Page 40 of Skate the Line

I’m just as surprised at the rising of my voice as she is. A surprising wave of protectiveness comes over me at the thought of her thinking Rhodes isn’t a good father.

I’ve known bad fathers. He isn’t one of them.

I open the door and see Ellie standing right in front of the threshold with her ear turned toward the office. I give her a look, and she scurries away, pretending she wasn’t eavesdropping.

Before I leave, with Ellie’s hand in mine, the principal’s parting words linger, “I hope you’re the right person. For Ellie’s sake.”

Sixteen

RHODES

I sitoutside of the address Sunny had given me and can’t help but be concerned. It’s not far from Ellie’s school—definitely walking distance—and it’s not in a dangerous neighborhood. However, it’s where I’d assume a poor college student would reside while they consumed nothing but Ramen noodles and attended frat parties every night of the week.

In fact, there’s a frat house three houses down, and I can only imagine what those horny nineteen-year-old boys think when they see her bouncing up those cracked, concrete steps every evening after Marco drops her off.

I pull my hood up and exit my truck. I keep my head down as I stride towards the front door.

Faint music slips out from behind it, and I can make out that it’s Taylor Swift—Ellie’s favorite.I am man enough to admit that I know every last word to the song that’s playing—something Ellie is very proud of and something that half the team makes fun of me for.

My knuckles rap against the thin door, but neither my daughter nor Sunny answer. I lean over the rusty railing andlook through the window. Gauzy curtains hang in front of the glass, but I can make out my daughter’s bright smile instantly. Her hair is free from her braids, and wavy pieces of it fling around as she dances to the song.

I lose my footing when I see Sunny grab onto Ellie’s hand and spin her around until she's holding her belly with laughter. Sunny’s smile matches Ellie’s, and something warm comes over me.

I step away and clear my throat.

The guys referred to Sunny as a hot burst of sunshine—emphasis on the wordhot.

I refused to agree, because she’s Ellie’s nanny, making her my employee, but I will say that she reminds me of sunshine. Her smile is bright, and so far, everyone that I’ve known to come in direct contact with her ends up a little more cheerful than before. Ellie, Marco, the fucking security guard from my game… Even Scottie, Emory’s wife, mentioned that Sunny had hit it off with the rest of the wives and significant others in the box seats.

I sigh and knock again.

No answer.

I’m not one to invade someone’s privacy, but considering I can hear Taylor Swift blasting throughout the small house, I turn the doorknob, only for the door not to budge.

The handle turns, so I know it’s unlocked.

But stuck?

It doesn’t take much of a nudge from my shoulder for the door to make way. Something topples over near my feet when I step inside.

A chair?

Uncertainty slices through me. I check the doorknob from the inside and twist the lock.

It doesn’t work.

I frown.

That’s unsettling.

“Hello?” I shout.

I stay near the door and eye Ellie’s backpack resting on the floor beside her shoes. Right beside hers are Sunny’s.

The place is tiny. I can see directly into the living room where they were just dancing. Now, they’re nowhere to be found.

I move a little farther into the house. My finger hovers over a Bluetooth speaker to silence it, and that’s when I see them.

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