Her daughter hummed an acknowledgment and resumed coloring, only to stop again. “What friend is coming?”
Lord, it felt like she’d swallowed a beanbag. She hadn’t rehearsed an explanation, never having expected to make one. “His name is Vaughn. He went to school with mommy. Back when we were young.”
Which was true. Vaughn had attended Hook High until the beginning of his senior year, when River had been a sophomore. She often wondered if they’d started dating before he’d dropped out, if maybe their relationship would have prevented him from making that decision. No way of knowing. No way of being sure of anything concerning Vaughn, which is what had her hedging her bet now. “He’s just coming for a little while, Marcy. Okay? Not a long time.”
“Okay.” Marcy’s nose wrinkled, already disregarding the subtle warning, but hopefully retaining it somewhere. “When can I go to the big school, Mommy?”
“Soon.” She smiled, knowing her daughter referred to the big, brick structure that housed Hook High, which they passed frequently in the car. “You’ll love it, just like I did.”
The words from her own mouth made River’s smile fade. She had enjoyed school, even night school at the junior college—loved the challenge, the twinkle in her belly when something finally made sense, or she read a particularly relatable piece of literature. She wouldn’t trade a college experience for Marcy—not a chance—but she could admit to a tiny background wish to go back someday.
The phone rang in the kitchen, and River stood to go answer. “Hello?”
“Riv.”
Her father’s curt voice never failed to make her stand up straighter, but love shot an arrow to her heart at the same time. “Hey, Dad. What’s up?”
“Not too much. Your mother and I just came back from our walk.” His heaved breath echoed down the line. “Retirement is boring as shit.”
Laughing, River leaned back against the kitchen wall. “Only if you let it be. Maybe you should finally give in and go to salsa dancing lessons with Mom.”
“Why? Is it snowing in hell?”
Their mutual laughter faded into a silent stretch that made River frown. “Is everything else okay?”
“Yeah. Yeah…” Familiar footsteps paced in the background. “Heard from a buddy yesterday who said De Matteo was back in Hook.”
A wrench fell down her windpipe. “Wow. I guess distance doesn’t get you free of the gossip mill.” She lifted a hand to circle her throat. “Yes, Vaughn is back.”
Another stretch of unnerving quiet. “I assume he knows Marcy is his?” Her father scoffed. “I hope he doesn’t expect some tearful reunion. Not after what he did.”
Not for the first time in her life, River was polarized by the unfair hostility her father exhibited toward Vaughn. Sure, he’d been a troubled young man, but until their final evening together, he’d never done anything to harm her. Quite the opposite. A majority of the time, he’d been sweet and protective, making sure she didn’t skip school, bringing her home before her curfew, no matter how much she protested. Whatever animosity had existed between Vaughn’s father and her own, it had no bearing on the here and now. She refused to give it credence by asking for the details and creating a forum for her dad to tear down Vaughn. For better or worse, he was the father of her child. “I…don’t know what he expects.” Okay, not entirely true. His exact intentions weren’t clear yet, although he’d been adamant about remaining in Jersey. “But it’ll be up to me if he gets what he came for. Okay?”
Since childhood, whenever she showed any kind of backbone to her father, he shut down and didn’t revisit the issue until he’d worked out an entirely new tactic, a memory that had River narrowing her eyes.
“I have to go, Dad. Maybe call me over the weekend?”
He cleared his throat. “Sure, Riv. Talk soon.”
When she hung up the phone, she stared at the receiver for a full minute, trying to decipher the odd note of…apprehension in her father’s voice.
“Mommy!”
River’s sigh slipped into a smile. No time to think about it now. She had a play date with her daughter to attend.
Chapter Nine