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He turned to her, frustration and fatigue in his eyes.
“I’m okay. Everything is fine. Except for one thing.”
“What?” The concern in his eyes amped up.
“I’m sorry I missed our date.”
He squeezed her hand back. “Me too. I’ll get us a reservation for tomorrow.”
“Sounds good. Can I borrow your phone?”
He pulled it out, unlocked it with his thumbprint, then handed it to her. He didn’t ask what she wanted it for and just drove them out of the lot to the pharmacy, through the drive-through pickup line, which thankfully took less than five minutes, and then home.
She made plans to thank him and her dad and stepmom for tonight, hoping that when they arrived at the house everyone would be more relaxed and less inclined to escalate this situation.
It felt like a foolish wish, but she swore to herself she would not be the cause of more strife.
Chapter Twenty
Summer noticed the problem the second they drove up to the house, but it was Cody who asked, “Where’s your car?”
She had a good idea.
“Did someone actually steal it right out of the driveway?” Cody cut the engine and opened his door.
Her dad and Miranda must have waited the few extra minutes for them inside their Land Rover. He and Miranda got out and joined Cody.
She reluctantly got out on her side.
“What do you mean, her car is missing?” her dad said.
Summer caught the knowing look that came over Miranda. Their eyes met. Summer didn’t say anything.
Another vehicle arrived.
Cody glanced at the Prius. “Who’s that?”
“I ordered dinner for everyone, since none of us got to eat.” Summer went to the driver and accepted the bag of food. She held it up. “Your favorite, Dad.” She’d ordered from the Italian place he loved. “Who’s hungry?”
Cody looked at her, perplexed. “Aren’t you worried about your car?”
“I’m more worried that the person who took it drives carefully.” The car had a lot of horsepower, and speeding on the winding roads in Carmel could be dangerous.
Cody went still, then he slowly turned to her dad. “Natalie took it.” Cody fumed and walked toward the house, her dad and Miranda on his tail.
Summer walked in at her leisure, wishing her sister hadn’t compounded things.
Somehow, Summer knew, this was going to come back and bite her in the ass. She’d end up paying for Natalie’s self-indulgent ways.
She found them all in the kitchen.
Haley rushed at Summer and threw her arms around her. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Summer handed the bag of food off to Cody and held Haley close. She leaned back and cupped Haley’s face. “Thank you for worrying about me. You’re sweet.”
Haley let her go and sat on one of the stools at the breakfast bar next to Cody.
Miranda sighed and stared at her phone. “She’s not answering.”
