Page 80 of Reaper's Claim

“Abby.” Dad gestured for me to come to him.

The boys had been eating a late breakfast, or early lunch, for an hour. I was sure all the hot food was cold, and all the cold food was warm by now. I hadn’t been listening to what was being said. I knew that it wasn’t my place.

“Yes, Dad?” I made a point to not look over at Reaper, who had his arm draped over the back of a free chair.

“How long are you and Kim staying?”

My eyes slightly widened. How funny that he would be asking me the same question Reaper kept asking me last night. “I don’t know.” I gave him the same answer I had given Reaper. Because I really didn’t know. We hadn’t planned on staying longer than the weekend. But things were changing, I knew that, so did that mean I was ready to come back home?

“Well, I need to know.” Dad reached for his beer and finished it. “Need to get shit in order.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “And what possibly needs to be ordered?”

“Yours and your sister’s stuff has to be moved back down here, and I’ve got a few men riding up that way next week. They could take a van and load your shit up, bringing it back on the way through.”

“I do not think so. I’m not having anyone just throw my stuff in a box.” I wasn’t letting anyone go through my things.

“Fine, I can get your Aunty to do it.”

I didn’t really like that idea either. I wonder if whore can stain things.

“Why does it have to be done now?” I crossed my arms, feeling cornered. “I don’t see what the rush is. Kim and I might just be staying for a while here and then heading back up.”

“Well, are you?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to her about it.”

“Since when did you only do what she did?” Dad gave me a pointed look. “What’s keeping you there, Abby? I thought you hated the place.”

I hated being made to move there, yes, but I didn’t hate it there anymore. I had friends and somewhat of a job.

But Dad was right, what was keeping me there? I guess he had the same answer as I did. Nothing.

“I thought you didn’t want me back here?” I threw that question at him because that was the clear impression I got last night when he was going on about me following Reaper here.

“You’re my daughter; of course I want you here.” He seemed almost hurt at the suggestion. “Just didn’t want you coming back for the wrong reasons.”

I didn’t like having a double-sided conversation in front of this many people. But it was Dad. He didn’t care who was listening.

“I guess you can tell Aunt Mandy to pack my things up then.” I cringed at the thought of her touching my stuff. “But tell her to wear gloves.”

“Abby, that isn’t nice.”

Shrugging my shoulders, I reached for the empty glasses on the table. My eyes caught Reaper’s for a moment as I took the glass in front of him.

“Tell Kim I’m getting her to pack her shit up, too,” Dad told me as I walked away and I paused, turning back around.

“Just because I am staying doesn’t mean she is.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Trigger shift in his seat. “Kim has a guy there, Dad. She might not be ready to walk away from that.”

Call me a troublemaker, but I knew Kim would do the same for me. The only way to know if Trigger was interested in her was to see if he got jealous. She could thank me later.

“It’s Kim. She will move on to another soon enough.” Dad didn’t look up from his phone as he scrolled through numbers.

“Come on, Dad. Do you really think Trent is like all the others? She’s really taken with him. When you meet him, you’ll know what I mean.”

I didn’t need to be a mind reader to see the jealousy building up in Trigger.

“That nerdy kid.” He scrunched his nose up. “You don’t think she actually likes him?”

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