Page 121 of Creeping Beautiful

“She did?”

“She did.”

“When?”

“I dunno. Every few months, I guess. Over the past year or so. And I knew I was gonna be back this summer to get the house ready for sale so… I took a chance and asked if I could spend a day with my daughter.”

“This day?”

“Today. That’s right.”

“It’s Indie’s birthday today.”

“I know. But she said this was the only day she could do it.”

Then it started to make a little bit of sense. Indie thought that because it was her birthday, none of us would make a fuss about this. But the sounds that were coming from upstairs said otherwise. Adam and Donovan were still having their say.

Suddenly nothing about this day was right. My head was fuckin’ foggy and Nathan’s words started to echo. But I managed to say, “The zoo, huh? Does Indie know you’re taking Maggie to the zoo?”

“Yes, sir. It was her idea.”

And that just didn’t make any sense to me. Because I knew for a fact that Indie hated the zoo. And she had just let us know that a few weeks prior, after she disappeared and came back, when Adam took Maggie to the zoo.

But there was no more time to question Nathan because everyone came bounding down the stairs. First Indie, holding Maggie in her arms, and then Adam and Donovan trailing behind her.

I looked Indie dead in the eyes and the room started to spin. “Are you sure about this?”

“Why wouldn’t I be sure? I told him he could have her for a day. He’s excited about it, McKay. And so is Maggie. He’s her father. He should know her.”

Donovan, Adam, and I all looked at each other like we just popped into some alternate realty by mistake. That was how much sense this made. And that was how I felt too. Like this wasn’t really happening. Like I was back in my bed, stuck in a dream.

But then Indie turned to Nathan. “Can you just give us a minute? I’ll bring her out to your truck.”

Nathan nodded his head at her, then me, and then left. Skipping down the porch steps like he didn’t give one fuck that his visit was causing all this trouble.

Adam slammed the front door. Not the screen door. The real front door. So it slammed good and hard. Then he turned to Indie with angry eyes. “What the fuck, Indie?”

“She’s been up there to Oxford to see him, Adam.” My words coming out a little bit slurred. “And she took Maggie. To see him.”

Indie set Maggie down and crossed her arms, defiant. “She’s my daughter.”

“And you belong to me.” Adam was seething. Maggie was already heading for the door.

“OK. Let’s just all calm down.”

But Adam turned to Donovan and his stupid rational words and pointed his finger in his face. “I will not calm down. We have no clue what kind of man Nathan St. James is these days. He’s been missing for two years. Maggie doesn’t even know him.”

Maggie was twisting the door handle, trying to open it. “I want to zoo. I want to ride pony.”

Which spurred me into favorite-uncle mode. “There are no ponies at the zoo, Mags. If you want to ride a pony, I’ll get you a pony. You can keep it here and ride it all over the woods.”

“McKay, are you on drugs?” Indie was incredulous. “What is wrong with you? We’re not getting a pony just so you can stop Nathan from seeing his daughter.”

I pointed my finger at her. “What is wrong with you?” But she was right. Because I knew there was something wrong with me.

“Indie.” Donovan was interrupting. “Did you go up to Oxford to see Nathan when you went missing?”

“I’ll be right back. You guys are making a huge deal out of nothing and ruining my plans for today.” And then Indie scooped up Maggie, opened the door, and walked out. Taking her daughter over to Nathan’s truck.