Page 9 of The Parent Trap

“Because you made it your life mission to make her miserable.” A pause. “And buddy, you succeeded.”

“Thepoint is,” I say, loudly, to cover the sting of guilt I feel at this, “thatIcould get along withher.”

“Yousaythat,” Dell says with a snort. “But you haven’t seen in her years. She’s even more insufferable now than she was in high school. She’s a legit boss of thousands of people. The authority has gone to her head.”

“Thousands?”

“Well, hundreds, at least.” He sounds like he’s outside, and then I can barely hear him over the roar of a helicopter. “Gotta go, my chopper is waiting.”

“I hate you, you lucky fuck.”

“You know it! See you soon!”

I hit the shower, rinsing away the smell of Destiny and the stink of the things we got up to.

I still can’t figure out why I asked Dell about his sister. The last thing on the planet I want is to ever see that girl again.

Right?

I do my damnedest to put Delia McKenna out of my head.

Chapter Three

Delia

“Daddy?”I force myself to keep my voice even and firm. “How are you?”

The room is filled with the beeping of machines, the smell of antiseptic. It’s not a hospital room—he refused to go to the hospital after his fall, so we brought the hospital to him, transformed what had been his main floor study into a hospice room. Full-time live-in nurse, all the best treatments and medicine money can buy. If it can help you heal, we’ve got it.

The problem is, he’s just…tired. Done in.

He blinks at me, slow and owlish, as if it takes a moment to process my presence and then my words. His skin is papery, translucent. “Hi, honey-bunny. I’m doing.”

“Feeling okay?”

He huffs, a weak laugh that still manages his trademark bite of sarcasm. “Fit as a fiddle, my love. Ready to roof.” Inside joke—roofing is hellishly demanding work. He pats my hand. “How’s business?”

“It’s great. We just broke ground on the new section of Oak Glen. I’m working on a contract for a two-and-a-half-million-dollar custom home. Working on upselling them up to an even three.”

“Good girl. Upsell, upsell, upsell.”

“I know, Daddy.”

He nods, closes his eyes and just breathes a moment. “Have you seen Dell lately?”

I choke on my tears. “No, not really. I spoke to him…last week, just briefly. He said he’d come see you this weekend.”

Dad’s jaw clenches. “I want to see him. I need to talk to him.”

“Don’t waste your breath, Daddy. Save it for getting better.”

Dad’s laugh is sarcastic. “I’m not gonna get better, Dee-Dee. This is it.”

“Don’t talk like that, Daddy. You’re gonna be fine.”

He pats my hand, and this time it’s condescending. “Or just keep thinking that. Not what I recommend, but if it’s what you have to do.”

“Dad.”