I grimaced. “A check provides proof of what I’ve paid.”
“I don’t take checks. Cash only. Your mama knew the score. Now you do, too.”
The call ended, the radio blared through the speakers, and I turned it off. No matter how much I understood why Frank insisted on cash, I had the sinking feeling that it also allowed him to extract more money from people who owed… because no written records meant it was his word against mine.
God. Why did Mom put herself in this position?
I really needed answers from Dad on that, and I needed to get them in private. Catalina’s relationship with Dad wasn’t exactly great, but it was far better than mine. I thought it was worth trying to protect that for her if possible. Overhearing this conversation might further damage whatever Cat had with Dad. Their contact wasn’t frequent, but at least they were on speaking terms.
From the time I turned eighteen until Mom’s death, I’d reached out to Dad twice - tops. My strained relationship with him had made Mom’s funeral a bit awkward, but then Cat had never been taken along to watch him hustle someone out of their hard-earned money or convince someone to sell something to him for less than it was worth.
At a red light, I pulled up Dad’s contact and hit the call icon. This would make the tenth time I’d called him since Frank had swung by the house.
As usual, it went straight to voicemail.
This time, I left a lengthier message than before.
“Hey, Dad. I’ve left a few messages for you, but I’ll be more informative this time. A man named Frank Darren came by thehouse the other day. He mentioned you. He also says Mom owes him money - he doesn’t care that she’s dead, and I’d rather not tap into Catalina’s college fund to pay him off. Not that her school savings will cover half of what this guy wants, but…you know, do your daughters a favor andcall me.”
I jabbed my finger at the red end-call icon on the screen. My gut said he wouldn’t call back, but maybe mentioning Catalina would motivate him to respond.
Not long after Cat got home from school, my cell rang. I snatched it up, hopeful and almost excited for it to be Dad, but the screen displayed a number I didn’t know.
Maybe Dad had to use a different phone.
I answered the call.
“Savannah? It’s Punc.”
My ass hit my bed so fast, it was a wonder I didn’t collapse.
“Um, really?” I asked.
He chuckled. “Yeah. I’m sorry for the way I acted today. It wasn’t cool.”
My lips tipped up and I leaned back on my pillows. “You were cool, Ted. You’re protective, and I’m not sure anyone can fault you for that.”
His low hum gave me an unexpected thrill. “You’re being too kind, Smythe.”
I grinned. “As Rita says, the world can always use a little more kindness. Especially when it comes to seeing things from someone else’s perspective.”
“Why are you dancing?” he asked in a gentle tone. “Can you come clean about that? Something tells me it’s more than dealing with your mom’s death.”
I fought off a sigh. “If you repeat this, I’ll deny every word, but Catalina can put some food away, Punc. Add in all the upcoming expenses for the end of Cat’s junior year and… I don’t know. I want her to have everything she would have had with Mom alive.”
“What kind of expenses does she have for the end of her junior year?”
The deep timbre of his voice asking after my sister made me bite my lip. I wanted more of this. His gentle tone, his concern about what I had to deal with, and his insistence to apologize…I’d never had a man be so attentive.
It struck me that I’d been quiet too long, and with a chuckle, I answered his question. “Her class ring is on order, but the balance hasn’t been paid in full. Cat offered to cancel the order, but I meant what I said. Mom would have made this happen, and I’m determined to do the same. I could be wrong, but if nothing else, dancing will help me cover the cost of her bling.”
To be fair, that bit about Mom might have been a lie, but I’d like to think she wouldn’t have gone into debt with a loan shark and left Catalina hanging.
“What’s the damage? I can help with the class ring,” Punc said.
I tilted my head back and mouthed the word, “Crap.”
I righted my head and lowered my voice. “That is incredibly sweet. However, I can’t let you do that, Punc.”
