Daddy's Girl: A Daddy Issues Novel by Rebel Wild (books to read for 13 year olds .TXT) 📕

my hand, we walk into the great room where Joe’s talking to Brianna.

“Hey,” Joe says when he sees us, but he’s interrupted.

“Tristan is that you?” an older woman with dark hair, dressed to kill in a business dress suit comes out of the kitchen. “Joseph was just telling me he wasn’t expecting you back for…” She stops mid-sentence when she sees me standing next to Mr. Garrett. “Oh,” she says, clutching her hand to her chest. She’s so shocked, I have to stop myself from running over and checking on her.

“I had no idea you were here.” Mr. Garrett says to her. He seems to be just as taken aback as I am that she’s here, but he covers it well. He glares at Brianna and Joe and they slink out of the room.

She looks at me, our joined hands, and then up at him.

“Tristan,” she says. After a moment of us standing around looking stupid, I guess she decides to take the lead. “Where are your manners?” She bypasses him, holding out her right hand to me, and I let go of Mr. Garrett’s to take it. She smiles so warmly at me that I can’t help but smile right back at her. “Hello,” she says, as I shake her hand. “I’m Beverly, Tristan’s mom. And who might you be?”

Chapter Sixteen

What am I to say to her? “Hi, I’m Sydney, sir’s ‘friend’ who he likes to do naughty things to?” Or, better yet, “don’t mind me, I’m just his submissive. I’ll be heading up to his torture room in just a little bit.”

I stop thinking to myself when I realize my hesitation is about to get awkward.

“I’m Sydney, Sydney Warren,” I tell her. It seems the safer choice.

“What a lovely name, Sydney. And how is it that you two know each other?” she asks, but I’m sure what she wants to know is who am I to come strolling in here holding her son’s hand? I see a little glimpse of a momma bear in her.

I look for Mr. Garrett to answer. He’s failing to hide that he’s not happy with our exchange, but his mom doesn’t seem to be affected by his obvious bad mood.

“A mutual friend introduced us,” he tells her.

“How lovely,” she says, and I can tell that being vague is doing nothing to stop her curiosity. It’s having the opposite effect. “So, you’re dating?” She asks me, probably thinking she’ll get more information that way. Her eyes drift down to my neck. “What a pretty necklace.”

I touch my collar.

“Thank you.”

“It’s quite unique,” she says, smiling at me before giving a classic mom-look of chastisement to Mr. Garrett. “Wherever did she get it, Tristan?”

“Mother, please,” he tells her.

I can almost hear the whine in his voice, and I secretly love it.

“I’m just curious. You two are very friendly. How long ago did you say you met?”

“I didn’t say,” he tells her before turning to me. “Will you give us a moment?”

Oh, hell, where am I supposed to go?

I look at the stairs then at him and he nods in confirmation.

“It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Garrett,” I tell her.

“Call me Beverly.”

“Beverly,” I correct myself and then head upstairs.

I pretend to disappear into my room, but I hide against the wall and listen.

“She’s a very lovely girl,” Beverly says. “A bit young.”

“Yes, she is,” he says and I don’t know if he’s agreeing to the lovely girl part or the bit young part.

“You looked very happy when you came in.”

“What brings you by?” I hear him ask, completely redirecting her. I wonder if this is how he is in the courtroom.

“I stopped by to ask you to dinner tonight, but when your brother said you went to the beach house I was concerned.”

“Why?”

“You haven’t gone there alone since we buried your father. I thought something might have happened to drive you away, but imagine my surprise when I saw the two of you.”

“I just wanted to show her the area…” he tells her, but I can’t hear the rest of what he’s saying. Why isn’t she saying anything? Ugh, I want to peek, but I can’t risk being caught. “Mom, please, we’re just friends.” His voice is louder now. “Don’t make too much of it.”

“Of course,” she says. “I didn’t mean anything. Anyway, I want you at dinner. Aunt Rosemary is returning to Martha’s Vineyard first thing in the morning and you and your brother are mandated to say goodbye. I want Sydney to attend as well.”

“Absolutely not. I’m surprised you’d even suggest it. That’s highly inappropriate. It’s a family dinner.”

“I won’t take no for an answer,” Beverly tells him in what sounds like her no-nonsense-mom-voice. “We need someone to help us eat all that food and it’ll be nice to have another girl at the table.”

“What about Bree?”

“She’s not invited.”

“Mother—”

“Stop calling me mother,” she says and I slap my hand over my mouth to muffle my laugh. “I expect you all at eight o’clock sharp.” I hear her heels click on the floor as she walks away so I go to my room.

Dad used to get on me about eavesdropping, but I’m glad I never listened to him. I learned a lot about Mr. Garrett from his mother. She seems nice and friendly but controlled. Maybe that’s where he gets it from, but then again, Joe’s not that way. Then again, why do I care?

I hear him coming so I sit on the bed. I grab my phone and pose myself like I’ve been looking at it the whole time. I steal a glance at him as he stands awkwardly in the doorway after just being told the deal by his mom. I turn away as I laugh. Even Mr. Big Bad has a mom that can tell him what’s what.

“My mother asks that you join us for dinner tonight,” he tells me, coming in.

“Yes, sir.”

“You’re going to have to drop the sir. You may call me