Page 145 of Smooth Sailing

“And she told you stuff that, if I wanted you to know, I would have told you. Topping that, she didn’t mention once in ten years she was keeping you apprised of my life.”

“Diana—” Dad tried.

“She bought a plane ticket to come down here and have a shopping spree this weekend,” I announced.

Dad’s lips thinned.

Mm-hmm.

Hugger moved his hand so it was wrapped around the back of my neck.

That was sweet, supportive, but still.

“And she didn’t ask me. I told her she couldn’t come. I didn’t know we’d have that breakthrough with Maddy and get her safe. She wasn’t pleased.”

“Your mother tends to like to get what she wants when she wants it, this isn’t something you don’t know either, Diana,” Dad said.

I made another announcement.

“Nicole encouraged me to mend fences with you.”

Dad looked to his crossed knee and muttered like Hugger and I weren’t sitting right across from him, “Now, Nicole was a good woman, and I fucked that up.”

“Are you serious?” I asked.

His eyes came to mine. “Diana?—”

“She said there was something I’m now old enough to know. What is that?”

Dad’s face blanched.

Oh God.

It was something.

Something big.

“What is that?” I demanded.

“Baby,” Hugger whispered.

“What is it?” I pushed Dad, ignoring Hugger.

Dad looked me right in the eye and asked, or more like pleaded, “Can we have a nice dinner, Buttercup, catch up and leave the harder stuff for later?”

The “Buttercup” was a good touch.

But…

No way.

“Let’s get it all out there,” I suggested.

“I’m not sure you want your man hearing this.”

Now I was less mad and more freaked.

Because…

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