frustrations out on his family.
She remembered coming home from school and being grateful to see
empty bottles in the trash. That meant the evening would be
peaceful, until his hangover hit.
Those memories meant she was able to keep her
shields up when she responded. “What do you want?”
“I’m in some trouble. I borrowed some money
and I’m having some difficulty paying it back.” He spoke precisely,
as if he didn’t want her to know he was inebriated.
“You borrowed money why? For child
support?”
He stumbled then. Apparently, her hostility
penetrated his haze. “No. I—I was trying to strike it big. I placed
a few bets on a horse that was a sure thing, and we were going to
be free and easy the rest of our lives, baby. But you know how
these things go.”
Oh, she knew how money went with her dad.
Like it had wings. “Got it.” She cut him off, not caring to hear
his excuses. “How much?”
“It’s—seven grand.”
Beth’s stomach plummeted at the amount. She’d
hoped to pay him off to keep him out of their lives, but now…She
still had Linda and Jonas’s hospital bills to pay, as well as rent,
and expenses, and formula and diapers. Well, at least he sounded
ashamed.
“We don’t have it. You do remember your
youngest daughter had a baby, and we don’t have insurance, right?
You’re just going to have to figure out another way.”
“I’m your father and it’s your duty to help
me.” His tone changed to the militant tone he’d used when she was a
child. She tamped down the fear. He wasn’t here. He couldn’t hurt
them. She could fight back safely, for now.
“I didn’t ask for you to be my father, and
you’re the last person who should be talking to me about duty.”
Behind her, Jonas whimpered at her loud
voice, so she stepped out onto the back deck, lowering her voice so
the neighbors wouldn’t hear.
“You will send me money, or I’ll come get
it.”
Despite her outward bravado, that was exactly
what she feared. She’d do whatever she had to do to keep him away
from her family.
Beth let the pencil fall to the counter and
she sat back, dragging her hands through her hair, pulling it loose
from its ponytail. No matter how she figured it, the answer was the
same. She didn’t have enough money, and she wouldn’t unless she got
another job.
Only with Jonas, another job was out of the
question. Linda had to go back to school this summer to make up for
the time she lost when Jonas was born. Beth couldn’t afford to pay
a babysitter.
The only choice was to quit Quinn’s and get a
job at the casino on the other side of the lake. She’d worked there
a year ago, when she figured Linda was old enough to take care of
herself and Beth could work later. That had bitten her in the ass,
because Linda had taken advantage of the lack of supervision and
gotten herself pregnant. But Beth could see no other choice. The
hours were long and the uniform was degrading, but business was
better over there, where people were trying to regain their
fortunes, and she’d make money in tips.
Her heart ached at the prospect. Working at
Quinn’s might not be the best job in the world, but she loved the
bar, enjoyed the people who came in, enjoyed arguing with Quinn.
And he was good to her, giving her the hours she needed, but also
cutting her slack when she had to deal with Linda. And she could
walk to work. Now she’d be driving half an hour each way.
Just thinking about what trouble Linda could
get into in that amount of time made her shudder.
But tomorrow she’d find time to drive over
and apply.
Hopefully by then, she could stop feeling
sorry for herself.
“Quinn, can I talk to you?”
Beth had come into the bar before her shift
to talk to him, before the crowds Maddox brought in, but quite a
few lunch patrons remained, more than the usual lunch crowd, and
more than a few unfamiliar faces. Maddox seemed to be drawing
people to Bluestone already.
Already she felt distant from it
She remembered coming home from school and being grateful to see
empty bottles in the trash. That meant the evening would be
peaceful, until his hangover hit.
Those memories meant she was able to keep her
shields up when she responded. “What do you want?”
“I’m in some trouble. I borrowed some money
and I’m having some difficulty paying it back.” He spoke precisely,
as if he didn’t want her to know he was inebriated.
“You borrowed money why? For child
support?”
He stumbled then. Apparently, her hostility
penetrated his haze. “No. I—I was trying to strike it big. I placed
a few bets on a horse that was a sure thing, and we were going to
be free and easy the rest of our lives, baby. But you know how
these things go.”
Oh, she knew how money went with her dad.
Like it had wings. “Got it.” She cut him off, not caring to hear
his excuses. “How much?”
“It’s—seven grand.”
Beth’s stomach plummeted at the amount. She’d
hoped to pay him off to keep him out of their lives, but now…She
still had Linda and Jonas’s hospital bills to pay, as well as rent,
and expenses, and formula and diapers. Well, at least he sounded
ashamed.
“We don’t have it. You do remember your
youngest daughter had a baby, and we don’t have insurance, right?
You’re just going to have to figure out another way.”
“I’m your father and it’s your duty to help
me.” His tone changed to the militant tone he’d used when she was a
child. She tamped down the fear. He wasn’t here. He couldn’t hurt
them. She could fight back safely, for now.
“I didn’t ask for you to be my father, and
you’re the last person who should be talking to me about duty.”
Behind her, Jonas whimpered at her loud
voice, so she stepped out onto the back deck, lowering her voice so
the neighbors wouldn’t hear.
“You will send me money, or I’ll come get
it.”
Despite her outward bravado, that was exactly
what she feared. She’d do whatever she had to do to keep him away
from her family.
Beth let the pencil fall to the counter and
she sat back, dragging her hands through her hair, pulling it loose
from its ponytail. No matter how she figured it, the answer was the
same. She didn’t have enough money, and she wouldn’t unless she got
another job.
Only with Jonas, another job was out of the
question. Linda had to go back to school this summer to make up for
the time she lost when Jonas was born. Beth couldn’t afford to pay
a babysitter.
The only choice was to quit Quinn’s and get a
job at the casino on the other side of the lake. She’d worked there
a year ago, when she figured Linda was old enough to take care of
herself and Beth could work later. That had bitten her in the ass,
because Linda had taken advantage of the lack of supervision and
gotten herself pregnant. But Beth could see no other choice. The
hours were long and the uniform was degrading, but business was
better over there, where people were trying to regain their
fortunes, and she’d make money in tips.
Her heart ached at the prospect. Working at
Quinn’s might not be the best job in the world, but she loved the
bar, enjoyed the people who came in, enjoyed arguing with Quinn.
And he was good to her, giving her the hours she needed, but also
cutting her slack when she had to deal with Linda. And she could
walk to work. Now she’d be driving half an hour each way.
Just thinking about what trouble Linda could
get into in that amount of time made her shudder.
But tomorrow she’d find time to drive over
and apply.
Hopefully by then, she could stop feeling
sorry for herself.
“Quinn, can I talk to you?”
Beth had come into the bar before her shift
to talk to him, before the crowds Maddox brought in, but quite a
few lunch patrons remained, more than the usual lunch crowd, and
more than a few unfamiliar faces. Maddox seemed to be drawing
people to Bluestone already.
Already she felt distant from it
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