Country Mile

THAT WOMAN

"I.. I didn't—"

"Genevieve," Adam sighed and shook his head as he looked hard at the girl before him. "Now is the time to come clean. I'm tellin' you right now, you keep lyin' and we'll start with soap and end with you back over my knee."

Genna grimaced at the thought. "But—"

"I don't wanna hear any explanations or excuses. Just say it flat out.. what did you do?"

Biting her bottom lip, she contemplated how much her father knew versus how much Delilah actually told him. The last thing she wanted to do was self-incriminate by divulging things he would have never found out otherwise.

As if he could hear her inner thoughts, Adam's brows furrowed and he moved her off his knee to stand.

"What are you—no, no. Dad, please..."

Adam silently unbuckled his belt and eased it through the loops of his jeans, then folded it in half. "Start talkin' fast 'cause my patience is runnin' low."

Genna's bottom lip wobbled and her voice shook. "Are.. are you gonna use that on me?"

"Depends on what you did."

"Dad, you can't!"

Adam took a step toward her. "Should I just whip you now and ask again after?"

"It was my idea!" Genna blurted out.

That was a start, but Adam knew there was more by the hesitation in her eyes. "And?"

"And.. I.. I owed Deja a shirt s-so I got her one."

"Aw, hell." Adam pinched the bridge of his nose. "Genevieve.. please tell me you didn't..."

"I don't wanna get the belt," Genna cried, reaching out to grab onto his wrist that held the daunting piece of leather. "I'm telling you everything, I'm.. I'm being honest and telling you everything I did. I stole a shirt for Deja. I said we should get piercings. I said no one would know or-or care if we didn't go straight to the food court. It was all me."

Adam glared down at her. "I see the junk in your face, did you get anythin' else?"

"No, sir."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "A tattoo?"

"No, sir."

He blew out a breath with a look of puzzlement on his face. "How'd you manage to get all this done without an adult?"

Genna's face paled considerably. "I.. have a fake ID."

Adam's jaw clenched and he shook his head. "Give it to me."

"It's in my bag. I left it in the.. that plastic room."

He rolled his eyes and jerked his head toward the door. Genna quickly scooted from the room and retrieved her bag. She slowly returned with the ID in hand.

Adam took it from her, looking it over before slipping it in his back pocket. "How'd you get it?"

Genna shrugged as she set her bag down and kept her eyes on the floor.

Her mouth dropped open in surprise when Adam reached out and gripped her upper arm tightly. He turned her to the side and raised his belt high in the air.

"A FRIEND!" she yelled while thrusting a hand behind her to cover her bottom.

"Who?" Adam demanded darkly.

"It.. Daddy, please.. I don't—OW!!" she cried out, reaching lower to rub the wretched sting that flourished across the back of her thighs.

Adam raised the belt again. "Are you startin' to take me seriously now?" he asked in a low, quiet voice.