Most Precious Blood by Susan Beth Pfeffer Page B

to have to work late today. Catch up with everything I missed being in Washington. And that trip to Hackensack’s going to take a while. Can you mange without me this evening?”
    Val relaxed instantly. “I’ll manage,” she said.
    â€œWant to go to Kit’s after school?” Rick asked. “I can tell Jamey to take you girls out to supper someplace nice.”
    â€œNo, that’s all right,” Val said. She finished her eggs and checked the time. “I’d better get going,” she declared. “I don’t want to be late.”
    â€œOne more thing,” Rick said. “I had a little talk with Bruno last night, about your walking home from Kit’s alone.”
    â€œDaddy,” Val said. “It was nothing.”
    â€œBruno should know better than to let you do that,” Rick declared. “He gets paid to keep an eye out on this family, and that includes seeing to it you aren’t alone.”
    â€œIt’s my fault,” Val said. “I should have called him, and I just didn’t want to. Kit walks home by herself all the time.”
    â€œKit isn’t a Castaladi,” Rick said.
    Neither am I, Val wanted to say. “I’m sorry,” she said instead, getting up. “It seemed like such a little thing.”
    â€œIt’s the little things that are dangerous,” Rick said.
    Val shook her head. “Is Bruno going to stay by my side forever?” she asked. “Is he going to go to college with me?”
    â€œIf you go to college, you’ll go to one nearby,” her father declared. “Seton Hall, maybe. You think I’m going to send you off to California somewhere, you’ll live in a dorm and run around with nobody looking out for you?”
    Val had given college no thought whatsoever until that moment. “Yes,” she said. “That’s exactly what I thought.”
    â€œThen you thought wrong,” Rick said. “You’ll go to a good Catholic school Bruno can drive you to, and we’ll find you a nice boy, and you’ll get married. You and Michelle can go together, if that makes you feel better.”
    â€œWhat if I want to go to school in California?” Val asked. “What if I don’t want to get married? What if Michelle doesn’t want to go to school with me?”
    â€œDon’t worry about Michelle,” Rick said. “She’ll want what we tell her to want.”
    â€œFine,” Val said. “But that doesn’t help with my problems.”
    â€œYou’ll want what I tell you to want too,” Rick said. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, honey, but I hope you shake this mood off soon. You’ve always been such a good girl, just like your mama that way, and now you’re talking back to me and doing things you know you shouldn’t. You got me worried.”
    â€œIt’s nothing, Daddy,” Val said. She was shaking with anger and fear. “I’d better go.”
    â€œBruno’s in the kitchen, waiting for you,” Rick said. “Have a nice day at school. I should be home before ten.”
    â€œAll right,” Val said. She walked over to her father, and kissed him, because not to would have caused another scene. She went to the hall closet, got her jacket and her books, then walked to the kitchen. Bruno and Connie were finishing their breakfasts, but when Bruno saw Val, he pushed his mug of coffee aside, got up and opened the garage door for her.
    Val followed him to the car, climbed into the back seat, and stared out the window as Bruno drove to school. She waited for him to give her a lecture, but he kept his mouth shut. She was grateful for the silence.
    Michelle was waiting for her when the car arrived. “I know Rick’s back,” she said. “He called Mama last night. She was hysterical all night after that.”
    â€œShe shouldn’t have been,” Val said. “I