I had always been a daddy’s girl. My father could do no wrong, even when he would stay away for months at a time, only to show up randomly for an afternoon with presents. That was why it had been such a shock when he stole all my money and my identity and opened up a bunch of credit cards in my name. In hindsight, though, anyone could have seen it coming from a mile away.
“Moonbeam would love for you to come out.”
“She’s practically my age,” I said.
“You could be like sisters,” my father insisted.
“So you don’t have the money.”
“Promise. I have it in an account. I’ll give you the money if you come out to the desert. I can buy you a bus ticket.”
Grow a backbone.
“I don’t believe you.”
My father took out his phone and opened a banking app.
“See,” he said, showing me the account. The balance was enough to mostly wipe out the debt. “All yours if come out to the desert. You can meet the sheep and the goats. It’s beautiful there. You wouldn’t believe the sunrise.”
The thought of finally paying off my debt was tantalizing.Maybe it would be like a retreat.
“To show you I mean it, I’m going to send you some money now,” he said. “Just hold on. I’m texting it. Can’t get this gosh-darned thing to work.”
My phone beeped with a transfer pending. It was a five-figure number.
“I’ll have to wait until it’s actually cleared,” I said.
“I’ll be waiting. I want to rebuild our relationship!” my father said, beaming. “This is a gesture of goodwill.” He placed his hands together and bowed. Then he walked down the street, sandals slapping on the wet sidewalk.
My breath fogged up the inside of the car as I slowly drove to Jasmine’s house.
“Tarts are done!” Jasmine said, greeting me at the door with a cocktail.
“I need this after today.”
“I hope Puff wasn’t too difficult. We’ll never find you a good home if you can’t act like a gentleman,” she cooed at him.
“Maybe if Parker has a change of heart, we could move in together and adopt him,” I said wistfully.
“It’s even worse than I thought!” Erika said.
“You have no idea,” I said, showing them the money my dad had sent and relaying the conversation.
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea to go out to the desert,” Jasmine said in concern.
I shrugged. “It’s not like I’m going to Africa or South America. It’s Wyoming. If this money clears, then I can just go out there once I earn some PTO. I hug some sheep, do yoga at sunrise, then get enough money to wipe out my debt. And maybe my dad and I will rebuild our relationship.”
“What if it’s like a kidnapping thing?” Jasmine insisted.
I rolled my eyes and took a bite of one of the tarts.
“That only happens on TV. Besides, you guys would know where I was. It would be fine. Now let’s talk about fun things, like planning a fancy gala!”
51
Parker
Ineeded to tell Garrett about meeting with our father, but I didn’t know the best way to present it. How would I tell my older brothers that I had not only lied but put our family in danger? And why? All because I had a point to prove. I felt like shit. But I would feel even worse if something happened to Sadie. I had to come clean.
