“I found condoms and underwear under her mattress,” Van said bluntly. “I don’t mean cotton briefs either, but lace thongs and shit like that. I didn’t even know she knew where to buy that stuff, but I guess youcanget anything online.”
“No,” he said, drawing the word out as he gasped. “No, no, no. Our angel isn’t ready for sex. Teenage boys are irresponsible assholes. I know. I was one.” He stood up. “I’m going to bring her back home right now. This Paula clearly isn’t good for Bianca.”
Van tossed a rolled up napkin at him. “Sit down. If we try forcing her to do anything, she’ll be even more reckless. I know. I was a teenage girl too. We’ve talked about safe sex and what makes a good partner, but I don’t know how much she’s really listened. I thought my parents didn’t know anything when I was her age.”
“What do we do?” he asked, pacing the floor. Bianca was sweet, but so insecure. It wouldn’t be hard for someone to take advantage of her. “Once, I stole my older sister’s car keys before she went on a date with a guy that I thought was a vampire. It worked and kept her home, so should I steal Bianca’s Vespa?”
“She would murder you. She worked so hard last summer to pay for it. Wait, why did you think the boy was a vampire?” She held her hand up before he could say anything. “Never mind, don’t tell me. It might start making sense and that scares me.”
Mal bit his lip hard and grabbed Truffle. He hugged the cat tightly. “I blame the Twilight movies. He was pale, and we lived in Washington.”
“I said I didn’t want to know, damn it.” Van carried the plates to the sink. “You even have a dishwasher in your RV? Bougie, Mal. You’re a bougie fucker.”
“What if she isn’t at Paula’s?” he asked. “What if she’s in the back of some guy’s car right now?”
“Then I ground her for a year.” She groaned. “Stop speculating. You’re making me worry more. Teenagers are frustrating, Mal. Two stars. I don’t recommend.”
“You work a lot, Van. That, plus the long drive to and from the hospital, means she’s alone a lot. Should I start following her and keep an eye on things?”
Van blinked slowly, staring at him. “Yes, a thirty-year-old, grown-ass man should follow a teen girl around town. No one will think that’s creepy at all.”
“I’m twenty-seven.”
“That’s what you take offense to?” Van shook her head. “You ain’t right, Mal. Listen, we’re probably worrying for nothing. Paula isn’t a bad kid, and her dad is a nice man. He’s a single parent too and puts in the work. You know what I mean?”
“You’ll let me know if you need anything from me?” He gave her a worried look. “You two are important to me, even if I only see you three to four months a year.”
“You’re family, you weirdo.” Van gave him a soft look and patted his cheek. “I need to get ready for work. You and your fancy dishwasher can handle clean-up, right?”
“Sure. Have a good night.” He hung out the door as she walked the short distance to her house. “Call me if you need me, Van. For real!”
Later that night,Mal was still worried about Bianca. He didn’t know anything about raising teens, but he knew what kind of trouble they could get into. He had grown up with four siblings and a shit ton of cousins. The amount of trouble they had gotten into was staggering. Especially the quiet ones.
“It’s always the quiet ones,” he mumbled, adjusting the headpiece of his Chewbacca costume.
Rueben and Ernie Hart’s cabin was nestled on a remote, wooded road. He had it on good authority that the two men would be at the cabin that night for some alone time.
“Sorry, Ernie, but I need to destress,” he whispered and approached the window of the kitchen. The interior lights were on, so he knew they were there. He saw movement inside, and bent down, creeping slowly to the closest window.
The sound of running water suggested someone was at the kitchen sink. “Perfect.”
Inch by inch, he rose up in the window, waiting eagerly for the screams of joy he was sure would come. Ernie Hart was known to be obsessed with Bigfoot. He’d likely run out and try to catch Mal.Pranking the Wilsons is the best, he thought giggling in happiness.
His giggles stopped instantly. Instead of Ernie, a handsome man in his mid-thirties stared at Mal through the window. The man was dressed in a slightly rumpled suit, and his dark brown hair was disheveled. His chiseled face was somber and perfectlycalm. Mal was enraptured by brown eyes deep enough to drown in.
The man reached out and opened the window. “Hello?”
“Well, this is awkward,” Mal said, shuffling his feet.
“You were expecting Ernie, weren’t you?”
Mal nodded then sighed and took off the headpiece. “Yeah. Rueban and he were supposed to be here this weekend.”
The man nodded. “You are correct. They even lined up a sitter for the children.”
“So, umm, he’s not here?” Mal felt like a little kid asking his friend’s parent if they were home.
“No. Rueben and he lent me the cabin for a couple of days. They went to the coast for the weekend instead. I’m Cain, by the way. Cain Benson.”
