AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Then Linda had called her away and he and Penta had become nothing but ghosts looking in from the outside of the warm family circle.
She continued, her tone thoughtful. “I wonder if that’s why Linda agreed to let us come.”
He appreciated the us. It made him feel less alone. His curiosity piqued by her words, he managed an inquiring grunt.
“What better way to keep you apart while giving in to what Elle wanted? She’ll be too busy today to spend time with you.”
Before he could decide whether to be appeased or irritated by this, Linda announced it was time for Elle to open her presents and his anxiety kicked into an all-new gear.
Penta had offered to help him choose a gift, but he’d wanted to do it on his own. After ten minutes of wandering around a local department store, he’d realized he’d made a horrible mistake. What did he know about teenage girls? Nothing. What did he know about Elle? Not much more.
He’d almost had a panic attack right then and there. His terror had deepened as he eyed the rack of greeting cards, paralyzed by the dozens of choices, none of which suited the situation. Those for daughters mocked his absence from Elle’s life and he refused to buy a funny one. The question of what to write inside twisted his gut. Should he sign it Love, Dad? Or was that just weird.
With a sense of certain doom, he’d made his decisions and fled the store, sweaty and breathless.
Elle reached for his gift. Black spots whirled in his vision.
PENTA WAS SO FURIOUS she wanted to hit something. Her teeth ground together behind the calm, meaningless smile plastered on her face.
She couldn’t believe Linda was so cruel as to finally allow Cash to be a part of their daughter’s life—and then keep him ostracized and isolated. She hadn’t even offered them a drink or invited them to nibble the appetizers and snacks covering the kitchen counter.
This was worse than not coming at all. It only highlighted Cash’s estrangement.
Never verbose, he’d grown grimmer and grimmer the longer they stood in their corner. She thought he might have a small reprieve as Elle, sitting cross-legged on the living room carpet, worked her way through colourful gift bags and boxes.
Instead, his tension tightened until she could feel him trembling.
She should have insisted on helping him choose a present. Gift-giving was fraught with tripwires and landmines, especially when a teenage girl was involved. And if that teenage girl was a daughter you’d only just met...
She shuddered. Please god, let him have picked right.
Elle plucked a flat, rectangular package from the pile. Penta hadn’t thought it possible, but Cash stiffened further. She slid him a worried glance. His profile was tense and rigid, the creases around his mouth deep with strain, and his gaze was locked on the gift in Elle’s hands.
This is it, she thought, her own gut coiling and uncoiling like a worm on a hook.
“There’s no card on this one.” Elle looked expectantly around the room.
“It’s from me.” Cash’s words rumbled like rocks rolling downhill.
Elle’s expression lit with heart-aching anticipation. Penta’s pulse tripped rapidly and she prayed with all her might.
Unlike the careless enthusiasm with which she’d torn into the other gifts, the girl peeled off the tape and unfolded the paper with respect.
“Oh.” Elle’s exclamation was soft and worshipful. She lifted a book bound in smooth tan leather out of the wrappings. Penta could see the gilt edges and a red silk ribbon dangling from the spine. Elle opened it reverently, revealing thick cream pages. “It’s a journal.”
Cash cleared his throat. “Your mom told me you wrote poetry. Thought you could use it for that.”
Penta recalled the day Linda had stormed into Cash’s shop. She’d forgotten the brief mention of Elle’s writing. Obviously, he hadn’t. She wanted to hug him for thinking of such a perfect gift.
Wait a minute. I’m supposed to be his girlfriend. Why shouldn’t I?
She slid both arms around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder. After a frozen instant, he tugged her closer. The top two buttons of his crisply ironed, pale green dress shirt were unfastened, revealing a few curling red hairs. Her calf, bare below her knee-length capris, brushed the stiff fabric of his patently new jeans. The care he’d taken with his appearance made her weepy. He wanted his relationship with Elle to work so badly.
“Thank you.” Elle stroked the book, hugged it to her chest, and stared at Cash with damp eyes. “Thank you so much.”
“Here’s the one from Gramma and Gramps. Open it next.” Linda’s strident voice broke the connection between father and daughter.
Penta jerked, startled out of the moment. Cash’s arm tightened and he looked down with raised eyebrows, as if surprised to see her there. His lashes flickered, hiding the thoughts swirling in the steel-grey depths, and she thought he might release her. When he didn’t, she allowed herself to relax.
