Technically, it was only an hour and twenty-four minutes, but he looked even less eager to be corrected than I was to discuss my whereabouts.

“It’s not even midnight.” I tugged Nash forward and he took that as his signal to intervene, though that wasn’t what I’d intended.

“Sorry, Mr. Cavanaugh. We didn’t realize it was so la—”

“Go home, Nash.” A muscle jumped along the line of my father’s jaw. “Your mom’s waiting for you, too.”

Nash’s eyebrows rose, and he frowned. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Kaylee,” he said, already turning toward the front door with my hand still clasped in his, our arms stretched between us.

“That remains to be seen,” my dad snapped.

I grinned, hoping to lighten the mood. “You gonna ground me from school?”

He was un-amused. “Good night, Nash.”

“I have to drive him.” I probably should have taken him home first, but I was hoping my dad would be asleep and we could discuss our next move, in light of that evening’s failure. I dug my keys from my pocket and turned to follow Nash, but he shook his head with one look at my dad.

“I’ll walk. It’s only a few blocks.” As the door closed behind him, I suddenly wished we didn’t live so close together.

“Where were you?” my dad asked as I sank onto the couch on his left. “And before you start, I know you didn’t work tonight, and you clearly weren’t with Emma.”

Great. “It’s not whatever you’re thinking.” I could virtually guarantee that. But I couldn’t tell him where I’d really been, because he’d like that even less than the thought that I was out drinking, smoking, or sleeping with Nash.

“Then where were you?” He crossed both arms over his chest, and I thought I saw his irises swirl just a little, though that might have been the flicker of a passing headlight on his eyes.

“Out driving.” Mostly.

When he leaned forward to peer into my eyes, I realized his irises really were swirling. Weird. He usually had better control over his emotions…

“Is Nash going to be a problem?” My dad’s voice was deep and rough. Worried.

I fiddled with a frayed spot of denim over my knee. “Why would he be?”

He closed his eyes briefly, and when they opened, his face held a new resolve and the colors in his irises had stopped moving. He’d regained control over…something. Something I didn’t understand and he didn’t seem ready to explain. “Kaylee, I know you like him, and I know he’s…not a bad kid. And we all know he was there for you when I wasn’t, and I’m sorrier about that than I could ever explain. But I don’t want you to…”

He hesitated and rubbed his forehead, then started over.“It isn’t a good idea for you to get too involved with him. You’re so young, and…Damn, I wish your mother was here to explain this….”

Sudden understanding flooded me and blood rushed to my cheeks. “Dad, is this about sex?”

That time he blushed, and I almost felt sorry for him. Fulltime parenthood was new for him, and we were still feeling our way around in some areas. Like curfews, and apparently that mortifying after-school-special talk.

“It’s not just about sex….”

“Okay, please stop.” I held up both hands, palms out, and rolled my eyes. “This is just weird—”

“Kaylee…”

“—and it’s really none of your business—” I gestured with one arm.

He stood, frowning down at me. “This most certainly is my business—”

“—and I don’t need you stepping in to tell me what I can and can’t do!” I stood to put us on equal ground.

“That’s my job.” His mouth quirked up in an ironic smile, but I refused to see the humor.

“Well, you’re not very good at it!”

His smile collapsed, and his eyes swirled slowly. Sadly.

I felt guilty immediately. He was trying so hard. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know.” He exhaled heavily. “But you’re still grounded. For coming home late—not for hurting my feelings.”

Great. I closed my eyes, trying to think quickly. I knew how to deal with my aunt and uncle, but with my dad, I was in mostly unexplored territory. “Okay, but this is really kind of a disastrous time for me to be grounded.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Can’t we work something else out? I’ll do the dishes all week. And the laundry.” Of course, I already did most of the clothes, anyway, because he kind of sucked at sorting.

“Did Bren and Val really go for that?” Anger edged his voice now. I was nearing some kind of boundary, and I really had no desire to cross it. My dad was actually pretty laid-back for the most part, and I didn’t want to trigger whatever auto-lockdown mechanism most parents have hardwired into their brains. Even recently returned itinerant parents.

“No.” They’d rarely actually grounded me; Sophie was usually the one in trouble. Though, I couldn’t remember them actually grounding her, either, come to think of it…. “But I have something important to do this week.”

“What?”

My entire body felt heavy with guilt. “I can’t tell you.”

“Like you can’t tell me where you were tonight?”

“Kind of.” I exhaled heavily and met his gaze. “Dad, I need you to trust me. This is really important.”