His booming voice caused a familiar flutter of nerves inside her. It gave her a moment’s pause before she caught herself. She was an adult now. “Actually, my home is in town. It’s a nice little two-bedroom house on a quiet street. I like it very much.”
Rex looked taken aback, then jutted out his stubborn jaw. “You’re not going anywhere. You’re sick.”
A rage of anger, determination and pride raced through her, stiffening her spine. She stood and met him eye to eye. “I’m not sick.”
“You nearly fainted in my driveway.” He gave a quick jerk of his head in Troy’s direction. “Your boyfriend here had to carry you to the house. He damn well wouldn’t let anyone else near you.”
Her headache intensified. She didn’t know which to argue first, Troy being her “boyfriend” or her fainting spell. She noticed her father looking at her dress and wondered if he was going to start in on that. “I think—”
“And what are you trying to do, wearing a dress like that? Start a riot?”
That tore it. “Well, of course. It’s my goal in life to start a riot wherever I go.”
Sheree, the young, pregnant wife, stepped closer to Rex and put her hand on his arm.
“Now, Rex, it’s been a long time since you and Senada have seen each other. You might want to try to keep your voice down and—”
“Keep my voice down!” he bellowed. “My daughter shows up for the first time in seven years in a see-through dress and nearly croaks on my driveway. And I’m supposed to keep my damn voice down!”
Senada shook her head and looked at Troy. “This is too much. Maybe,” she said, and seriously doubted it at the moment, “maybe we can try to talk another time. Best wishes on your marriage and pregnancy, Sheree. Just in case you’re concerned about the financial implications of my showing up, I haven’t accepted any money from Rex since I graduated from college.” She turned back to her father and gave a half smile. “Congratulations on your marriage and new baby, Daddy. I hope this time around you’re happier.”
She forced her feet into motion, headed for the front door. “I’d like to go now.”
Troy was at her side, his arm at her waist before she could blink, and his strength made everything inside her sigh in relief. “Can we get out before my father starts again?” she whispered as she stepped through the doorway.
Troy nodded. “You want me to stop somewhere on the way home to get you something to eat?”
She got into the car and shook her head. “No. I’ll just pull something out of the freezer. Won’t take more than five minutes.”
They drove in silence for several minutes, and Senada leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Troy finally broke the quiet. “It appears you and your father have had a volatile relationship.”
She laughed lightly. “He’s nitro. I’m glycerin. Doesn’t take much to make us explode when we’re together.”
“So why did you pick tonight to go see him?”
“I thought it was time. Hoped things might be different. They weren’t.” She rolled her eyes. “Can’t believe the timing for that insulin reaction. Couldn’t have been worse.”
Troy tugged his slide loose and pulled open his collar. “Gotta tell you, Sin, it scared me.”
She frowned. “I’m sorry I got you involved in all this. You can drop me off and go try to forget about it.”
“Yeah. Right,” he said, as if he had no intention of doing any such thing.
“Really. Once I eat—”
“Forget it, Sin. I’m not going anywhere until I’m sure you’re okay. You can’t tell me you weren’t a little scared, yourself.”
“A little,” she admitted. “But panic is one of the symptoms. I was prepared because both the doctor and my dietician had drilled me on what to do in case of an insulin reaction. It wouldn’t have happened if I’d eaten, but I was too upset about seeing my father to eat.”
Troy pulled the car to a stop in front of her house. “Then let’s take care of that first.”
He walked her to the front door, then urged her into a chair next to the table.
“This isn’t necessary,” Sin began, standing. “I can do—”
“Sit down.” He pulled two microwave meals out of the freezer. “Pick one.”
Senada pointed her finger at one and glared at him. “You know, I really don’t like bossy men. I never have. It’s part of the reason I don’t get along with my father.”
Troy tossed the meal in the microwave and punched in the time. He turned back to her with a determined smile. “Just think of me as the exception to the rule.” Within a few short minutes, the timer dinged, and Troy brought her the meal with a sugar-free drink. Her emotional state made her want to toss it, but she forced herself to take small bites.