Page 112 of Dancing in the Rain

“She missed a couple of classes,” he said patiently. “I told them she’d be away. She got her homework assignments ahead of time, which she can do tonight. It’s no big deal.”

She continued to stare at him, her jaw slack. She shook her head. “I can’t believe you did that.”

His eyebrows pulled down over his nose. “It’s not that big a deal, Peyton,” he said firmly. “The world didn’t end. She’s not going to flunk seventh grade because of it.”

Heat flashed through her veins. “Life isn’t all fun and games. Much as you might like to think it is.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“It means you can’t just play hooky because you want to do something fun.”

“Why not, if it’s not hurting anything? Christ, it’s not like I’ve pulled her out of school every day.”

“That isnotresponsible parenting.”

His jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed. She watched him pull in a long breath through his nose. “Duly noted,” he ground out.

She pressed her lips together. “It’s done. Just…would you ask me before you do something like that again? I’d appreciate a chance to discuss it.”

“Don’t worry. It won’t happen again. Tell Chloe I’ll see her this weekend.”

He spun around and strode out of the house.

Peyton set her hand on her chest where her heart was thudding.

Well, shit.

Seriously, he couldn’t do stuff like that.

She climbed the stairs and poked her head into Chloe’s bedroom. She sat cross-legged on her bed with a book open.

“Hey,” Peyton said. “So you had fun this afternoon.”

Chloe nodded. “The movie was so good. We laughed a lot.” She bit her lip and peered at Peyton. “Is it okay to have fun?”

Peyton went very still. “What do you mean is it okay to have fun? Drew shouldn’t have taken you out of school, if that’s what you mean.”

“No. I mean…I still feel so sad about Mom. But I was laughing at the movie and I felt like maybe that was wrong, that I shouldn’t be happy.”

Peyton closed her eyes and walked over to sit on the end of the bed. “It’s okay to have fun, honey. Of course it is.”

“Are you mad at Drew?”

Peyton’s lips tightened briefly, then she sighed. “I was surprised. I don’t really approve of skipping school. But…it made you laugh.” She managed a small smile and reached out to give Chloe’s striped sock-clad foot a squeeze.

“Drew said he’d take us to a hockey game sometime.”

“Oh.”

“That would be fun.”

Peyton swallowed. “Yes. I haven’t been to a hockey game for a long time.”

“I’veneverbeen to a hockey game.”

“Well, that would be really cool, then. Are you doing homework?”

“Yeah.”

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