I raise one eyebrow. “That sounds dangerous.”

He shrugs. “It’s primarily a research vehicle and would be flown remotely as a UAV.” At my blank look, he expands. “Unmanned aerial vehicle.”

“A drone?”

He bobs his head in a considering motion. “I suppose, but not exactly. Similar concept, although ours is much more sophisticated. Essentially the UAV is launched like a rocket into the upper atmosphere. It’s definitely not as fun as flying an aircraft, but unfortunately most military aircraft is heavily focused in the unmanned area.”

He sounds disappointed, which reminds me of how Callum told me that Steve enjoyed testing the machines out, rather than designing, building, and selling them.

“Seems safer that way,” I say lightly.

“Probably is.” A rueful smile tilts up one side of his mouth. “I get bored easily. Callum kicked me out of the meeting because I kept launching paper airplanes around the room.”

He’s bored, huh? Is that why he’s so intense on this parenting thing? It’s new and he’s trying to find something that interests him?

I think that’s what the girls were trying to tell me earlier, so maybe they’re right about everything else. I just need to learn to manage him. Once I’m eighteen, I’ll be back in control for good.

“I thought about what you said this morning,” I inform him.

“Oh?” He leans against the desk, his fingers brushing the side of my laptop. I can see the D of Dinah poking out. Nervously, I slide toward the desk.

“Yes. I’m going to join the dance team. It’s supposed to be really good.” I’m not even lying. According to the banners outside the gym, Astor Park has won the state dance competition for the last eight years, except for one time. I wonder what the story is behind that.

Steve straightens, a pleased look on his face. “That’s excellent.” He crosses the distance between us and pulls my stiff body against his in a hug. “High school and college are all about experiences, and I don’t want you to miss out on any of them.”

I let him hug me for another second even though this type of contact makes me uncomfortable. The only attention I’ve ever gotten from men Steve’s age hasn’t been good.

Stepping back, I walk into the living room and away from the blank list of investigative notes. From the table, I pick up the room service menu. In the short time I’ve been here, I’m getting tired of room service.

“When do you think we’ll be back in the penthouse?” I ask Steve. If there’s any evidence that could clear Reed, it’s going to be there.

“Why? Are you getting stir crazy?” At the wet bar, he mixes himself a drink. “I spoke with the detective today. We should be allowed back by the end of the week.”

I pretend to study the menu more carefully. “How’s the investigation going?” Reed and Callum are so tight-lipped about everything, so I’m dying for more details. Really, I just want someone to tell me the cops have nothing and that the case will be dropped any day now.

“Nothing for you to be concerned about.”

“Did Brooke’s, um, autopsy results come back?”

“Not yet.” Steve’s back is to me, but I don’t need to see his face to know he’s not interested in talking about this subject. “Tell me about this dance team.”

“Well, it costs some money, because I’ll need to buy a uniform.” I actually have no idea what the details are. I’m winging it here. “And we travel.”

“That’s no problem.”

“It means staying at hotels with only the dance coach as a chaperone,” I point out.

He waves his hand. “I trust you.”

Now’s the perfect time to tell him the rest. If I wait, that trust will erode. If there’s actually any trust there—he could be lying. Then again, what I’m planning to do is definitely against his rules, so he’d be right not to trust me.

But it’s Reed, and I want to be with him. I’m afraid he’s going to prison, and I need to get all the time I can in with him right now.

I shove those despairing thoughts into the back of my head, muster up a bright smile, and dive in. “In the interest of full disclosure and all, the dance team travels with the football team.”

The drink in his hand halts halfway to his mouth. “Is that right?” he drawls, and I feel like he can see through my entire charade.

“Yeah. I know that puts me near Reed, which you don’t want.” I feel myself blushing, because this is totally TMI for a dad. “But that thing you’re worried about? I haven’t done anything. With anybody.”

Steve sets down his glass. “Are you serious?”

I nod, wishing this awkward discussion was over already. “I might wear a skirt to school—” I offer a wry smile. “But I’m not easy. I guess because of my mom, I haven’t had any desire to go down that route.”

“Well.” He seems at a loss for words. “Well,” he repeats and then half-chuckles to himself. “I really stuck my foot in my mouth the other morning, didn’t I? I think I let Dinah rile me up with all those comments about your skirt.”

I force myself not to shift uncomfortably, because while I haven’t lost my virginity yet, I’ve still done a lot, and I have big plans for this weekend.

“I really misjudged you,” Steve says ruefully “I’m sorry about that. I’m messing up all over the place. I read this book on parenting and it said that I should listen more. I’m going to do that,” he declares, lobbing another promise out there like his paper airplanes.

“So it’s okay that we travel with the team? I mean, it’s not like we spend a lot of time with the players, and we drive up in different buses.”

“It should be fine.”

I give an internal fist pump. Now it’s time to go in for the kill. “Also, I was talking to some of the girls and they said that everyone’s staying overnight at a hotel so we can go to this amusement park the next day.” I fake a grimace. “It sounds totally juvenile, but apparently it’s supposed to be some kind of team-building thing. I convinced Val to come up and keep me company.”

His eyes narrow. “Will the football players be going, too?”

“No, they’re all riding back on the bus to Bayview on Friday night.” Except half the starters, including Reed and Easton, but I don’t mention that. I’ve told most of the truth. That counts, right?