He kissed her forehead. “Yes, ma’am.”
On the three-day drive back home he and Amber visited Zion Park and stayed overnight in Salt Lake City to take in a performance of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They dressed in the outfits they’d worn at Donovan’s wedding, and after the music, he took her on a date to Franck’s where she sipped lemon soda from a champagne glass like a proper lady and tasted her first escargot. She loved it until he confessed it was snails. Her glare of disgust could have stopped a runaway train.
On the last day of the road trip, she watched the monotonous scenery flying by the truck windows. “Daddy, when we get home can we go see Marla?”
“She doesn’t want to see me.”
“You have to do something.”
“I’m working on it.”
“You better.”
“You know something, squirt? If I ever get Marla back, you’re likely to end up low man on the totem pole.”
She squinched her eyes and forehead. “I don’t know what that means.”
“It means that if Marla decided to forgive, even God help me, marry us, I’d be giving her permission to discipline you, set rules, and be lady of the house.”
She mulled over the information for several seconds. “She’s rill bossy.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, I’ve got news for you. You’re rill bossy too.”
She glared, her chin trust forward. “I am not!”
“You just proved my point.”
She harrumphed and crossed her arms. He bit the inside of his cheek and they drove several miles before she spoke again.
“Am I, rilly?”
“Really.” He squeezed her knee. “But guess what? I think you’re perfect, and I love you this much.” He took his hands off the wheel and threw his arms wide.
“Daddy! Pay attention to the road!”
A deep laugh rumbled from his chest. “Yes, ma’am, Sergeant Bossy, ma’am.”
Late that night, he carried her in the house, removed her sneakers, and tucked her in bed in her traveling clothes. He checked his bulletin board in the kitchen for any important messages from Cluny, who’d been keeping an eye on his house and business for the past month. The only thing on it was a handmade Father’s Day card from two years ago.
He punched Marla’s number into his phone and waited for the inevitable toneless, machine-recorded voice. “Shit!” He tossed it on the coffee table and reclined for a quick rest. When he woke it was broad daylight, and Amber was poking his chest.
“What?” He scrubbed a hand over his face and blinked.
“I’m fixing breakfast. Get up.”
“Sheesh, the last thing I need is a boss this morning.”
She grinned and shuffled to the kitchen in her bunny slippers. “Too bad for you.”
Did he really want to live in a house with two strong-willed, stubborn, single-minded, bossy females?
“I’ve had enough sun for one day, Char. Let’s go.” Marla inspected the fresh crop of freckles on her arms, wrapped a beach towel around her hips, and folded the sand chair.
Charlene followed her lead. “Donovan will be coming home for dinner soon, so yes, I need to get a move on.”
“We still have half that roasted chicken in the fridge. Let’s make a man-sized salad and eat out on the lanai. The weather is perfect.”
“Can you whip up a batch of those great cheese biscuits he loves so much?”
“Anything for the best-looking brother-in-law on Oahu.”
The Marine base housing wasn’t far from the beach at Kaneohe, so it only took a few minutes to get to Char’s house.
Charlene asked, “So what are you going to do?”
“Make biscuits.”
“You know what I mean.”
“If you’re referring to Dwayne, I won’t discuss the matter.” A bolt of pain went from her ribs to her spine whenever she mentioned his name or even thought of him. Which, face it, was a zillion times a day.
“He’s my brother-in-law, sis. He’s family. You know you’re going to have to face him sooner or later, and probably often. Amber is my niece now.”
“You think I don’t know that?” She sucked in a shaky breath. “Those things he said to me and the way he said them? It still hurts.” She pressed a hand on her stomach. Protection against more hurt?
“I was there, remember? In fact, Marla, he said them to me, not you.” She parked in her driveway and popped the trunk.
Marla exited the car. She had no intention of discussing Dwayne Dempsey further.
“You know he must be beating himself up over his outburst.”
“I don’t know any such thing.” So much for not discussing him.
“He loves you. He was wrong. He knew it. We all knew it, but his little girl had been taken, and he just blew. He didn’t mean it, sis.”
“He did mean it when he said it. He might be sorry now, but there was no mistaking where I stood with him. He’s got no room for me in his life with Amber. What he said, in front of everybody, was a horrible way for me to realize it.”
Charlene unlocked the front door. “Aren’t you at least willing to give him the chance to apologize?”
“Why? So we can start sleeping together again, as if it never happened?” She shook her head and carried the cooler to the kitchen. “No, Char, that’s not enough for me, but apparently it was enough for him. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?”
“No, I…”
The front door slammed. “Are there any beautiful women in my house?”
“In the kitchen, Donnie.” The smile of joy on Charlene’s face said everything about her feelings for Donovan.
“Good. There’re only two places for a woman to be. The kitchen or the bedroom.”
Charlene and Marla grinned and said, “Shut up!”
Donovan strolled into the room looking dangerous and sexy in his camos and Marine haircut. He lifted Charlene off her feet and swung her in a circle. “Gimme some sugar.”
She answered in a giggle, “All you want, honey pot.”
He kissed her then winked at Marla. “Mind
