Page 88 of Silver Sanctuary
But now, right in front of him, he couldn’t make sense of what he was seeing. Because there was only one pigtail still on the right side of her head. On the left side, her hair was chopped above her shoulder, halfway to her ear.
“Turns out, I only have one friend. She wasn’t invited to the party. And I wasn’t really wanted here either.”
His jaw locked up as he bit down on his molars. “What do you mean?”
“It was fine. I was just playing with their dog,then some of the kids started saying some stuff about my mom—Amber, not my mom, mom. Archer said his mom doesn’t want dirt in their house. He laughed at me and told me I needed to wait for you on the porch. I stood to walk out, but someone grabbed my hair, and they cut…”
She hid her face in her hands, and Nash fought the anger dumping into his bloodstream.
“That was when you first got here?”
“Yeah.”
Nash closed his eyes. “Honey, why didn’t you call me right away?”
“I didn’t want to make you come back. But my belly hurts and I just want to go home.”
“Let’s get you in the truck.” He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, going still for just a second as she wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’ve got you, sweetheart. Those kids don’t know what they’re missing, cause you’re the funniest, kindest, smartest nine-year-old I know.”
“I’m the only nine-year-old you know.”
“Not true. I know all the kids I coach, including the little asshole I’m about to go set straight.”
“Aunt Lily’s going to make you put money in the swear jar.”
He laughed. “How about I give you the money instead and we go get a treat after I talk to Archer and his parents?”
“You don’t need to go in there. Can’t we just go home?”
He stopped outside the truck, putting his hands on her shoulders as he crouched down to look her straight in the eyes. “Embrie, no one gets to make you cry and not have a consequence for doing that. No one, understood?”
She nodded as Nash opened the door and waited for her to get situated inside the cab.
“Good. Now, think about what you want to eat from Dolly’s since we’re going to stop there before we go back hometo finish watching that princess bubble sparkle movie we started the other night. The one with all the singing.”
She smiled, and it shattered his heart to know she was putting on a brave face for him. “I think they’re both witches.”
“Well, yeah, the green one obviously is. But the way that pink one hits those high notes… that’s a princess singing for sure. She may have magic, but she has a crown and a fluffy dress and?—”
“Okay, okay. A princess witch.” Brie laughed.
“Think about what you want. I’m serious, too. Fries… a shake… the biggest slice of Dolly’s key lime pie with a heaping scoop of Jessie’s vanilla ice cream. Whatever you want. I’ll be right back.”
Nash shut the truck door gently, waiting for Embrie to lock the door. As soon as he heard the click, he marched straight into the little fucker’s house.
“Coach Caldwell, what can I do for you? Did Archer ask you to stop by?” Nash instantly recognized the woman from soccer practice.
“No. I dropped off my daughter earlier, but it seems that your son told her she wasn’t welcome in your house. She’s been sitting on your front porch for over an hour, too ashamed to call me and tell me what happened.”
“Archer! Come here please.”
“Hey, Mom.” Archer’s eyes widened as they settled on Nash looming in the doorway. “Coach.”
“Archer, did you invite Coach Caldwell’s daughter to your birthday party?”
“I don’t think so.”
“We didn’t even know you had a daughter.”
