“Very well. I am the head of this household. You are the child of my flesh. I have raised you, housed you, and clothed you for seventeen years. I have seen to your education. I have been far more lenient with you than with my other children.”
I hadn’t seen any proof of that, but I hadn’t been around.
“I appreciate that, Father—” With just the right amount of tremble. “—but I can’t do it. Not Harvey. Don’t make me.”
“There will be a marriage, Cheyenne, or there will be serious and lasting consequences.”
“What consequences? Dad, don’t.” Her eyes flickered panic.
I grabbed her left hand and pressed our clammy palms together. Look into my eyes. Believe I’ll keep you safe. Whatever he’s threatening will never come true so long as there’s breath in my body.
Dad growled, “Cross me and find out. Remember the time you brought home that useless puppy of Mr. Gordon’s, the sickly one, and stole our food to give it?”
Tension radiated through Cheyenne. “Y-yes.”
“You remember I tanned your hide till you couldn’t sit for a week, and the mutt still died? That’s what happens when you defy me. Everyone in this family pulls their weight, everything has a purpose. And Harvey and I have a purpose for you, girl. You get your ass back here, you do as I say, and you won’t have to sleep on your stomach for a month.”
“Harvey’s mean. He’ll…hurt me.”
“Harvey’s a decent man. Nancy gave him two living kids and had no complaints, and you’re going to do the same. You’ll marry that man as soon as it can be arranged, and take care of his kids, and do your wifely duty. Or you won’t have to wonder about those consequences.”
Cheyenne gasped, pressing a hand to her mouth.
Never, in my entire life, had I been so angry. I wanted to reach into the phone and kill my father myself.
Finally, through tears, Cheyenne spoke. “What if I don’t come h-home?” She gulped a sob on the last word.
“You’re seventeen, underage, a runaway. I’ll set the cops on Brooklyn, throw him in jail where perverts like that belong. They’ll drag you back here in handcuffs. Don’t you imagine you can get away from me again.” He let that hang for a moment. “Now you go out and find a motel. A cheap one, you hear? Do you have money for a cab?”
“A few dollars,” she lied. She’d spent the thirty-six she had on food to survive her trip to me, but I’d given her a hundred to keep tucked away in case she needed it for something. We’d both felt safer if she wasn’t broke, should the need arise.
“When you find a place, have them call me and I’ll put your room on my card. And damn you girl, for making me use it. I have half a mind to have the cops haul you to jail after all, save the money, but the last thing I want is Left Coast cops all up in my business. Don’t make me change my mind.”
“I w-won’t.”
“Find that motel and stay put. Gonna take three, four days, but you don’t budge. You barely breathe. While you’re alone, you can contemplate your marriage to Harvey. He has two young children in need of guidance and…love.” He said the word with such contempt that I winced.
“Yes, Father.”
“Behave.” With that, he cut the line.
Cheyenne shoved the phone toward me. I located the app and stopped the recording. I listened to the first few seconds to confirm we had it. The app asked me if I wanted to store a copy to the cloud. I figured two were better than one, and I saved the recording.
Wynn had been doing something with his phone as well. Finally, he nodded toward Cheyenne. “You did great.”
“He’s an a-asshole.” Her voice shook.
“Yeah, he is.” I offered what reassurance I could. I wanted to hug her, but there was a brittle quality to her tone, and the way she wrapped her arms around herself said she wouldn’t welcome my touch.
“We got what we needed.” Wynn’s approval came though warm and strong in his voice. “Physical threats and a focus on the marriage against your will. Well done. I know folks two decades older who wouldn’t have kept their cool as well.”
Cheyenne’s pale face took on a bit more color. “Thanks.”
Sadie whined, loud enough to make me jump.
I chuckled hoarsely. “Okay, that was good timing. Would’ve been difficult to explain the dog to Dad.”
Cheyenne nodded. “Yeah. Can I…go sit with her?”
