Page 122 of Crew Girl

“I’m sure,” her dad said. “Listen, Teagan, don’t take this out on your mother, okay? She was trying to protect you from my mess.”

She winced, shot her mom an apologetic look. Her mom gave her hand a squeeze. She understood.

“Your mom’s made a great life for you here and did it with less than nothing. I always knew she was amazing, but I hadn’t realized how strong she was as well.”

He pulled her and her mom into a hug. Teagan realized he was kind of like her. Someone who made good decisions and bad decisions, then dealt with the fallout. This would be awful, but she’d hug him again soon.

“Catch-of-the-day ceviche?” Juliet held out a porcelain amuse-bouche spoon.

“You’re blocking my view,” Teagan said drily.

“Yeah,” Juliet said. “Kind of the point?”

“I want to see.”

Juliet shifted so Teagan could get a final glimpse of her dad heading off with two people wearing FBI jackets.

“I would’ve given you a heads-up, but you were off splashing around in the lake with the boys.”

Teagan snorted. Juliet always knew how to lift her spirits. They sat down on the hillside, Teagan’s head resting on Juliet’s shoulder. “What other intel did you gather while I was splashing around?”

“Ummm…”

“What?” prompted Teagan. Whatever it was, she could cope with it.

“Your mom and Coach?”

“Yeah…?”

“She pressed pause.”

“Oh?” It had been weird, yeah, but her mom had been happier than she’d been in a long time.

Juliet sighed. “Yeah, they’re living out their own version of It’s Complicated.”

“That had a happy ending, right?”

Juliet winced. “I think Coach Hayden’s neck-deep in the dreaded dark moment.”

“Why?”

“Principal Cabrera and he exchanged words. They weren’t congratulatory.”

Teagan’s heart sank. It had to be about her and Cam being on the boat.

“She fired him,” Juliet said.

Shit. Coach had said he’d face the consequences of his decision. He’d guessed what would happen and done it anyway. But still. Being friend-zoned and fired on the same day? Poor Coach. Kind of on a par with seeing your fugitive dad for the first time in months only to watch him turn himself in to the Feds.

“So!” Juliet gave Teagan’s knee a pat, then stood up. “That’s you all caught up. And if I catch you getting all angsty about having a dad behind bars and a mom… behind a bar…” She grinned. “See what I did there?”

“You should take your show on the road,” said Teagan dryly.

“Good idea. I might stand a better chance of seeing my parents…” Juliet shook her head vigorously. “No! No, no. Do not give me your sympathy. I’m the one doling out advice here.”

Teagan laughed. “I’m listening.”

“All I’m trying to say is, your parents might be traveling different paths than the rest of these weird-ass families, but at least you know they’ll do whatever it takes to see you.”