“There is no excuse to pick yourself over your kids.Christ,your daughters.”
“A son would be different?”she asked curiously.
“Okay, get this, it’s important.I don’t have any kids.Istill know I’mgonnabe protective as fuck if I getgirls.Not that I won’t love and protect a boy.But it’sgonnabe stratospheric with a girl.So my advice, file that away, and if you got aproblem with it, get over it.”
“So…crazy…cute.”Again with the whisper.
“Georgie,” he warned.
“Dutch,” she replied, sounding amused.
“Haven’t met the man and already not a big fan of your dad.”
“He paid support.He sent us money, a good deal of it, onbirthdays, Christmas, even Easter and Valentine’s Day, and sometimes we’d get acard with cash in it just because.”
“Money isn’t love.In this case, and brace, because this isharsh, it might be about guilt.”
“You’re right, honey, but he wasn’t totally absent.And whenwe got older, had some independence and could get away from her, we reached outand he latched on.He helped me with college, for one.And I told you hefloated me a loan to buy my condo.What I didn’t tell you was, that loan isbeing deferred, month to month every time I contact Dad and tell him I’ve gothis check, and he says, ‘What’re yougonnado withoutthis month if you give me that, sweetheart?’Then even if I say, ‘Nothing,’ hestill refuses it.”
“Was he there to take pictures of you when you went to yourprom?”
“I skipped my junior prom and went to my senior prom with myposse of chicks and we wore Doc Martens and combat fatigues in protest to thepatriarchy.”
Dutch busted out laughing.
He kept doing it when she added, “That was my militantfeminist phase.Somewhatliterally.At least in terms of garments.”And he didn’t stop when she went on, “I’m over that now.”
“Those heels are hot, darlin’, that skirt is hotter,” hetold her.
She whacked his arm like she did the first time they were inhis truck, he liked it just as much as he had back then, except this time hecould admit that to himself, and she said, “Shut up, Dutch.”
He grinned at the road, but did it knowing he had to getthem back on track.
Something he did.
“Georgie, Carolyn.”
“Right,” she mumbled.
“What I wasthinkin’ is that Jagdoesn’t have to throw you under the bus.Carolyn doesn’t have to know you toldme and I told him.”
He saw her hand coming his way, but even if he did, itsurprised him when she ran it down his jaw before she stretched across the caband he felt her kiss his cheek.
She stayed stretched when she said, “You’re unbelievablysweet.”
“Justlookin’ out for him andtryin’ to do the same for you,” he pointed out.
“Yes, and I appreciate it, but file this away, honey,” sheused his words and kept on, “I don’t do that.It’s a white lie for kind reasonsbut it’s still a lie.And I don’t lie.”
That said good things about her and what might become ofthem.
But in this instance, it was inconvenient.
“Babe.”
She sat back in her seat and carried on, “WhatIwas thinking is that whatever we’ve got going is happening with us andeventually Carolyn is going to know about it.It’s not cool what she’s beendoing and it’s not cool I’ve kept my mouth shut she’s doing it.I’m not goingto make the rounds of her guys and tell on her.I’m also not going to maybestart a relationship with someone that interests me a whole lot and have hermess sit there between us.She knows I’m that kind of person so she’s going tobe angry, but she’s not going to be surprised.And the bottom line, maybe sheneeds some drama to shake her out of the disaster she’s making of her life.Andlosing your brother is going to shake her.”
“Interests you a whole lot?”he teased, did it careful,because he could tell not only by her words, but by her tone that this shit washeavy, and he wanted to lighten it for her.
