“I know. Sick, right? His bookie thought so too. He actually helped me, if you can believe it. He refused to take me as payment then the next day, he came to our house and gave me a thousand dollars. Told me he had two daughters, and he couldn’t imagine some sick asshole doing what my dad did. So I took the money and I left.”
“He should have done more than that,” Macca growled.
“He did more than anyone else. My teachers, the neighbors, they must have known or at least suspected. But I flew under the radar. He never hit me where anyone could see. Well, a couple of times he did but I learned to cover them with make-up. He might have been an asshole, but he wasn’t completely stupid. He must have been pissed when he lost the benefit money he received from the government for me. Although maybe he kept collecting it.”
She wouldn’t put it past him. That was all she’d ever been to him. A money ticket.
“Oh, baby, I’m sorry.”
“It wasn’t your fault. I moved in with my boyfriend, and things were a lot better.” Not really, but he didn’t have to know everything.
“Baby girl, I’m sorry you had to go through that. What about your Lupus? Have you always had that?”
“No, I didn’t discover I had Lupus until about eighteen months ago. That. . .that’s actually how I met your grandmother. We have the same specialist. She goes to Dr. Zurich for her arthritis.”
“So, you met there?”
“In the waiting room. My. . .my stomach growled. It was so embarrassing. It was the loudest rumble you’ve ever heard. But instead of laughing at me, Penny just struck up a conversation with me. My appointment was first. When she came out of hers, she saw me sitting at the bus stop and offered me a ride home. On the way to my place, she pulled into a McDonald’s drive through.”
“My grandmother? Penelope Isabella McKenzie, went to a McDonald’s?”
She giggled at his dumbfounded look. “Yep.”
“She always refused to take me when I was a kid.” He sounded appalled.
“Guess I must be the favorite then.” Her grin faded as she realized what she said. “I’m sorry, I know I’m not her grandchild. I didn’t mean it like that. I—”
“Hush, Gigi,” he told her, placing a finger on her lips. “It’s clear Nan cares about you a great deal. I’m sure she would love it if you thought of yourself as an adopted granddaughter. She always wanted a big family, but she was so ill when she had my dad that my granddad put his foot down and said he wasn’t risking her health with any more kids. I’m not sure why they didn’t adopt.”
“Hm, he sounds familiar. I wonder why.”
He tickled her side until she giggled, wiggling around on his lap. She froze as she felt his hard erection pressing into her bottom.
He adjusted her so she wasn’t so tight against him. But the damage was done. Now all she could think about was how much she wanted to touch him, to taste him.
“What happened after that?”
“Well, first your grandma had no idea what to order so I taught her about sticking your fries into your McChicken burger. Yummo.”
“That sounds disgusting.”
She placed her hand on her chest with a mock-gasp. “How dare you! A McChicChip burger is the greatest invention ever.”
He grinned at her. “All right, I’ll take your word for it.”
“Or we could have McDonald’s for dinner tonight and I can show you,” she suggested slyly.
“Nice try, but that’s not happening. Your doctor wants you eating healthy.”
She pouted. “But that’s so boring.”
“You’ll be doing what the doctor ordered, little one. Or you’ll find yourself in trouble.”
A shiver raced up her spine. She wanted to be dominated by him. Cherished. Cared for. Even disciplined. She hated feeling bad, hated that slimy feeling of guilt in the bottom of her tummy. She wanted it gone.
Her heart raced. Her skin went clammy. “I want to do it.”
“What?”