“Like it or not, Dwayne’s family. Amber is our niece-by-marriage. We were glad to help in an emergency.”
Her anger at the nerve of Dempsey, trying to worm his way back into her life by asking her parents to take care of his daughter was just too much. “Emergency, my ass!”
Brad chuckled and backed out of the parking space and aimed his car for the exit. “I don’t believe I’ve ever heard you utter a curse word.”
“Well, you damn well better get used to it, because I’m royally pissed!” She slapped her palms on her knees hard enough to sting. “Damn that devious bastard.”
By this time Brad was roaring with laughter. He almost cut off a car entering from a side aisle when he reached the lift gate. “Careful, you’ll get us killed.”
“I don’t give a sh…a sh… I can’t have that word in my mouth, dammit.” She looked at her dad from the corner of her eye and suppressed a smile. “It’s not funny.”
He brushed tears from his eyes and made no attempt to answer. His chest bounced with suppressed laughter and he patted the hand gripping her knee.
“What am I going to do, Dad? How am I going to avoid him?” She heaved a deep sigh and closed her eyes. “Maybe I’ll move to San Francisco. I’ve always wanted to live there.” She cracked an eye open to see his reaction. He was still grinning.
Brad checked his side mirror and merged with traffic on Sepulveda Boulevard. “You could always marry Edwin Plimpton. That would knock Dwayne Dempsey out of the running.”
“He’s not in the running!” She crossed her arms. “I don’t believe we’re having this conversation. Whose side are you on?
“My rotten, arrogant, high-and-mighty, egotistic, swaggering ex-lover dumps his child in Mom’s lap and you think he’s still ‘in the running’?”
“After that diatribe, I’m sure he is.”
“Dad, you’re not helping. What am I going to do? Fall back into his arms and wait for his next insulting outburst? I don’t think so.” She raised her hands to her face and dropped her head on the neck rest. “I hate him.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. He’s an ass, a blustering bully. He’s… How could he have screamed at me like that with Skipper lying dead in my arms? I was in pain. He didn’t even ask if I’d been hurt.” She sighed. Her next words were spoken softly. “I love him.”
“Which is it? You love him, or you hate him?”
“I don’t know. Right now, I’m so angry I could explode.” She clenched a fist and held it up. “I’d like to let him have it.”
“That’s good. That’s progress.”
She turned her head and stared at him. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re working your way through the various stages of grief. Very healthy. Anger is good. Use it.”
“Use it? How?”
“Confront him. Tell him how you feel. Let him know how angry you are. Don’t waste all those epithets and pejoratives on me. Give him a piece of your mind. Get it out of here.” He touched her head. “And here.” He tapped her chest. “It will do wonders for you.”
She scoffed. “Pish-tosh! As if you’ve ever exploded at Mom.”
He smiled. “You have no idea.”
She had no idea. His words buzzed in her brain. How much did she know about her parent’s private life? Did she know them as well as she’d always assumed?
She shook her head and sighed. “Boy, oh, boy. Am I stupid or what?”
“I believe we had that conversation before.”
Their talk during the rest of the trip home was all Charlene and Donovan. Their new home, his new assignment, and her stay with them on Oahu. “She’s very happy, Dad.”
“I could see it in their eyes at the wedding and during the two days they stayed with us before they left California. She made an excellent choice. Donovan adores her.”
“I guess you know how that feels.”
“Indeed I do.” He turned off the freeway at the first Simi Valley exit in the direction of Spring Grove. “I’ll drop you at your place so you won’t risk bumping into Dwayne tonight.”
“Thanks. I need to work on my mad for a while before I see him again.”
“Make him pay.”
“Right.”
“Make him suffer.”
“Right again.”
“That’s my girl.”
Dadley carried her bag inside, checked the house, then kissed her goodnight at her front door. “Call your mother tomorrow. She’ll want every detail of Char’s new life in the tropics.”
“I love you, Dad.” She hugged and kissed him. “You’re the best.”
“I try.” He grinned, put the lei around her neck and left her at her front door, calling, “Sweet dreams,” over his shoulder. Then she laughed when he turned, put up his dukes, scowled fiercely, and did some fancy boxing footwork.
Somebody, probably her mom, had removed any sign of Skipper. She wandered from room to room then finally to her garage, where she found his bed, toys, leashes, and dishes. Marla ran his leash through her fingers. Tears threatened. “I miss you Skippy, but you’ll be happy to know that I intend to give that big bad Marine a piece of my mind. He’ll be sorry he ever crossed Marla Danaher.”
Dwayne arrived at the Danaher home to fetch Amber, but she and Silvia hadn’t returned. The house was dark. He was about to leave when Brad’s car pulled into the driveway.
Brad called, “Dwayne, come in. The girls should be back any time.” He stepped from his car, opened the front door, and turned on the hall light.
Dwayne met him on the porch, shook Brad’s hand, and went inside. “I got done sooner than expected. Where did they go?”
“They went to get pizza and then a movie.”
Dwayne grinned. “Oh, boy. If they went to the Disney festival at the Regal, Silvia will be treated to Cinderella.”
Brad gestured in the direction of the living room. “That was the plan.”
Dwayne sat
