Hank’s lips purse and he shakes his head. “The kids were old enough to know what happened between him and their mom, and they still harbor ill feelings toward Jeff. But I can get you in contact with him if you’d like.”
“Yeah, maybe, but that’s not the reason I wanted to talk to you.”
He waves to a few more people and some of them say hello to me too. Hank smiles at me. “Becoming a regular, huh?” He laughs at what I imagine is my surprised look. “What do you need?”
“Nikki’s talked about wanting to do a podcast. Since we don’t own the Linville house and I have no idea where we might move, I’m thinking about building a small studio for her in an office somewhere.”
Hank’s smile grows wider, and he pats me on the back. “I have just the spot. I heard the small shop next to Pump It Up will be coming up for purchase in a week or so. It’s been vacant for years. Was once our small newspaper office, but they can’t afford the rent, so they’re working out of their houses now. You might be interested in that.”
“And as far as getting it soundproofed and stuff?”
“Are you asking me to do it?” Hank asks.
“Yeah. Or if you know a guy.”
He’s quiet for a moment, and I wonder if I messed up somehow. I just want to show Nikki how much I want her to succeed.
“Can I offer you some advice?” Hank asks.
I nod.
“Come, let’s walk.”
I walk in stride with Hank, and he leads us away from the town square, taking us toward the bay.
“I’ve done my research on you, Logan.” He glances at me and shrugs. “I had to be sure I was protecting Nikki. And I know you don’t have a father, so you can take my fatherly advice however you want.”
My stomach squirms. I respect Hank, but I never needed a father growing up and I sure don’t need one now.
“Nikki’s dad, Jeff, is pretty rich. He doesn’t lack for much. And when the whole thing went down between him and Marla, he thought he could buy his kids’ love. They each got a brand-new car at sixteen. They were given credit cards to use how they wanted. It’s how he shows his love and it’s part of the reason things didn’t work out.”
I nod. “I understand completely. I don’t wanna buy Nikki’s love. I want to earn it. Plus, I don’t want her to be with me just for my money.”
He pats my shoulder. “That’s why I’m going to give you this advice. I’ll chip in and help with the studio podcast, especially since you’re not knowledgeable about building, but if you put in the blood, sweat, and tears yourself, I suspect it will mean much more to her. Thinking of her is one thing. Acting and executing it yourself is another in a woman’s eyes.”
I stop for a moment and think about what he’s saying. He’s right. Paying someone to do things for her isn’t the same as me doing it for her. I’m going to have to roll up my sleeves and put in some sweat equity.
“It’s just my opinion and I could be off base. Maybe I’m just old now and women don’t care, but Marla always makes sure to thank me when it’s me who hangs the picture for her instead of someone from my crew, if you know what I mean?” He winks.
I force a smile because I’m not cool envisioning them in bed. “Thanks, Hank. It means a lot that you took the time to talk to me.”
“You’re my son-in-law now. Our door is open anytime.”
We walk back toward the crowd again and find Nikki with Marla and my mom. The two older women are carrying on, laughing and talking over one another.
“What did I miss?” I whisper to Nikki, who looks relieved to see me.
A tight smile lands on her lips. “They’re just laughing at our mishap, then they started sharing stories of their own mishaps.”
Glad I missed that conversation.
“Want a coffee?” I ask.
“Love one,” she says, taking my hand and pulling me away. “Pauline, Mom, we’ll see you later.”
She drags me over to the table that sells the coffee, and I spot Craig talking with the owner of The Grind. At least he’s not bored.
“Let’s go for a walk,” Nikki says.
“You don’t want to see the home improvement show?”
She laughs. “You should probably know, I broke Jed’s thumb with a hammer once while he was holding the nail. They’ve banned me from tools ever since.”
“I’ll have to do all the home improvement projects, is that what you’re telling me?”
“I don’t see you as the handy type either. I think we’ll need contractors on call.”
Wait until I prove her wrong.
“I wanted to talk to you about something,” she says after a beat of silence. Her humorous tone has shifted to a more serious one and alarms flash in my head.
“What’s up?”
“My dad called me today,” she says.
I release the breath. “Is he mad? I should probably ask him for your hand.”
She stops short and places her hand on my arm. “No. You don’t have to ask him for anything. He lost that right a long time ago. But I have to call him back. And I have a funny suspicion he’s reaching out for something to do with you.”
“Me?”
She takes a sip of her coffee. “You’re a celebrity. My dad travels to Vegas all the time. I’m thinking he probably wants tickets to your fight.”
I shrug. “No problem. I’d love to meet your dad anyway. I’ll talk to Vince.”
She doesn’t say anything for a moment. “I guess he should meet you at some point. Just do me one favor?”
“Say the word.” I stop and turn her to face me, bringing my hands behind her back.
“Don’t let him talk you into anything.”
My forehead wrinkles. “Like what?”
“Just promise me, you get him the tickets and that’s it.”
I kiss her forehead. “Promise. But he is your dad.”
She shakes her head and pulls away. “He’s my biological dad. That’s all. He’s never had my interests at heart. Ever.”
I take our coffees and throw them in the nearby garbage container. Then I pull her to me, hoping to shelter her from some of the pain that’s still being rained down on her from her dad.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“The newlyweds!”
Nikki
Talking to Logan about my dad was embarrassing but a necessity. After I finish the morning show, all I can think about is what my dad will ask me when I call him back this afternoon. I’m purposely waiting, hoping I’ll get to leave a voice message because he’s in a meeting or something.
Leaving the station, I stop at The Grind for a coffee and sit down at a table for two. Logan’s training today, so I might as well just get this conversation over with. I pick up the phone and press my dad’s name, sipping my coffee.
“Nik!” he answers as though we’re best friends. “I was just about to call you back.”
“Sorry, I’ve been busy.”
“I know. I heard the news. How could you not invite your old man to your wedding?” He laughs. “Kidding, I know it was an impromptu occasion.”