Page 54 of Silver Player

A friend covering for you as a teen is one of the oldest tricks in the book.

Accusing her and suggesting I call said friend makes me sound like my mother.

Dear God, I’ve become Elaina Harrington.

So if I call Griffin Duncan’s mother to confirm you spent the night there last night, she’s going to tell me you did? That woman could smell a lie frying the next county over, and she caught me half a dozen times trying to cook them up.

I decide to change tactics. “You know, if you did steal the money, you could tell me. Tell me why.”

Sadie cranes her neck in my direction, swerving the truck with the movement.

“Eyes,” I bark, and Sadie rights the tires before we veer into the ditch. My heart races in my chest. I’m clutching the seat belt near my throat.

“Do you need something? I can buy it for you. Just ask me. We can talk about it.”

Sadie’s eyes close for a second, and then she snaps them open before I speak. Her eyes shift sideways and back to the windshield. “I didn’t steal the money.” Her teeth clench, and I want to believe her. Deep down, I really want to trust she’s telling the truth.

“Then tell me where you were.”

She doesn’t answer, but there’s no lying about her absence. When I checked on her, she wasn’t in her bed. Another old trick—making the bed with pillows to look slept in, although I don’t know how Roxie could miss it.

Did Sadie look sick to you?

“Wherever you were, you were lucky to be back before Roxie came upstairs.”

“Why? What happened?” Sadie’s tone shifts to concern for her aunt, the one person I’d hope she doesn’t lie to, yet she must.

“She was robbed, remember?” I state, reminding her of the reason for this awkward conversation. “Plus, she was shaken and worried about you. She thought you were sick.”

Silence fills my truck as Sadie continues down the winding road.

“I used that trick a time or two myself. The old pillows lining the bed one.”

“What?” Sadie doesn’t dare look at me, but her fingers tighten on the wheel. “Why?”

I’m not about to tell my child the shenanigans I pulled, sneaking off to meet Rachel or catching rides with Mati when she snuck off with Denton a time or two. I need Sadie to know I’m concerned here. “I covered for you. Roxie doesn’t know what I saw.”

Sadie’s head quickly turns in my direction, her mouth agape before she turns back to the road.

“I don’t want to be lying to your aunt, though. It’s not a good way to start a relationship.”

“Are you and my aunt in a relationship?” she teases, her tone full of sarcasm.

“We’re all in a relationship,” I admit. “The three of us. But I don’t want one based on secrets or deception. I think I’ve been deceived enough.”

The truck falls quiet after that, and I feel a little bad. It isn’t Sadie’s fault I didn’t know about her. I blame Trixie, and I’ve been damn near pissed off some nights thinking about all I’ve missed with my daughter. The thought hits me hard once again.

“Hey, up here, let’s turn around. I know a place we should go.” Then I grit my teeth as Sadie learns the art of a three-point turn.

+ + +

“Stick your butt out a little bit. Then run on your toes,” I suggest, a smile filling my voice.

“I feel ridiculous,” Sadie mutters, but she holds the ball upright before her, tiptoes to the line and then lowers to release it. The ball heads straight for the gutter. Again. “Dammit.”

“Hey,” I murmur. “Keep it clean.”

Sadie turns to face me while her bowling ball disappears down the lane, glaring at me like how dare I make such a suggestion.