Page 108 of From Nowhere

“Hi,” I say, letting my gaze slide from her fitted white tee to her long legs and untied white sneakers peeking out beneath the flare of her faded jeans. “Come in.” I hold open the door and step aside just as Tia appears in the entry, petting Bandit in Lola’s arms.

“Hi, Tia,” Maren says before returning her gaze to me. “Actually, I’m going to head home and finish some laundry in case I leave town.”

I nod, fighting the need to touch her.

“You can kiss her, Dad. It’s not a secret,” Lola says.

I turn my head. Lola doesn’t look at me, but she smirks before nuzzling her nose into Bandit’s fur. However, Tia’s gaze burns into my skull.

I force a tiny laugh. “Lola, I don’t know what you’re—”

“Dakota’s mom takes a cycle class with my math teacher, who said she saw you at her house with Maren. They have a name for you, but I don’t think I should repeat it.” She slides her gaze to me with a gotchaexpression. “My teacher called Maren yourgirlfriend.” Her grin splits her face in two. “I knew it!”

Tia clears her throat, but I don’t give her an ounce of my attention. When I turn back toward Maren, her blue eyes are saucers, and her lips are trapped between her teeth.

“Lola, go brush your teeth.”

“I already did, Dad.”

“Then go to bed.”

“But I have twenty more minutes.”

“Lola,” Tia interjects. “Go to your room. I need to have a word with your dad and Maren.”

“Fine,” Lola huffs.

I glance over my shoulder, watching Lola descend the stairs before narrowing my eyes at Tia. “I’m walking Maren to her car. If you want to talk tome, you can do it later. But Maren needs to get her sleep, and she owes you no explanation.”

“Ozzy, it’s fine. If Tia wants to talk, we can talk.”

“Tia doesn’t want to talk; she wants to lecture. There’s a difference,” I say, keeping my back to Tia.

Maren eyes her over my shoulder. I step toward her onto the porch, closing the door behind me.

“Evette told my daughter’s friend’s nosy mom about us? Isn’t there some confidentiality thing that prevents teachers from discussing their private lives with students?” I say.

“I didn’t think to tell her to keep us a secret.” Maren pivots and heads toward her RAV.

“She should have thought about it all on her own.”

“Ozzy, I’m sure it never occurred to her that our relationship is a secret. We’re not having an affair.”

“We’re not going to have anything if Tia decides this is a hill she’s willing to die on.”

Maren turns and crosses her arms, leaning into the driver’s side door. “What would you do if Tia weren’t here? You’d survive.”

“I wouldn’t be working, or at most, I’d be part time to take Lola to schoolandbe there when school got out like I’ve done for the past two years. And when Brynn’s life insurance ran out, I’d have to sell the house and rent something small. And Lola wouldn’t be in therapy because I wouldn’t have insurance or a good-paying job to cover it. And sure, we’d get by, but it wouldn’t feel fair to Lola. So, despite my distaste for Tia, I’m not relishing their not being here to help.”

“Well, it’s summer break now. You have time to figure it out. What if I help you find someone to pick her up after school in the fall—on a bike? What if I help pay for it?”

I shake my head and laugh. “Sounds emasculating. And it’s not a solution if she gets sick.”

“You mean to tell me that Brynn didn’t make more money than you? Pay for more things than you?”

“That’s different. She was my wife and Lola’s mom.”

“And I’m the cat woman you screw.”

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