AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Kristi—”
“Dad, don’t,” she said, cutting him off before he could even ask her to move in. She’d heard it before. “I know you’re going to tell me to be careful and I will be, but I’m not coming back here, okay?” She explained about nailing the window shut and planning to get it fixed. She also told him she was having the locks changed, getting a new security system with updated cameras, digital footage, and alarms, and that she’d contacted a local shelter about getting a dog, one that would get along with cats as she’d recently taken in a stray kitten.
He was undeterred. Worried sick. “You should have told me about it when you received the first one.”
“I know. I thought it was just a prank, or a mistake or something,” she said a little defensively. “I mean, I’ve gotten weird letters before.”
“Never left on your doorstep, or in your drawer,” he pointed out. “This . . . this . . .maniac . . .person knows where you live.” And that scared the hell out of him.
“I know.” She checked her watch. “Look, I’ve gotta run. Literally. Bella wants me to start jogging with her three days a week. Stupidly I said yes. Well, actually I didn’t say anything and she took it as a yes.” She scraped her chair back. “And I’ve got a call in to a new security company. They’re supposed to call back and set up an appointment and I do work, you know.”
“You’re a writer. I think your schedule’s pretty flexible.”
“It is,” she admitted sharply, “but I’m trying to get back into it. It’s been . . . it’s not been easy.”
He nodded. “I, uh, suppose not.”
“But I thought I should bring you these”—she motioned to the cards—“ASAP.”
“Right.” He didn’t want her to leave, felt impotent. But she was nothing if not headstrong. She’d made up her mind. “Okay, but if you ever want to crash here—”
She held up her hand and stood. “Yeah, Dad, I know. Your door is always open.”
“Right.”
“And I appreciate it. Really. But . . .” She sighed, looked for a second like she might break down, but cleared her throat. “I’ve got this handled. Really.”
He didn’t believe her for a minute, but just then Olivia appeared, disheveled, her wild curls framing her face. She was yawning as she cinched the belt of her robe over her nightshirt.
“Coffee,” she said. “God, what a night.” Then she spied Kristi. “I thought I heard you.” A smile stretched over her face and even in all her disarray, or maybe because of it, she was, without a doubt, at least in Bentz’s opinion, the most beautiful woman he’d ever met. And that included Jennifer, Kristi’s mother, herself a knockout. “Are you making breakfast?” she asked, shooting her husband a look.
“Not for me. I was just telling Dad I’ve got to go,” Kristi said, keys in hand. She and Olivia had bonded over the years, though when her father had first started seeing his now wife, Kristi hadn’t accepted the woman who would become her stepmother. For a while it had been difficult for them all, Bentz thought, though eventually Olivia had won over his hardheaded daughter and the rough edges of their relationship had smoothed. “Look, I’ll take a rain check.” She forced a smile, then looked back to her father. “Dad, you’re on, maybe next weekend.”
And she was out the door.
Olivia turned to him, her gaze skating across the cards still lying on the table. “What was that all about?” she asked.
He explained about the short meeting with Kristi, everything she’d told him, and as Olivia picked up first one card, then the other, examining it through the plastic, he added, “But she’s lying.”
“Lying?” Her eyebrows drew together. “About what?”
“I don’t know. Maybe things are worse than she admitted, but she’s holding out.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” He was. “I know my daughter and when she lies, she forces herself to stare straight at you, hold your gaze, you know? As if to convince you that she’s telling the truth by not looking away. She’s done it since she was about fourteen when she was sneaking out, or meeting a boy or generally getting into trouble. She thought she could look innocent and sincere enough to fool me.”
“But you were too smart for her, is that it?” Olivia arched a knowing eyebrow.
“Yeah.” He nodded, catching the sarcasm. “That is it.”
“I don’t know. Kristi’s pretty damned sharp.” But her playful attitude changed as she studied the Bible verses and looked up. “This is serious, Rick.”
“You’re telling me.” At that moment Ginny let out a cry from their bedroom.
“Oops. Duty calls. I’ll get her and you pour me a cup of coffee.”
“You go get the coffee,” he told her, and pushed his chair back. “I’ll see to our daughter.”
