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After missing his sister’s accident, this was the last thing Nolan had pictured coming home to. “Love you, too,” said Nolan, clearing his throat and trying to brush off the wave of emotions hitting him hard right then, smack in the sternum. As they broke apart, Nolan grabbed hold of his weed again and this time, he yanked and tugged until he’d ripped it out by the roots. “Dad, last night, well… I wasn’t just at the beach allnight.”
“I would hope not.” His dad paused then, waiting for Nolan to continue, but he didn’t. “You metsomeone…?”
“Yeah,” said Nolan, more resigned than happy. He barely cracked a smile. “And I screwed it upalready.”
Wrapping an arm around him then, his dad patted his shoulder. “Son, welcome to the club. When you figure out how to not screw up with the ladies, let me know your secret.” He winked. “Better yet, when you find the girl who overlooks your screwups—like your mom did for me—bring her over here to meet mesometime.”
Now, a week and a half later, as hectic as things had been at home, they’d been… Okay. Not painful anyway. As noisy and as stressful as ever, but his dad had been there—reallybeenthere, in mind as well as body. Willow could walk with a crutch since it was her right leg that was broken and her left wrist, but she still struggled and their dad had even taken a couple of personal days to stay home with her while Nolan and Landon had gone off to Tildy World for Nolan’s usual shifts. Willow, the little scamp, seemed to like all the special attention. Were it not for the fact that she spurted tears—actual tears—when she said her skin itched or her bones hurt, Nolan would have been sure she’d done it all on purpose to get her dad to payattention.
She’d gone back to school the following Wednesday and Nolan’s dad had spoken with the woman who usually watched Landon on Fridays and had managed to get her to pick her up and drop her off, so she wouldn’t have to climb up thebus.
Willow had come home that first day with tons of drawings and signatures on both casts, exhausted from the extra effort of all the walking, but so thoroughly soaking up all theattention.
“She’s a little celebrity at school now,” said Nolan to DeShawn as DeShawn tugged on the zipper on the back of the suit. The rush of cool, air-conditioned air from the break room was like a sweet, icy kiss. “So I think all in all, she’s more happy this happened thannot.”
DeShawn chuckled at that. “We should get her and Bev together again some time,” he said, referring to his own little sister, who was a few years older than Willow. They’d played together at Tildy World before, though Nolan wasn’t sure their friendship extended much beyond that. “Are your brother and sister planning on coming to the big Ballroom/Tent Tildy crossover event thisfall?”
“Are they doing that again?” asked Jo, who cradled Tildy’s head under her fur-covered arm. “I thought theystopped.”
“Word is, Gyu-ri is starting it up again with…” DeShawn tapped a finger to his lips, thinking. “Well, with that fine new assistant manager, whatever her nameis—”
“The one who’s threatening to sue the company?” asked Tildy Scout caretaker Eddie then, taking Tildy’s head from Jo and helping her out of the rest of her suit. “Yeah, that’s nothappening.”
Nolan’s stomach ached as if someone had kicked it. Lilac hadn’t been seen around Tent Tildy in over a week—well, as far as most people knew. Rumors said she’d been in to speak to HR, a besuited lawyer and a middle-aged woman with a pixie cut marching alongside her. Nolan knew that had to have been her aunt, but Lilac had been cagey in the few texts they’d exchanged sincethen.
The rumors were Earl had done something to her and no one—absolutelyno one—was surprised. But Earl was still working, his unearned sense of joviality fairly diminished. He was as liable to snap a person’s head off as he was to make a crack about a woman’s ass thesedays.
Nolan felt sick then. WhyhadEarl been allowed to do such things again? Why had Tildy World of all places been okay with that asshole walking around in a position of power? As long as he didn’t bother the guests, then anythinggoes?
“Jillian says his wife kicked him out,” said Cheryl just then, cackling, a carrot stick in her hand as she approached. She had a Tildy Scout caretaker outfit on, too, her Queen Animaliao for the day one of the new girls over in the corner across the room. “And he’s not wearing his ring anymore.” She grinned evilly, putting her hand over her mouth to stifle herlaughter.
No oneliked thatguy.
Eddie frowned. “Seems premature to celebrate a guy’s life getting ruined, don’t you think? I mean, we don’t know whathappened.”
Her hand now free of Tildy’s furry arm, Jo smacked him—hard—on the shoulder. “Oh, no, you don’t. You don’t get to be one ofthose guysand be myboyfriend.”
Eddie rubbed his arm, his lips halfway between a smile and an expression of pain. “What?” he asked, seeming genuinely flummoxed. “Just because I dared think a man innocent until provenguilty?”
“It’sEarl,” snapped DeShawn then. “You know what he’slike.”
“I mean, I know he’s not the greatest of guys…” startedEddie.
“And how would sheproveanything anyway?” asked Cheryl. “If he didn’t do… whatever he did… where there’s a camera, how is she supposed toprovethings to yoursatisfaction?”
Eddie looked a bit put on the spot then. “Well, yeah, but I mean, can’t a girl just make something up then? Why does everyone automaticallyassume—”
“Oh, my god!” Jo threw her hands up and started shuffling away, her legs still in the Tildy suit. “I’m not hearing this. I’m not hearing this frommy boyfriend.” She couldn’t get far quickly at her Tildy-hinderedpace.
“Babe,” said Eddie, bending down to grab her legs and help her out. “I’m sorry. I bet you’re right. I bet he’s scum. I mean, heisgrating. It’s just, look, he’s still workinghere—”
“While the investigation is pending,” saidJo.
“Andshe’snot—”
“Likeyou’dwant to work around some grabby asshole?” shotCheryl.
“Sheisstill working,” said Nolan, then, his throat dry as he finally opened hismouth.
