04 - Born to be Wilde.txt by Born to be Wilde.txt Read Free Book Online Page A

misunderstood her question, Lora shook her head. "No, I mean, why do you need to think about letting her go to the party?"
     
    "Because she's fifteen," Sydney said meaningfully. "And she already has a centerfold body to match mine and every guy from the age of ten to eighty can only think of one thing when they look at her." Sydney put her head in her hands and groaned. "Why couldn't she have been skinny and flat-chested?"
     
    Lora would have laughed at Sydney's motherly complaint, but knew her friend wasn't joking. Sydney was thinking of her own troubling and unstable childhood, and how her deep yearning for love and security had led to her getting pregnant with Cassie at the tender young age of fourteen. Her very mature and voluptuous body, along with a boy's promise of forever, had prompted Sydney to ultimately give her heart and body to him. But she'd learned the hard way that he'd only wanted one thing from her, and in the end, when she'd needed him the most, he'd betrayed her in the worst possible way.
     
    And now, Sydney's biggest fear was that some young guy would take advantage of her own daughter in the same way.
     
    As Sydney's best friend, Lora was also the voice of reason in their relationship when it came to Cass, especially since she'd had her share of raising a teenager—her own brother. She didn't hesitate to set Sydney straight now, to give her the words she needed to hear.
     
    "I know it's hard to watch her grow up, Syd," Lora said gently. "But it's going to happen. You've loved her and you've done a great job raising her. Don't hold those reins too tight, or you might find her doing just the opposite of what you want."
     
    "I know, I know," Sydney agreed with a sigh, and dragged her fingers through her drying curls. "I just want her to make smart choices."
     
    "Then give her the chance, and a bit of space." The advice was logical, but not to Sydney, who'd spent years being an overly protective mother. "We've all made mistakes, and she'll make her share. But you need to have a bit of faith in Cass, and she needs to know you trust her. Let her go to the party and have a bit of fun, Syd."
     
    Her friend didn't look convinced, or swayed. "Well, I'll see what her math teacher has to say today before I say yes or no to the Halloween party."
     
    Lora arched a brow mockingly. "You have to ask her math teacher's permission for her to go to the party?"
     
    "No, smart-ass." Sydney stood and carried her mug to the sink and dumped the last of her coffee. "I got a call from him requesting a parent-teacher conference. Remember Daniel Barnett, Cassie's math teacher from last year?"
     
    Lora nodded. Oh, yeah, she definitely recalled the good-looking high school math teacher very well. She'd attended Cassie's Open House Night with Sydney last year, and that's when Lora had also noticed the subtle attraction between the two. But Daniel Barnett, with his clean-cut appearance and genuine nice guy personality, was the kind of man Sydney avoided as a rule—she preferred bad boys, rebels, and guys who were out for a good time, and nothing more. She didn't do long-term commitment or emotional entanglements, and never, ever allowed her heart to get involved in any relationship. According to Sydney, she had her daughter, The Electric Blue, and Lora as a best friend, and there was nothing else she needed in her life.
     
    "Anyway," Sydney continued as she rinsed out her cup and put it into the dishwasher, then dried her hand on a terry towel. "He's teaching Algebra Two this year, so Cassie has him again. He wants to talk to me about how she's doing in class, which is surprising, since she's always done very well in math. She even got an A in Algebra One last year."
     
    Lora joined Sydney at the counter and grinned. "Maybe Daniel Barnett is just looking for a good excuse to see you again."
     
    "Ummm, he's pretty straihtlaced, Lora. Kinda like you are." Sydney flicked the collar of Lora's practical work smock and wrinkled