The comical way his jaw dropped cracked my sisters and me up.
“But—” Dad began.
“You are saving room for Thanksgiving dinner,” Mom insisted with a sniff.
“The grandparents had better show up on time is all I have to say.” He shot a secret wink at me as he slipped between Mom and me to wash his hands.
The good thing about playing seven-hand rummy for a massive pot of nickels and dimes was that it kept everyone’s concentration on the game, meaning conversation stayed at a minimum. Dad was upset to learn the Wildcats playoff game was sold out but happy Zoe and I had scored tickets. Tally’s mentor had nothing but praise for her work in emotional support research for elementary-age kids. Tina proved Dad incorrect with his earlier athletes comment when she announced she’d joined an intermural racquetball league and had actually won a few matches.
By 10:30 p.m. Tina and Dad had pockets full of change, while Mom, Tally, and I had considerably lighter purses. The parents headed into the living room to catch the late-night news, and Tina headed to her room to watch Netflix. As Tally and I cleaned up the drinks glasses and put away the cards, she asked again if I wanted to go out to the concert since it was still relatively early.
“Derek showed up in front of the house almost before I parked my car. It was like he’d been down the street watching for me or something. Tal, he basically threatened me. I’d rather not go anywhere I might run into him.”
Her eyes rounded then narrowed. “He is such a shit.”
“Tally!”I hissed my disbelief at my big sister’s uncharacteristic language.
She shrugged. “We heard rumors about the stunts he pulled, but the guys in my class made sure he understood to stay away from us girls. I wish you’d mentioned how he treated you when I was still in school. Bet my classmates could have put a stop to it.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. I still would have had to deal with him after you graduated.” Wiping my hands on a towel, I said, “Crap. I just remembered that in my rush to get away from him I left my shoe bag in my car. BRB.”
On my way out the door, I flipped on the porch light. Snow threatened on the late-November air, and I shivered as I hustled down the sidewalk to my car. The way the porch light caught the trunk, I noticed something odd. On closer inspection I saw my trunk lid had a dent in it. Shining the flashlight on my phone over the surface, I growled in frustration as I noted the long, horizontal dent matched in height exactly with the bumper of Derek’s truck.
“That was the weird noise I heard when I walked in the door,” I growled to the night.
“What are you mumbling about?” Tally asked.
I wasn’t aware that she’d followed me outside.
“Thatasshole. I know he did it, he knows he did it, and I have no way of proving it.”
“Which asshole did what?” she asked as she joined me in the street behind my car.
“When I walked into the house after my nasty run-in with Derek this afternoon, I heard a thump. I’d thought it was the screen door shutting behind me. You know, the parents really should get that screen door fixed.” I returned my focus to my car. “Anyway, it appears he left me something to remember him by.” I jerked open the trunk, pulled my bag from it, and slammed it back down. “I don’t have the money to fix this right now.” I hated how my words came out on a whine, butdamn it. The world was full of women he could pursue—why did he insist on makingmylife hard?
In the low light coming from the porch, my sister’s eyes glittered. “I was going to try to coax you into coming out with me tonight anyway, but now, I think you need to stay home while I take care of business.”
As we walked together back up the sidewalk to the house, I said, “Tally. Derek Watson is seriously bad news. Please promise me you’ll stay away from him.”
“I’ll stay away from him. Doesn’t mean others will though.”
On that enigmatic note, she tripped up the steps ahead of me and into the house. Before I could ask what she was up to, she had her jacket on and was saying good night to our parents.
In my old room I flung myself onto my bed and fumed at the ceiling. My first instinct was to text Danny and tell him what Derek had done. But he didn’t need my troubles when he was preparing for his first collegiate start.
As though he’d heard me thinking about him, my phone vibrated an incoming text.
Danny: Hey, T. How’s the fam?
Me: Cutthroat. Dad and Tina won the pots.
Danny hadn’t played many family games growing up. He could play poker like a pro, but beyond that his experience was limited. Not that he wasn’t a quick study. He won his fair share of rummy pots when Mom had invited him over for family nights.
Danny: Funny. Bet Tina doesn’t let you up about it.
Me: You know my sister well.
Danny: You didn’t go out tonight?
