Jackie Draws A Straight: The Journey Series Book 5 Read Online Free PDF Page A

Jackie's cellphone played a piece of a song by Leann Rimes, "Nothin' Better to Do." Amused as Pete was by the choice of the ring tone, his amusement quickly fled as he listened to Jackie's side of the conversation.
    "Daddy! ... Oh, I'm sorry. I was workin' ." She fidgeted and turned away from Pete. "I know I should have called. I didn't think." Her voice tightened as she went on. "Don't boss me, Daddy. I'm grown." Jackie heaved a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry you were worried! I'm sorry, okay?" Pete could see her shoulders tense as she got angrier. "It's my life, Daddy." She stomped her foot. "Fine then, I won't stay under your roof, if that's the way you want it…oh! Oh! You make me so mad! I'll come home when I'm damn good and ready. You can't make me come home sooner!" With a pronounced poke , Jackie pressed a disconnect icon and stuffed the phone back in her purse. A blush suffused her face and she sat with surly carelessness.
     
     
    * * *
     
     
    Angry and feeling belligerent, Jackie threw out as polite a comment as she could muster. "Sorry."
    Pete eyed her, and she felt judged and found wanting. "You didn't call home when I asked you to work late?"
    "No," she told him. It wasn't like it was his business. "I'm a grown woman. I don't have to check in every time I want to stay out late."
    He arched a dark eyebrow at her and she bristle d . It was too much that she was getting this treatment from Pete as well as her father.
    "You don't have to be polite?"
    She wadded up her napkin and put it on the table. "I am perfectly polite, thank you."
    "Leaving your father to wonder what's happened to you isn't polite, Jackie."
    Guilt and anger made her hands shake. Who was he to lecture her? "What business is it of yours?" The chair clattered unsteadily on the hardwood floor as she rose to leave. "I'm not hungry, and my Daddy says I can't stay out and play anymore." She could hear the disrespect and scorn in her voice, but she couldn't hold it back. Treating her like a child was getting old fast, and she was more than a little embarrassed that Pete had witnessed it. She wanted to get home and punch her pillows. Pete halted her with a hand on her wrist as she made to leave. "What?" she snapped.
    "Are you going to apologize to your father?"
    "I already did."
    "It sure didn't sound like you meant it."
    "So? I did it. He'll calm down. He always does." Maybe that was the problem. He always let it go rather than teaching her a lesson. She knew she needed those lessons, but at the same time, she wanted to get her way. She was an adult and Jackie wanted to be treated like one rather than a naughty child . Pete's hand on her wrist wasn't hurting, but she wanted to leave. Pulling against him did no good, however. "Let me go."
    Pete's frown was dark and dangerous and Jackie's breath halted. Apparently, being in trouble was going to come from two sides.
    Sternly, Pete said, "You're acting like a spoiled brat, Jackie."
    "What's it to you? You don't care about me; it's all business to you !" The moment she said it, she wanted to take it back. She was being venal and childish. The truth was, she was tired, hungry and embarrassed. Guilt over worrying her father nagged at her like a toothache. Accusing Pete of being unfeeling was lashing out at the wrong person. The person who was guilty of wrongdoing was her. She pulled at her wrist again to no avail. "Please let me go."
    Pete rose from his chair and pulled her toward his family room. Her high emotions got in the way of observing the room well, but she glimpsed an oriental carpet on the hardwood floor, and cardboard boxes in every corner. A royal blue club chair sat at the edge of the carpet, and across from it was a blue and yellow patterned couch. It was the couch that Pete made for with Jackie in tow.
    "I'm going to teach you a lesson, young lady, " Pete said, his emphasis unmistakable .
    "Look, Pete, I'm sorry. What I said was uncalled for. It was mean. I didn't mean it."
    "You are full of bad