Charlie Grace sprinted across the grass, then bolted up the stairs and across the wooden deck. She pushed the door open and instantly heard giggling coming from the kitchen. Hurrying in that direction, she picked up Jewel’s backpack as she passed the sofa and tucked it under her arm.
“What’s going on?” she asked, surveying the scene. Her uplifted spirit immediately withered.
Gibbs held their daughter in the air. Her feet dangled, and she laughed as he tickled her neck with his scrubby unshaven chin. Her father sat in his wheelchair, his eyes filled with amusement as he drank his coffee.
“Jewel,” she shouted, not meaning for her voice to sound so harsh. “Why are you still in your pajamas? You have to meet the bus in less than twenty minutes.” She pointed down the hallway. “Go! And be quick.”
Her daughter’s face sobered, and she scrambled to her feet to obey, glancing back at her grinning dad with a forlorn look.
Charlie Grace turned her ire upon her ex-husband. “Did she even eat breakfast? Or, was she too busy playing with you?”
Gibbs held up open palms. “Wow, somebody drank sour milk this morning. And don’t glare at me. I just got here.”
“Yeah, noted.” Charlie Grace frowned. “Where’s your truck?”
“I woke up to a dead battery. So, a friend dropped me off.”
“A friend.” She turned and pulled open the refrigerator door, plucked a container of yogurt from the shelves, and slammed the door closed with her hip. “She couldn’t get you to work on time?”
Charlie Grace turned to face her father. “I warned you this would happen. I’m still doing all the chores. Only now, we have him on the payroll. Makes perfect sense.” She groaned and jerked open the utensil drawer with enough force to rattle the silverware inside.
She plucked a spoon out, then slammed the drawer shut. “It’s not like we’re rolling in dough these days. If we’re laying out cash for some help…I’d like some!”
“Calm down,” her father warned. “Nothing gets solved by screaming at the top of your lungs.”
Charlie Grace whipped around. “Just once, I’d like you to be on my side. It takes far too much energy to fight you both.” She turned and jabbed her finger in the air at Gibbs. “You’re fired.”
Gibbs’ eyes widened. “Oh, don’t go getting all out of sorts. I told you…my battery died.”
“I hired him,” her father firmly stated. “I’m the one who will fire him.”
Charlie Grace’s eyes narrowed with scorn. “Seriously?”
“Calm down,” Gibbs echoed. “You’re getting yourself worked up over nothing.”
“Nothing? My entire adult life, I’ve had to knock up against the two of you. I wish someone had clued me in when I carried the bouquet down the aisle, I was stepping into a marriage of three people.”
Gibbs leaned against the counter with his arms crossed. “Cut it out, Charlie Grace. You know that’s not true. Your dad…”
“My dad wanted a son, and you fit the bill. End of story.”
Charlie Grace felt herself losing it. Rarely did she voice her frustrations. Especially at this level…and volume. But she’d had it!
Her father set his mug down on the table with a loud thud. “Listen, Charlie Grace. I get that you’re upset, but you’re going overboard. I don’t…”
Unshed tears suddenly burned at the back of her eyes as thoughts appeared of all that she’d missed in life. She swallowed and forced herself to lower her voice. “Listen? Dad, that’s all I’ve done since Mom died. Did you ever stop to consider what I wanted? The sacrifices I’ve made? Do you think it’s a party running this ranch and trying to keep things afloat after you…”
She saw the wounded look that crossed his eyes and stopped. Why allow the truth to tear him to shreds? He was still her father. Despite being a stubborn cuss, he was family.
“Fine,” she murmured, defeated yet again. “Gibbs stays.” She turned her gaze on Gibbs. “But three strikes, and you’re out. You hear me? No more excuses. No more tardy appearances. No more playing in the kitchen with Jewel while I do chores without your help.” In a feeble attempt to regain some semblance of authority, she straightened her shoulders and looked him dead in the eyes. “I’m docking your pay for showing up to work nearly two hours late. No arguments.”
Gibbs grinned and reached for a piece of hair that had fallen across her cheek. “Okay, sure. Won’t be late again. And, you can dock my pay.”
She slapped his hand away. “I wasn’t asking for your permission. By the way, you can drive Jewel to school this morning since she just missed the bus.” She nodded toward the window. The yellow school bus pulled to a stop at the end of the lane and honked. Seconds later, when no one appeared, Donna Hatfield put the bus in gear and drove away.
“Daddy’s taking me to school?” Jewel appeared at the entrance to the kitchen, beaming. She wore a pair of pink denim pants and a lavender top bejeweled with tiny rhinestones in the shape of a puppy. It was apparent she’d tried to braid her own hair, unsuccessfully.
“C’mere, puddin’.” Charlie Grace extended her arm and motioned for her daughter to move closer. She sat in a chair at the table and positioned Jewel before her, then pulled the rubber band from the bottom of one of her daughter’s pigtails. She used her fingers to comb the strands in place and quickly re-braided her hair before doing the other side. “There you go.” She patted Jewel’s bottom. “Be good and study hard. We’ll see you after school.” She thrust the yogurt and spoon into her daughter’s hand before turning to Gibbs. “Make sure she eats this on the way.”
