Read Online The Keeper's Vow by B.F. Simone - Free Book Online

circumstances.
    He stopped at her street corner. She didn’t
know why she expected him to continue all the way to her house, or
why she’d even want him too. It crossed her mind that maybe he
didn’t want to return to the place he was stabbed.
    “You’ve been avoiding going home since you
left Lucinda’s, right?” he said, looking at the house across the
street. She had, hadn’t she? Even now she could feel the anxiety
she felt earlier creeping up again. Going home meant telling her
dad. It occurred to her, the anxiety attack, the reason she didn’t
want Will to stop by…it was all to avoid telling her dad. “Then,”
Tristan said, turning around, “I don’t think it’s a good idea for
me to be seen by your house. Drew might recognize me.”
    Tristan stuffed his hands in his pocket and
looked at her.
    “How do you know my dad?”
    Nothing.
    “The same way you know my mom I’m guessing?”
she said.
    Nothing.
    “Fine,” Katie sighed. It was strange.
Yesterday — when he was on her porch—he
scared her . Now, he was kind of normal and
annoying.
    “See you Monday, Katalina,” he said, walking
away from her. She forgot he could hear that—she didn’t like that
he could hear that or anything she thought.
    “Wait!” She had so many other questions that
the pile was starting to topple.
    Tristan disappeared around the corner.
     
    As soon as she walked into her house she
could hear her dad in the kitchen. Not her dad exactly, but the
radio. He always listened to it when he tried to cook.
    “I’m home,” Katie said, taking a deep
breath. The radio quieted.
    “Katie Bug? I’m in the kitchen. You gotta
try this spaghetti sauce.”
    Katie made her way into the kitchen. He was
listening to country music and dancing in his sweats and slippers.
She stood in the doorway watching his fuzzy brown-gray hair bob
back and forth.
    “Katie Bug?” He yelled as he turned around.
“Oh, I didn’t know you were right there.” He was all smiles—his
eyes and his toothy grin.
    “Hey, Dad.”
    “Who peed in your cereal? Everything go
okay—over there?”
    “Yeah,” Katie said, sitting in one of the
two kitchen chairs.
    “You’re not uh—the mother nature stuff?”
    “Dad.”
    “Just asking,” he said, turning back to the
stove. “Would you stop looking like someone shot Santa Claus if I
told you I’m not mad about the yard?”
    Crap. She had forgotten yard-duty. Mrs.
Field, the all-in-one neighborhood-watch probably came over bright
and early to remind him. “Sorry.”
    “No worries. Will called,” he said.
    Katie watched him stir the sauce still
swaying his hips to the music. “What he say?” Katie held her
breath.
    “That you were staying over. Something about
issues and needing Lucinda for some lady-talk. I get it, Katie
Bug.”
    Katie sighed. But froze again when her dad
looked at her.
    “You’d tell me if something were wrong
right?” he frowned. She could see him swallow hard. It was his way
of beating around the bush with hard conversations.
    “Like what?” she croaked.
    “You know–stuff.” He stared into the sauce
pot.
    “I—I don’t know what you mean.” Katie held
her breath as her stomach leaped.
    “You’re not thinking of—you know. I’m sure
sex seems like what all the cool kids are doing but it’s not.” He
said in one breath stirring the sauce faster.
    Katie exhaled. “What? Jesus, Dad. No.”
    He smiled again and let out a long breath.
“Good—good. These days there’s all sorts of diseases going around
and girls giving their stuff away like candy.”
    “Dad, please. You’re killing me. Let’s not
have this talk.” She was relieved.
    “I’m just checking. You know—if you were you
could talk to me. I wouldn’t judge you—too much,” he said, flashing
her another toothy grin before picking up a pot. “Help me over
here?” He nodded at the strainer and she went over and put it in
the sink. She leaned against the sink as he drained noodles.
    “I’m