“You weren’t home when I went to bed,” he said, dumping the juice down the sink and rinsing the glass. “I waited.”

“You didn’t have to,” said Caddie.

“Did you eat?” he tried.

“I had some pizza,” Caddie said. “Then I walked around a little.”

Ben started to ask her where she’d walked, then thought better of it. Already he knew she was annoyed by his questions, and he had to remind himself that he hadn’t been her father for a long time. It was new for both of them. He poured himself a cup of coffee, thankful that at least one thing in the house was edible, then seated himself at the table across from his daughter.

“It’s a nice town,” he said. “Monterey,” he added, when Caddie said nothing. “It’s very historic. Lots of things to see. Gilroy, too. They have a garlic festival coming up.”

Caddie pushed some hair out of her eyes and looked right through him.

“It’s a big deal,” said Ben. “The garlic festival.” He spooned sugar into his coffee, not caring how much he put in. He didn’t like sugar anyway; it was just a distraction.

“Don’t you have to go to work?” Caddie asked unexpectedly.

The spoon clattered around the edges of the mug as Ben stirred the coffee. “Yes,” he said. “But I more or less make my own hours. It’s one of the advantages of running your own program.”

“Are you going in today?” said Caddie.

Ben nodded. “Sure,” he answered. “What about you? What are your plans?”

“Maybe I’ll check out that garlic festival,” Caddie said. “It sounds off the hook.”

Ben realized he was being mocked and saved himself further embarrassment by not informing Caddie that the festival wasn’t until the end of July. Now that she’d offered him the escape of work, he considered taking her up on it. He’d half planned on spending the day with her, but more and more he wanted nothing so much as to be away from his own child.

“What are your plans for the summer?” he inquired.

Caddie looked surprised. “Plans?” she said, as if the word were completely foreign to her.

“Plans,” Ben repeated. “I assume you want to do something for the next three months instead of just sitting around here.”

Caddie laughed. “You mean like a job,” she said. “You want me to get a job.”

“I assumed you would want to,” said Ben. “Isn’t that what you’d be doing if you were still living at ho ... with your mother?”

No, Caddie thought bitterly. If I were home I’d be having fun. I’d be with my friends and not with you. I wouldn’t be sitting in this crappy house listening to you tell me I should get a job.

“What kind of job do you think I should have?” she asked.

Ben shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said. “What are you interested in? I think there’s a Gap or something not too far downtown.”