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My chest tightened, and it took precious seconds to get my voice to work.
“Joey, wait!”
He’d already reached the Hummer, which he’d pulled into the driveway behind my Mazda last night.
“I gotta go,” he said bleakly. “Your dad is pulling up already.”
My gaze flicked past him to the 1990s-model station wagon my father drove pulling into place at the curb. Damn it. Why did he have to get here so fast?
Joey hopped into the Hummer and slammed the door, jerking my attention back to him. I took a couple of steps forward, thinking maybe I could still catch him, still find the words to tell him he was wrong about us, but the Hummer’s motor revved to life.
Joey backed out of the driveway and turned down the street. He didn’t speed. He slowly, responsibly navigated around my father’s car and traveled up the block, leaving me behind.
The front door creaked behind me. I glanced back to see Dakota in the doorway.
“You’ll fix it, Kit. It’s better to let him go for now. The only thing worse than Joey upset over finding out Dad doesn’t approve is actually being the target of his disapproval. We’re trying to protect him.”
“Fuck.” I raked a hand through my hair. “I handled everything so badly.”
Not just this morning, either. I’d fucked up from the very start.
Dad climbed out of his car and started up the driveway. “What the hell was he doing here?” he called, looking pissed.
Well, great. Dad had obviously recognized the Hummer. It was tough to miss that giant yellow monstrosity.
“We’ve already been over this,” I said shortly.
Dad huffed and puffed his way up the driveway. He was favoring his hip, hunched over slightly. My annoyance grew. He clearly wasn’t keeping up with his PT exercises.
By the time he reached the steps, he had to cling to the railing to get up each step. When he drew even with me, he still found the energy for a glare.
“That man shouldn’t be here.”
“He was invited,” I said tightly.
“Your sister has a big heart,” he said dismissively. “You should know better. What if he takes advantage of her, huh? What if he—”
“What makes you think he was here for her?”
He stared at me. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Nothing.” Shit. I hadn’t thought that one through. Dad was studying my face, and he knew me too well. He was drawing all kinds of conclusions. Mostly correct ones.
“Kit,” he growled. “Tell me you’re not—that you haven’t—”
“Come inside,” Dakota cut in. “Right now. You’re giving the whole neighborhood a show.”
I turned from Dad, happy to look away from that increasingly horrified expression.
He followed me inside. “How could you do that to Dakota?”
“Not everything is about Dakota,” I snapped, then cringed and tossed her a regretful look. “Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. You’re right.” Her eyes blazed with anger. “For too long, this family has revolved around me like I’m some sort of freaking angel sent from on high who can do no wrong. Yeah, I almost died. But I’m alive, and I’m human like the rest of you.”
Dad shook his head. “Let me get this straight. Now it’s wrong to appreciate you’re still with us?”
“No, I’m not saying that.”
