Adding Up to Family by Marie Ferrarella

Author:Marie Ferrarella [Ferrarella, Marie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2018-05-07T19:50:22+00:00

Chapter Eleven

“Are you excited that this is your last day of summer school?” Becky asked Stevi as she drove her to class that Friday morning.

The girl’s expression was unreadable. “I don’t know. I guess so,” she replied with a careless shrug.

Becky knew that she should leave talking about the proposed camping trip to Steve, but she was aware of how tenuous the relationship between father and daughter was at the moment. If he asked her to go camping and she turned him down, Becky had a feeling they could wind up right back at square one. Who knew how long it would take to talk Steve into making another attempt this time around?

She decided that she wanted to warm the girl up to the idea. This way, when Steve asked Becky to go on that camping trip this weekend, the girl might still behave as if she was bored by the idea, but she’d go because she’d had time to think about it and, deep down inside, she wanted to go.

“Well, your dad’s really excited about it,” Becky told her.

Stephanie looked at her as if she’d just declared that she was a Martian here on vacation. “Yeah, sure he is.”

“Well, he is,” Becky insisted.

Stevi made a disparaging sound of disbelief under her breath. “My dad doesn’t even know it’s my last day at summer school,” she retorted. “I didn’t see him come home last night and I didn’t see him this morning, which means he left for work early—or he didn’t come home from the office last night.”

There was concern in Stevi’s eyes. For a moment, she wasn’t the bored, blasé preteen she kept trying to project. She was Steve Holder’s little girl.

“He did come home last night, right, Becky?”

Becky was quick to assuage her fears. “Yes, your dad did—”

The annoyed, disinterested expression returned to Stevi’s face. “I knew it. He just can’t wait to go back to work.” She blew out an angry breath. “He doesn’t even know I’m alive.”

Rather than arguing with the girl, Becky just gave her the facts. “Your dad stayed late last night and left early this morning so that he could finish a project that’s due on Monday—without having to spend the weekend working on it.” She sent the girl a long look as they waited at a red light. “Your father wants to spend the weekend with you, going camping and fishing.”

“Camping?” Stevi echoed. She waved her hand dismissively. “We don’t go camping anymore.”

“That’s because you haven’t wanted to,” Becky pointed out. “Your dad told me that he misses those camping trips and he’d like to go camping and fishing with you again—if you’re willing to go,” she added, watching Stevi’s reaction.

“That stuff’s for kids—and old people,” she protested, turning her nose up at the idea.

They had arrived at the school. Rather than pull the car up to the curb and let her out, Becky drove into the parking lot just beyond the school building.

Stevi looked startled. “What are you doing? The door’s over there,” she cried, pointing toward the entrance.

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