If that wasn’t the most peculiar statement, then I didn’t know what was, but I simply nodded my head at the officer.

“I’m sure you’re in shock. That’s understandable.” Officer Hicks patted my shoulder. “But your father is just bruised and scraped up a little. He’s gonna be fine.”

It almost slipped past my tongue to ask if he’d promise that to be a fact, but my lips stayed in a tight line to keep from saying something I’d regret.

“Undoubtedly, the brakes must have gone out. The tires didn’t leave any skid marks.” Hicks shook his head, as baffled by what had transpired as I was that he didn’t see what was obvious. “That road don’t even get used anymore since the county closed the bridge for repairs. You reckon Dave forgot?”

Nope. And the brakes were just fine, too, until he drove the truck into the pond. I wasn’t sure if I was madder about losing my study hall time or that truck. We needed it, but I was fairly certain it had drowned like I’m fairly certain Pa was trying to pull off.

I finally unhinged my jaw and asked, “So can I take him home?”

Officer Hicks gave me a questioning look but pretended, like most every other adult I knew, that I didn’t just snap at him. “Umm . . . let me see if they’re done stitching up his forehead.”

His shoes squeaked against the tile floor as he hurried away from me and my nasty attitude.

There was just no shaking it either, but I chose only to nod at the nurse as she gave me care instructions and say nothing at all to my bruised-up father. I stomped out of the hospital ahead of Pa, not caring if he was following me to the diesel truck or not. Thankfully, Jinx and Foxy had dropped it off while I was inside fetching the broken man who was now dragging his feet behind me. It had a flatbed, so that would make it tricky to haul all the young’uns around, but that would be something to stew about after I’d had my fill of stewing over the stupid stunt he’d just pulled.

The ride home was silent, except for the rumbling chuga-chuga-chug of the engine. Pa gave no excuses or apologies and that was fine by me, because I wasn’t in the accepting mood. He limped into his room and there he remained until the smell began meeting me in the hall a week or so later. It was time to hard-love him out of the bed again, when all I really wanted to do was hit him hard.

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