Broken Promises (Broken Series) - By Dawn Pendleton Page 0,7

to explain that Luke brought him dinner three times a week, even when he was at the hospital. Especially when he was at the hospital.

“Good thing. I thought we were going to have to eat cafeteria food!” Dad said, feigning agony.

“The horror!” Luke mocked, thrusting the box at me. He shook my dad’s hand and asked how he was feeling.

“I feel great! I’ve got my daughter back home for a while and the doctor says I can go home in the morning,” he said.

Luke flicked his eyes at me but forced his gaze back to my dad. “I should have the porch finished by the end of the week, Joe.”

“There’s no rush, Luke. I know how busy you are.”

Luke sat in the chair next to me and I handed him the extra-large basket that was overloaded with French fries, fish, hush puppies, and a biscuit. My dad’s basket was nearly as full. I doubted either of them would be able to finish their meals. My basket was too much, of course, so I shoveled a bunch of French fries into Dad’s basket.

“Don’t hoard all that shrimp, girl,” Dad said.

I laughed and forked over several shrimp. He smiled and began to eat. The nurse explained that dad only ate well on the nights Luke brought dinners, so the staff allowed him to break the rules and bring in outside food. Normally, they were sticklers about dietary needs.

“So, Luke, how’s business?” Dad asked. “I bet business is good this time of year.”

My curiosity was piqued. Was Luke the boss of his construction company?

“You and I both know it’s not my business, Joe. J.P. is a good guy to work for, though. I’ve got my choice of jobs and yeah, it’s really busy. This past winter damaged a lot of roofs and the resulting water damage means we’ve got plenty of work for a few weeks.”

“Well, if you’re too busy to work on the porch, you know you can drop the job anytime, especially since I can’t pay you right now,” Dad said.

Wait, what? Luke said Dad was paying him. Why would Luke lie? I stayed silent while they reminisced. Maybe Luke had changed over the years.

Luke gave my dad a huge grin and within minutes, the two of them were laughing uncontrollably. I was in awe at the ease with which Luke addressed Dad. It was odd for me to see him in my dad’s life, since we’d been broken up for years. The memory of that night flashed into my head before I could stop it.

“Smile, kids,” Mrs. Beacon instructed.

Even though Luke and I were at odds, I widened my smile, knowing these photos would show us as the “perfect couple.” And, to the rest of the world, we were. The only people who had any inkling of the impending disaster were my best friend, Rainey, and Luke’s buddy, Baker. They were attending the prom together in order for Luke to have someone his own age to hang out with since Rainey didn’t have a date.

Rainey looked as miserable as I felt. Her dress was too tight, which meant she had probably put on a few pounds since she ordered it. She wasn’t a skinny girl, but I didn’t care what she looked like. She was my best friend because of how awesome she was, not the way she looked. Plus, I couldn’t even imagine the problems a slightly overweight girl faced in high school. I’d been thin my whole life. What did I know?

Baker was attentive and he smiled at her constantly. I wondered if he actually liked her or if—and it wouldn’t surprise me—it was just some ploy. Luke didn’t have many friends, but Baker was my least favorite. He had little interest in making something of himself—no plans for college or getting a career. He just wanted to smoke pot for the rest of his life. I wasn’t impressed. But he was being nice to Rainey, so I put up with him. I hoped his positive demeanor was real. Rainey needed the boost in confidence.

Luke’s hands on my waist felt wrong, as if we weren’t supposed to be together. The feeling made us both feel awkward and clumsy. Definitely not normal for two people who’d been dating for almost four years.

Finally, the photo session was over and we all separated to head over to the school. The bus was picking everyone up at seven. I watched, jealously, as many of the girls were escorted to limos or town