Page 15 of The Moment They Can Never Forgive
Dark-haired, with an odd dress sense that she’d assured him was now cool, his niece was twelve and a half—the half beingimportant, apparently—going on fifty years old. She had an old soul, according to his mom, which he believed meant Ally had been here before, but he couldn’t be sure on that because he didn’t always understand what his mom was talking about…. Actually, that was true of women in general.
“You were only gone two days, Uncle Dan, but I did miss you because you’re the only one now who doesn’t get all goo-goo-eyed around a woman and babies. You make sense and don’t say things like, ‘I’ll ask Phoebe and let you know, kiddo.’ Or ‘I’m sure Birdie will know the answer to that.’” Ally rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, because your life is so hard, right? All these women entering it and softening up your uncles and dad must be tough,” he drawled. “And you don’t fool me. You love your baby brother.”
She giggled. “Leo’s cute.”
“Crazy how fast he and Sadie have grown. How was Nana while I was away?”
“Good. She said the house stays clean when you’re not there.”
“Harsh but true,” he said.
Dan still lived in the house he’d grown up in. Officially, it was so his mom wouldn’t get lonely. Unofficially, it was because he hadn’t done a load of laundry since high school. Meals appeared, shirts got ironed, and the house never stayed dirty long—not because of him, but because his mom claimed his version of “helping” was a crime against cleanliness. He pitched in when she let him, but there was no way he’d admit that to the rest of the family. They’d never let him live it down.
Being a cop meant odd hours and late shifts, and honestly, coming home to a full house was a lot better than coming home to an empty one.
“So what’s been happening, Ally? Fill me in on the gossip since I’ve been gone.” He refrained from asking her if she’d met anyone called Leah Reynolds.
“Are we getting hot chocolate, Uncle Dan?”
“Do you deserve hot chocolate?”
“Absolutely. I did all my chores this morning,” she said smiling. “How is your hand now?”
He knew that look. This kid could smile and get anything she wanted. She could also lie better than anyone he knew.
“It’s good. Now, what else aren’t you telling me? Remember, I’m the uncle who can see through your BS because I’m the second-best liar in the family.”
Also true, because people had no idea what went on inside Dan’s head unless he wanted them to. He’d been hiding his thoughts for years, even if his big brothers thought they could read him like a book.
Ally sighed. “So, you know Bobby?”
“Yup.” Dan swung into the street that would lead to the Beckers’ driveway. They’d set up a coffee hut there years ago before they were popular. You got good coffee, baking, and a side of advice, if you wanted it, and sometimes if you didn’t. “Bobby who wore a bow tie to your birthday twice?”
“Yeah, him. Well, I’m going to Mabel Tricker’s birthday, and she said she’s not inviting Bobby because he’s boring and not cool.”
“And what did you say to Mabel when she said that, Ally?”
“Nothing.” She was now looking out her window, not meeting his eyes.
“Don’t use that sullen tone with me, squirt, and I’m not the one in the wrong here.”
“Sorry,” she muttered. “How do you know I’ve done anything wrong?”
“I’m a cop with good intuition, plus your shoulders are up around your ears. Now tell me what else you said to this Mabel, who, by the way, sounds like a real peach.”
“She’s one of the cool kids in school,” Ally replied. “I told her that Bobby was boring, and he wasn’t my friend anymore.” The words came out fast, like they tasted sour.
Dan knew the power of silence and had made grown men spill their guts a time or two using it. He let it settle in the car until Ally was squirming. Only then did he speak.
“Let me see if I have this right,” he said, pulling to a stop just before the coffee sign and a large red arrow pointing to the hut a few feet away.
“Uncle Dan, we don’t?—”
“You want to go to Mabel’s birthday with the other cool kids, so you threw Bobby under the bus?”
“He doesn’t know,” she muttered.
