Page 18 of First Chance

“I wasn’t planning to attend.”

“You have to, it’s proper.”

“Don’t talk to me about proper, Conrad,” I throw back at him with more spite than I ever afford anyone. My older brother is the only person in the world who can make me so mad.

He squints his eyes at me, and I know he’sfighting all of his internal demons begging him to behave as immaturely on the outside as he is on the inside. He’s nearly ten years my senior but has never grown up. This run for Governor is the biggest acting performance I’ve ever seen.

“JoAnna, you’ll be at the speech,” my father states without question. He’s not to be defied, he’s made that clear my entire life.

“I have class.”I don’t have class.

He sets his glass down with a loud clunk on the table beside him, making my chest tense. “Skip it.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Now that we’re all in agreement, let’s eat.”

* * *

On Friday afternoon, when I pull up to the farmhouse, there is a porch full of people. All the parolees are standing in front of Lochlan as if they’re having a meeting, but the conversation completely dies off when I get out of my car.

“Now,thatis the Princess of North Carolina. I thought we got swindled,” Frank croons boldly.

Despair overtakes me as I climb the porch steps, making me hang my head.

I had to wear the outfit that my mother picked out for my brother’s speech tonight. I have to leave as soon as I finish working and go straight there. My normally work appropriate clothing is already more dressed up than is needed for this place, but today I am wearing a bright red fit and flare dress that hits above my knees and strappy nudeheels.

“Frank, I’ll rip your fucking tongue out if you talk to her like that, again. Address her with respect.” I look up as Lochlan shoves Frank down the porch to make him leave out the back way. I can only imagine my cheeks rival the color of my dress.

“I have an event later,” I mumble to no one in particular.

“You do look like a princess, ma’am. Respectfully,” Curtis adds, dipping his head after Lochlan smacks the back of it as he walks by.

“Anyone else?” Lochlan asks, obviously annoyed by the disturbance. There’s a chorus of “no’s” before he turns his back to walk inside. Jordy slips me a thumbs up, but Lochlan must sense it because he snaps his head to the side, and everyone scatters like flies.

I, unfortunately, have to follow Lochlan into the bear cave and I know he’s going to be pissed that I made a scene. Now, I’ll get the silent treatment the rest of the day.

“If you’re here trying to get male attention, then you can get lost. I don’t tolerate that shit,” Lochlan snaps as soon as we’re in his kitchen. He’s pacing back and forth, rubbing his hand across his face.

“What?”

“I’m not an idiot, Jo. You’re the same age as some of those guys. They see a beautiful woman and they lose their fucking minds. If this is some game to you, then it ends here.”

“That isn’t fair.”

He shrugs, not backing down from his accusation, and something inside of me boils up until it spills over.

“I didn’t dress like this for them. I didn’t even dress like this for myself, but I’m not going to apologize for the way that I look. If they can’t control themselves, then that’s on them.Or, you, since you act like you can’t control them!” This inner fury is coming from somewhere else but I’m unleashing it all on Lochlan because he chose the wrong day to be an asshole.

“I’m following all of your rules and I’m doing a damn good job despite winging it half of the time because you want nothing to do with me. Adding new rules because I’m too pretty is low even for you.”

The silence that fills the room is suffocating. There seems to be a beat of uncertainty in his eyes, and I think he might apologize. “Maybe it’s best if you leave.”

Of course, I should have expected this. He warned me that he’d fire me at any given issue, and here we are.

“You know what? I think you’re right.” I’m out the front door in seconds, flinging my backpack into my car with enough force to rattle the interior. He steps out onto the porch as my car catapults a dirt cloud into the air as I speed away.

Chapter Seven

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