“I am grown, duh. I turned eighteen in March.”
“I mean mature.”
Where was this coming from? “I am mature. Just ask my friends.”
“You overcharged four credit cards this month. Where did the money go?”
Oh. She didn’t realize she’d done that. “Things.”
“What things?”
“You know, stuff.” She sulked. “You’ve never complained before.”
“That’s my fault. I should have taught fiscal responsibility to you earlier, but there’s no time like the present.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“After your ceremony next week, you’re going to Arkansas.”
She sat up again. “What’s an Arkansas?”
Daddy’s mouth dropped open. “You’re kidding. Wait, you’re serious. What did they teach you in school anyway?”
“Lots of boring stuff.”
He shook his head, then said, “Arkansas is in the south... by Texas... Forget it. Vivian’s there, and she’s agreed to let you stay with her for the summer.”
“Really?” Despite her confusion, she was excited to hear him mention her first stepmother, Vivian, or Viv as Kalista called her. She had married Daddy when Kalista was six, a year after her mother had died, and even though they divorced five years later, Viv was a formal model and had been in her life a few years after that. Although, since then they’d talked infrequently. Why was she in Arkansas? “Hold on, what do you mean ‘for the summer’?”
“She’s getting married in August, and she agreed to let you stay with her until after the wedding.”
“But what about my summer here? I have plans with my friends.” Very loose plans. Actually, nonexistent, but that was usually how her summers went—she just did what she felt like when she felt like doing it. “Does Arkansas have a beach?”
Daddy chuckled. “No.”
“What about a mall?”
“Probably, but I’m not concerned about that. I’m worried aboutyour lack of direction. I don’t want you to get your trust fund and blow it on clothes and hair salons.”
“I wouldn’t do that.” She’d known for a while she had a trust fund that she would get when she turned twenty-one. “I’m going to buy a Bentley. Oh, and a big house. I bet I could get Britney Spears to sing at my parties—”
“Good Lord,” Daddy said, his scowl back again. “Are you listening to yourself? Having money involves lots of responsibilities. There’s nothing wrong with a fancy car or a big house, but you need other goals. Like an actual job.”
“Oh, I can get a job,” she said, although the idea sounded dull. None of her other friends worked—why should she?
“You need to understand the value of hard work too. Vivian’s fiancé is a farmer—”
“Yuck.”
Daddy gave her an exasperated look. “You also need an attitude adjustment.” He stood. “I bought the tickets and Vivian is expecting you. A week from today you’ll be in Clementine, Arkansas.”
She jumped to her feet. “But—”
“No buts, Kalista Louise. You have to prove that you’re mature and responsible enough to handle your trust fund. The first step is getting a job and helping Vivian with whatever she needs. Understand?”
“And what if I don’t?” She crossed her arms over her shoulders. He couldn’t make her do this, could he? She was an adult, not a little kid.
“Then you won’t get your trust fund until you’re thirty. No, make that thirty-five. I must have been out of my mind to plan to give it to you at twenty-one.”
