“Stop!”
He holds up his hands to show that he’s backing off. “OK, peace. I get it. That’s a touchy subject. But can I just point out one thing?”
I cross my arms and wait for him to continue.
“I know I’m a little overprotective, but it’s because I love you girls. I don’t want either of you to get hurt. So when I see that this kid already has another girl hanging on him, after making Ann believe he was interested in her, I just hope you see what that says about him. And I hope you have enough common sense that you’re not still hoping you’re the next one on his list.”
Now I can feel my face burning, and it’s not because I’m sitting too close to the grill. “I do have good sense, Dad. But I was thinking, maybe he doesn’t really like that other girl, and maybe if I just talk to him, he’ll see that—”
“Whoa. Time-out. You’re still thirteen, Bree, until the end of August. Don’t forget that. He’s going to be a senior, and you haven’t even started high school yet.” He pauses. “But besides all of that, he’s shown that he’s not trustworthy.”
“You don’t know that.”
“So you do still have a crush on him?”
I look away briefly, then roll my eyes. “I didn’t say that. And b-t-dubs, I’ve been around Tanner enough to know what he’s really like. And I know who he likes.”
Dad throws up his hands in frustration. “Perfect.”
“Wait, I’m just saying that maybe I could talk to him and see—”
“The answer is no. No way, no how. Don’t you see that you can’t trust this guy any farther than—?”
Mom pokes her head out through the back door. “Psst. Dell. Sorry to interrupt, but a certain teenage boy is at the front door asking to speak to Ann.”
He shoots me another frustrated look. “Well, look at that. Speak of the devil and he comes a-knockin’.” Turning back to Mom, he asks, “What did you tell him?”
“I thought maybe you’d want to handle this one, so I told him to wait right there.”
“Does Ann know he’s here?”
“Uh-huh. She’s crying again.”
He exhales. “Fine. I’ll take care of it.”
I follow Mom and Dad into the living room. Mom and I remain back just a bit as Dad continues to the front door.
“Hi,” says Tanner. “Is Ann here?”
“She is.”
“Can she like…come down? I wanted to tell her what to wear on our date.”
“You think you’re still going out with her?”
Tanner looks confused. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“Oh, I think you know,” Dad replies as diplomatically as he can.
“Sorry?”
“Doubt that.”
“Huh?”
Dad steps closer to the door, blocking our view. But we can still hear. “Listen, I’ll make this very simple. Last night you and I had what I thought was a pretty clear verbal agreement that you would not do anything to upset Ann unnecessarily. Not only did you upset her, you broke her heart, and her heart can’t take that. So yes, Ann is here, but she doesn’t want to see you. Please, just leave her alone. Bree too, for that matter, in case you had any ideas. Consider this home officially off-limits.”
“But I don’t—”
“Good-bye, Tanner.” Dad closes the door before Tanner can get another word out.
I can feel the heat from my face again. “That was really harsh.”
“That didn’t come anywhere near harsh, sweetie. Trust me, I was holding back.”
Mom is watching through the window.
“Is he leaving?” I ask her.
She nods. I join Mom and watch as Tanner walks up the road in a bit of a stupor. Periodically he stops, turns around, and looks at the house, and then continues walking.
“Good riddance,” Dad mumbles as he heads back out to tend the burgers.
“It breaks my heart too,” Mom says, almost to herself.
“What does?” I ask.
She shrugs. “I just wanted Ann to have a little slice of happiness. I wish there was something I could do.”
“Yeah,” I whisper as Tanner turns a corner in the distance and disappears. “Me too.”
Chapter 32
Emily
WHEN LEISURE TIME was free for the taking, reading was one of my passions. I would devour at least two new novels every week, often reading late into the night to find out what became of the characters’ lives and loves and dreams. Then my own daughter drowned before my eyes, was brought back to life, and was sentenced to the handicap of an incurable heart and the constant fear of death. For a while after that, I was too numb to read anything. Then I began immersing myself in medical journals and the like, wanting to know more about Ann’s condition, all the while looking for any little tidbit of knowledge that might help the doctors treat her.