"Live a little," I said. "Drink." At least I earned a reaction. She cautiously took a sip, grimaced, and set it down.
"It's awful!"
"Now you know. If you didn't taste it, you wouldn't know, would you? There are lots of things you won't like but you have to try them yourself before you know. Don't leave life up to other people, like old nuns and grouchy housekeepers. That's today's lesson. Look. I'm sorry your father is making you come with me. I'll run you by your house and drop you off before I leave town."
"He isn't making me. I asked to go."
"Why? You said you didn't like me."
"I don't, but there isn't anything else to do. The nurses are hovering over Timmy. They want him to rest so they chased me out. The new boss lady doesn't begin working until Monday. Dad gave Sister Rose a couple of days off while Timmy is convalescing."
"So I'm it by default. Nice to know. At least I beat out Cicero."
"I finished that book."
"Good. On to Aristotle." I tried to smile but it hurt my head. "Did you tell your father you didn't like me? Is he pissed at me?"
Don't say that!"
I rubbed my aching head. "Sorry. I spent half my life on Army posts and soldiers have a colorful vocabulary. I try not to talk like that, especially in front of kids."
"I'm not a kid!"
"Sorry . . . young adult. I'm just having a very bad morning but you didn't answer my question."
"What did you say to him?"
"That's between the two of us. I didn't rat you out for sleeping with me, if that's still worrying you. The subject didn't come up. No mention of your bad dreams either."
"I didn't sleep with you!" she said, with anger in her voice. I raised my eyebrows. "You slept with me," she said.
Technically speaking. You still didn't answer my question."
That's between the two of us," she said, mimicking my answer, and added, "Thatcher Wright doesn't like you either."
"That's no surprise. Mrs. Doberchek probably wouldn't like me either, if she'd had the chance to get to know me. Did Thatcher tell you I was a bitch?"
She winced. "There you go again!"
"Okay, a bad lady."
"No, I heard him on the phone. Why doesn't he like you?"
"I took him to task for lying."
"He called you a bad name."
"I can imagine. What did your father say about your new duds?"
She wrinkled up her face. "He said I looked cool."
"Hurrah for our side. Did you show him all the new stuff?"