Page 21 of Already Gone

Just the thought of it makes me want to gag.

No way.

Before I can ponder it further, Chloe marches out of the dressing room, her chin raised a bit defiantly, sporting the strapless red dress.

“I like this one.”

She walks to the mirror and smiles at her reflection. I have to admit, it’s cute, the girl has good taste.

Yes, the skirt hits above the knee, but only by about an inch. It’s not form-fitting, and it’s much more flattering than the black dress. However, I agree with Tucker that the top is too revealing.

“So, here’s the thing with this dress, Chloe. It’s super cute.” She smiles triumphantly. “But it needs something more on top.”

“You sound like my dad.”

“He’s not wrong.” She shakes her head, but I take her shoulders in my hands and hold her gaze in the mirror. “Think about it like this. You’re a beautiful girl. There will be so much time to grow into dresses that show a bit more skin, but you don’t want to show everyone all the goods first thing out of the gate. You need to be a mystery.”

“A mystery?”

“Oh, yeah. Be mysterious. Wear pretty clothes, don’t let them wear you. That means you’re the gorgeous one, not the dress.”

She tilts her head to the side, thinking it over. “Yeah. I like that.”

“So, we’re going to add a little black shrug, maybe a shimmery necklace. It’s all about accessories.”

“See, Dad wouldn’t have thought of this.”

“Well, that’s what you have me for, isn’t it?”

I wink, and with a feeling of victory, Chloe and I go find the rest of her outfit.

“See, Dad?” Chloe says as she walks out of her bedroom, ready to give us a fashion show. We’re sitting on the couch, and I’m watching Tucker’s face.

“Isn’t that the dress I shot down?” He glances at me, and I smile brightly.

“You’re right, it is. But hear us out.” I hurry next to Chloe. “The dress barely skims her knees. And trust me, we tried other dresses that hit her below the knee, and they chop her off awkwardly.”

“But they cover the knees.”

I fight the impulse to roll my eyes.

“Please, hear me out.” He nods once. “This black cardigan serves two purposes. One, it dresses it down a bit and makes it more age-appropriate, and it covers her arms and shoulders. We added the thin black belt and a sparkly necklace, and with her hair curled, she’ll look absolutely stunning.”

“I swear I won’t take the sweater off, Dad. I promise.”

His gaze shifts between the two of us, and I bite my lip, waiting for the verdict. Finally, he sighs.

“Okay, it looks nice. But you have to keep that sweater on.”

“Oh my God, I totally promise,” Chloe says, bouncing to Tucker and throwing her arms around his neck. “Thank you, Daddy.”

“You’re welcome. Go hang your dress up so it doesn’t wrinkle.”

“Can I watch YouTube for a while?”

“One hour,” he says before kissing her cheek and watching her skip happily up the stairs to her bedroom.

“Thank you,” I say softly.

“No, thank you. I wouldn’t have thought of the sweater, and she would have been mad at me for weeks.”

“It was fun, actually.”

He stares at me in surprise, making me giggle.

“I know this is a shocker, but shopping is fun for girls. Next time, I’ll take her to Charleston so we can shop properly.”

He tilts his head to the side. “Do you think you’ll still be here for a next time?”

The words just flew out of my mouth without thinking. But the truth is, I don’t know how long I’ll be in town.

“I don’t know,” I admit.

He nods, and I sit next to him on the couch, the silence awkward.

“How’s my dad?” I ask.

“He’s good. Lexi came over for lunch, so I came home. She’s over there now.”

“I saw her car when I pulled in.” I steel myself for my next question. “Tuck, is Valerie Brown Chloe’s mom?”

He blinks, taken aback by the question, and then his face transforms to the one I know so well. The one that says: guilty.

“No.” I stand and shake my head. “Tell me it’s not true.”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“Tucker, I hated her. She was so mean!”

“Yeah, well…”

“How could you even touch her? Ew.” I shiver. “I don’t even want to think about it.”

“Then stop thinking about it.”

“Tucker.” I groan and cover my face. “Valerie Brown?”

“Maybe I knew you hated her. And you left.”

“Hold up. Are you telling me you boned Vicious Valerie because I hurt your feelings?”

“Well, when you put it like that, it sounds childish, but”—he shrugs a shoulder, and I stare at him in disbelief—“she did give me Chloe.”

“And Chloe is wonderful, but Valerie Brown?” I whisper, then shiver again. “We can’t speak of this ever again. It’s not okay.”

“You’re so dramatic.”

“I can’t believe you gave it to the mean girl.”

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