“You did not let her in that house.” Her father glared at her.
Bad enough to bully Dawson, but he wasn’t going to bully her, too, damn it.
“I helped her unload the bags from her car, and then I put them on the porch so my favorite granola did not sit outside on the ground where Hazel could sneak it into the bushes to eat.” She folded her arms around an ache in her heart that hurt 24/7, missing the mother she remembered all the more.
Mom had been good at standing up to Dad.
But then, she’d also lied and cheated on him.
Her heart softened a little as Hazel returned with the ball, nudging her hand insistently to throw it again. Dawson took it from the dog without a word, throwing it for her and making a new friend.
“Fine.” Dad headed up the steps. “You and your friend can visit while I put away the groceries. But it is a school night.”
“I saw some beef jerky in there.” Bailey wished he’d at least be civil to her mother again. No matter who was wrong, it sucked that she was caught in the middle.
“I’ll buy my own damn groceries,” he grumbled. “These are all for you.”
“There’s beer, too,” she couldn’t resist adding, winking at Dawson behind her father’s back until she remembered that Dawson wasn’t happy with her, either.
“No doubt trying to butter me up before I hear from her attorney,” he groused through the screen as he leaned over to pick up the bags. He jostled them both to one arm, reached inside and pulled out a six-pack. He dropped it in the industrial-size trash, and a few of the cans hissed open.
“Should we help him?” Dawson watched Cole’s awkward movements as he edged around furniture. This time, Dawson did lower his voice so only she could hear.
“Not unless you want your head bitten off for suggesting he can’t handle it himself.” She’d learned that at the tender age of ten when she’d wanted to attach the straps on his prosthetic for him.
He’d yelled at her so hard she’d cried the rest of the afternoon. That was one of many times her mother had tried to explain to her about the “ghosts” that had come home with her father after his last tour of duty. There’dbeen a lot of years since then, but her father had never sought help for the temper, the bitterness or the nightmares that sometimes woke the whole house.
“Guess I’ll pass.” Dawson shrugged out of his hoodie and handed it to her. “You should put this on. It’s getting cold.”
She wanted to refuse. Still miffed about the way he’d tricked her into revealing the truth about her relationship with J.D., she had a retort at the ready. But he simply lowered it to her shoulders like a shawl.
Surrounding her in warmth and boy scent. Not sweat, either. Something good-smelling.
“Can we sit on the swings next door?” he asked, squatting down to greet Hazel’s triumphant return.
The dog eyed Dawson sidelong and refused to give him the ball back even though she kept nudging his knee with her head. The flirt.
“Sure.” She didn’t want her father to overhear this.
Tromping through the wet grass, she held on to the sweatshirt to make sure it didn’t fall off her shoulders. Then again, maybe she was trying to burrow deeper in it.
When they reached the old swing set that had belonged to the family that used to live there, Dawson wiped off one of the plastic seats with his palm and indicated she sit before lowering himself into the other.
Thoughtful.
“Why haven’t you told anyone?” he asked as he wrestled the ball from Hazel and threw it again.
Nearby another dog barked from someone else’s backyard. She could see into her kitchen through the back window. Her father had removed his marines cap and was working to unload the groceries.
Alone.
“Because it’s over. Done.” She kept telling herself that, anyway.
“How is it over when you’re still ditching school to avoid him? He still scares you.” He leaned forward, one shoulder pressed to the chain.
“He caught me off guard today.” Seeing him had triggered a sick feeling in her gut. “I didn’t know until I saw him that he’d gotten out of jail. Or juvenile detention. Or wherever he’s been.”
Digging her toe through the clumpy old sand beneath her seat, she felt stupid for letting herself crush on Dawson even a little bit. Hadn’t she known from the start that her past with J.D. made her a loser? A stronger girl—like Megan—would not have put up with being talked down to. Being shoved around.
