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He grinned. “I think you love being badly influenced.”

I kissed his cheek. “I love you.”

“Then have lunch with me in a little while.”

“Okay. I guess I can ask Freya to take the front desk for half an hour.”

“Just enough time to run out and grab some burritos from the gas station.”

I made a face. “Can’t we opt for hamburgers instead?”

He winked. “Whatever you say, princess.”

“Are you trying to provoke me, Mulligan?”

“Of course.”

I stuck my tongue out and then left the room. I got about two steps before I noticed my father was standing ten feet away outside his office. He had his arms crossed and a stern look on his face.

“Hi, Dad,” I said brightly. “I was just, um, checking on something and…”

He held up a hand. “I don’t want to know,” he said. “But you told me earlier you wanted to talk when I had a moment. Now I have a moment.” He gestured to his office. “So come on in.”

He was surprised by what I had to say. I assured him I still planned to accept the offer of admission I’d just received from ASU. But when I wasn’t taking classes I would very much like to remain on staff here at Scratch. It wasn’t just because I wanted to be close to Curtis. I liked being here. I liked working with family. This felt like the place where I belonged.

“If you say yes,” I told him, “I’ll call the bookstore today and let them know I won’t be coming back.”

He was amused. “Do you really think there’s a chance in hell I’m going to say no?”

It was nice to hear him say that but I didn’t want him to think he owed me any special favors. “I promise I’ll always pull my weight here and work hard no matter what you decide to throw my way.”

My dad smiled. “Of course you will. You’re my daughter.”

I smiled back. “Thanks, Dad.”

I got up to leave but he called me back before I reached the door.

“Cassie, one more thing,” he said. “Don’t make me see anything that’s going to give me more gray hair than I already have. You get my meaning?”

“I do,” I said, blushing.

My dad raised an eyebrow. “That boy treats you like a queen, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, Daddy. He does.”

He nodded. “Good. That’s as it should be.”

When Curtis returned with a bag of hamburgers we sat down in the break room together.

“Anymore updates on your mom?” I asked as I squirted ketchup on my fries. A few days after Renee Mulligan made a promise to her eldest son she turned herself in at the United States border. The story was all over the local media; fugitive returns to face fraud trial. She’d obviously proved she was a flight risk so she was sitting in a jail cell while the legal details were worked out.

“Nothing new that I’ve heard,” Curtis said, frowning. “She’ll plead guilty so there won’t be a trial. As far as sentencing goes, we’ll have to wait and see.”

“Brecken’s been asking when he can visit her.”

“I know. Soon I hope.”

I reached for his hand. “I hope so too.”

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