Page 43 of Stone

I had to stop myself rolling my eyes. Nobody in Hambleton greeted each other like that. Robbie was so pretentious it made me want to gag.

“Hi, Robert,” I said coolly, before turning to his father. “Hello, Mayor Henderson,” I greeted with a more genuine smile.

Robert Senior stood and took my hands in his. “Elise,” he greeted. “You get prettier every time I see you.”

My dad preened.

I felt my face redden. “Thank you, Mayor.” I pointed awkwardly toward the kitchen. “I’ll just go see if Mom needs any help.” Then, completely ignoring Robbie, I fled.

An uneasy feeling prickled through my stomach. Since the incident at the creek, I’d only seen Robbie a couple of times and never alone. I couldn’t help feeling a little blindsided. Dad hadn’t mentioned he’d be here. If he had, I would’ve made an excuse to stay with Connie until he left.

Entering the kitchen, I paused when I saw Mom stirring a boiling pot on the stove.

“Thank God you’re here,” she cried, her tone full of panic. “I burned the chicken, so I’ve had to improvise with steaks. Can you whip up your peppercorn sauce while I mash these potatoes?”

Heading for the cupboard, I grabbed a pan and put it on the stove before going into the pantry for some peppercorns. Glancing at Mom, I murmured, “I didn’t know Robert Junior was coming for dinner too.”

Her gaze slid to me, and she grimaced slightly. “The mayor called an hour before he was due and asked if Junior could come along. Mrs. Henderson’s out of town.” Her lips thinned slightly. “I really don’t know what your dad sees in that boy.”

I looked at Mom sideways. “I do. Dad’s turning into a snob.” I turned to the counter and started grinding the ingredients for the sauce.

“Elise, you shouldn’t talk about your father like that,” Mom replied softly, though her lips twitched slightly as if she was holding back a smile.

“Will you talk to him, please, Mom? Ask him to back off. He knows how I feel about John.”

Mom nodded thoughtfully. “I think it’s needed. He’s being pig-headed, and he’s gone too far today.”

My shoulders slumped in relief. “Thanks, Mom.” An idea formed. While I had Mom onside, I could ask my other favor. “Umm, there’s something else… Connie asked me if I’d go to John’s graduation ceremony with her. Bandit can’t leave the club, so he’s offered to pay for us to fly out to San Diego together. There’s more chance of Dad allowing it if it comes from you.”

Mom cocked an eyebrow. “You’re asking a lot, Elise.”

“I know,” I agreed. “But you know what Dad’s like when it comes to anything related to John.”

“You’re eighteen now,” she insisted. “You need to start standing up for yourself. The longer you allow your father to control everything, the more he’ll do it. I’ll talk to him about Robbie, and I’ll back you up about San Diego, but you’ve got to approach him about it yourself.”

My heart sank, because even though I knew Mom was right, it didn't make the prospect of approaching Dad any easier. All my life, I’d been trained to be an obedient daughter, so the thought of breaking free of my dad’s control now made my stomach churn.

What was the alternative, though? Pretending to be the same girl I was at fifteen, for my dad’s sake, was weird. He had to accept that my life was my own and let me go at some point.

And now was as good a time as any.

Within minutes, the food was cooked, and I’d finished making the sauce. Mom and I carried all the dishes into the dining room, and after Dad said grace, we started eating.

The men’s conversation mostly revolved around the town and planning until we’d finished eating. Mayor Henderson mentioned the Thanksgiving party he was thinking about throwing for the town.

Dad sat a little straighter and said, “Elise. Maybe that’s something you could help with?”

I shot Dad an incredulous look. He knew I was already busy with college and work. His stare flicked to Robbie, and it dawned on me what he was trying to do.

My eyes narrowed on him. “I couldn’t possibly. I’m busy with college and homework, plus, helping you at the store takes up most of my weekends.”

“She’s right, Jerome,” Mom interjected. “I’d rather Elise concentrate on her studies. It’s her first year, and I don’t want her to take on too much.”

Dad looked thoughtful for a minute. “What about if I hired some help?”

“You said you couldn’t afford to,” I said accusingly. “That’s why you don’t pay me.”

Dad had the good grace to look ashamed. “I already pay for your college, Elise.”

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