he?”
“She says he didn't. But he may have been trying to set the stage to do something dreadful later.” Ophélie had a hard time believing his intentions had been innocent. In spite of everything Pip said, or maybe even because of it, she sensed danger. Why would he make friends with a child?
“I hope not,” Andrea said, sounding thoughtful. “What makes you think it wasn't innocent? Did he look like a weirdo?”
“What does a weirdo look like? No…he looked relatively normal. And he says he has children. But he could be lying.” Ophélie was convinced he was a child molester.
“Maybe he's just friendly.”
“He has no business being friendly with a child that age, particularly a little girl. She's at exactly the right age for men like that to go after her, she's a total innocent, that's how they like them.”
“That's true, of course. But maybe he isn't a pedophile. Was he cute?” Andrea grinned at her end, and Ophélie sounded outraged.
“You're disgusting!”
“More important, was he wearing a wedding ring? Maybe he's single.”
“I don't want to hear this. The man was making friends with my daughter. He's four times her age, and he has no business doing that. If he is decent, then he should know better, particularly if he has children himself. How would he feel if some man were chatting up his daughter?”
“I don't know. Why don't you go back and ask him? Actually, he's beginning to sound interesting. Maybe Pip did you a favor.”
“She did nothing of the sort. She put herself at great risk, and I'm not going to let her out of the house without me. And I mean it.”
“Just tell her not to go back. She'll listen.”
“I did. And I told him I'd call the police if he came near her.”
“If he isn't a rapist, and he is a decent guy, he must have really liked that. Maybe we need to file down your fangs a little. I'm not sure you're quite ready for reentry.” Matt was beginning to sound all right to her. She wasn't sure why, but her instincts told her the guy might actually be decent. If so, Ophélie's tirade must not have been appreciated or welcome.
“I'm not interested in ‘reentry.’ I'm not planning to reenter. I'm planning to stay out here. But I don't want anything terrible happening to Pip. I couldn't stand it.” Her voice shook as she said it, and there were tears of terror in her eyes.
“I understand that,” Andrea said gently. “Just keep an eye on her. Maybe she's lonely.” After she'd said it, there was a silence, as Ophélie sat at the other end and cried.
“I know she is. But I can't seem to do anything about it. Chad is gone, her father's gone, and I'm a basket case. I'm barely functional. We don't even talk to each other.” She knew it, she just couldn't get out of her own black hole enough to change it.
“Now maybe you've got the answer as to why she's picking up strangers,” Andrea said gently.
“Apparently, they draw together,” Ophélie said, sounding desperate. The entire episode had upset her immensely.
“There are worse things. Maybe you should invite him to the house for a drink and check him out. He might actually be a decent guy. You may even like him.” As Ophélie listened, she shook her head.
“I don't think he'd speak to me after everything I said to him.” But she wasn't sorry she had. They still had no idea who he was.
“You could go back and apologize tomorrow. Tell him you've been through a tough time and you're a little nervous.”
“Don't be silly. I can't do that. And besides, what if I was right? Maybe he is a child molester, for all we know.”
“In that case, don't go back and apologize. But my guess is that he's just a guy who was painting on the beach and likes kids. It sounds more like Pip went after him.”
“And that is precisely why I sent her to her room.”
“Poor kid. She didn't mean any harm by it, she was probably just having fun.”
“Well, from now on she'll have to stay close to the house and have
“She says he didn't. But he may have been trying to set the stage to do something dreadful later.” Ophélie had a hard time believing his intentions had been innocent. In spite of everything Pip said, or maybe even because of it, she sensed danger. Why would he make friends with a child?
“I hope not,” Andrea said, sounding thoughtful. “What makes you think it wasn't innocent? Did he look like a weirdo?”
“What does a weirdo look like? No…he looked relatively normal. And he says he has children. But he could be lying.” Ophélie was convinced he was a child molester.
“Maybe he's just friendly.”
“He has no business being friendly with a child that age, particularly a little girl. She's at exactly the right age for men like that to go after her, she's a total innocent, that's how they like them.”
“That's true, of course. But maybe he isn't a pedophile. Was he cute?” Andrea grinned at her end, and Ophélie sounded outraged.
“You're disgusting!”
“More important, was he wearing a wedding ring? Maybe he's single.”
“I don't want to hear this. The man was making friends with my daughter. He's four times her age, and he has no business doing that. If he is decent, then he should know better, particularly if he has children himself. How would he feel if some man were chatting up his daughter?”
“I don't know. Why don't you go back and ask him? Actually, he's beginning to sound interesting. Maybe Pip did you a favor.”
“She did nothing of the sort. She put herself at great risk, and I'm not going to let her out of the house without me. And I mean it.”
“Just tell her not to go back. She'll listen.”
“I did. And I told him I'd call the police if he came near her.”
“If he isn't a rapist, and he is a decent guy, he must have really liked that. Maybe we need to file down your fangs a little. I'm not sure you're quite ready for reentry.” Matt was beginning to sound all right to her. She wasn't sure why, but her instincts told her the guy might actually be decent. If so, Ophélie's tirade must not have been appreciated or welcome.
“I'm not interested in ‘reentry.’ I'm not planning to reenter. I'm planning to stay out here. But I don't want anything terrible happening to Pip. I couldn't stand it.” Her voice shook as she said it, and there were tears of terror in her eyes.
“I understand that,” Andrea said gently. “Just keep an eye on her. Maybe she's lonely.” After she'd said it, there was a silence, as Ophélie sat at the other end and cried.
“I know she is. But I can't seem to do anything about it. Chad is gone, her father's gone, and I'm a basket case. I'm barely functional. We don't even talk to each other.” She knew it, she just couldn't get out of her own black hole enough to change it.
“Now maybe you've got the answer as to why she's picking up strangers,” Andrea said gently.
“Apparently, they draw together,” Ophélie said, sounding desperate. The entire episode had upset her immensely.
“There are worse things. Maybe you should invite him to the house for a drink and check him out. He might actually be a decent guy. You may even like him.” As Ophélie listened, she shook her head.
“I don't think he'd speak to me after everything I said to him.” But she wasn't sorry she had. They still had no idea who he was.
“You could go back and apologize tomorrow. Tell him you've been through a tough time and you're a little nervous.”
“Don't be silly. I can't do that. And besides, what if I was right? Maybe he is a child molester, for all we know.”
“In that case, don't go back and apologize. But my guess is that he's just a guy who was painting on the beach and likes kids. It sounds more like Pip went after him.”
“And that is precisely why I sent her to her room.”
“Poor kid. She didn't mean any harm by it, she was probably just having fun.”
“Well, from now on she'll have to stay close to the house and have
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