Page 126 of Downpour

“What are y’all still doing here?” CJ said from the doorway. He was drenched in sweat and out of breath. “It’s seven.”

“You’re late,” Ray said. “But I appreciate the effort.”

Cassandra rolled her eyes. “I should’ve known you orchestrated that. I usually have to drag Christian back to the house.”

Gracie poked her head in. “Why are you still working? It’s?—”

“Seven! I know!” Cassandra shouted. “I swear, this family is going to drive me batshit crazy.”

“Should’ve clocked out at five,” Ray said.

“Y’all should come up to the bunkhouse after supper,” CJ said. “We’re having a bonfire.”

Christian frowned. “A bonfire in the middle of summer when it hasn’t rained in months is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. How aboutdon’t.”

CJ rolled his eyes. “It’s a little one. We’ll keep it contained. Bring the girls.”

“Please, Daddy?” Gracie said as she grabbed a red permanent marker from the cup on the desk and started coloring on Ray’s arm, filling in a flower that was part of his sleeve of tattoos.

“It’s already pretty late,” Christian said.

Bree found a blue permanent marker and took Ray’s other arm, coloring in a pocket watch and chain that wrapped around his elbow and forearm. “I cleaned my room and did all my chores.”

Christian glanced at Cassandra. She returned the look to him, passing back whatever silent communication they had going between them.

“Well then,” Christian said. “Since I know you did all those things because you know it’s your responsibility, bonfire it is. But you still have to be in bed by ten.”

Bree’s marker stilled on Ray’s arm. “And because I’ve been so responsible, you’ll think about letting me go out with Mason on Saturday?”

The room froze.

The eighteen-plus crowd looked at Christian. Gracie looked at Bree, then Cassandra.

Ray frowned. “Who’s Mason?”

“Mason Cruz,” Bree blurted out. “He’s a grade ahead of me, and I’ve done everything Dad said I had to do to be able to go on dates. I get A’s and B’s. I keep up with my chores. And hestillwon’t let me go out with him.”

Christian crossed his arms. “Because you don’t have your driver’s license yet. Do you want me or Cass going on dates with you?”

Bree slammed the marker back onto the desk. “No!”

“You need your driver’s license so that you can leave the date whenever you want to. It’s for your own safety and agency,” Cassandra said.

Bree looked up at Ray. “Will you talk to them? Please? If I have to tell him that my dad won’t let me go one more time, he’ll stop asking me out and move on.”

Ray shrugged. “Let him move on.”

Her features curled up in anger. “But... no.”

Ray pointed to the tattoo she had been coloring in. “You missed a spot. If that kid wants to move on, let him move on. If he likes you, he’ll wait. Simple as that.”

Bree rolled her eyes. “You’re not supposed to take their side.”

“Sorry, kid. I’m full of disappointments these days. If you want a popsicle, you know where to find ‘em. Your dad and Cass are just looking out for you.” Ray glanced at Christian. “But maybe you could compromise and let the kid come to family dinner. After Cass runs a background check.”

“Already done,” she clipped.

Something warm inside me bloomed as I watched Ray diffuse Bree’s frustration. He would be such a great dad…

---