Page 156 of Wanting What's Wrong

The cop does the same behind us, and I watch as he gets out of the car, taking note of my plates and putting a hand on the trunk as he walks up to the driver’s side. It’s just the one cop, and it’s not like we were racing or anything. With any luck, it’s a slow day and he’ll extol the virtues of safe driving for a moment before letting us get on our way, and never even ask for Mina’s non-existent licence.

“Licence and registration please,” he says, looking down at her. With the sun out and the open road in front of us, Mina insisted on having the top down and I couldn’t say no.

I open my mouth, ready to come to her aid but Mina beats me to it.

She grins at him, shading her eyes with a hand, a cute little blush across her cheeks as she innocently bites her lip. “Hi, officer. How are you today?”

He sighs. “Licence and registration please, ma’am.”

“Oh, can’t we just forget this happened? I was onlythis muchover the speed limit.” She holds up a hand, her fingers a fraction of an inch apart. “Can’t you just let us off this once? I promise I won’t do it again.”

“Look, ma’am, I can’t. My sergeant is already on my ass about sleeping on the job when I’m out here. If he found out—”

“Oh, how’s he going to find out though? It’s empty out here. You could just go back to your car, close your eyes and forget—” A look of confusion comes over her face as she muttersforgetagain to herself, and my heart jumps into my throat. “Forget.” She says again. “Forget…”

Not now.

“You okay miss?”

Fuck, she can’t be remembering something right now.

“Like I forgot,” she murmurs, and I open my mouth, ready to come up with some explanation for everything that I’ve done.

Then she shakes her head and smiles again. “You could forgetyou ever saw us. Couldn’t he, Daddy?”

She glances over at me, and so does the cop. I watch as he pulls down his shades, inspecting me for a long moment, as I open my mouth trying to figure out how to explain.

He makes a clicking noise in his throat. “JacksonSanders?” He squints crouching down for a better look. “It is you, isn’t it? Damn, I thought you looked familiar! That was one hell of a hail Mary you pulled off in the Cotton Bowl.”

Mina is grinning. “It’s him, officer. Now, about my licence and—”

“Forget it,” he says. “Like you said, who’s going toknow?” He turns his attention back my way “Hey, you know my son is a big fan. Any way I could get an autograph? It’d make his day, maybe get me onto my wife’s good side, if you know what I’m saying.”

I laugh and nod. “Sure. You got anything I can sign?”

“In the car. I’ll be one second, then I’ll let you folks get on your way.”

He jogs away, Mina winking at me. “I handled it.” She chirps as I reach over the grab her chin. “You’re so famous though. I’m going to get an internet connection that works and find outallabout my famous Daddy.”

“What you’re going tofind outis exactly what ‘getting handled’ means, as soon as we get home,” I tell her, turning the conversation to something I can control. The phone has perfect internet connection. What it also has is a block on any pages that mention the name Sanders. I couldn’t be too careful. “No flirting. Even if it gets you out of a ticket.”

“Mean daddy.” She pouts as I nod.

“Sometimes, baby. Sometimes.”

Jesus, that was too close.

As I walk her in through the front door, she smiles at me as she says she’s going to put on a suit and jump in the pool. And I remember all the reasons this is wrong and I’m going to hell or prison or maybe both.

Just the fact she’s going tojump in the poolis all wrong. She hates the water. Hates it. It’s been fun having this new Mina around but I love the old Mina as well. And part of me knows this can’t last forever.

I wander upstairs, but don’t turn for the room we’ve been sharing. This place is so big, but the cleaners I sent in gave me an itinerary of where I’ll find everything. They found the rest ofMina’s things in the fourth room at the end of this hallway, and that’s where they put her dresses, Barbies, and everything else that was strewn around the place by those assholes that came to her party.

And that’s exactly where I’m heading.

The room looks like it should. It reminds me of the Mina I know, the one I fell in love with. Sure, maybe this new Mina is a part of her, and I’d love her no matter what, but this room reminds me of the girl that stole my heart. I haven’t brought her into this room for fear that it would bring back her memories, but I wonder if I should do that and end this whole charade.

Inside the closet, I pull out her backpack and lay the Barbies lay out each doll with their miniature runway outfits. The intricacy and attention to detail are amazing, but I kneel and reach beneath the bed, and pull out two suitcases they packed up and tucked away at my instruction.

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