Page 101 of Shortcake
Concern pinched his face as he looked up at me from where he was loving on Gus and Eleanor. “What’s wrong?” he asked, standing.
“I took Harper to the bookstore today, like you said.”
“Okay…”
“And I brought Haylee and Enzo with me, too.” I paused, pressing my lips together.
“Addy, please, just spit it out. Is Harper okay?”
“Yes!” I answered quickly. “Oh, God. Yeah, she’s like healthy and not hurt or anything like that. But I wasn’t paying attention and—I feel so stupid and terrible—because Adam came into the store and she asked if she could say hi. I knew she was grounded, but I said yes, anyway. I don’t know why I said yes. Maybe because they’re in book club together and I thought it would be weird for themnotto say hi, you know?” Dammit, now I was rambling.
Conrad pressed his fingers to his temple like he was getting a headache. “Addy, please. My brain is thinking the worst right now. Just tell me… what happened?”
“I wasn’t watching, you know? Ishouldhave been watching her, but I was distracted with my own friends. And when I turned around, she and Adam were gone.
“Gone?”
“Notgonegone.” God, I was botching this. “I found them. Way in the back in the history aisle.”
His brow arched. “Ourhistory aisle?”
I winced. “I don’t think we can call it that anymore. Not after what I saw.”
Boom. There it was. The recognition blanched his face. “What did you see?” he asked, his voice a harsh whisper.
“They were making out. Pretty hard.”
His eyes squeezed shut. “Please tell me they were clothed…”
“They were dressed,” I answered quickly.
Air whooshed out of his pursed mouth. “Thank God.”
“But, Adam’s hands…”
Oh Jesus. The look in Conrad’s eyes was… well, let’s just say, I’m glad I’m not Adam. That boy should be terrified at having touched the sheriff’s daughter. “What about his hands?” Conrad grit out through gnashed teeth.
“They were on her butt.”
He was still for a long moment. So unmoving, that his expression could have been carved out of stone.
I couldn’t take the silence. Not for another moment. I blurted out, “I’m sorry, Conrad. I know I should have been watching her. She’s grounded. I knew that. And yet, I let her wander off with Adam—”
“Whoa, hey.Hey.”
Despite my clenched eyes, I felt his gentle hands land on my shoulders.
Through my blurred tears, I saw him leaning into me, his mouth twitching into that crooked half-smile of his. “This isn’t your fault, Addy. You’re not her babysitter.”
I blinked, one single tear falling down my cheek, even though that annoying burning sensation diminished. “You’re… you’re not mad at me?”
“Of course not. You were doing us… doinghera big favor just by taking her to the bookstore. She knows the rules. And she chose to break them. Addy, you’re… you’re shaking. Come here.”
He pulled me into his arms. His safe, warm arms. And on a sigh, I leaned my cheek against the wall of muscle on his pecs. “I was so worried that you’d blame me. I mean, when I was her age, I did way worse than that, but I still knew I had to tell you. Even though Harper will probably never want to talk to me again after I ratted her out.”
His body bounced with a soft chuckle and when he pulled back to look at me, he brushed a stray piece of hair from my forehead. “She’ll get over it.”
I shook my head. “She has to get over those things withyou… you’re the dad. Me? I’m just some weirdo living in her basement.”
