Page 48 of Refuge for Cherilyn

Candace tiptoed over to the keys, picked them up, and held them out to the wrecker driver like they were on fire. “Here.”

The man took them from her and held out his clipboard toward Shaw. “Thank you. Sign for this?”

“Only that you took it. I’m not responsible for payment for this fiasco,” Shaw insisted.

“Yes, sir. Only that I took it. That’s all.”

“Okay, then yes. I’ll sign.”

“Dad, don’t sign that! Then he can’t take it!”

The tow truck driver gave her a look that told Shaw how stupid he thought the girl was. Problem was, it seemed the man wasn’t wrong. “Honey, I’ll just be back in a week when they report it stolen. At least this way you won’t be in trouble.” He turned away and headed toward the truck, keys in hand.

“Oh, god, what am I going to drive now?”

Shaw couldn’t believe he had to spell it out for her. “Nothing. You’re going to drive nothing. You’re fifteen. You’re not supposed to be driving.”

“But how will I get around?”

“Around to where? There’s nowhere for you to go around here.”

“I’ll go to Gran and Pap’s. She’ll let me do whatever I want.”

He shook his head and laughed. “You mean the grandmother who was telling me just the other day that she called and left you a message but you never called her back? You obviously don’t know my mother well. If I call her and tell her what you’ve done, she’ll tan your backside herself. And don’t even think you’re going over there to stay. She’ll tell you to get yourself right back over here and behave. She won’t put up with any shit from you.”

Candace looked totally miserable, but Shaw was finding it hard to feel sorry for her at all. She’d created the mess and had come there to dump it in his lap. It looked like his mother and Cherilyn’s predictions had come true. He stepped up in front of her and looked down at her. “Now, you’re going inside. You’re going to apologize to Cherilyn and Maisey for being rude, and especially for what you said about Cherilyn. And you’re going to apologize to Lara for what you said about her.”

“But she won’t understand. She’s a?”

“Candace Ann, I’ve never struck a woman, but I swear to god, I will slap you across the face if youeversay anything like that again. You arenotgoing to come into my home, disrespect my guests, and make rude remarks to a child who can’t help the issues she has. You’ve got two choices here. You can either behave, or you can sleep out in the shed."

“I can’t sleep in the shed!” she shrieked.

“Those are your choices. That’s how it is. You either behave or it’s the shed for you.” He waited as she stared at the porch floor. “Well? What’s it going to be?”

“Fine! I’ll go apologize!”

“No. You’re going to stand right here until you mean it.”

“But I need to pee.”

He shrugged. “Sounds like a personal problem to me.”

“Fine. I’ll apologize and play nice.”

“Good.” Shaw opened the door and pointed. “Get started.”

No one was in the living room. “Where are they?”

“Probably back in the bedrooms.” Shaw headed straight for his bedroom and opened the door. Sure enough, Maisey was sitting on one corner of the foot of the bed and Cherilyn was right smack in the middle, knees drawn up and arms wrapped around them. “Candace has something to say to both of you.”

Cherilyn frowned. “Shaw, really, you don’t?”

Maisey shook her head. “Oh, no, Cherilyn. Shaw is right. She needs to learn that she can’t talk to people just any old way she wants. She can apologize to both of us.”

“Come on. She’s waiting.” Shaw held the door as the two women made their way back up the hallway, Maisey in the lead. When they were all in the room, he turned to Candace. “I think you have something you want to say.”

“Yeah. Um, Maisey, right?” The brunette nodded. “Okay, so I’m not sure what I’m supposed to apologize to you about except maybe that comment about Dad having two girlfriends. That was pretty rude of me, and I’m sorry.”

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