“Because.” Zoey slapped her hand against the black iron and held on tight. “I’m going to tell you some things that I deeply believe are true.”
Amelia shifted her weight, crossing her arms once again. But her eyes darted between Zoey and the post with interest. “Whatever.”
Zoey drew a deep breath. “Truth number one—I know your dad is doing, and will keep doing, the best he can.”
Amelia frowned.
Zoey pressed on. “And number two—I know it’ll get better.” There. Now, if only Linc would prove her right.
Amelia studied the glow from the lamp. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” Zoey hesitated, then added one more. “And I’m here for you too. However you need me to be.”
Amelia looked down at the ground, sniffed. Then lifted her chin, clearly trying to appear unaffected. “Can we get ice cream?”
Conversation over, apparently.
Zoey squinted up at the post as she let her arm hang back to her side. All the parenting books would probably suggest she say no to the obvious manipulation attempt but—as they’d just clearly determined—Zoey wasn’t the parent, was she?
“Sure. Let’s go.” Seemed like the lamppost promise had worked a little magic, maybe bought a bit of time, but it wouldn’t hold up for long. Only action would. If Amelia didn’t believe Zoey was going to stick around long enough to fully trust her, then there was only one thing to do.
Zoey was going to have to move out.
nine
Even the water didn’t bring peace this evening.
From the pier, Linc cast his line into the depths of the bay, watching the lure sink under the gray-blue surface. The salty gulf air, the waves lapping against the wooden beams of the dock, didn’t soothe his nerves like usual. In the distance, a seagull squawked.
He sort of wanted to squawk back.
“Watch out, guys. Linc looks pensive.” Owen straightened from where he dug in the cooler. Ice rattled. “That’s never good.”
The local banker had a point. Linc cracked his neck to the side, but the tension didn’t leave his upper body. “Something’s gotta give.”
“Parenting got you down?” Noah clapped his shoulder with one hand, rod in the other. “It’s only been, what, two days?”
“I think that’s an eternity in teen years.” Linc stared at the red and white bobber off his line, blew out his breath. “Amelia hates me.”
She and Zoey had finally come back to the café after their impromptu walk—escape?—earlier that morning. He’d paid for their breakfast, packing Amelia’s hash browns in a to-go box she never touched as far as he noticed. And though Zoey kept up a running, cheery monologue while they enrolled Amelia in school, ran errands for said school supplies, and made another grocery trip that included Doritos, Amelia barely spoke another word to him the rest of the day.
How had he gone from living alone as a content bachelor to living with two women? Two polar opposite women, at that?
“I doubt she hates you.” Noah joined him by the railing, adjusting the dangling bait on his hook. “She’s just going through a lot, obviously.”
One way to put it. At home that afternoon, Amelia had vanished to her room and slammed the door before blaring her music. Zoey had immediately headed to his kitchen, gathering bowls and spatulas like a woman on a mission to make the worst cookies ever. He’d stood in the middle of the living room and asked if anyone cared if he went fishing.
Apparently no one did.
So he went. Granted, he hadn’t said the words very loud, but hehadspoken them, so if anyone had a problem with it, well. He’d tried.
“You know the saying ‘if looks could kill?’” Linc raised his eyebrow. “If I were a cat, I’d have used up all nine lives today.”
“Of every animal in the kingdom, a cat is the last thing you’d be.” Owen cracked open a can of sparkling water. “Except a lion, maybe.”
He snorted. At least there was that.
“Wait. What animal am I?” Cade frowned.
