Chapter 3
Lake Foster
SHILOH
“Are you sure you’re comfortable staying the night?”
“Yes. Maybe. Mostly. Yes.”
Her uncertainty didn’t surprise me. That was why I was driving her over in my truck when I knew I’d just have to go back home to get my bike for Lara and me to enjoy our date tonight.
This wasn’t the first time a friend had invited Raylee to stay the night, but hopefully this time would go smoother than before.
As much as I wanted her to be able to stay away from home, I still felt the need to reassure her.
“You’ve got your phone, and I can come pick you up whenever you want me to. ”
“I don’t want anyone to know . . . I mean, what if they think I’m . . . I guess I could go to the bathroom and call you.”
“Or send me a text.”
“But then what will I tell them when you come pick me up?”
“Do you remember the code?”
“Yes, but we don’t have Scooby anymore.”
“They don’t know that, do they?”
“But since he’s gone, it feels wrong to use him as an excuse.”
“Then let’s think of another name.”
“Sebastian.”
I chuckled. “That was quick.”
“I like that name. I named Scooby after a cartoon character, so I chose Sebastian for the other.”
“Okay, Sebastian it is, then. Scooby was a dog named after a dog, but isn’t Sebastian a crab?”
“I think he was a lobster, but no one has a lobster for a pet.”
“Right, so what do you want him to be?”
“A cat.”
“So if you’re not comfortable, just call me and ask how Sebastian is doing. I’ll tell you he’s staring at the closet door and I’m worried that the house is haunted . . .”
Raylee started laughing, which was my plan. I waited until she settled down before continuing. “No, really. I’ll say he’s got a . . . what goes wrong with cats that they’d need a vet?”
“I don’t know, since you’ve never let me have a cat before.”
I ignored that and said, “He ate a marble, and now I’ve gotta take him to the vet.”
“A marble? Why would there be a marble in our house?”
“I don’t know, Biscuit! It’s a lie, and since it’s a lie, how is it a stretch to imagine we’ve got marbles everywhere?”
“Were we setting booby traps for the intruders intent on robbing our house?”
“Good grief! You’re not supposed to pick the story apart. You’re just supposed to stick to it.”
“I don’t know that I can go along with something that makes no sense.”
“I’m glad we’ve never committed a crime together because you’re a shit liar, kiddo.”
“A normal parent would be happy about that.”
“Since when have I ever come across as normal?”
“Good point.”
“Okay, try this one out. I was trimming my toenails, and one of them flipped up into the air. Sebastian looked up to watch it, but when it came down, it stabbed him in the eye and . . .”
“Marbles! Sebastian ate a marble!” Raylee hurried to interrupt. She looked disgusted. “Where did you come up with that? Gross.”
“Sebastian ate a marble, and I need to take him to the vet. That’s what we’re going with if you’re not comfortable and want to come home.” I paused. “And by ‘not comfortable,’ I mean if you start to get stressed in any way . . . not just if you’re in danger.”
“Yes, sir, I know.”
I wondered if Raylee would be able to spend the night or if she’d end up calling me.
We’d tried this before, and she’d never been comfortable staying away for the entire night, which was why we had our code in place.
Luckily, she’d never been in danger, just stressed and anxious about sleeping in an unfamiliar environment.
Hopefully, she’d be more comfortable with her new friends.
I’d always been leery of letting her stay at her friends’ homes because I didn’t know all of their family members.
But sleepovers were a normal part of friendships, so I had to put my worries aside and let Raylee spread her wings.
However, I had no doubt that she’d be safe in Dante’s home.
I knew he wouldn’t have his own children in a building with anyone who might put them in danger.
Sadly, it wasn’t the threat of danger that was bothering Raylee. It was her own thoughts and fears rearing their ugly head somewhere inside, where no one else could reach. That made it a particularly hard dragon to slay for my little princess.
“You know, it’s not good to lie,” Raylee reminded me.
“I’m aware of that, but there are some situations where lying is necessary.”
“It would be very simple to make this a truth . . . at least for the next time I have to use the code.”
I was trying to follow her train of thought and laughed when I realized what she was doing. “Biscuit, are you trying to convince me to get a cat to save your soul?”
“If we had a cat named Sebastian, it wouldn’t be weird for me to call and check on him, right?”
“We’re living in a rental, babe. I’m not sure our landlord would be okay with pets.”
“Not pets, plural. Just one.”
“Honey, I’ve been around you long enough to know that a kitten is a gateway drug to bigger things.
Every animal you see is cute or adorable, and depending on the situation, you end up squealing at a decibel that interrupts the sonar patterns of whales in the ocean more than two thousand miles away. ”
“And now you’re blaming my excitement for the interrupted migratory patterns of cetaceans?”
“Not crustaceans, Biscuit. Whales. Try to keep up.”
“Cetaceans are fully aquatic marine mammals characterized by hairless skin and blowholes for breathing air when they breach the surface.” I glanced over in time to see Raylee smiling at me in a way that would piss me off if anyone else on earth aimed it my way.
I sighed when she asked, “Now, who needs to keep up?”
“I’m not the one who wants the cat.”
“Have I told you lately how much I love you and appreciate the efforts you’ve made to give me a loving and productive home life so that I will someday become a decent human being who does good things for the rest of my days?”
“You know, when you talk to me like that, I wonder why I ever wanted a house full of kids. It’s obvious I can’t keep one in line, so what would I do with half a dozen?”
“You wanted six kids? What is wrong with you?” Raylee asked with a mixture of disgust and confusion.
I parked the truck at the curb before I smiled at my daughter.
“When I was a kid, I wanted brothers and sisters like my friends had, so I would always have someone to play with. When I had you, I wasn’t exactly planning for the future, but that thought was always there.
I wanted you to have siblings so you wouldn’t ever feel alone.
Now, unless I’m a bigger glutton for punishment than even I can understand, I’d have to adopt a house full of smart-ass teenagers to give you that family I dreamed of. ”
“Not a house full. Maybe just two or three.”
“Then I’d really be outnumbered.”
“You’re not outnumbered now, but you’re still outgunned.” Raylee reached over and patted my arm. “It’s okay, though. I still love you, even when I have to explain things really slowly and use small words to get the message across.”
“Get out of my truck, you little shit,” I growled menacingly.
Raylee didn’t stop smiling. If anything, her smile got bigger before she cackled. She opened the door and hopped out onto the curb. Before she shut it, she leaned in and said, very slowly, “I . . . love . . . you . . . Dad.”
“Biscuit, I swear to God . . .”
I didn’t have to finish the empty threat. She’d already slammed the door and was smiling at me through the window. I lost it when she put her hands up with a confused expression before pointing to her ear and mouthing, “I can’t hear you!”
I was still laughing when I got out of the truck. I loved seeing Raylee’s carefree smile as she watched me walk toward her. “You know, Biscuit, most people are scared of me. I’m not sure if you’re smarter than they are or just less cautious.”
“You’re not scary at all.” She walked beside me toward the door where I’d picked her up earlier. I was happy when she slipped her hand into mine and squeezed. “I know that you can be when you want to, but I’ll never be afraid of you.”
“Good. You’ll never have to be,” I assured her as I pushed the button beneath the keypad next to the door. “Remember, I’ll come pick you up anytime you want.”
“I know, Dad. I’ll be okay, I think. Even though I don’t know Nica very well and I just met her cousins, they all seem really cool. Plus, I know Jolie, and I think I’ve met almost everyone else in the family this week. They come into the store and the salon a lot.”
“I’m glad you’re comfortable with them.”
“And I’m glad you’re taking Lara on a date.”
“It’s just a date, Biscuit. I’m not getting down on one knee just yet.”
“Good. That would be creepy this early in the relationship.”
The voice that came through the intercom startled me, mostly because it sounded like a child.
“Welcome to Burger Barrel. What can I get you today?”
I decided to play along. “I’d like a number three with no tomatoes, add grilled jalapenos and extra cheese.”
“That’ll cost you extra.”
“You’re charging me for jalapenos? This is Texas. That’s a first-degree felony.”
I laughed again when I heard Dante’s voice say, “You’d know, Duvall. Come on in.”
A loud buzz sounded. I pulled the door open and waited for Raylee to go inside before following her in and making sure it shut behind me.
“They live up this way,” Raylee said as she started up the stairs.
I looked around before following her and saw hooks on the wall with a myriad of coats in sizes from adult to toddler and in every color. Beneath them sat rows of shoes, just as varied: little checkered Vans, women’s heels, and a few pairs of men’s work boots crusted with dried mud.
“Are you coming?”
“How many people live here again?”
“Dozens. I know that sounds like an exaggeration, but I’m pretty sure it’s true.”