Page 121 of Delinquent Daddy (Banks/Kincaid Family 2)

by Linda Kage

But tonight, she didn't beat around the bush; she snorted.

"Working late my ass. He's out boffing...someone. I'm not even up on who he's currently screwing these days."

"Oh, Nora," Ellie said and hugged her friend.

Nora pulled her close. "Want to come over to my house and get drunk with me? We can complain about men all night."

"Sure," Ellie said, unable to ignore a friend in need.

She followed Nora to the Young's back door, then waited outside on the redwood porch as Nora disappeared inside for a few minutes. She was briskly rubbing her hands up and down her arms to ward off the chill in the air when Nora reappeared with a half-empty bottle of wine and two jackets.

She tossed one of the coats at Ellie.

As Ellie gratefully pushed her hands into the arm holes, Nora whispered, "Keller's a light sleeper, so we have to stay out here."

After they moved toward the umbrella-covered round table, Nora took a drink straight from the bottle and then wordlessly passed it to Ellie.

Ellie chugged. The potent liquid did as much toward warming her as the double-lined jacket did. "How is Keller?"

she asked, passing the wine back to Nora.

Nora's shoulders slumped as she sighed. "Oh, he moped around the house all evening, looking out the window toward your place every five seconds as if he thought Cassie was going to come home any moment."

Ellie swallowed guiltily and looked down at her hands.

280

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

"He's so dependent on that girl of yours. I swear if she didn't live next door to him, I'd leave that worthless father of his and take him away from here."

"Want us to move?" Ellie offered, only half kidding.

Maybe it would be better to wean the poor boy away from her daughter now. With Boston in her life, she was going to need Keller less and less, and it was going to break the poor boy's heart in slow, painful portions to watch Cassie slip away from him.

Nora snorted and slapped a hand her way. Then she sighed and flopped back in her seat to smoke some more.

"Honestly, I sometimes really think it'd be better for him if we just up and left Mendel," she murmured thoughtfully. "At least that way Keller wouldn't have to be reminded day after day how much his father ignores him. He could get on with his own life."

"I guess I should be grateful Cassie doesn't have that problem with Boston," Cassie murmured to herself. "When she's with him, he actually spends time with her. I'll give him that much. He's a very attentive father."

After taking a long swig, Nora passed it over and lit up another cigarette. "Now, honey. That's one man you shouldn't have thrown off your front porch."

Ellie had just been taking a drink from the bottle but stopped to choke.

"Excuse me?"

Nora laughed. "Oh, yeah, I know about that Thanksgiving night he pinned you to the front door."

281

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

---