“Moot point. I carry a gun for a living,” Chase said. “Wouldn't happen.”
I rolled my eyes. “And that's why eventually she'd run away. You’re too controlling.”
“Andif,” Chase continued, ignoring me, “for some strange reason a guy did hit on her, she'd wipe the floor with him. After all, she's been taking Taekwondo since she was five.”
My mouth dropped. “That's your answer? You're gonna teach our daughter if a guy hits on her, she's to wipe the floor with his bloody carcass?”
“Yep,” Chase said, shoving a huge bite of ice cream into his mouth.
Regina snorted. “Curfew?”
“As long as she tells us where she’s going and who she’s going with,” I said, “I would trust her—”
“Ten on a school night,” Chase said, “and eleven on weekends.”
I frowned. “There’s no wiggle room. What about trusting her to make good decisions on her own?”
Chase scoffed. “I was a sixteen-year-old boy once. No teenager makes good decisions, and they definitely don’t make them after ten. No matter what.”
“Cop!” Regina and I both said.
“Realist,” Chase said.
We finished our ice cream and headed back outside. Regina announced every store dumb that we wanted to go inside, so thirty minutes later we were back to square one.
“You’re gonna have to find something to do,” Chase said. “We have you for another two hours.”
She sighed. “There is something.”
“What?” I asked.
She dug around in her pocket and came out with a dollar bill and some change. “Maybe we can find a place where I could get a cheap card or something like that.” She shrugged. “I got a little brother, ya know?”
“How old?” I asked.
“Like five.”
“Luckily you’ll get to see him in a couple weeks when you go back home,” I said, trying to cheer her up.
She shrugged again. “I dunno. Depends.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
She lifted her eyes and glared. “I mean he doesn’t live at home right now. He’s in foster care. Darla, my always-drunk mother, lost custody of him when I got sent away. Not that you probably give a shit.”
I jerked back so quickly, I almost stumbled. Chase put his hand on my lower back, and I was instantly thankful for his touch.
“Why did he get sent away?” I asked.
She continued to glare at me, but I could see tears welling in her eyes. “Because of me! All right? Happy now?”
She turned to run, but Chase was quicker. He grabbed hold of her upper arm. “Hey, c’mon now. Stop fighting me. It’s okay, we’re just gonna talk, that’s all.”
“Like I want to talk to some pig.”
I gasped. “Regina, Chase is being more than fair with you right now. You need to relax.” I could see the rapid rise and fall of her chest, and I was afraid she might hyperventilate. “I want you to do me a favor and take a deep breath.” When she didn’t, I stepped closer to her. “Regina. Take a deep breath. Good. Now release it.” The girl did as I asked. “Once more. I’ll do it with you. Deep inhale…now exhale.”
Chase let go of her arm.
