Lisa Scottoline - Daddy's Girl

And suddenly, she didn't want it to stay that way.

Nat came downstairs with the borrowed sweatsuit in hand, dressed in a worn Fair Isle sweater, a pair of old jeans, and ancient blue Danskos. She went into the kitchen, where her father, mother, and Brooke sat talking at the cherry table behind flowery mugs of coffee. Junior, Tom, and now Paul and Hank clustered around the wireless TV on the counter, sipping Heinekens and watching ESPN on low volume.

"Honey, are you okay?" Hank set his bottle down, crossed the room, and gave Nat a big hug, smelling of cigars.

"I'm fine." Nat held her emotions in check. The boys kept watching TV, while her parents and Brooke fell abruptly silent, evidently eavesdropping.

"I'm sorry I didn't take your call." Hank released the embrace, and his dark eyes searched hers. "I'm sorry about everything."

Paul half turned. "HANK, TELL HER ABOUT A.I."

Nat looked up at Hank. "Tell me we're not going to talk about basketball."

"We're not. You've been through hell tonight."

"A.I. WENT INTO THE CROWD AFTER A BALL, AND HE'S SO TALL THAT HANK TOUCHED HIS HEAD. HIS ACTUAL HEAD."

Her mother asked, "I thought A.I. was short. Isn't he short?"

"ALLEN IVERSON IS SHORT, MA. HE'S A.I. ONE. I MEANT A.I. TWO. ANDRE IGUODALA. HE'S SIX SIX!"

"Nat, so tell us." Her father sounded calmer, and he looked at her without anger. "Brooke explained the legal side, but I want to know from you what's going on."

"Dad, if I go into it, we'll argue, and it's late." Nat walked over to Brooke, gave him the folded sweatsuit, and extended her hand. "Thanks for helping me tonight. I do appreciate it, but I'll be interviewing other lawyers before I make my decision."

"Hold the phone." Brooke raised an index finger. "Your dad and I solved the problem. I'm referring you to a lawyer with plenty of state-level experience."

"Thanks, but no," Nat said, and her father looked as if he'd been slapped.

"What are you talking about? Of course you'll take Carter's referral. It's all settled."

"No thanks." Nat shook her head. "I've made the decision, and it's final."

"Nat, don't be crazy." Her father stood up, his frown returning. "Sit down and tell us what's going on. I want to know why you were in Chester County tonight and what happened."

"Dad, I'm tired and I don't want to talk about it now. Please try to understand."

"Sit down and talk to your parents!" her father said, and Nat turned to Hank.

"Let's go home. I'm beat."

Her mother said, "Nat?"

Her father said, "Nat!" He folded his arms in his thick robe. "At least take Carter's referral. I'll pay for it. You'll have the best lawyer in the city and it won't cost you a dime."

"No, thanks."

"Hank, talk to her. You're staying over, aren't you?"

Hank looked from Nat to her father and back again. "Your parents invited us to sleep here tonight. It might make sense, given the storm."

"No, thanks." Nat imagined her epitaph would read, "No, Thanks."

"It's raining too hard to drive into the city, dear," her mother called from the table.

"We'll be fine. I'm tired and I want to go home." Nat looked at Hank. "Please. Let's go."

"Nat, what's gotten into you?" her father said, raising his voice, and her brothers turned from the TV.

Junior said, "Stay if they want you to stay. You're being stupid."

Tom said, "It's the Nutty Professor."

"LET'S ORDER PIZZA! PLAY CARDS, CHEER EVERYBODY UP!"

"Paul, you need some sleep," her mother said, but he ignored her. "That cold will never go away if you don't get some rest. I fixed up your bed upstairs."

Enough. "'Bye, everybody."

"I said I want you to stay," her father repeated, scowling.

"Sorry, gotta go. See you guys. I'll call you tomorrow and explain everything. We're all too tired to talk tonight."

"You're really going?" her father demanded.

"You're not gonna cry?" Tom asked, in mock disbelief.

"DIDN'T YOU LOVE JELLY?" Paul laughed, but Nat wasn't even tempted to give them the finger.

Maybe I really am growing up.

Hank steered the BMW down the street, the car's windshield wipers beating against the rainstorm. "You're upset, huh?”

“It's been a long night."

"Can I know what happened?"

"Would you mind if we talked about it at home?" Nat felt too drained to go over it again. Now that the adrenalin had left her body, she was exhausted.

"Sure, no sweat." Hank steered the car around a corner, and water from the gutter sprayed to the middle of the car doors.

"Sorry we didn't stay over. I had to get out of there."

"I could tell. So could they."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nat looked over, but Hank kept his eyes on the road. They stopped at a traffic light, and the brake lights of the car in front of them outlined his features in red.

"You kind of blew them off, didn't you?"

"It's late, Hank."

"I understand, but you should rethink your dad's offer about the lawyer. You're cutting off your nose to spite your face. He's just trying to help, Nat, and he'll pick up the tab."

"I make money, Hank."

"Not that kind of money."

A good point, but still. "It wouldn't end there. If I take his money, he gets involved in picking the lawyer, and if I persuade him to let me choose my own, he'll second-guess him to death. I'm on my own. Is that so hard to understand?"

"In these circumstances, yes. If the cops are talking about charging you with murder, you need the best lawyer you can get." Hank's voice echoed harshly in the car, and Nat could see a full-fledged car fight coming on, which was always the worst.

"What about the circumstances in which you tell my parents we had a fight?"

"So what?"

"That's our business." Nat didn't raise her voice. It wasn't her style. "It's between us."

"What's the difference? It wasn't a secret."

"It's personal, and you told him about Angus, too. He asked me if I was cheating on you, which is completely inappropriate."

Hank looked over, and so did Nat, unfortunately at the same moment. In car fights, nobody's eyes were supposed to meet, and even in the darkness she could see the question his eyes were asking.

"I haven't cheated on you, and I wouldn't." Natalie, listen. "Another man isn't our problem, we are. We have an issue with where we end and the Grecos begin. And in my life, I can make my own decisions."

"You're doin' a helluva job so far."

Ouch. "Thanks."

"I'm trying to get through to you." Hank braked again as the car slowed in front of them. They both looked into the distance, saying nothing. The only sound was the beating of the windshield wipers. It went on that way for almost forty minutes, and Nat felt finally as if she were about to burst, with what she didn't know.

"Hank, this isn't going to work."

"What isn't?"

"Us. Anymore."

"What?" Hank almost twisted around in the seat, a hand on the wheel.

"I'm sorry."

"What? Why? We're doing fine. I said I was sorry."

"We need to take a break. I need some time to think. I need to process what's going on." Nat stole a glance. Hank went back to staring straight ahead, straight-arming the wheel.

"You're just upset," he said. "It's a lot for one night. Too much.”

“That's not the problem. It's underlying everything, you and my family It's like I'm in some sort of net and I can't get free."

"I'm a net now?"

"I need to think. I need to concentrate on myself and the situation I'm in."

"You want space." Hank's voice turned sarcastic, but it was as good a way of putting it as any.

"Just give me some time."

"I thought you wanted space. Which is it, space or time?"

"Both."

"Fine, you got it, baby." Hank shifted in the driver's seat, facing forward. "How long?"