Page 79 of The Convict Gets His Girl

She chatted about her likes and dislikes in school as they rode around NASA. She laughed at something he said, which made him smile, joy filling him at just being in her presence. "Man, I wish I'd known you existed back then."

Destini tilted her head and hunched her shoulders. "Would you have done things differently?"

He nodded. "Hell, yeah, but my therapist says it's not healthy to dwell on shoulda, woulda, coulda. Let's just say that if I'd known, I would've written you letters every week in prison. Every single week."

"It would've been nice growing up knowing I had a dad who loved me." Her voice was so bitter, he instinctively reached for her hand.

Destini looked over at him as the trolley came to a stop. Her eyes, so similar to his, studied Chase with an intensity that made him want to look away—but he didn't. He held her gaze, one hand open, an unconscious gesture of transparency, while the other squeezed hers gently.

"I might not know you very well yet," Chase said, "but I already love what I do know. I'd really like to get to know you more. If you let me, I'll be the best dad you ever could've asked for from here on out."

The silence stretched. Destini's breath caught in her throat. She was wrestling with something—hope, skepticism, years of absence—as she searched his gaze as if seeking the answers to the universe. The moment trembled with possibility.

She blinked rapidly and followed everyone off the trolley, facing him as he slid across the bench to exit.

"Wow, that was deep, bruh. You've definitely been to therapy."

He chuckled and followed her into the next building as they rejoined Jewel. After going through all the exhibits and climbing the rocket, Destini pointing out things left and right, they made it to the main exhibit hall.

By the time they finished, they were all famished—at least, he assumed so based on how Jewel and Destini were grumbling at each other. He talked throughout lunch, distracting Destini with funny stories of his brothers back home, which had both her and Jewel giggling as they ate.

With a contented sigh, he leaned back, full in both food and heart at this great day with his girls.

His girls.

He blinked, realizing it was true. These were his girls, his family, and they had his heart. Now to just keep them forever.

* * *

Jewel dabbed at her mouth with a napkin, her movements content. Destini slid out of her chair. "I'm going to the bathroom."

Jewel grabbed her small purse. "I'll join you."

The women's restroom was clean and institutional, with white tile and harsh fluorescent lighting. When she came out of the stall to wash her hands, Destini leaned against the sink, her reflection angular and sharp in the mirror as she waited.

"So," Destini said, her voice deliberately casual, "what exactly is going on between you and Chase?"

Jewel's hand froze mid-wash. "What do you mean?"

"Are you dating? Are you… you know." Destini's eyebrows waggled up and down. "Sleeping together?"

Jewel's blush deepened. She stammered, "I can't believe we're talking about this. You're my daughter!"

Destini rolled her eyes, a perfect teenage gesture of exasperation. "Mom, I'm fifteen. Sex talk is everywhere at school. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

The fluorescent light caught Jewel's embarrassed expression, highlighting her momentary vulnerability. A mother. A woman. Caught between protection and honesty.

A thought infiltrated her mind, and she turned her head and narrowed her eyes at Destini. "What's that supposed to mean? Have you had sex?"

The question hung in the sterile bathroom, stark with accusation. Jewel winced, remembering how her own father had reacted when she'd told him she was pregnant. Destini's scowl formed instantly, a defensive mask sliding into place. Her body went rigid as she crossed her arms.

"What? No, ew." The word dripped with teenage disgust, a mix of revulsion and superiority. Her glare struck Jewel like bullets. "As if anyone is worthy of my time."

Chase was worthy of it. Jewel flushed deeper at the thought even as she breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't surprised by Destini's answer. Not a single one of those boys at her school had ever caught her attention. She'd always been different, always been more focused, more driven than Jewel ever had been.

Destini softened her tone, redirecting the conversation with calculated precision. "No," she said, "I'm just wondering… if I move to Crimson Creek—and this is a big if—what would I be moving into? If you and Chase are dating?—"

"We're not dating," Jewel said in a rush, her cheeks burning. She paused, wondering if it was the truth or a lie to them both. Then again, Destini was lying to herself too, since she'd already agreed to the compromise to move at the end of the semester.

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