“Madi, if you don’t, I will.”
“Fine.” I pulled out my phone and opened my text app.
“Call, don’t text; he’ll want to hear your voice.”
“I can call for you,” Paul offered.
Oh, hell no. I tapped Dad’s contact and held the phone to my ear.
Matt leveled Paul with a glare that should’ve withered him. “No.”
“Hey, Dad, it’s Madi.” I sounded significantly calmer than I felt.
My dad chuckled. “I know how to use my caller ID. Is everything okay?”
Sirens sounded in the background.
“There was a small fire near my Jeep.”
“Are you okay?” Dad asked, a slight tremor in his voice. “Why aren’t you on the phone with 9-1-1?”
“I’m fine. Matt called 9-1-1.”
“Robinson?”
“Yes, we bumped into each other at the store.”
“I’m on my way.”
“Dad, you don’t need-”
“It wasn’t a suggestion, Madeleine.”
He used my full name and a voice I recognized as his ‘this discussion is over’ tone.
“Yes, sir.” There wasn’t much else to say, so I hung up. “He’s on his way.”
Matt forced a smile. I wondered if he was worried he’d get in trouble for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I couldn’t blame him; my brothers had been less than civil since the holiday party. Regardless of how they felt about him; I wasglad Matt was here.
The local FD and PD arrived and took our statements.
Matt’s comforting hand dropped from my back when Dad arrived. But not fast enough. So naturally, my father noticed. Dad hugged me and shook Matt’s hand, thanking him before talking to the ranking officer.
Paul puffed his chest out when he introduced himself to my father. Dad assessed him with a quick glance and dismissed him.Though I doubt Paul realizes it.
Dad shook hands and exchanged business cards with the Weatherford PD officer before returning to my side.
“What happened?”
“Didn’t Officer Doyle tell you?” I asked.
“I’d like to hear it from you.”
I told him what little I knew.
“Sir, it was luck that I was here.” Matt let my father know we weren’t here together in the subtlest way possible. “But I’m glad I was. The guy who put out the fire, Paul, isn’t local and I don’t trust him.”
