Fumbled (The Girls of Beachmont #1) Read Online Free Page B

laugh.
    “Typical,” I laughed.

C h a p t e r    3
    D
A N I

 
    My evening with Colton
was uneventful…and that was a good thing. Millie was always going on about the
lack of sleep she was getting, and how he constantly wanted to be held. That
wasn’t the case for me. He had a bottle and was asleep by nine, leaving me to
channel surf until my eyes could no longer remain open.
    I was certain that the
issue wasn’t Colton, but Millie. Something told me she probably kept waking him
up to snuggle and kiss him all night. But who could blame her?
    By the time she and Nick
got home, I’d already tucked myself away in the guest bedroom, but not before
checking my phone. I couldn’t tell if I was disappointed or grateful that Tabor
hadn’t called.

 
    Since I hadn’t made it
to Mom and Dad’s the night before for the obligatory family dinner, I decided
to make a surprise appearance after I left Millie’s. Sundays in the Miner home
were always reserved for church and family, so I knew they’d be happy to see
me.
    At least that’s what I
thought.
    “What are you doing
here?” Mom asked, giving me a quick hug when I opened the front door. “I’m
heading to the mall, want to come with?”
    I shuddered at the
thought and shook my head. “Not even a little.”
    “Just like your dad,”
she scowled playfully.
    “Is he here?”
    “He’s inside debating on
whether or not he’s going to get to the yard work. Head on in. Wanna stay for
dinner?”
    “We’ll see,” I answered.
“Have fun in hell.”
    Mom swatted at my arm
playfully and walked past, shutting the door behind me.
    “Dad,” I called out.
    “Kitchen,” he hollered
in response.
    I laughed when I saw him
standing at the back door, his arms crossed as he stared at the yard. I figured
maybe he was snacking on something, watching TV, but there he was simply
observing.
    “What’s the verdict,
Dad?”
    “I think the lawn can
wait,” he chuckled, walking over and hugging me. “What brings you by?”
    “Felt bad that I
couldn’t make it Friday night. Car troubles,” I admitted.
    “What’s wrong with the
Bel Air?”
    “I got a flat tire when
I got off work,” I recalled, embarrassed.
    “Good thing I taught you
how to change a flat,” he said, but his proud smile faded when he looked at me.
“Right?”
    “Yeah, not really,” I
scoffed. “Changing a flat on your own is great…if you can get the lug nuts
off.”
    “You’re joking.”
    “I wish. Nope, I was
sweating like a pig, covered in grease, and this guy pulls over to help me fix
it.”
    “You didn’t let him
help, did you?”
    “What choice did I
have?”
    “Danielle, that’s
dangerous. What were you thinking?” Dad scolded. “You should have called me.”
    “I was about to, but
then this guy swooped in and saved the day.”
    “Don’t do that again,”
he warned. “I don’t want to see my daughters’ faces appearing on the
news—missing—because they were caught off guard.”
    “Got it,” I answered,
and didn’t say another word about the stranger. Or that I had given him my
phone number. That would have gone over about as well as the time I told them I
was moving out. Not. Well.
    Before he could say
anything else, we heard the front door open and I looked back to see whom it
was.
    “Tessa?” Dad shouted.
    “Not going to the mall,”
she answered.
    I looked at Dad and
laughed. “How’d you make that happen?”
    Mom going to the mall
spelled trouble for Dad. She was notorious for going to the store for one thing
and coming back with armfuls of junk.
    “Make what happen?” Mom
repeated.
    “Why are you back?” I
asked, changing the subject.
    “Can’t I decide I want
to see my daughter?” she smiled and hugged me.
    “You could…but it’s not
true,” I snarked. “So what’s really going on?”
    “Mimi!” the familiar
shouts of little Cleo echoed throughout the house. Her footsteps pounded
clumsily on the wood floor with my sister, Grace, trailing behind