AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What’re you really doing here?” I asked quietly.
“What? Can’t I come see my girl?”
I looked at him.
He smiled. “Okay, you got me. I need a place to crash for a couple of nights.”
Panic filled me. Mom plus Dad plus the same apartment equaled disaster.
“I’m not living in the same place,” I told him.
“That’s okay,” he replied.
“I don’t really have the room.”
“You didn’t really have the room before, but you let me stay,” he said, looking at me closer and knowing I was holding back.
“There’s something…” I couldn’t finish. Eddie was right there. I could feel his eyes on me. Dad didn’t know about Mom and I didn’t want to tell him. I didn’t want all the big ears around me to hear either. And Mom would have had a conniption if I invited Dad to stay. One-armed or not, she’d throw everything in the apartment at him and chase him around in her wheelchair.
“Princess Jet, your ole dad has to crash. Been on the road too long.”
“We’ll get you a hotel.”
His eyes flashed and then shut down.
Damn.
He didn’t have any money.
I didn’t have any money, either. Every dollar was pinched for every penny I could squeeze out of it.
I stared at my dad. He looked tired, he needed a bath, and last but not least, he was my dad.
This was gonna hurt, in more ways than one.
“We’ll go to the bank machine,” I said on a sigh.
I could pick up more shifts at Smithie’s.
Maybe.
If Smithie was in a good mood.
“I’ll pay you back,” Dad told me.
I’d heard that before.
I turned to Indy and saw Eddie, still leaning on the counter and still watching me. His eyes were sharp and I knew he’d heard every word. I felt humiliated, this time for myselfandfor my dad.
“Indy, Dad and I are gonna—” I didn’t even finish.
“You know we make our own hours, girl. Go be with your dad,” Indy said.
I turned back to Dad, trying to ignore Eddie and everyone. I put my arm through his.
“Had lunch?” I asked, pretending to be bright and cheerful and someone who could afford to go out to lunch.
“Nope,” he said on a big grin. “Your ole dad is starved.”
