Sasha’s Dad Read Online Free Page B

appliances away.
    “Where’s the toaster?” Aunt Ginny never put things back in the same place twice.
    “Under the counter. I bought some cinnamon waffles yesterday.”
    “Thanks!” Sasha loved it when Aunt Ginny did the grocery shopping. Dad was more practical and would’ve bought plain waffles or no waffles at all—just some regular bread for toasting.
    Sasha saw all the thick books Aunt Ginny had on the breakfast counter.
    “Are you still studying?” She thought Aunt Ginny’s exams were over.
    “I’m reviewing. When I start law school, I’ll be expected to be on top of all these subjects.”
    “Huh.” Sasha enjoyed school and homework, but didn’t know how adults stayed awake when they were reading such thick books with all that small type.
    Aunt Ginny was almost done with her bachelor’s degree. She’d done it from Dovetail, going into College Park as needed. Dad said Aunt Ginny had made a Great Sacrifice for them. Now she had to go live in Baltimore and go to the university there for law school. She’d be leaving soon to attend a spring review class before courses started at the end of the summer.
    “Where’s Daddy?” Sasha spread peanut butter on her waffle. Aunt Ginny had sat down with her coffee and books.
    “He got a late-night call.”
    As soon as the words were out, Rascal whimpered and ran to the kitchen door. Sasha heard the slam as her dad got out of his truck.
    “Daddy!” Sasha went over to the door as Dutch opened it and jumped at him. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug.
    “Hi, sweetheart. You smell like a bunch of flowers.” He tugged at Sasha’s still-damp hair.
    “It’s the shampoo Aunt Ginny got for me last Christmas.”
    “Is it?”
    Sasha nodded, then finished making her breakfast. Dad looked tired—his eyes were deep in his face and the lines around them made him seem like he was squinting.
    “What happened?” Aunt Ginny must have noticed, too.
    “Twin llama birth. One’s fine, the mother will hopefully be okay, but I don’t know about the second one. She’s really small and it’s going to be touch and go for a few days.”
    “Can I go see them with you?”
    “No.” Dutch’s response was immediate and it hurt. She hated when he was like this.
    “Well, excuse me.” She shoved a bite of waffle into her mouth.
    She heard her dad sigh, then he walked back to her.
    “I’m sorry, Sash.” He tousled her hair. “I’ve been up all night, and I haven’t had an easy time of it. Of course you can go see the llamas, but not today. Let’s give them all a chance to settle in, okay?”
    “Sure.” Sasha took her waffle and sat on a stool at the counter. “Do you want a waffle, Daddy?”
    “No, thanks, sugarplum. I ate at Dot’s, before you were even out of bed. But I’ll sit with you, if that’s okay.”
    “Okay. Wait! Let me go get my essay that I’m handing in today. You can read it over for me.” Sasha ran up the back stairs to her room. She heard Aunt Ginny laugh at her excitement.
    What were they going to do when Aunt Ginny wasn’t there to calm Dad down?

    G INNY TURNED to Dutch, before Sasha bounded back into the kitchen.
    “How’d it go?”
    Dutch screwed up his face and frowned at his baby sister, who looked so innocent with her widened eyes and lifted brows. But he knew she wasn’t asking about the llamas, not really.
    “Fine. Awful. I hated it. I’m glad I saved the twin and, I hope, the dam.” He stared down at the floor.
    “I can’t look at that woman without remembering, without seeing the pain on Natalie’s face when her calls weren’t returned.”
    “I know.” Ginny’s voice was soft. She’d seen it, too. Claire and Natalie had been closer than sisters through grade school and high school. The only thing that had ever come between them was a boy.
    Dutch.
    “I don’t get it, Ginny. How someone so smart can be so stupid, especially with her friend, her family.” He couldn’t believe he was sharing so much with