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and say we’d stayed with you instead. You know how Daddy is. You say all the time he was completely irrational while you were growing up. He’s totally the oldest child, and I’ll be on restriction all summer if he knows we stayed out all night. We didn’t mean to. We were just goofing off. Nothing bad.”
    Didn’t mean to stay out all night? Who did they think they were kidding? She remembered all too well the kind of stuff other kids talked about happening all night. Of course, she hadn’t had the chance to partake in those sorts of clandestine affairs. Just like Jen said, Tim was so the oldest child. And his first role in life was watching out for his baby sister. Still, she couldn’t cover for her niece.  
    “You know I’m not going to lie for you, Jen. But I’ll call and let your families know you’re here while you two get some breakfast.”
    She jotted down Nina’s number and pointed to the kitchen watching them walk away heads down in dejection.
    What in the world were fifteen year old girls doing staying out all night? Did they have no concept of danger?
    She picked up the phone and called her brother first. After a quick explanation and his promise to be right over, she hung up the phone and made herself dial the next number. She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear Brenton’s voice, but she couldn’t back down now.
    After three rings, he answered. She’d obviously woken him, and when he heard her voice on the other end, he immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion.
    “Changed your mind, huh? Couldn’t sleep all night just thinking about it.”
    His certainty about her night got under her skin. He was something else. Now that she actually had him on the phone, she was right back in reality. He’d offered her the chance to save her father’s job in return for sexual favors. No wonder his teenage daughter stayed out all night.
    “I slept like a baby.” She practically purred the lie. “I’m calling to let you know your daughter’s at my house. She and my niece spent all night out who knows where. You’re welcome to come get her.”
    After a short pause, his voice sounded again. “If she’s able, put her on the phone, please.”
    It wasn’t a request, and since she understood his anger, she turned around to call for Nina. She didn’t have to.  
    Nina held out her hand for the phone and twisted the cord around her hand the minute the receiver touched her ear. “Hey Daddy.” She sounded cajoling and repentant at the same time.
    Mallory watched as she shifted back and forth, twirling the phone cord all the while. “I know, Daddy. It wasn’t like that.”
    Sniffles were starting now, and Mallory decided the rest of the conversation didn’t need her presence.
    She walked into the kitchen and sat across from her niece.
    “He’s never going to forgive this, Aunt Mal. I’m dead.”
    Knowing Tim the way she did, Mallory figured Jen would spend plenty of time mucking stalls, pulling weeds, and cleaning up after dogs or babies.
    “You messed up big time, kid.”
    Jen let her head thunk down on the table. “You have no idea how mad he’s going to be.”
    Oh yes she did. Being the baby sister might have had its advantages, but it had never spared her Tim’s sense of justice.   She could only imagine what he’d dole out to his daughter.
    A few seconds later Nina sulked into the room and sat across from them at the last place Mallory’s kitchen table held.
    “My dad said he’ll be here in a minute. I lost my car for the whole summer, and that’s just what he said over the phone. I think he’s madder than anything that we came over here. I really blew it. Especially with his business partner coming to town today.”
    Mallory couldn’t help but feel gratified at that. Served him right to have a lousy day working. Maybe she should devote herself to making every one of his working days lousy.  
    But she wouldn’t want a repeat performance like this. Since the girls weren’t sharing where