The Girl Who Ran Off With Daddy by David Handler Read Free Book Online Page A

generational thing. I preferred to think of it as a taste thing.
    Dwayne tugged nervously at his goatee. “I’ll … uh … play ’em for you sometime. If you’re gonna be around, I mean.”
    “Cool!”
    Dwayne grabbed his tools from the back of the truck and headed into the barn, work to do.
    “Yo, is there like a shower, homes?” Clethra asked me, reverting instantly to her brattier self.
    “I suppose we can arrange something,” I said stiffly. I didn’t mean to be inhospitable. I would have been plenty warm if she’d at least said good morning.
    “And, like, maybe some coffee?”
    “Of course, how cloddish of me. I’ll get right on it.”
    “Wait, I can make the coffee, boy,” Thor offered hurriedly.
    Fortunately, Merilee picked this moment to emerge, wheeling Tracy toward us in her buggy. At least I think Tracy was in there somewhere, interred under several blankets, the little cap Merilee’s sister, Gretchen, had knit for her planted firmly on her abnormally large head. Merilee was dressed for the mud in her denim bib overalls and green rubber wellies. Her waist-length golden hair was in a ponytail. She wore no makeup.
    “By God, woman,” Thor exclaimed, his voice booming. “You get prettier every time I see you!”
    “And you, Mr. Gibbs,” she said airily, “get more and more full of baked beans.”
    He gave her a big bear hug, lifting her off her feet.
    “Careful, you’ll get a hernia.”
    He laughed his lion’s roar of a laugh. “Nonsense. You’re light as a feather. Come meet my Clethra,” he commanded, dragging Merilee toward her.
    Merilee, still one of Miss Porter’s girls, treated her young guest to a dazzling smile. “Hello, Clethra. And welcome.”
    Clethra treated her to a bored shrug. And said nothing.
    “She needs a shower,” I said, between clenched teeth.
    Thor added, “I was just about to make a pot of coffee.”
    “Nonsense, I’ll do it,” Merilee assured him.
    “Like, I don’t even have a change of clothes,” Clethra complained to her. “But I guess you wouldn’t have anything that would fit me.”
    “Why, of course I would,” Merilee assured her cheerfully. Not so much as a nostril flared. “I hope you don’t mind spit-up stains.”
    “She’s a fine, strong baby, Merilee,” Thor observed, gazing down at Tracy in her buggy. “You must be very proud.”
    “Well, maybe a little,” Merilee admitted, glowing radiantly. The two of them stood there making a fuss over Tracy for a moment. Too long a moment.
    At least it was as far as Lulu was concerned. Unloved and unappreciated, she went skulking slowly off toward the pond, ears back, tail between her legs. Clearly, suicide was the only answer. She paused for a moment at the water’s edge, considering the gravity of what she was about to do, then steeled herself and waded glumly in.
    “Oh, God, there she goes again.” Quickly, I unlaced my ankle boots. She was already in over her ears, which doesn’t take her very long.
    “Don’t worry, Mr. H!” Dwayne called out. “I’ll save her!” He went running in after her, sending the ducks scattering. The pond’s not deep, no more than three feet at its lowest spot, but by the time he’d waded over to her she’d already sunk to the bottom with à glug-glug-glug. He reached in and grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and yanked her back out, snarfling and barfling and yelping in protest. Then he carried her to shore, where she shook herself, shivering miserably. The water was damned cold now. She also didn’t smell her best. She tends not to when she’s wet.
    Merilee ran in and got towels for both of them. I toweled Lulu dry and said a few stern, fatherly things to her I won’t bother to repeat here. Dwayne refused his towel. Also our thanks. Just put his boots back on over his wet socks and went right back to work. He didn’t even seem to notice that his jeans were soaked through.
    “I’m taking Hoagy away from you this evening, Merilee,” Thor