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“What’s with all the smoke?” she asked, her voice still fuzzy

“Wildfires,” Dad told her He see that wasn’t lost on me Hopefully, he’d do better once he was back in his home environment

“Sheesh,” she murmured “Hope they don’t burn too close to any towns”

Spotting a gas station up ahead, I flipped on nal and pulled up to the pumps

“Hand me my wallet, will you?” I asked Randi She passed it forward and I dug out my debit card Dad stayed put in the car as she took off for the convenience store, following the pattern we’d established early on in the trip I’d pu Dad in with s worked out, Randi would be done by then, and she’d help keep an eye on him while I took

How o on? Brandon’s voice whispered in etable He’d confronted u up the heat

I shook ht Why the hell should I let Brandon’s bullshit infect me? He had no idea what Dad was capable of on his hoht back once we reached the apart

Even if he didn’t, he wasn’t a fucking vegetable

No, ivefinancial inforged out long enough If I didn’t know better, I’d think he had soh Brandon’s family had more s accounts, anyway? I slaainst the car as the gas started to flow, looking out across the hill The sky was dih it was only three in the afternoon

“That’s a hell of a lot of smoke,” Dad muttered when I climbed back into the SUV “Just like last suly business”

“Hope it stays far away fro to drink?”

“I could use soet hoirl, and I’ll always support you, but that husband of yours makes me uncomfortable”

“Daddy, I think you forgot—I’ Brandon As soon as possible, actually With any luck, you’ll never have to see hiain”

My father’s face transfor hed, because life is weird

“Thank God,” he said “Don’t like the way he talks to you And don’t think I forgot what he did, either—I ets the randchild to die alone”

Ouch

“I’d rather not talk about that,” I reh part of me rejoiced, because I wasn’t the only one who remembered her He’d loved her, too, frooing on in his head, it wasn’t stealing away his love for his family, and I needed that He was all I had left “But don’t worry—it’s definitely over between ht about the way he talks to ain, I promise”