Letting Go (Triple Eight Ranch) - By Mary Beth Lee Page 0,3

points?”

And breath blessed breath.

Good grief. Clarissa tried to come up with an answer that would let the little girl down easy. Somehow she didn’t think the whole church isn’t my thing excuse would work with Mackenzie Dillon.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to come to church. Mr. Pyle won’t come to church with me either. He says he don’t much like the sonofagun preacher....”

The bell over the diner’s doors rang, and Mackenzie’s easy expression turned stormy when her father’s voice sounded.

“Mackenzie Dillon, did I tell you to come over to Pete’s or did I tell you to wait a minute?”

Stormy faced, the little girl crossed her arms over her chest. “I wanted my rootbeer float, Daddy. You said...”

“I said hold on a minute.”

Clarissa fought the tumult of emotions. On the one hand, she understood Jed Dillon’s anger. But the feed store was next door. And he, or the Tooth Fairy, had obviously given his daughter the money to buy the float. What did he expect anyway? Perfection? Mackenzie was a kid. Barely more than a baby.

Before she could even think the decision through, Clarissa turned to face the angry father and broke her first rule of how to get by without making connections.

“She was just asking me to church tomorrow. She said there were some points involved?”

Chapter Two

As stupid rash decisions went this one ranked up there with the time she’d climbed on the back of a mechanical bull on a twenty dollar bet and nearly lost her teeth.

But the surprise on Jed Dillon’s face made it one hundred percent worth it.

“You’re going to church with Mackenzie tomorrow?”

“Sure am.”

“Well, alrighty then,” he said, shooting his daughter a wink. And for a second Clarissa wondered if she’d been played, but she didn’t have time to think about it long because Mackenzie launched herself into Clarissa’s arms in a huge hug.

“Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, Clarissa. You’re going to give me 100 points, and the girls’ll beat the boys, and I think Pastor West will let me play the drums maybe if I ask real nice.”

Then she scrambled away and threw her arms around her daddy’s legs. “You were right, Daddy. Clarissa does need a friend to take her to church, and that’s me.”

Bev sprayed whipped cream on top of the float and started to hand it forward, but Jed stopped her. “No can do, Bev. Mack took off without waiting. She’s got to suffer the consequence for that.”

Mackenzie’s lower lip quivered and she stomped her left foot. “But, Daddy, Clarissa is my best friend and she needed me. Her soul needed me.”

“No way, Champ.”

The scowl on the little girl’s face spoke volumes. Clarissa understood because she was thinking the same thing. Jed Dillon was way too tough on the imp.

But what did she know about parenting anyway?

Bev shrugged but took the two crisp dollar bills from the register and handed them back to Mackenzie. “Maybe next time, huh, Sugar?”

A tear rolled down the little girl’s tiny face as she took the money, carefully folded it and gave it back to her father.

Awkward silence fell in the diner, and Clarissa tried to think of a way to wiggle out of the deal. She couldn’t do it, though. Mackenzie’s tears and disappointment over the float were just too much.

“I guess we’ll see you tomorrow,” Jed said, his blue eyes smiling at her, as if he weren’t in the middle of ruining his daughter’s day.

His words made the enormity of her agreement sink in. She was going to church with a strange man and his child. Church. The last place in the world someone like her belonged.

But no way could she back down. Not when the girls were going to win and Mackenzie would get to play the drums. Maybe.

“Sure will,” she said.

“Classic con,” Bev said as the door closed on the two, leaving them alone in the diner again, and Clarissa couldn’t believe the irony. She was the last person who should fall for a con.

“Yeah, I got that. At least part of it.”

Remembering Mackenzie’s hug, Clarissa found she didn’t really mind so much.

*****

Sunday morning Jed pulled the truck up in front of Pete’s garage apartment and said a quick prayer for guidance and patience.

“Can I go an’ get her, Daddy?” Mack’s feet kicked back and forth on the booster in the back seat. “I invited her. Can I?”

He thought about letting his daughter go alone, dismissed the idea and walked with her to Clarissa’s door where a battered welcome sign