Page 36 of The Jackpot Screwer
Shaw’s face colored up and he cleared his throat. “I kinda punched him,” he said quietly.
“Shaw.” Mom rolled her eyes. “Please tell me you didn’t.”
“I think he did, Mom.” I began to laugh and high-fived my brother. “Good for you.”
Shaw grinned back at me. “Put him right on his ass.”
“You do know that this is your future you might have messed up, don’t you?” Dad ran a hand through his hair and paced up and down. “What length of time are we talking? Have they said whether it’ll affect you taking your law degree? Will they note it on your transcripts? Have they said? Did you ask?”
“Yes, Dad, I asked all of those questions. It won’t affect my chances of Harvard Law if I get my undergrad degree and a good LSAT score. They’ve also agreed to keep it from my transcripts as long as I don’t do anything like it again. Although,” Shaw said with a sigh. “It’s kinda soured my view of the place.”
“You’re not dropping out, son,” Dad growled.
“No, I don’t want to. I’ve worked too hard.” Shaw blew out a breath. “But I am thinking of applying to Baylor, or Texas Tech—I can do a clinical program with them, and I kinda like the idea of that.”
Mom’s face shadowed with worry, and when I glanced at Dad, he looked the same. Shaw had worked real hard at high school because Harvard had always been his goal. He must have been feeling bad about everything to consider transferring after his undergrad studies.
“But you can stay and apply to HL if you want to?” Dad scrubbed a hand over his chin as he contemplated everything.
“Yeah, I can,” Shaw replied.
“Did you get it in writing?” I asked. “Because they could say that now, but…”
“I go back after Spring Break and I got the Dean’s word,” he replied with a smirk. “They don’t want the scandal of one of their professor’s getting a student pregnant.”
Mom laughed. “Like that’s a scandal. I knew three girls at college who got pregnant by professors—one actually had the Faculty Dean’s baby.”
“Yeah, well, Mom,” Shaw said. “This professor has four kids and is married to the actual Dean. The Dean who happens to be about to star in a reality TV show about running an Ivy League college.”
“Really?” I gasped. “When does that start? Carter and I love reality TV shows. Oh, my goodness, I need to make sure we watch that.”
“Bronte, sweetheart,” Dad growled. “You think we could focus on the fact that your brother just got suspended from Harvard. And, while we are talking about all of this, who the hell does that car belong to? Don’t tell me you stole the damn professor’s vehicle as well as punching him.”
“Shit, Dad, no,” Shaw protested. “It’s a rental from the airport. I figured it was better to get here and then tell you what happened.”
“Shame.” I peered around Dad to look through the window. “Nice set of wheels.”
“Cool eh,” Shaw responded. “Drives like a dream.”
“Hey.” Dad clapped his hands together. “I said, focus.” He turned to Shaw. “And you’re sure that this isn’t going to come back on you after your suspension?”
“Yes, Dad. Dean Roberts doesn’t want the scandal. As well as the show she doesn’t want it affecting her sideline.”
“What sideline?” Dad asked, putting fisted hands to his hips.
“She does a lot of mentoring and mock trialing with some of the big law firms and it earns her a whole lot of money. So, if it’s on my transcripts, any law firm I try and get a job with will want to know the details. She’s worried they’ll spread it around, or even stop hiring her. Plus, what TV station wants their star caught up in scandal?”
“Oh, they’d love it,” I offered enthusiastically. “I mean look how much airtime the Kardashians get when Kanye pitches a fit about something.”
Dad gave me a withering look and sighed heavily. “Damn it, Shaw.”
“I know and I’m sorry, but he deserved it. I liked her you know.” He exhaled slowly and sadness shadowed his eyes. “Thought she might have been the one.”
My heart sank for him. “Oh, Shaw, that’s so sad.”
He shrugged. “At least I know now she’s a cheater and not when we’ve been married for a couple of years.” He turned to me and winked. “You’re lucky you found a good guy like Carter. He’ll never let you down.”
“But your sister broke up with Carter,” Mom said with a sigh. “Don’t forget that.”
