Page 29 of Trophy
“I’ve been busy,” he gritted out. He’d mostly been trying to wean himself away from helping her out every time she asked. “Okay, fine. What’s going on with this guy, then?”
He couldn’t help but notice that Allison was looking a little flustered as she loaded plates onto a tray for the family at the far end of the restaurant. She was probably very uncomfortable about the scene Dee was making. Who wouldn’t be?
“Nothing is—” Cali began.
“He takes her money!” Dee broke in.
This distracted Rob enough for him to turn back, his spine stiffening. “What?”
“He doesn’t take my money. I lent him a little bit once.” Cali looked bored and annoyed. She rolled her eyes in a characteristic way.
Rob scanned her face, hoping she was telling the truth and that Dee was blowing things out of proportion for attention, as she often did. “How much did you give him? Has he paid you back?”
“It’s none of your business!” Cali wailed, as if the world was out to get her.
Rob was going to ask around about that Nelson boy and, if the stories were true, he would think of something to do. He didn’t want some loser mooching off Cali, who had little enoughmoney as it was. She might not be his stepdaughter anymore, but he still felt responsible for her.
He was thinking about this, absently watching Allison carry the large tray over to the table.
Dee evidently saw where his eyes were focused. She made an outraged hissing sound. “If you could get your eyes off your stuck-up girlfriend for even a minute, you might be able to help!”
Rob couldn’t stifle the groan this time. “Dammit, Dee?—”
“Don’t you ‘dammit’ me!” Dee gave an indignant huff and pushed her stool out without warning, abruptly and with unnecessary force.
Allison was walking behind her just then, and the stool slammed right into her.
The tray she was holding crashed down in a loud and shocking fall, and Allison herself stumbled, barely catching herself on the stool.
Rob jumped up and moved toward her, helping her to her feet. “Are you all right?”
“Is she all right?” Dee screamed. She had a few grits on her shoes, but otherwise she was unscathed. “I’m the one who could have been killed by her clumsiness!”
Allison was staring at the mess of food and broken plates on the floor, and it looked like she was close to tears.
Acting on instinct, Rob reached out to put a supportive hand on her back. He murmured again, “Are you all right?”
“I’m okay,” she told him, sounding a little choked.
“She’s the one who dropped it! I’m the one who got scared out of her wits!” Dee screeched.
“I’m sorry,” Allison said immediately, kneeling down to start picking up the broken pieces of plates. “Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not okay!”
“Yes, you are,” Rob snapped, absolutely fed up with her nonsense. “You didn’t even get touched.” He knelt down next to Allison, helping her pick up. “It wasn’t your fault.”
Allison looked too shaky, and her eyes were still lowered so he couldn’t see her expression. But he saw a little tear slip out of her eye that she quickly brushed away.
He swallowed a surge of anger. Dee had made her cry, and there was nothing he’d been able to do to stop it from happening.
“Everyone saw what really happened,” he told her, so low that Dee couldn’t hear. “Please don’t be upset.”
Allison’s eyes darted up to his face, and she gave him a grateful little smile.
“Excuse me,” Dee broke in. “I’m the injured party here.”
Allison took a breath and stood up with the tray. “I’m very sorry. If you’d like to order anything, I’ll be happy to cover it.”
