BooksBarbecue
Back The House Party
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. April 2008
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. Author’s Note
  55. Acknowledgments
  56. About the Author
  57. About the Publisher

“I don’t care about the car,” Lindsay snapped, too quickly. She had clearly been going over this conversation in her mind all morning. She walked it back. “I mean, I do care about the car. But what I really care about is your father waking up to a bunch of girls sleeping on his sofa and the car parked halfway off the driveway, all scratched up. And of course I’m the one that he gets . . .” She was about to say “pissed at,” but she was always careful about her language in front of the kids. She steadied her voice before she spoke again: “I’m the one he gets upset with. It looks like I don’t know how to run my own house.”

It was right on the tip of his tongue: It’s not your house. But he felt bad for her, and for his half siblings, who were now staring down at their plates.

“Look, I’m sorry. It was a late night.” He gave Lindsay half a smile, inviting her into his circle: You’re young, you get me. This strategy had worked for a little while. When he woke up with his first real hangover, she rolled her eyes and made him a big breakfast. But at some point she had gotten older, or maybe his act had just gotten old. It didn’t help that Dom tended to blame anything that went wrong at home on her. The honeymoon was over, and it was clear that she was looking forward to Hunter going away to college in the fall with outright glee.

Hunter made a last-ditch attempt at peace. He gave both the kids a tickle and they giggled, their heads bobbing in unison. “Hey, guys, want to play hide-and-seek later?” he asked. “Now!” they both shouted, and Hunter laughed. “Later, later. Eat your lunch.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lindsay’s face soften. This was his chance. He made for the door.

“Lindsay, I’ve got to go out. Can you tell June and Rosie to text me when they get up?”

“You’re leaving them here?”

“I’m taking the car in.”

He was out the door and halfway across the lawn before he heard Lindsay at the door behind him. “You forgot the keys!” she shouted. And then, fainter: “You’re just like your father.” He pulled up the hood of his sweatshirt and kept walking, pretending not to hear.