Beautiful Mess by Jennifer Preston Read Free Book Online

forward to her date that night. 
    Except
the task of convincing her dad to let her go.
     

Chapter 4
     
    When
Bri returned home, her family was just finishing breakfast.  Even they
seemed relieved Carly was gone.  She poured herself a bowl of cereal and
joined them at the table.
    “Carly
get off okay?” her dad asked.
    “Yep. 
And hopefully she won’t be coming back anytime soon!”
    “Yay!”
her brothers cheered and ran off to enjoy their Carly-free day.
    Connor
shook his head.  “So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?” he
asked Bri.
    “Well,”
she began, “I was wondering if it’d be okay if I went out tonight with a friend
I met at the beach?”
    “A
friend, huh?  Now, would this be a girl friend or a guy friend?”
    Dang
it, sometimes Bri’s dad was too perceptive for his own good.  She had
really hoped he wouldn’t ask that.
    “A
guy friend,” she replied lightly.
    “And
does this guy friend have a name?”
    “Cole.”
    “Cole…
what?”
    “Um,
I don’t know.”  Bri realized she had never thought to ask his last name.
    “Okay,”
Connor was skeptical.  “And how old is Cole?”
    “He’s
my age.  He’s going to be a senior this year at Santa Monica High,
too.”  Bri hoped that would help alleviate some of his reservations.
    “And
where would you be going?”
    “I’m
going to meet him down at the pier.  We’re going to grab some dinner and
hang out.”
    “You
mean, like a date,” Connor said flatly.  Again, Bri had hoped to avoid
that particular detail.  “So, let me get this straight.  You want me
to let you out in a strange city, at night, with a strange boy you know almost
nothing about.  A boy I know nothing about.  Some boy you met
at the beach and decided to go on a date with?  Absolutely not!”
    “Dad,
please!  You’re being completely unreasonable!  He goes to my
school.  He lives around here, too.  Weren’t you just saying a few
days ago that I should get out and make some new friends?”
    “I
meant girl friends!  I didn’t mean for you to go out and find some
guy to hook up with!”
    “I
wouldn’t do that, and you know it,” Bri was slightly offended.  “ Please ?”
    “No.”
    “Dad!”
    “No!”
    “Connor!”
Summer jumped into the conversation, surprising Bri.  “You really are
being a bit unreasonable.  Bri is a smart, responsible girl.  She’s
not going to put herself into a situation she can’t handle.  This boy goes
to her school.  She’s driving herself.  And the pier is close enough
she could walk home if she needed to.  I don’t see what the problem is.”
    Connor
had nothing to say.  Bri had also been shocked into silence.  Summer
rarely ever came to her defense.
    Bri
wasn’t very close with her stepmom.  They didn’t hate each other, or fight
all the time, but Bri had learned long ago that she didn’t rate highly on
Summer’s list of priorities.  Of course, Summer wasn’t high on Bri’s list
of priorities, either.  They had nothing in common, and never really
talked, about anything.  In fact they both tried to stay out of each
other’s lives as much as possible.  About the only thing they did have in
common was their love for Bri’s dad and brothers.  Bri might not care much
for Summer, but she loved her half-brothers more than anything.  The only
thing that redeemed Summer in Bri’s eyes was the fact that Summer made it clear
that Connor and the boys were her top priority, and she gave them everything
she had.  It was the knowledge that Summer would always take care of the
three people Bri loved most in the world that kept the peace between
them.  So, the fact that Summer had taken Bri’s side on something was
nothing short of astonishing.
    After
a meaningful glance from his wife, Connor finally relented.
    “Okay,
you can go,” he sighed.
    Bri
smiled and threw her arms around her dad.  “Thanks, Daddy!”  She
looked up at Summer, and felt she should add, “And thank you,