Page 53 of Rafe: Sins of the Father

I grin. “Yeah. Try me.”

When she just stands there, I hit my seatbelt button and climb out.

“You’re impossible,” she snaps, but stomps around to the other side.

I take a mocha Frappuccino from the console drink holder and pass it to her. “I brought you a treat.”

“That’s for me?” she asks, staring at it.

“Yeah. You gonna take it?”

She reaches for it. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Was that so hard? Being nice?”

“You started it.”

“Disagree.” I buckle back up and drive down the road, glancing over to let my gaze sweep over her. “You didn’t cut your hair.”

“Nope.”

Her hair looks blonder, though. “It’s pretty. What did you do to it?”

“They put highlights in it and trimmed the dead ends.”

“But they were supposed to cut it, weren’t they?”

Her chin lifts almost imperceptibly, but she won’t answer me. I smile, because I know it's true. She was going to cut it until I told her I liked it long. I let it slide.

“Has Connor bothered you anymore?”

That’s when she turns to look at me. “No. Actually, he hasn’t been in school all week, and his two friends have been acting pretty subdued. I don’t understand it. They almost look scared and nervous.”

“Well, I guess me chasing them off last week did the trick. Looking down the wrong end of a gun will do that to you.”

“Maybe.” She looks at me suspiciously, but I give her an innocent expression. “I heard one of them talking about how Connor had to break the window of his Porsche because he locked his keys inside.”

“Huh. Karma, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ve only got the spare on this car, and that can only be ridden on for so many miles. The tire store doesn’t have your size tire and has to have it sent up from another store in San Diego. It won’t be here until late Monday, by the way.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope. Since I won’t be able to get it fixed until after you have to be at school, your father told me to take you in one of the company trucks. He won’t be back until tomorrow.”

“Forget it. I’ll get Ruth to give me a ride.”

“Have it your way,” I snap.

“Fine. I will.”

“Fine.”

When we pull up at the mill, I park at the office and climb out. “She’s all yours, princess.”

Tori pushes out of the car, stomps around to the driver’s side, and slams the door.

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