I didn’t answer her until after I walked around and got into the driver’s seat. “I have something to take care of at home.” I couldn’t give her any more than that without giving myself away, and thank goodness she didn’t push. She did talk my ear off about whether or not the rumors about Sherry were true, which I pretended not to care about one-way or another.
The house hadn’t been destroyed when we walked in. There was nothing thrown about in there, so my stepmom hadn’t lost her shit. I always think women manifest their anger by throwing shit around, so this was a good sign. Lora looked at me in surprise when I took her hand, something I hadn’t done at home before except in the privacy of her bedroom.
“It’s okay!” I squeezed her hand reassuringly and walked through the house, looking for the rest of our family. We found them in the family room, and from the shell-shocked look on their faces, I knew I was right, the ass had been here already. Dad’s eyes went immediately to our joined hands while Justine kept her attention on baby Lisa. “Hi!” I greeted the room, and my stepmom’s face turned red. Damn, what did that freak tell them?
Dad whispered something in his wife’s ear and patted her shoulder before getting to his feet. “Come with me, son.” I squeezed Lora’s hand and inclined my head to the couch where her mom was sitting. “Go sit with your mom.”
“What’s going on?” There was panic in her voice, and I thought dad was going to have a conniption when I cupped the back of her head in my hand and looked into her eyes. “Everything’s fine baby, trust me.” She nodded, and I watched her walk over to her mom. Now I’m having second thoughts about not warning her beforehand.
I couldn’t quite read the look on dad’s face when I turned and followed him from the room and headed to his private home office, but I was ready for anything. Still, I’m amazed at how calm I feel. I know if anything were going to go south, dad would be the one to do it, so as long as Lora was spared the brunt of it, I’m good. Knowing Sherry’s twisted ass, I’m thinking she’d probably done as much damage as she possibly could. I didn’t have long to wait to find out.
“Sherry came by. She was rather upset, said some crazy stuff that I find hard to believe.”
“Like what?” Dad walked to the window and looked out with his hands stuffed in his pockets, which I know is his ‘I’m thinking’ pose.
“She said you’ve been spreading nasty rumors about her because she refused to go to bed with you.” I snorted at that one but didn’t even bother responding. I’m pretty sure my dad knows me better than that, but I can’t say that I’m surprised by her last-ditch effort.
“That’s not what I want to talk to you about though, I raised you better than that, so I dismissed her words as sour grapes, especially after everything else she had to say.” He turned back from the window to look at me with his brows raised like I was supposed to know what he was talking about. I did, but I’m not giving away shit. Let him show his hand first. It’s what he’d taught me to do after all.
“Aren’t you going to ask what else she had to say?”
“Nope!” Now it was my turn to strike a pose. His voice didn’t carry any heat, and he wasn’t going for my throat, so I’m guessing he wasn’t as upset as the messenger wanted him to be.
“She said that you and Lora have been acting like more than brother and sister. In fact, she says you two are lovers.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Uh-huh? That’s all you have to say?”
“Dad, you do remember that we’re not related by blood and that we’re both eighteen right.” I looked him in the eyes as I spoke just like he’d taught me. If I show any sign of weakness, he will eat me alive, and I know it.
“I’m aware, but are you aware of how this looks? She’s technically your sister by marriage…”
“She’s not my sister by anything.”
He huffed out a sigh and started pacing the room. The more he paced, the more relaxed I became. When dad’s against something he doesn’t have to spend much time thinking about it, he just comes right out and blasts his opinion all over me whether I want to hear it or not. When he started mumbling under his breath and giving me looks, I knew I was in the clear.
“You think you’re slick right.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“My ass, what game did you play with that kid that sent her running here to tell us about you two?” Damn, it sucks that he knows me so well sometimes.