Free The Word Game by Steena Holmes

there, and she almost didn’t want to move. Thank goodness her mother had cleaned up her kitchen. She could only imagine the look on Aly’s face, if she’d walked in to the destruction from breakfast.
    “Hey, you okay?” Mark stood in the doorway.
    She shook her head and blinked away the tears that filled her eyes.
    “Who was on the phone?” He bent down and reached for her hands. “Whoever it was, they’re not worth crying over.”
    She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “It was Alyson, and I think I’m just exhausted.”
    “Ahh. You and me both. No more parties like that—this old body can’t handle them like it used to,” Mark teased as he pulled her up from the chair and fit her tight against his body while he held her. “Whatever she said to you, shrug it off.”
    “Something’s wrong with her.”
    “Aly?”
    “Who else.” She rolled her eyes. “She blew a lid at the fact that I wasn’t here when she picked up Lyla, but then . . . I think there’s something else bothering her. I just don’t know what.” She let out a long and deep breath. “She’s coming over to talk.”
    “My advice? Add some Baileys to your coffee before she gets here.” He smiled at her. “In fact, I can make it for you, and then maybe help you relax a little?” His eyebrows wiggled at his suggestion, and Tricia had a hard time keeping the smile from her face.
    “I’ll take you up on the Baileys, but I should probably check in on Katy and ask her some questions about last night. Apparently Alyson thinks something else happened.”
    She headed downstairs, where Katy sat on the sofa wrapped in a blanket watching one of her favorite reality dancing shows.
    “Hey, kiddo. I thought we were going to watch this together?” She sat down beside her daughter and pulled half the blanket over her own legs.
    “Sorry. Want me to rewind it?”
    “Did I miss anything?”
    Katy shook her head and handed her the remote.
    Tricia hit the pause button and half-turned toward her daughter.
    Katy sighed. “You want to talk about last night, right?”
    “I figured it might be a good idea.”
    “If I say I’m sorry again, will it help?”
    Tricia smiled. “It always helps, but I need to know you know what happened was wrong.”
    “I know.” She pulled her legs up tighter to her chest.
    “I’m glad.” Tricia placed her hand over Katy’s knee and squeezed. “I thought your father and I made it pretty clear last night that what you and Keera did wasn’t allowed, so I’m a little confused why you did it anyways?”
    “I really don’t know. Keera . . . She likes Brandon.” Katy frowned. “It seemed like a good idea at the time, you know?”
    Tricia shook her head. “Nope, don’t know, because I’m pretty sure you both knew you were breaking the rules. Katy . . .” Tricia sighed. “The parents placed a lot of trust in me by letting there be coed sleeping in the house. They trusted me to make sure that what happened wouldn’t . . .”
    Katy ducked her head. “Bet you’re pretty mad, right?”
    “More like disappointed. You broke my trust, honey.” As much as she hated to say it, it needed to be said.
    Katy looked up at her with a stricken gaze. Tricia had worked hard to stress trust in her family. Trust was the foundation of everything . . . it was something she’d learned the hard way a long time ago.
    “I’m sorry.” This time, Katy actually sounded like she meant it. “It was stupid, and I wish . . .” She laid her head on Tricia’s shoulder.
    “I’m probably grounded, aren’t I.” It was more of a statement than a question, but Tricia was glad she’d brought it up.
    “You are. No sleepovers for a while. Here or at someone else’s house.” She’d voted for more consequences, but Mark reminded her that since every weekend it seemed like she wanted to have someone over or go to someone’s house, it might be enough. “And on weekends, you’re going to have to do more cleaning