Chapter 2
Kevin recovered through arrogance.
That was his favorite method.
“Put the card down.”
I stared at him.
He wiped blood from his mouth.
“You're making a scene.”
I looked around.
A ruined cake.
My crying son.
My father under a lawn-game rack.
My brother standing in barbecue sauce.
“Yes.”
I nodded.
“I am.”
Kevin laughed.
“You think because your name is on some account, you can humiliate everyone?”
“My name isn't on it.”
His smile weakened.
Dad stood.
“Claire.”
His voice changed.
Calmer.
Dangerous in the way he thought fathers sounded when daughters needed correction.
“Let's go inside.”
“No.”
“Now.”
“No.”
His jaw tightened.
Kevin smiled again.
“There she is.”
“What?”
“The spoiled little girl.”
I almost laughed.
“I'm twenty-eight.”
“And still acting like Dad's supposed to explain everything to you.”
I held up the card.
“He doesn't.”
Kevin's eyes narrowed.
I continued.
“You do.”
Madison walked toward him.
“Dad?”
Kevin put one hand out.
“Stay behind me.”
She did.
Interesting.
Protective now.
He hadn't protected Noah from her.
I looked at Madison.
“Why did you dump mud on him?”
She rolled her eyes.
“It was funny.”
“Who told you?”
“No one.”
Kevin smiled.
“She has a sense of humor.”
I stared.
“You taught your daughter humiliating a four-year-old is humor.”
Kevin shrugged.
“He needed to toughen up.”
There.
The first justification.
I looked at Dad.
He nodded.
“Noah is too sensitive.”
“He's four.”
“So?”
There it was.
The same word people use when they stop seeing children as people.
I stared.
Dad continued.
“You hover.”
“Yes.”
“You interrupt family lunches because he needs something.”
“Yes.”
“You bring him into meetings.”
“When I have to.”
Kevin laughed.
“Exactly.”
His eyes hardened.
“You've made the whole family revolve around one little boy.”
I looked at Madison's $8,000 tennis setup.
Then her gifts.
Then the card in my hand.
“Interesting.”
“What?”
“You're accusing me of spoiling Noah.”
I pointed toward Madison's equipment.
“With my money.”
Kevin stopped smiling.
Madison frowned.
“Dad bought that.”
I looked at her.
“No.”
Kevin snapped:
“Enough.”
I ignored him.
“Your racket.”
“Claire.”
“Your private tennis coach.”
“Stop.”
“Your summer club.”
“Shut up.”
Silence.
He had just told me to shut up in front of forty relatives.
Good.
I stepped closer.
“How much did you tell her you earned?”
Kevin's face darkened.
“This is none of her business.”
“It became her business when she dumped mud on my son while wearing shoes purchased with money stolen from his mother.”
Madison looked at him.
“Dad?”
Kevin turned.
“Don't listen to her.”
There.
Not denial.
Instruction.
I smiled faintly.
Then Dad stepped between us.
“The account isn't yours.”
I looked at him.
He continued.
“It belongs to the family.”
“No.”
His face tightened.
“You don't get to decide that.”
“I already did.”
Kevin laughed.
“Because you move numbers around?”
I stared.
There it was.
They knew something.
Not enough.
But something.
Dad continued.
“Your job was to manage.”
“My job?”
“Yes.”
I almost smiled.
“You think I manage the family accounts.”
Kevin shrugged.
“You're good with money.”
“And who do you think controls approvals?”
Dad said:
“The council.”
“No.”
Silence.
Kevin's face changed.
I let it.
“The council doesn't touch that account.”
Dad's jaw tightened.
“Then Richard Sr.'s office.”
“No.”
Kevin stared.
“Then who?”
I looked at the card.
Then him.
“Me.”
Silence.
Not Claire the accountant.
Not Claire the younger sister.
Me.
Kevin laughed.
Too loudly.
“That's ridiculous.”
I looked at Dad.
He wasn't laughing.
Interesting.
He knew more.
“Dad?”
He looked away.
Kevin noticed.
“Dad?”
Nothing.
His face changed.
Then Noah tugged my blouse.
“Mom?”
I crouched.
“What is it?”
“Can we go home?”
Kevin laughed.
“Of course.”
I looked up.
He smiled.
“One ruined cake and Mommy runs away.”
Noah flinched.
I stood.
“You say one more thing to him.”
Kevin stared.
“You'll what?”
I held up the black card.
“I'll tell Madison why you bought her birthday gifts with money you took from a woman you call useless.”
Kevin's face went white.
Madison looked at him.
May you like
“Dad?”
And suddenly the stolen money wasn't the only thing he was afraid of me saying.
