Fools Paradise Read Online Free

chuckled. “It’ll warm up once you’re in it a while.”
    Bobbyjay handed her the end of her seat belt. Silently she groped at her waist and shoved the tab home with a watery click.
    â€œWell? Aren’t you getting in too?” she snapped.
    He rounded the car and clambered in through the driver’s window. More water and fish poured out through the open windows. Goomba tsked over every fallen smelt. Bobbyjay stuck the key into the ignition and turned the switch.
    The car started beautifully, darnit.
    Marty Dit made a satisfied sound. “German engineering,” he said happily.
    Daisy wrapped her cold, wet arms around her shoulders.
    Bobbyjay pulled the car slowly around in a circle and aimed for the street. He looked miserable. Maybe this would cure him of having a crush on her.
    Her insides shuddered against each other with cold.
    Goomba saluted casually. “Welcome to the family, son.” He was having fun torturing them.
    Daisy’s eyes filled. She jerked her head away so he wouldn’t see the tears begin to fall.

    â€œI hate him,” Daisy sobbed next to Bobbyjay, once they were out on Lake Shore Drive.
    His heart went out to her. “Your grandpop’s had a couple of bad shocks,” Bobbyjay said.
    â€œWhy is he doing this to me? He hates me! I can’t stand it!”
    Poor kid. Marty Dit’s little princess. She’d probably never known what a sonofabitch he could be. Bobbyjay wouldn’t have to tell her now.
    â€œHow can you be so calm!” she yelled, jerking toward him with a slop of smelt.
    â€œI look at it this way,” Bobbyjay said, waving to the car behind him to pass. “If he works off most of his mad on us tonight, maybe he’ll feel like he’s had enough revenge. It’ll still cost a bundle to fix the car. But we’ll get by without bloodshed,” he said, not very hopefully.
    â€œIt’s awful. I hate it.”
    Bobbyjay could believe her. It had to be worse for her, with that skimpy little dress on. At least he was wearing jeans. Her teeth chattered.
    â€œWe’ll be home before you know it,” he said to soothe her.
    She threw a handful of water and fish in his right ear.
    â€œHey! I’m driving!”
    â€œYou just take this whole thing in stride, don’t you!” she raged. “You do that all the time. Your crazy family does something crazy and you come right over and climb right into the fish, don’t you?”
    â€œI never said that.” He was feeling a lot less warm and squishy about her. What a shrew! Now all it took was for her to call him stupid. “I happened to be driving through the park—”
    â€œOh, give it a rest. You’re so dumb, you filled Pop’s car full of fish.”
    Bobbyjay forgot his chivalry. “I did not! You’re so dumb, you told him about the car before you had your own ass covered!”
    â€œYou’re so dumb, you can’t stop your family from trashing other people’s cars!”
    â€œYou’re so dumb, you told him we were engaged!”
    That set her off. “You’re so dumb, you went along with it!” she screamed.
    â€œYou’re so dumb, you got us blamed,” he said. It might be a lame comeback, but his heart was in it. “You’re so dumb, you let him make us drive in this car full of fish.”
    â€œI made him? You’re so dumb, you promised to fix an unfixable car!”
    Bobbyjay set his jaw. The memory of his grandfather’s voice saying, Don’t just stand there, kid. Do somethin’, rang in his ears. At this moment, sitting up to his chest in smelt and icy lakewater, he didn’t feel in the least bit grateful that Bobby Senior depended on him. He didn’t appreciate the opportunity to justify his place in the family. He felt positively hostile to the entire Morton clan. They were making him look stupid in front of the Local, getting him tormented by that