Taylor were arguing, a middle-aged man who was still awake stood by the window in the room, pulling one of the blinds aside to secretly watch them.

"How's it going, Scott? Don't tell me they're already making out in the car?" Taylor's mother crept up to him. She had just come out of her younger son's room.

"Not quite, but they look like they're having a pretty intense conversation," Taylor's father reported.

Compared with Ryan's biological mother, who hadn't called him once in half a year, Taylor's parents cared for their daughter down to the smallest detail. They were more responsible than most American parents, and that included her love life. They had both noticed earlier that there was something unusual between their daughter and this young man, but they hadn't said anything.

"This isn't a good sign. She's never hidden a new boyfriend from us before," Taylor's mother said anxiously.

"Our daughter's grown up. It's normal for her to have some thoughts of her own. Besides, they don't seem to be doing anything intimate. Maybe they only just got together. As for that slap at the start, she was in such a hurry she didn't notice the look on his face. He was completely stunned. That's not how someone would normally react." Taylor's father analyzed what he'd seen, then recalled the scene when he had first gone outside. In the end, he came up with a plausible explanation.

"What was the boy's name again?"

"Ryan."

"He's a good match for Taylor height-wise, seems ambitious and polite, and even brought Austin home himself." Taylor's mother seemed quite pleased with Ryan.

"His family background isn't great, though. Maybe we could help pay for college?" Taylor's father had a sudden idea.

"You're crazy," Taylor's mother said with a laugh.

"Try a different condition. For example... I could turn your brother into a real Tight End!" Ryan offered.

"You can't get close to him!" Taylor still wouldn't budge.

Ryan shrugged. "His legs belong to him. A lot of things won't go the way you planned."

Taylor sighed. She couldn't exactly argue with that.

After watching Ryan's car drive away, Taylor turned and went back inside.

"Is Abigail prettier than me? More talented? I'm not falling for your tricks." Remembering Ryan's remarks comparing them, Taylor couldn't help muttering to herself.