“No, you can’t,” Prim says in a deadpan voice.
Hank dons a startled expression, completely oblivious as to why his normally polite daughter has turned ice-cold.
“Didn’t you just hear yer ma scold me for how I treated a guest?” he says.
Prim’s usual cheerful expression turns bitter. “Tammy’s bringing Hollywood folks here, and you’ve said half a hundred times,“We ain’t Hollywood folk. They got no business here.”So why we bringing them to Bons?”
It’s a reaction nobody would have expected from Prim, myself included.
Hank slams his knuckles down on the table. “That’s it—get yer behind up to yer room. Don’t even think about coming down tonight.”
Prim’s look sours further, and she casts me a desperate look, but when I say nothing, she gets up, her chair practically falling onto the floor, and storms off.
“I think we should go up to the loft,” Ali says to Eva.
“Nonsense,” Hank says, running his thick fingers through his hair. “Tammy, or Ali Kat, or whatever it is you call yourself…I was wrong, for so long, and my error cost me dearly. Before you came back, we hadn’t spoken in…years, and that’s on me. I know yer goin’ back to Hollywood, and I’ve come to peace with that, but maybe, just maybe, we can do it better this time.
Ali smiles, and I can see she’s trying to blink away tears. “I’d really like that.”
“Now go, get yerselves to Bons.”
Jake punches me in the arm. “Come on, I’ll grab some hotdogs out of the fridge, so we don’t have to eat any more of my sister’s god awful cooking.”
“Hey!” Ali yells from across the table.
We exit the house grabbing a cooler and drinks on the way out.
“Girls are in the back,” Jake says.
I climb into the passenger’s seat, but before I can close the door, Eva snakes in, seating herself on my lap, and closing the door.
“I think you belong in the back,” I say as politely as I can.
“I think I belong right here,” Eva whispers in my ear, then nibbles my lobe.
Jake gets in, closes the door behind him, and starts the engine.
I look back to see Ali staring daggers at me, but there’s little I can do on account of Jake already closing in on the road. Plus, the last thing I want is to make a fuss and arouse Jake’s suspicion, so I decide to keep quiet and explain the situation to Ali later.
After all, what’s the worst that can happen?
