Page 97 of My One and Only

Fiona frowned. “What kinds of bad things, Daddy?”

“He tried to hurt Jo. But she was able to stop him.” Cam’s throat worked, and Jo knew he was reluctant to tell Fiona that Don had killed her mother. She touched Cam’s arm, and when he looked at her, she shook her head.

He stared at her for a long moment, then nodded. “We both loved Uncle Don,” Cam said. “But we won’t be seeing him again.”

Fiona frowned. “Good. I don’t want to see him again. Uncle Don scared me.”

“He won’t be around to scare you again, baby.”

“Good,” Fiona said. She studied her father for a moment. “Will you have to see Uncle Don again, Daddy?”

“I hope not,” Cam said.

Jo watched, knowing that the last thing Cam wanted right now was to have any interactions with Don. She pressed her hand to Cam’s back, and he relaxed into her touch.

“Why don’t we go home so you can drop off your backpack,” he said. “Then we’ll all go out to breakfast. Would you like to do that?”

“Can I get pancakes? And bacon?”Fiona asked eagerly.

“You can get whatever you want,” Cam promised.

Fiona turned and threw herself into her grandmother’s arms. “We have to go have breakfast,” she said. “Thank you for picking me up from school and letting me stay here last night. I like staying overnight with you and Grandpa.”

“And we love having you here, Fee. Now go have breakfast with your dad and Jo.”

When they reached Fiona’s favorite breakfast restaurant, she positioned herself between Cam and Jo and took their hands. Jo swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and blinked away the tears that threatened as she tightened her fingers around Fiona’s.

After they’d been seated and ordered, Fiona looked over at Jo. She fidgeted in her chair, as if trying to figure out how to ask something. “When Uncle Don came to the school, I couldn’t play with my friends,” she said in a small voice.

Jo reached for her hand. “I know. But you can play with them again this week. Maybe next week, too. Would that make up for not playing yesterday?”

Fiona nodded. “Yeah. Will you be there with me, Jo?”

“Whenever I can, Fee,” she said. Even if it was only a handful of days.

“Okay,” she said.

The waitress brought over a cup of crayons and a placemat with pictures on it, and Fiona grabbed a purple crayon and began coloring.

Jo looked at Cam and reached for his hand. He twined their fingers together and brought her hand to his mouth. Kissed her palm.

Fiona was watching. “Why did you kiss Jo’s hand, Daddy?”

“Because I like Jo very, very much.” He took a deep breath and glanced at Jo. She nodded.Tell her now.

“Jo’s my girlfriend,” he told his daughter.

Fiona stared at Cam, then at Jo. Then looked back at Cam. “Is she going to stay with us?”she asked.

“I’d like her to stay, and she wants to stay. But she has a job. She’ll have to go away for her job, but she’ll come back.”

Fiona transferred her gaze to Jo. “You promise, Jo?”

Jo made a cross over her heart. “I do.” She studied Fiona for a moment. “You want me to make a pinkie promise with you?”

“Yes!” Fiona’s face lit up. “Those are the best promises.”

Jo linked her pinkie with Fiona’s and said, “I pinkie promise that even though I might have to go away, I’ll always come back.”

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