Chapter 34: Explanations

“Everly! Everly!” her dad’s voice carried down the porch and out to Jack’s car before she could even get the seatbelt off and open the door.

“I’m fine, Dad,” she said as Jim opened the door to the sportscar. He practically pulled her out of the car and wrapped his arms around her so tight, Everly could barely breathe.

“Thank God,” Jim said. “Oh, thank the good Lord. I don’t know what I would’ve done if something would’ve happened to you.”

“Dad,” Everly said, wishing he’d let her go. They had company, after all. She knew he’d spend plenty of time lecturing her about not chasing the dog into the woods and about how stupid it was that she’d followed Toby and all of that, but for now, with Jack and his parents, who had followed her father out of the house, standing right behind him, she really didn’t want to make a scene.

Jim seemed to reali