Page 13 of Trophy

A week later Rob decided he was making some progress with Allison.

He was sure she was attracted to him. He’d seen it in her eyes more and more lately. She liked him too. She visibly brightened up whenever she saw him. Sure, he wasn’t her kind of guy, but people didn’t always go for the ones they expected.

He wasn’t a bad catch. He had a good business, a house, and no debt, and he wasn’t the worst-looking person in the world. He wouldn’t be a bad choice for her.

Maybe when she was ready to start a relationship again after her divorce, she’d look to him.

He was eating his toast and watching her chat with Chelle in a lull between orders. It wasn’t a very busy morning. There were only three other tables occupied right now.

Chelle was telling Allison about spending the summers in her camper by the river. Allison’s expression was bemused—as if she couldn’t believe someone would want to do that—but she was listening for real, sincerely interested in understanding the appeal.

Rob could see it on her face. She liked Chelle, no matter how different they were. Allison had only lived in Fielding for five weeks and was still getting used to a very different culture, but she didn’t look down on the people around her.

He thought maybe she would really like it, once she got used to it.

He’d lived here all his life, and he never wanted to leave. It was a really good town to live in.

He was distracted from his thoughts by raised voices entering the restaurant. He recognized them even before he turned around to see Dee and Cali coming in.

He had to stifle a groan. He’d been doing really well with Allison lately. He didn’t want to scare her off with the messiness that still lingered from his past mistakes.

He frowned as they both came over to sit on the stools next to him. Dee was screeching about how Cali never listened to her.

“Would you quiet down?” he rasped, leaning over and giving her a stern look. “What are you doing here so early?” They never came in for breakfast. The only reason either one of them would be here was to talk to him.

Dee turned toward him, as if about to unleash her anger on him. “Would you tell her she can’t see that jackass anymore?”

“Rob’s not my father,” Cali snapped. “He can’t tell me anything.”

The whole restaurant was hearing them. Rob couldn’t imagine what Allison would be thinking. He’d done a good job giving her the impression that he had it all together. This wasn’t going to help at all.

“But I’m your mom, and you never listen to me at all!”

Rob sighed. “Maybe we should talk about this later.”

“When later?” Dee snapped, turning back to him.

Allison came over then with her pad in her hand. “Can I get you anything?” she asked with her pleasant waitress smile. She wasn’t meeting Rob’s eyes, and that couldn’t be a good thing.

“Can’t you see we’re having a private conversation here?” Dee demanded harshly.

Allison actually stepped back in the face of this unprovoked rudeness.

“Dee,” Rob said, wishing he could restart this morning. “You don’t have to?—”

“I’ll come back when you’re ready,” Allison murmured, dropping her eyes. “Just let me know.”

She was gone before Rob could say anything to make the situation better.

“You don’t have to be rude,” Rob said, trying not to express his anger, since that would only rile Dee up even more.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Dee cooed bitterly. “Did I upset your little girlfriend?”

Rob cringed. Allison was just at the other end of the counter. She had to be hearing every word.

“She’s not my girlfriend.” He started scrambling for ways to get them out of here quickly, even if it meant not finishing his breakfast.

“Well, you sure as hell make goo-goo eyes at her like she is.”

“Would you stop it and tell me what you want?” Everyone was looking over at them. Allison was even looking over, although she was pretending not to.

He’d grown up in this town and was used to everyone knowing his business.

The whole town knew when he got drunk after football games in high school.

The whole town knew when Maria was cheating on him with every loser she could find.

The whole town knew when he and Dee had loud, angry fights all the time when they were married.

But Allison was different. He didn’t want her to know all that.

“I want you to talk some sense into this girl,” Dee said, finally getting back to the point again.

“It’s not his business, Mom,” Cali whined. She’d been fiddling with her phone during the previous part of the conversation. She hardly seemed aware of what was going on.

“Maybe we should have this conversation somewhere else,” Rob suggested, doing his best to sound calm.

“Where, exactly?” Dee demanded. “You never come over anymore, even when I need you!”

“I’ve been busy,” he gritted out. He’d mostly been trying to wean himself away from helping her out every time she asked. “Okay, fine. What’s going on with this guy, then?”

He couldn’t help but notice that Allison was looking a little flustered as she loaded plates onto a tray for the family at the far end of the restaurant. She was probably very uncomfortable about the scene Dee was making. Who wouldn’t be?

“Nothing is—” Cali began.

“He takes her money!” Dee broke in.

This distracted Rob enough for him to turn back, his spine stiffening. “What?”

“He doesn’t take my money. I lent him a little bit once.” Cali looked bored and annoyed. She rolled her eyes in a characteristic way.

Rob scanned her face, hoping she was telling the truth and that Dee was blowing things out of proportion for attention, as she often did. “How much did you give him? Has he paid you back?”

“It’s none of your business!” Cali wailed, as if the world was out to get her.

Rob was going to ask around about that Nelson boy and, if the stories were true, he would think of something to do. He didn’t want some loser mooching off Cali, who had little enough money as it was. She might not be his stepdaughter anymore, but he still felt responsible for her.

He was thinking about this, absently watching Allison carry the large tray over to the table.

Dee evidently saw where his eyes were focused. She made an outraged hissing sound. “If you could get your eyes off your stuck-up girlfriend for even a minute, you might be able to help!”

Rob couldn’t stifle the groan this time. “Dammit, Dee?—”

“Don’t you ‘dammit’ me!” Dee gave an indignant huff and pushed her stool out without warning, abruptly and with unnecessary force.

Allison was walking behind her just then, and the stool slammed right into her.

The tray she was holding crashed down in a loud and shocking fall, and Allison herself stumbled, barely catching herself on the stool.

Rob jumped up and moved toward her, helping her to her feet. “Are you all right?”

“Is she all right?” Dee screamed. She had a few grits on her shoes, but otherwise she was unscathed. “I’m the one who could have been killed by her clumsiness!”

Allison was staring at the mess of food and broken plates on the floor, and it looked like she was close to tears.

Acting on instinct, Rob reached out to put a supportive hand on her back. He murmured again, “Are you all right?”

“I’m okay,” she told him, sounding a little choked.

“She’s the one who dropped it! I’m the one who got scared out of her wits!” Dee screeched.

“I’m sorry,” Allison said immediately, kneeling down to start picking up the broken pieces of plates. “Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not okay!”

“Yes, you are,” Rob snapped, absolutely fed up with her nonsense. “You didn’t even get touched.” He knelt down next to Allison, helping her pick up. “It wasn’t your fault.”

Allison looked too shaky, and her eyes were still lowered so he couldn’t see her expression. But he saw a little tear slip out of her eye that she quickly brushed away.

He swallowed a surge of anger. Dee had made her cry, and there was nothing he’d been able to do to stop it from happening.

“Everyone saw what really happened,” he told her, so low that Dee couldn’t hear. “Please don’t be upset.”

Allison’s eyes darted up to his face, and she gave him a grateful little smile.

“Excuse me,” Dee broke in. “I’m the injured party here.”

Allison took a breath and stood up with the tray. “I’m very sorry. If you’d like to order anything, I’ll be happy to cover it.”

She shouldn’t have to do that. It hadn’t been her fault.

“No, thank you.” Dee glared at Allison and then took Cali by the arm and started flouncing out of the restaurant.

But she threw Rob a look of icy anger that let him know he was in for it. Maybe not now, but at some point.

Rob had never been so glad to see anyone leave in his life.