this up.”
“You need to put the soy sauce in it first,” JD said.
Abby thrust the spatula against his chest and went to the cabinet to get plates. As much as she enjoyed this lupus assignment, she couldn’t wait until it was over and she would have no more reason to mix company with JD Kane.
Dinner long gone, Abby and Kylee sat on the loveseat in the living room, working through an equation. JD slouched in Abby’s armchair, reading the genetic diseases book.
The front door whooshed open. “Abby, honey? What’s goingon here? I can’t pull into the driveway.” Dad slowed to a stop, his eyes fixed on JD.
Chilled air drifted over to Abby. Dad had left the door open. She watched as he dropped his briefcase on the floor, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed, eyes boring into JD like lasers.
Uh oh
.
Last March, Abby had gone on a group date to the movies. Afterward, everyone came back to Abby’s house to hang out. This had sparked the first and only fight between her parents on the subject of Abby and the opposite sex. She’d been careful not to let it come up again—her parents had enough problems without her adding to them.
Now Dad wore the same expression he had the night he found them all sitting in the backyard talking. His wild eyes flickered from face to face, his lips were drawn into a tight line, and his forehead was as wrinkled as a pug’s.
JD seemed to speak the silent language of territorial father. He jumped up and started across the room. “I should get home. I’ll see you tomorrow, Abby.”
“Yeah, bye.”
Abby’s eyes never left her dad’s smoldering ones. He looked like he might blow a gasket. She hoped he waited until everyone was gone.
He didn’t.
He shadowed JD to the door. It was a humorous sight; JD’s muscular body towered a foot above her dad’s plump one, but the odds didn’t deter her father. “What’s your name, son?”
“JD Kane.”
“Ah. Hmm.” Dad’s “Hmm” morphed into a moan, an odd sound somewhere between looking to answer a question and pain.
Abby jumped up and ran halfway to the door. “Dad? You okay?”
“I don’t allow boys in this house when I’m not home.” Dad’s voice came in a hoarse whisper. “Is that clear?”
JD gripped the knob and yanked the door open. “Yes, sir. Sorry.”
“Dad,” Abby said in her most soothing, round tone. “We were
just
studying.”
Dad waved a hand at Kylee. “You should go home too.”
Abby’s jaw dropped. “Dad!”
Eyes wide enough to show all the white, Kylee shut her calculus book, grabbed her purse, and stood.
“Kylee,” Abby said. “Thanks for coming over. Really. My hero.”
Kylee winked. “No problemo, girl. See you tomorrow.”
Abby chewed her thumbnail as she walked Kylee out. When both vehicles had left the driveway, Abby shut the front door and rounded on her dad. “I can’t believe you kicked out my friends!”
Dad hung up his coat and scarf. “I can’t believe you invited friends over without asking, especially JD Ka—a boy.”
“Asking? Who would I ask, Dad? It’s not like you’re ever home!”
Dad picked up his briefcase and started toward the kitchen. “You could have texted. I would have texted you back.”
Abby trailed behind him. “To say ‘no’? News flash, I have a life too, Dad. It’s not all about you. Maybe I
need
friends. Maybe I need to study with them outside of school. If you’re never home to
chaperone
, what should I do? Hire someone? A nanny, Dad, for a seventeen-year-old girl? Maybe I should homeschool myself. Then I could give myself assignments I already know. Easy As.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” He set his briefcase on the counter and inspected the pan of half-eaten stirfry on the stove.
“You’re right. I’ll just sit in my room each night like a good daughter and come when you call me to dinner— Wait, I’m the one who makes dinner. In fact, I’m the one who does all the housework. Maybe you should go to your room!”
Dad
“You need to put the soy sauce in it first,” JD said.
Abby thrust the spatula against his chest and went to the cabinet to get plates. As much as she enjoyed this lupus assignment, she couldn’t wait until it was over and she would have no more reason to mix company with JD Kane.
Dinner long gone, Abby and Kylee sat on the loveseat in the living room, working through an equation. JD slouched in Abby’s armchair, reading the genetic diseases book.
The front door whooshed open. “Abby, honey? What’s goingon here? I can’t pull into the driveway.” Dad slowed to a stop, his eyes fixed on JD.
Chilled air drifted over to Abby. Dad had left the door open. She watched as he dropped his briefcase on the floor, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed, eyes boring into JD like lasers.
Uh oh
.
Last March, Abby had gone on a group date to the movies. Afterward, everyone came back to Abby’s house to hang out. This had sparked the first and only fight between her parents on the subject of Abby and the opposite sex. She’d been careful not to let it come up again—her parents had enough problems without her adding to them.
Now Dad wore the same expression he had the night he found them all sitting in the backyard talking. His wild eyes flickered from face to face, his lips were drawn into a tight line, and his forehead was as wrinkled as a pug’s.
JD seemed to speak the silent language of territorial father. He jumped up and started across the room. “I should get home. I’ll see you tomorrow, Abby.”
“Yeah, bye.”
Abby’s eyes never left her dad’s smoldering ones. He looked like he might blow a gasket. She hoped he waited until everyone was gone.
He didn’t.
He shadowed JD to the door. It was a humorous sight; JD’s muscular body towered a foot above her dad’s plump one, but the odds didn’t deter her father. “What’s your name, son?”
“JD Kane.”
“Ah. Hmm.” Dad’s “Hmm” morphed into a moan, an odd sound somewhere between looking to answer a question and pain.
Abby jumped up and ran halfway to the door. “Dad? You okay?”
“I don’t allow boys in this house when I’m not home.” Dad’s voice came in a hoarse whisper. “Is that clear?”
JD gripped the knob and yanked the door open. “Yes, sir. Sorry.”
“Dad,” Abby said in her most soothing, round tone. “We were
just
studying.”
Dad waved a hand at Kylee. “You should go home too.”
Abby’s jaw dropped. “Dad!”
Eyes wide enough to show all the white, Kylee shut her calculus book, grabbed her purse, and stood.
“Kylee,” Abby said. “Thanks for coming over. Really. My hero.”
Kylee winked. “No problemo, girl. See you tomorrow.”
Abby chewed her thumbnail as she walked Kylee out. When both vehicles had left the driveway, Abby shut the front door and rounded on her dad. “I can’t believe you kicked out my friends!”
Dad hung up his coat and scarf. “I can’t believe you invited friends over without asking, especially JD Ka—a boy.”
“Asking? Who would I ask, Dad? It’s not like you’re ever home!”
Dad picked up his briefcase and started toward the kitchen. “You could have texted. I would have texted you back.”
Abby trailed behind him. “To say ‘no’? News flash, I have a life too, Dad. It’s not all about you. Maybe I
need
friends. Maybe I need to study with them outside of school. If you’re never home to
chaperone
, what should I do? Hire someone? A nanny, Dad, for a seventeen-year-old girl? Maybe I should homeschool myself. Then I could give myself assignments I already know. Easy As.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” He set his briefcase on the counter and inspected the pan of half-eaten stirfry on the stove.
“You’re right. I’ll just sit in my room each night like a good daughter and come when you call me to dinner— Wait, I’m the one who makes dinner. In fact, I’m the one who does all the housework. Maybe you should go to your room!”
Dad
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