Page 24 of The Sweetest Obsession

I narrow my eyes.

My ice cream’s long gone and I’m just idling, taking bites out of the waffle cone.

“What field trip?” I ask.

Nell blinks at me innocently. “The one Masie Jenkins has planned? The camping trip?”

“First I’m hearing of it.” I know what she’s doing. Acting like she’s just reminding me when she never brought it up at all.

That’s the problem with being a cop raising a kid. Half the time you just teach them how to be better mini-criminals.

I clear my throat and say, “If it’s a field trip, the school must’ve sent you home with a permission slip, huh?”

“Welll...” Nell twirls her spoon in the melted pool at the bottom of her bowl. “Um, Nana and Pop-pop said it should be okay.”

My mother holds her hands up. “Don’t look at me. I said to ask you, but you probably wouldn’t mind.”

“Uh-huh.” I eye Nell. “What are you not telling me, Nelly-girl?”

“Um, well...” She bites her lip with a tight smile. “It’s not a school field trip. Not exactly. But my whole grade is going! Camping next weekend. We’ll be right there on Still Lake, not even deep in the woods...”

“Mm,” I grunt skeptically. “And that means Masie’s parents are going to be there, right? And at least two more adults for that many kids.”

“Um...”

Oh, shit.

Here we go.

The reason she’s dancing around.

“Out with it, Nell,” I say.

She winces and lowers her eyes. “Masie’s older sister is coming. But... but she’s a really good chaperone! I promise.”

“Junie? Like hell,” I snarl. “Nelly-girl, she’s only seventeen. Not even old enough to chaperone herself.”

“Language, Grant! Not in front of little ears,” Ma chides me gently.

“Oh, he says that all the time,” Nell pipes up. “I’m used to it.”

“Don’t you switch this around on me. You’re not getting me in trouble with my parents when you’re in trouble withme.” I frown. “Nell, you are not going on a field trip with—how many rug rats are in your grade? Eleven?”

“Ten.” She juts her lower lip out.

“Right. Ten munchkins and one seventeen-year-old in the woods alone at night. You knew damn well I’d say no when it’s a recipe for disaster, so you tried to be sneaky. Not nice.” I shake my head. “It’s not happening, and I’m gonna have to talk to the Jenkins about that plan, too.”

“Uncle Grant!” Her face crumples into pure horror. “You can’t. Everyone else is going!”

“And you’re not everyone else, last I checked. Go ahead and hate me now, but someday you’ll be glad I spared you the trouble. That trip’s just asking for trouble. Missing kids, someone drowning, breaking a leg...” Look, I hate having to upset her like an ingrown toenail, but I’m not budging. “You’re not going and that’s final, Nell. You wanna go camping, I’ll take you myself.”

“What? But I don’twantto go with you!” she flares. “You’re a buttface!”

“Nell,” my father says softly. He’s a big man—almost as big as me before age started shrinking him down—but soft-spoken and gentle as a bear cub. The man raised me with the same gentle sternness he wields now like a master. “You know you’re not allowed to talk back that way to your uncle.”

“But heis!Buttface!” She whirls on him, her sundae forgotten, tears welling in her eyes.

“Nell!” my mother admonishes. “Use your inside voice.” But then she turns a pleading look on me. “Surely, it won’t be so bad for just one weekend, darling? Can’t you find an adult for them? As long as they promise to stay out of the water and Junie checks in.”

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