Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 138642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
Knowing Nell, she’ll be just as irreverent as ever and enjoy watching me squirm while I try to explain basic biology and safe sex and all that other crap that comes with growing up. I’m sure she’ll already know more than I do from all the books she crams into her head.
Whatever.
I should know there’s something up when she actually accepts my answer.
Nell normally never lets anything go without a little arguing, a little cajoling, a little pouting when nothing else helps get her way.
For now she just chirps “Okay” and buries her face in her sundae.
It’s almost gone before I find out the reason.
“So,” she says, licking a little whipped cream off her spoon, “I need a tent for the field trip.”
I narrow my eyes.
My ice cream’s long gone and I’m just idling, taking bites out of the waffle cone.
“What field trip?” I ask.
Nell blinks at me innocently. “The one Masie Jenkins has planned? The camping trip?”
“First I’m hearing of it.” I know what she’s doing. Acting like she’s just reminding me when she never brought it up at all.
That’s the problem with being a cop raising a kid. Half the time you just teach them how to be better mini-criminals.
I clear my throat and say, “If it’s a field trip, the school must’ve sent you home with a permission slip, huh?”
“Welll...” Nell twirls her spoon in the melted pool at the bottom of her bowl. “Um, Nana and Pop-pop said it should be okay.”
My mother holds her hands up. “Don’t look at me. I said to ask you, but you probably wouldn’t mind.”
“Uh-huh.” I eye Nell. “What are you not telling me, Nelly-girl?”
“Um, well...” She bites her lip with a tight smile. “It’s not a school field trip. Not exactly. But my whole grade is going! Camping next weekend. We’ll be right there on Still Lake, not even deep in the woods...”
“Mm,” I grunt skeptically. “And that means Masie’s parents are going to be there, right? And at least two more adults for that many kids.”
“Um...”
Oh, shit.
Here we go.
The reason she’s dancing around.
“Out with it, Nell,” I say.
She winces and lowers her eyes. “Masie’s older sister is coming. But... but she’s a really good chaperone! I promise.”
“Junie? Like hell,” I snarl. “Nelly-girl, she’s only seventeen. Not even old enough to chaperone herself.”
“Language, Grant! Not in front of little ears,” Ma chides me gently.
“Oh, he says that all the time,” Nell pipes up. “I’m used to it.”
“Don’t you switch this around on me. You’re not getting me in trouble with my parents when you’re in trouble with me.” I frown. “Nell, you are not going on a field trip with—how many rug rats are in your grade? Eleven?”
“Ten.” She juts her lower lip out.
“Right. Ten munchkins and one seventeen-year-old in the woods alone at night. You knew damn well I’d say no when it’s a recipe for disaster, so you tried to be sneaky. Not nice.” I shake my head. “It’s not happening, and I’m gonna have to talk to the Jenkins about that plan, too.”
“Uncle Grant!” Her face crumples into pure horror. “You can’t. Everyone else is going!”
“And you’re not everyone else, last I checked. Go ahead and hate me now, but someday you’ll be glad I spared you the trouble. That trip’s just asking for trouble. Missing kids, someone drowning, breaking a leg...” Look, I hate having to upset her like an ingrown toenail, but I’m not budging. “You’re not going and that’s final, Nell. You wanna go camping, I’ll take you myself.”
“What? But I don’t want to go with you!” she flares. “You’re a buttface!”
“Nell,” my father says softly. He’s a big man—almost as big as me before age started shrinking him down—but soft-spoken and gentle as a bear cub. The man raised me with the same gentle sternness he wields now like a master. “You know you’re not allowed to talk back that way to your uncle.”
“But he is! Buttface!” She whirls on him, her sundae forgotten, tears welling in her eyes.
“Nell!” my mother admonishes. “Use your inside voice.” But then she turns a pleading look on me. “Surely, it won’t be so bad for just one weekend, darling? Can’t you find an adult for them? As long as they promise to stay out of the water and Junie checks in.”
Dammit all.
I love my folks and I’d be hopelessly screwed raising Nell without them. Although they’re part of this whole situation, we’re not exactly co-parenting here.
I don’t need them undermining decisions this big in front of Nell.
Only, it’s too late.
She’s giving me a tense, hopeful look, glancing between me and my father like she’s begging him to veto me on this.
Fortunately, Dad has the good sense to keep his mouth glued shut.
“The answer’s still no,” I say firmly. “Considering you tried to pull one over on me, you’re lucky I don’t ground you. Now finish your ice cream so we can go home. I want your homework done before dinner.”