Playing for Keeps Read Online Free PDF Page B

Rio owned a chain of athletic clubs on the West Coast.
    “Rose is so adorable,” I said softly to Mena.
    She grinned at me. “She’s such a studious little thing. She gets that from her dad.”
    “She gets her martial arts ability from you.”
    “Your dad’s a great teacher, especially with the munchkins.”
    We watched him praise the little girl and send her back in line. I leaned in conspiratorially. “Daddy complains about only having daughters and us being the banes of his existence, but truth of the matter is he likes teaching girls best. He thinks women are better fighters than men.”
    “It’s one of the reasons I came here, because he treats women equally.” Mena glanced at me. “How come you don’t take classes?”
    “If you knew what it was like at home, you’d know my training is constant.” Truthfully, before my mom died, Dad used to teach me things all the time, but after we’d been busy with Nell and Chloe.
    Squeezing Mena’s arm, I walked back to my office. I sat my butt in my chair, pushed all other thoughts aside, and opened QuickBooks. I didn’t look up until Daddy walked in a couple hours later.
    “Hi, baby.” He dropped onto the chair across from my desk.
    “Hey Daddy.” I lifted my head, rubbing my sore neck. “Class over for the day?”
    “Yeah.” He picked up the framed picture of Mom I keep next to my computer and stared at it. “You have fun with Nell today?”
    “That’s one way of looking at it.”
    He smoothed the edge of the frame. There was a rough spot in the metal from when I dropped it a couple years ago when I was rearranging the office. “Your mother would have loved all the fussy details of Nell’s marriage.”
    “Yeah, she would have.” She’d have made sure it was all perfect. She always said the details were what counted.
    “You’re a good girl doing this for your sister. Your mother would have been proud of you.”
    That boosted me, and I resolved I’d do a better job being enthusiastic about the whole affair. Who cared about creepy caterers and wearing some creampuff of a dress? This was about making Nell happy.
    “We got the food squared away. The caterer came highly recommended, and the menu’s going to offer a lot of choices.” No way was I going to be the one to tell him Riley’s parents were vegetarian.
    “Hmm.” He frowned at the picture and set it back on my desk. Leaning forward, he put his elbows on his knees and rested his chin on his hands. “What do you think of Riley?”
    “Why do you ask?” I asked cautiously.
    “Just wondering what your impression is. You have good instincts.”
    “I do?” I sat up a little taller.
    “‘Course you do. You’re my daughter.” He shook his head. “I don’t know about Riley. He seems nice enough but there’s something about him…”
    I bit my lip. “Nell loves him.”
    He snorted. “Nell falls in love more often than some people change underwear.”
    True. Nell was impetuous. I envied her that. Nell never hesitated to experience life—she ran toward it with open arms. I got through life with more of a turtle philosophy: slowly, and ducking my head in when the going got rough.
    He got up. “You staying much longer?”
    “No, I’m going home soon. I thought I’d grill steaks for dinner.”
    “You don’t need to make anything for me. I, uh, am going out tonight. See you later, Gracie.”
    He shot out the door before I could open my mouth to ask where he was going. I heard the outside door latch shut seconds before his car zoomed down the street.
    What was that about?
    Looking at my calendar, I frowned. It was Thursday. Daddy never went out on Thursdays. He got together with the guys for poker on Saturdays and Mondays. Sundays in the Fall, too, because of football. But never Thursdays.
    I finished what I was doing and shut down my computer. Half an hour later I got home in time to see Daddy drive off.
    Was he wearing a dress shirt? I almost ran up the curb gawking at him. Daddy