“This isn’t about Megan. This is about you, and your history is a little different than your sister’s, and we both know it. So I’m going to take a bit more care with you.”

Katie dropped her eyes. “It’s so unfair. You treat me like I’m a little kid.”

“No, I treat you like you’re my daughter. You care about this boy. You’re spending a great deal of time with him, so I want to get to know him. What are you afraid of?”

“Nothing.”

“Katie?” he prompted.

“I don’t want you to hurt him.”

“Hurt him?” He frowned in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

She lifted her gaze back to his. “By acting like he isn’t good enough for me or something.”

He observed her in silence for several seconds. “I’ll do my best.”

Lina was getting ready for bed when Phil called to let her know how the dinner went. “I knew you would like him if you gave him a chance,” she said.

“‘Like’ is generous. He was tolerable, but considering his tattoos were covered, that may have played in his favor.”

“You’re not that shallow.”

“No, but just the same, I’m not sure what you’re seeing. The kid’s out of high school. Why can’t she date a boy her own age?”

“She’ll be seventeen next month. They are a year and a half apart. He’s had a rough life by no fault of his own. Why don’t you reach into that Catholic heart of yours and try not to be so judgmental?”

“I’m her father. I’m supposed to judge people that come into my children’s lives, especially hers. She doesn’t exactly have a great track record. He looks like he could do drugs.”

“He doesn’t do drugs.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do. He’s a hundred percent against drug use.” She hesitated, weighing Matt’s trust in her against Phil’s right to know about the boy Katie was dating. “His mom died of a drug overdose—he was the one who found her.”

“Jesus,” Phil said, his voice low.

“So you can rest your mind about drug use.”

“My God, Lina, I feel for this kid, but he’s the last boy she needs to be involved with.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You don’t survive something like that unscathed, and she isn’t exactly emotionally stable. It’s like a train wreck. How in the hell did they find each other?”

“I can’t believe you. This is not his fault.”

“We just spent ten thousand dollars on psychiatrists for her. A year ago she was cutting herself. They have no business together. He’s probably in worse shape than she is.”

“Don’t be so insensitive.”