Page 65 of Scarred Ruin

Maxsim

The quiet during the drive had annoyed the fuck out of me.

At first, there’d been laughter and puppy woofs from the back, my daughter even insisting we stop for a pup cup.

Isabel had laughed at me when I’d been thoroughly confused.

How the hell was I supposed to know what a pup cup was? And how had my daughter known?

Shadow and Mina had shared the whipped cream. I had a feeling I’d need to steam clean the interior of the vehicle in the morning.

I had to admit if I did, it would all be worth it to see the sheer joy on my daughter’s face.

“A Halloween event. I must be out of my mind,” I muttered as I turned down the street toward the house.

“Even you might enjoy a night doing normal things.”

“Define normal.”

“Something that doesn’t cost a fortune or create the need to hurt someone.” Isabel was enjoying teasing the hell out me.

I snorted. “That remains to be seen.”

“She really doesn’t have any friends?” Isabel’s question immediately brought another ache.

“Not really.”

“So no birthday parties or playtimes in the park.”

“No.”

She turned her head toward me before looking over her shoulder. “They’re both asleep,” Isabel said even before I parked the SUV in the driveway.

Why was it that she had a perfect way of making me feel like the worst father in the world?

“They had a big day together.” I cut the engine, pulling out the keys and twisting so I could see the two of them in the back. They were settled on one of two big dog beds I’d been convinced to purchase. Mina’s arm was wrapped around Shadow’s neck, holding him close. She looked like a little angel.

“She’s a little girl, Maxsim. She needs friends. You need to remember she’ll soon be a teenager.”

“Don’t remind me.” I laughed halfheartedly.

“Having her in school will help normalize everything.”

“Perhaps, but I was rethinking about homeschooling her.”

Now I could feel the woman’s ire. “That’s a very bad idea. Children need to learn socialization skills. Plus, she’s lonely.”

“That’s why I got her the dog.”

“The dog has a name, Shadow. And while having the pup will help, he won’t replace having human friends. To play dolls with or paint their nails together. To talk about boys.”

She had no idea what I was facing, but it was obvious she was goading me. “I need to keep her protected.”

“And you can do that, but if you keep her in a bubble, she will learn to resent you. Trust me.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you knew that from experience.”

“Don’t read into my life, Maxsim.”