Page 198 of Mountain Daddy
Maybe I should go.
Make up some lie.
I…
The front door to Joe’s house opens, and the man himself steps out onto the front step.
He lifts his arms in aWhat the hell?gesture.
I hold up a finger, nod, and move my mouth like I’m talking on the phone.
He crosses his arms.
I nod some more. I feel like an idiot. And then I say, to absolutely no one,Okay, sounds goodand turn off the engine.
Too late for second-guessing now.
Even though second-guessing is all I seem to do anymore.
Chapter 122
Kendra
I lookat myself in my mirror.
The gold frame looks good propped up on my dresser. And I even dressed it up with some perfume bottles and my pottedstring of pearlsplant.
I wasn’t willing to throw a live plant away, but looking at it on my desk all day while I was working was just too much.
But in here, next to my new mirror, I can pretend I bought it for myself.
I take another inhale, then shove the air out of my lungs forcefully.
The sound is rough.
Cleansing.
Then I smile at my reflection.
No teeth, just a lift of the lips. Natural.
Believable.
Luther is here.
Dad shouted as much a minute ago. And I shouted back that I’d be right there.
I smooth my hands down the front of my yellow top.
The opposite of blue.
And I tug on the waistband of my dark-wash jeans.
A short rainstorm rolled through this afternoon, cooling everything off and leaving the deck furniture wet, meaning we’ll eat inside.
I tuck my hair behind my ears.
“You are good. This will be fine. Luther is a nice guy. He won’t say anything out of line. You can be calm around him.”
