“I was just teasing her,” Dylan said. “Bella said it would be funny to scare her on the trail. I didn’t even know she had that snake.”
Bella. Of course.
Sunny reached up and took his hand. “It’s okay, Dylan. I believe you.”
He bit his lower lip, nodded, blinked back tears.
“And if we do see any snakes today, your job is to throw rocks and scare them away,” she continued.
Her words helped dry the tears and he nodded eagerly.
Travis was still frowning. “She’s letting you off light.”
Dylan hung his head. “I’m sorry, Sunny. I wouldn’t have let a snake bite you.”
Good news, indeed. “I know,” she said. She gave his hand a final squeeze and let go. “How about you do some snake patrol around our campsite before I come out? I don’t want to get all freaked out again.”
“Sure,” he said, nodding eagerly, and made his escape.
“You let him off too lightly,” Travis said in disgust.
“He wasn’t the mastermind in this. We both know it. He was simply being a prankster, and the potential fall guy.”
Travis sighed. “You’re right. I need to have a talk with Bella.”
“Oh, no,” Sunny groaned. Yet another brick in the stepdaughter hate wall because, of course, Bella would lay the blame for her punishment at Sunny’s feet.
“Oh, yes. This is going to stop.”
“You can’t make her love me, Travis.”
“You’re right, but I will make her show you respect.”
He ducked out of the tent, and she could hear him calling in his angry dad voice, “Bella!”
Ten minutes later he was back in the tent, this time with his daughter. Sunny took one look at Bella’s face and her morning queasy stomach got queasier. Bella was a veritable fashion show of teen-girl emotions.And here comes Bella, showing off the latest in our angry stepdaughter line. Notice how well the angle of her chin suits her mood and how the red on her face goes with that summer suntan.
“Say it,” Travis barked.
He may have been the big dog, but his daughter could bark, too. “I’m sorry,” she spat at Sunny. She turned back to her father. “There. Are you happy?”
“No, as a matter of fact, I’m not. I’m sick of your shit, Bel, and it’s going to end.”
“Well, I’m sick of your shit, too, Dad! You left us!”
The muscles in his jaw were working as if he were chewing on something that wouldn’t break down. “I didn’t leave you. You know that. Your mom and I decided what was best and I moved out so she could have the house, but I’ve always been there for you,” he replied. After the many times he’d lost his temper, his calm under fire was impressive.
“Until her!”
There it was, the green-eyed monster. Sunny wished she could think of something brilliant to say or do but she couldn’t. She sat there with her brain dead and her mouth frozen in place, the only thing moving being her roiling stomach.
“Enough.” Travis held out his hand. “Phone.”
Bella looked at him in shock. “What?”
“Hand it over.”
“You can’t take my phone,” she protested.
