How (Not) to Fall in Love(3)

J.J. and Mom stared at each other, their expressions making goose bumps rise on my arms.

“But I thought her car was paid for,” Mom whispered, her eyes fixated on J.J.

J.J. glanced at me. “Darcy, your mom and I need to talk. Alone.”

I swallowed. Normally I’d leave without question, but something was seriously wrong. “No.”

Mom raised her eyebrows. “Darcy. Please.”

The knot in my stomach had morphed into a balloon now, swelling with anxiety and worry. “No,” I repeated. I never argued with adults, but I was freaking out and needed to know what was going on. “Dad’s not home for a Broncos game, which he never misses. Some jackass stole my car right in front of me. What’s going on?”

“Don’t say jackass,” Mom said softly, but her heart wasn’t in it.

J.J. loosened his tie and walked to the window, staring out at the trees bending in the breeze. I waited. I’d win this battle, no contest. I spent most of my life waiting and watching other people. Most of the time I was like a shadow no one noticed.

“Your father,” Mom started, then stopped to swallow and compose herself. Her cloudy gray eyes met mine. “Your dad is taking a little vacation.” She fiddled with her watch. “He’s been working too hard. He needs a break.”

My heart sped up. A break? Was that code for something else? A break from us? From Mom? I looked at her red-rimmed eyes. God, I hoped this didn’t mean divorce. I glanced at J.J., who still stared out the window.

“So is he going up to the cabin for a few days?” I asked. “Or staying in L.A.?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure what he’s doing.” Mom turned to look at me. “He called J.J. from the airport to say he’d be back next week sometime.”

“He called from L.A.?” I looked at J.J., willing him to turn around and tell me what he knew.

Mom spoke again when J.J. remained silent. “No, he called from our airport. As soon as he got off his plane, he got in his car and hit the road.”

“He what?” That didn’t make any sense. What was Dad doing? My heart raced even faster. He was a freak about keeping his word, never being late, never missing appointments. Missing tonight’s game was completely unlike him.

“You have to tell her,” J.J. said, his voice low. “It’s already started, with her car.”

The fear I’d been tamping down tore through me now as he turned toward us, his expression hard and unreadable.

“What’s started?” I hated how weak and tinny my voice sounded. Why couldn’t I sound strong and passionate like Sal or my dad?

“We… There might be…” My mom tried to speak but couldn’t finish, tears choking her voice.

“Harvest is going broke, Darcy,” J.J. bit out the words. “Which means your family is, too. So don’t plan on getting your car back anytime soon.”

I stumbled backward as if he’d slapped me. His words echoed in the room as Mom collapsed into sobs.

“I…but I…” I struggled for words, fear and confusion shutting down coherent thought. “But,” I tried again, my voice rising in panic. “My dad… Where’s my dad?”

J.J.’s mouth thinned into a bitter smile. “That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it?”

No one spoke, all of us staring at each other in frozen silence. I couldn’t believe what J.J. said. My dad wouldn’t just go AWOL. Every minute of his life was scheduled and planned. And broke? What did that even mean?

“I need to go,” J.J. said. “Since Ty’s not here for the football game, somebody needs to greet his clients in the stadium box.” He wiped a sheen of perspiration from his forehead.

“You’ll let me know?” Mom whispered. “If you hear from him again? And tell him to call me. Please.”

J.J. frowned at Mom. “He hasn’t called you?”

Tears spilled down her cheeks as she shook her head.

He heaved a deep sigh then lumbered across the room. He closed the door behind him without saying good-bye.

For some reason, I thought of this old movie with a badass guy who does slow-mo acrobatics to avoid flying bullets. He has to choose whether to take a red pill and wake up to reality, or take a blue pill and stay in a fake world. That was me right now. Did I want to take the blue pill and live in denial of whatever was happening with my dad? Or did I want to take the red pill and have the truth crash down on me?

I was such a wuss. I’d pick the blue pill every time.





Chapter Two


“Sweetie, can you please get me a glass of ice?” Mom’s eyes blinked like windshield wipers on warp speed. “We need to talk.”

So much for taking the blue pill.

“Sure.” I left the room, Toby trailing behind me. I knew Mom sent me for ice so she could try to compose herself.

What J.J. said about us being broke didn’t make any sense. Maybe he was exaggerating; he did that a lot. I knew because I babysat his twin sons all the time and he freaked out about stupid stuff, like the time his kids used his designer shoes as boats during bath time.

The water glass trembled in my hands under the fridge dispenser and ice cubes clattered to the floor. Toby crunched the dropped ice noisily, saving me the trouble of cleaning up.