Free Safe from Harm (9781101619629) by Stephanie Jaye Evans Page B

not stupid, Dad.”
    â€œI know it, baby.”
    â€œHe’s really, really smart. He might make valedictorian.”
    â€œI think he’s a smart boy, Jo.”
    We rocked in silence for a while. Jo pulled the blanket over her head to shield her face from me.
    â€œShe said something else. After Alex got picked up. I should have begged a ride home but Phoebe made such a big deal.”
    â€œWhat did Phoebe say?”
    Silence.
    â€œDo you want to tell me about it?”
    Long silence, then, “No.”
    I pondered on that.
    â€œDid she tell you she came by to see me today?” I asked.
    Jo lifted her head. “She said
you
saw
her
.”
    â€œIs this the ‘lie’ you’ve been talking about? When you say Phoebe is a liar? Let me tell you about the visit.” A long pause, and I could hear the
chimp, chimp
sound that meant Jo was biting off slivers of fingernails, then I felt her head nod against my chest.
    I didn’t go into detail, but I told her the gist of it, and I made sure my daughter knew that Phoebe Pickersley had not been alone with me for one second when Rebecca couldn’t see us both clearly.
    Jo sat up. Her precious face was tearstained. “I knew it, Dad. When she said you came on to her . . .”
    I groaned. “Did she say that, Jo? Those words?” Those words could end a man’s career if he’s in the ministry.
    Jo thought. “She said it without saying it.”
    â€œImplied,” I said
    â€œI slapped her face, and grabbed my bag and left.”
    I groaned again. I should have gotten pencil and paper and started making a list of all the apologies and explanations I was going to have to make tomorrow.
    â€œYou slapped her? Josephine Amelia—”
    â€œThe Bible
says
there is a time to throw stones. I only slapped her.”
    â€œThat’s ‘cast away stones,’ Jo. And that doesn’t mean bounce them off someone’s head. If I hear about you hauling off and whacking someone again, we’re going to have to—”
    â€œI’m not going to tell you stuff if I get in trouble every time I do.”
    Okay. That was fair. It was why, for eighteen years, I never told my mother a thing. I’m still careful what I say around my mom.
    I said, “Sorry.”
    â€œIt’s okay.”
    â€œBut you will try to keep your temper, Jo?”
    â€œI was trying when I slapped her.”
    â€œExplain the coming in through the window part.”
    â€œI didn’t have my key—”
    This had to be the fifth house key Jo had lost. “Jo,
why
didn’t you have your key?” I got an eloquent shrug in reply.
    â€œâ€”and I didn’t want to wake you and Mom up, and I can get in through my window perfectly well . . .”
    â€œOkay. Get up now, you’re getting too big for this old man. Here’s what we’re going to do. You take a quick shower and get in bed. You’ll never sleep if you go to bed with dried sweat all over you. I’m going to go have a bowl of cereal and I’ll come back up when I hear the water turn off. I’ll tuck you in. Okay?”
    Baby Bear accompanied me downstairs and we each had a bowl of Cheerios. I gave Jo five minutes after I heard the shower stop, and then we went upstairs. We found Jo smelling like peaches and peppermint and tucked under her covers. I knelt next to her bed and put my hand on her wet head.
    â€œOkay. How could you have handled the situation differently? In a way that wouldn’t get you grounded?”
    â€œAm I going to be grounded?”
    â€œYes. Tomorrow you’re grounded to the house. Do you know why?”
    A sigh. “Because I slapped Phoebe.”
    â€œNo. I’m not happy about that, but I won’t ground you for it since you told me about it yourself. Try again.”
    A bigger sigh. “Because I walked home by myself.”
    â€œBingo. At two in the morning. You