Page 55 of Drawing Home
“You have to come see it,” she said.
“I’d like that, kiddo. I’d like that very much.”
Emma made certain she was home in time for dinner. All day long, she’d been thinking of Penny out with Mark, and it had set her on edge. She knew she should be happy that her daughter’s father was spending time with her, but for some reason, she just couldn’t be. Maybe it was because her own relationship with Penny was strained. Or maybe it was because Mark had given her plenty of reasons over the years not to feel positive about him.
She wanted to discuss it with Angus, but she’d gotten home so late last night, he was already asleep. That morning, while Penny ate breakfast and talked excitedly about the day ahead with her father, Angus had given Emma a look that told her she wasn’t alone in her concern. But all she had time to say to either of them was “I’m picking up dinner from Cavaniola’s on my way home. I’ll be back by six.”
Now, sitting at the table, eating roasted lemon chicken and baby kale salad with Gouda (Cavaniola’s was famous for its cheese), Emma didn’t feel much better. Penny went on and on about Mark: Dad was going to produce a play, Dad was going to take her to New York one day, Dad was going to rent a place out there to spend more time with her.
Where was Mark’s sudden interest in Penny coming from?
“Can I be excused?” Penny asked when she was finished eating. Her phone vibrated with a text and she ran upstairs.
Emma began clearing the table. Angus stood close to her at the kitchen sink and whispered beneath the sound of the running water, “This is all about the house, you know.”
Emma turned off the faucet. “What do you mean?”
“You think it’s a coincidence that Penny inherits a multimillion-dollar house and suddenly her father shows up after years of absence?”
The house had crossed her mind, but she doubted Mark knew about it. It was a local story. He was a West Coast person and, frankly, not big on current events. Although she was sure Penny had told him about it by now.
“Look, I’m the first one to be cynical about Mark, believe me. But I think the timing really is a coincidence.”
“Be careful,” Angus said.
“I’m trying to be.” She was so unnerved, she was taking the next day off to spend it with Penny. And no, it wasn’t lost on Emma that Penny’s punishment for running off the other day had fallen by the wayside. “I’ve got it under control,” Emma said.
Angus took a plate from her hand. “I’ll finish these. Go talk to her.”
Upstairs, Emma hesitated outside of Penny’s closed bedroom door before knocking once sharply.
“Come in.”
Penny sat cross-legged on her bed, hunched over her phone.
“Who are you texting?” Emma said.
“My friends.”
“Put that down, please.”
Penny complied but not without a sigh of annoyance.
“You were supposed to be grounded for a week, and you got out of that because your father showed up. But we’re not done talking about what you did the other day. It’s inexcusable, Penny. I’m taking your phone away for a few days.”
“You can’t! I have a right to talk to people. You can’t cut me off from the world.”
“I’m not cutting you off from the world. We have a landline in the house. You’re free to make calls.”
“What about emergencies? I can’t walk around tomorrow without a phone.”
“I didn’t have a cell phone growing up and I survived. Besides, you’ll be with me tomorrow. Now hand it over.”
“What if Dad texts me? I can’t just ignore him.”
Emma felt like screaming. Now all of a sudden Mark had to be accommodated? “I’ll let him know that if he wants to talk to you, he can call on the landline.”
“This isn’t fair.”
