I couldn’t throw Jack under the bus. “A lot of kids had liquor. I don’t remember.”
Daddy let out a long breath as if trying to control his temper. “Someone told me that you threw the first punch. Is that true?”
Slowly, I nodded as I stared at my orange-painted toenails. It was useless to rehash what had happened. The damage was done. Someone had gotten hurt. I’d started the fight. I’d gotten tipsy. I’d ruined my party. It was no one’s fault but mine.
I inhaled deeply. “Just tell me my punishment.”
Daddy slapped a hand down on the table. The sound exploded as if a bomb had gone off. “Don’t take that tone with me. Let’s go back to last year when you and I had a conversation outside church the day after the party where the Maxwell boy was passed out drunk and bleeding. Do you remember what you told me?”
It was hard to forget Sloane’s party. Maiken had had to carry a drunken Marcus out. But as I dipped back to that Sunday, my heart stopped.
“I don’t want you going to anymore parties,” Daddy said.
“Why?
“Quinn, parties only attract trouble. I don’t want to see you get caught up with the wrong crowd either.”
“You can’t shelter me forever, Daddy.”
“I’m doing this for your own good.”
Daddy cleared his throat. “What did you tell me that day? I want to hear you say it.”
I blinked. “I told you to trust me. I said I wouldn’t drink or try drugs.”
“What else?” He didn’t forget a thing.
“You and Mom taught me responsibility.”
Momma was sipping her coffee, resting against the counter, and watching me like a hawk. “Where was your responsibility tonight?”
I swallowed hard. I’d promised both of them I would never drink or do drugs.
“We allowed you to have this party because we trusted you, Quinn,” Momma said. “We also told you to limit the party to fifty. There were close to a hundred kids in that barn.”
Again, I couldn’t give her an excuse or tell her truthfully how the party had gotten so out of hand. I also shouldn’t have been surprised. By inviting one person, I might as well have invited the whole damn school. The news of a party always spread like wildfire.
But in all fairness to me, it was summer, which meant families left town on vacations.
“You broke our trust, Quinn.” The disappointment in Daddy’s tone made my stomach clench far worse than his anger.
“I’m sorry.” It was all I could say. “It will never happen again.”
Daddy rose and pushed his fingers through his short brown hair. “Darn right it won’t. You’re grounded for the summer. No parties. No friends. And that means Maiken too. You’ll pull extra shifts on the farm and in the store.”
“But Daddy,” I cried. “I want to see Celia.”
Daddy regarded Momma.
“We’ll wait to hear from Liam,” Momma said. “Until then, go up to your room.”
I hesitated, but Momma gave me one of those “I dare you to beg” looks, so I ran out.
I started to climb the stairs then stopped when I heard Daddy’s voice.
“I pray no one left this party drunk and decided to drive.”
“Jeff, honey, take a breath,” Momma said. “Your blood pressure is high enough as it is.”
