"Feist, Raymond E - Faerie Tale 1.0" - читать интересную книгу автора (Feist Raymond E)

"Oooh," answered Gabbie, a raw sound of pure aggra-
vation, "I don't know why you had to drag me out here
to this farm! I could have spent the summer with Ducky
Summers. Her parents said it was all right."

"Stop whining," Phil snapped, his expression showing
at once he regretted his tone. Like her mother, Gabbie
instinctively knew how to nettle him with hardly an ef-
fort. The difference was that Gabbie rarely did, while
Corinne had with regularity. "Look, honey, I'm sorry.
But I don't like Ducky and her fancy friends. They're
kids with too much money and time on their hands, and
not an ounce of common sense in the whole lot. And
Ducky's mom and dad are off somewhere in Europe." He
cast a knowing glance at his wife. "I doubt they have a
hint who's sleeping at their house these days."

"Look, I know Ducky's an airhead and has a new
boyfriend every twenty minutes, but I can take care of
myself."

"I know you can, hon," answered Phil, "but until
you've graduated, you'll have to put up with a father's
prerogatives." He reached out and touched her cheek.

"All too soon some young guy's going to steal you away,
Gabbie. We've never had a lot of time together. I thought
we could make it a family summer."

Gabbie sighed in resignation and allowed her father a
slight hug, but it was clear she wasn't pleased. Gloria
decided to change the subject. "I could use a hand, you
guys. The moving elves are out on strike and those boxes
aren't going to unload themselves."

Phil smiled at his wife and nodded as Gabbie gave out
a beleaguered sound and plodded toward the house.
When she was up the steps to the porch, Phil said, "I'm
probably selling her short, but I had visions of having to
fly back to bail her out of jail on a drug bust."

"Or to arrange for her first abortion?" queried Gloria.

"That too, I suppose. I mean, she's old enough."

Gloria shrugged. "For several years, sport. I hadn't
when I was her age, but I was raised with the fear of God
put in me by the nuns at St. Genevieve's."