Page 133 of Mountain Daddy

“Versus?” I laugh again.

“Yep. I’ll take Ashley, you getLuther.” He says Luther in a high-pitched voice, mimicking me.

I scoff. “You’re such a chickenshit.”

“Have you seen the man? He eats workouts for breakfast.” Dad reaches for his door handle. “I ain’t fightin’ him.”

Walking around the truck to the passenger side, I bite down on my smile.

I’m still stressed, but I haveseen the man. And he does indeed look like he eats workouts for breakfast.

Chapter 83

Luther

The weather is perfect.

The overhead garage doors are open.

The vehicles are parked in the grass, and the garage is filled with borrowed tables. Two are covered with the food Diego has been prepping all morning, and the rest have tacky gold plastic tablecloths.

Gold has nothing to do with Ashley’s school, but it’s her favorite color, and when we went to the party store yesterday, she insisted.

They match the gold balloons tied to the mailbox and the gold streamers hanging from the rafters.

It’s basically a re-creation of her high school graduation, and it has me feeling all sorts of nostalgia I wasn’t prepared for.

My daughter walks past me, headed for the food, but I snag her arm and pull her in for a hug.

“What is wrong with you?” She laughs as she twists out of my hold.

“I’m just proud of you.” I reach for her head like I’m going to ruffle her hair, and she skips out of reach.

“I appreciate that, but you’ve told me a thousand times already.” She holds her hands out, warding me off, as she walks backward.

“Your point?”

Ashley rolls her eyes as she spins toward the dessert table.

I turn my attention to the driveway.

The party is an open house from noon to four.

It’s one.

Kendra should be here soon.

“Brownie?” Ashley holds one out for me.

I take it, smiling to myself. “Thanks.”

We take bites at the same time.

Then we make matching sounds of appreciation.

As we eat, I look around at the crowd. About a dozen people linger in the driveway and yard, standing or using the scattering of camping chairs. And just as many sit around the tables in the garage.

My sister is one of the people in the garage, and she’s been giving me the side-eye since she got here—when I quietly reminded her to pretend she hasn’t met Kendra before.