Page 53 of Silver Player

Billy chuckles. “Depends on what I’m driving.”

My God he has a one-track mind, but so have I for most of the morning.

“I meant…giving Sadie lessons. She has her driver’s permit, but she needs practice hours. I thought maybe you could drive her around the area or, rather, let her drive you around the area.”

“Why can’t you drive her?” Billy states without accusation, but I’m defensive when I answer.

“I thought it would be another way for you two to bond.” I pause after I speak. Why am I trying to push Billy and Sadie together? In fact, I want to set some better boundaries for us. He can’t just keep popping in like he does, unexpectedly showing up and then sticking around for dinner. We need a schedule, structure, like things used to be for Sadie.

“No, it’s fine. I’d like to talk to Sadie about something anyway.”

“Like what?” I immediately ask, curious.

“Nothing much. Father-daughter stuff.”

My breath hitches. Billy could still seek custody of his daughter. He wants to be responsible for her in more ways than just a financial statement. What if he wants her to live with him? Will he make me see less of her? And then what if…and I’m back to considering him marrying someone. Sadie would have a stepmother. Not that there’s anything wrong with stepmothers, but I just…I don’t know what I just.

I’ve sought a child advocate for Sadie. Someone who knows her rights and can protect her. Sadie says she wants to remain living with me, and the advocate tries to assure me it’s a possibility a judge might consider based on Sadie’s age and circumstances. Sadie hardly knows Billy, and she’s at an age where she can make her own decisions. I have no doubt she’ll say she wants to stay with me, and Billy will be the one with a visitation schedule, if we get to that point. He promised we’d work it out. We just need to put it into better practice in our future.

I need to file an insurance claim for the robbery and change the locks for extra protection. For a moment, June Barne suggested Grace robbed the place, and I laughed. There isn’t a criminal bone in Grace’s body, and besides, I was able to provide an alibi for her. Grace had a date. Single mother of five, a date is a rare opportunity, one I strongly encouraged after Grace enjoyed herself so much at the Oktoberfest.

“What if he asks me about children?”

“Don’t lie but don’t offer details. This night should be about you. Stick to what you know.”

“All I know are my kids.” Grace chuckled but sadness touched her eyes. She wouldn’t trade one moment with them, but she wouldn’t mind a little adult time either.

I don’t know why I was offering her dating advice. I didn’t date. I had no advice to offer.

“It’s fine,” Billy says, breaking into my meandering thoughts. “I’d love to give Sadie driving time, but I’ll have to come over around four. I have plans tonight.”

“I…” I don’t get to finish my thought when Billy hangs up. What plans does he have? Although it’s none of my business. Popping in at four or even warning me he’ll be coming over is an example of what I mean. Billy can’t come and go as he pleases. It isn’t fair to Sadie, and a small part of me realizes it isn’t fair to me. And what does he mean he has plans?

If Billy Harrington needs to accommodate for his dates, he can leave us off his calendar.

21

Lessons…in driving and other means of navigation.

[Billy]

“I didn’t steal the money from Aunt Roxie,” Sadie whines, her eyes shifting to me.

“Keep your eyes on the road,” I snap, tempted to reach for the steering wheel. These backroads are narrow, and once they shift into switchbacks, there’s no shoulder, just a ditch. It isn’t ideal for driving lessons, but this is where I learned, and a strange swelling in my chest happens as I realize I’m now teaching my daughter on these same roads.

What’s also not ideal is discussing what I discovered last night.

“I checked on you, only you weren’t in bed.” I’ve already told Sadie my version of the break-in and what I discovered when I went to her room—she was missing.

“I already told you, it wasn’t me.”

“Then tell me where you were, and I’ll drop it.”

“I told you I was at Julianne’s house.”

I haven’t heard of this mysterious Julianne who doesn’t seem to have a last name. Not that I know all the who’s who in Sadie’s life, but I’m paying attention when she talks. I’m listening for the mention of others like Heather Quinton, the girl who keeps messing with Sadie by calling her Violet. If I didn’t think it would stir up trouble, I’d march myself over to Hestia’s house and tell her to keep her bitch daughter away from mine but approaching Hestia would be asking for it. I’ve already been there once, and it was one too many times. I was too easy for her tastes. Unmarried and uncomplicated, she likes a bit more challenge. It’s quite sad. We have our own desperate housewife of Blue Ridge without her being someone’s wife.

“So if I call this Julianne without a last name, and ask her if you were at her house, she’ll tell me you were there?” Two thoughts occur to me simultaneously.