I took the noodles off the hot stove. “What is it?”
Willow talked quickly. “I kind of gave Bart your father’s address so he could come to check on you. Love you. Bye!”
I blinked. “Wait, you did wha—”
The call dropped before I could even question what the hell she had just said, and I didn’t know how to feel about it. Why in the world Willow always felt the need to stick her nose in things like this, I’d never figure out.
“Dinner ready yet?” Dad asked.
I drew in a deep breath. “By the time you make your drink and sit, we’ll be good to go.”
He harrumphed. “You got garlic bread to go with that spaghetti?”
“Staying warm in the oven.”
“What about dessert?”
I rolled my eyes. “Cobbler’s just gotta be reheated, and then there’s vanilla and caramel-swirled ice cream. Just like you wanted.”
“El?”
I spun around. “What?”
I found his eyes softer than usual. “You ever need my shotgun out of my truck, I don’t care if you carry it around in your car.”
My eyes watered. “I love you, too, Dad.”
He hobbled over and patted my shoulder. “This stuff doesn’t have to be in bowls and shit. Just get it on the table, and let’s eat. And no crying. I fucking hate crying.”
I wiped at my tears. “Language?”
He chuckled.
“I’ll let it slide this time.”
I tossed everything onto the table and pulled out some paper plates. My father put off a lot of people, but he and I were as close as close could get. Yeah, he was rough around the edges. Yeah, he was gruff and silent most of the time. And yeah, he expected a lot from people. But when he loved you? He did everything in his power to make sure you had what you needed and that you were happy.
No matter what it cost him.
The issue was that his taking care of others usually came to his detriment. That was one of the reasons why he struggled with his health now. My father had barely broken sixty years old, and here he was with a knee replaced, both of his hips now replaced, and a full set of dentures. He never took care of himself when someone else was in need around him, and I was watching him deteriorate slowly. He was developing heart issues, which I knew stemmed from his “manly man” sort of exterior.
He never cried, or let loose with laughter, or smiled, or enjoyed his happiness. He never talked about his issues long enough for anyone to be able to help him, and he always took the brunt of the blame for anything that happened. Anything to spare those around him. All his life, he had worked himself to the bone without any regard for how it made those around him feel. How it felt for all of us to watch him slowly waste away in his masculine antics.
Watching this shit with my father was one of the many reasons why I’d never dated much. That and at least a third of the men in Conroe were too scared of my father to come within ten feet of me anyway.
“So, how are you feeling?” I asked.
Dad twisted some noodles onto his fork. “Fine. You?”
I picked up a piece of garlic bread. “Fine.”
“That’s good.”
I nodded. “Uh-huh.”
He picked up his sweet tea. “How are the girls?”
I smiled. “They’re good. They say ‘hey.’”
“Tell ‘em I said to stay out of trouble with those boys of theirs.”
I giggled. “You mean, the fathers of their children? You know Sadie’s about to burst any day now, right?”
“She had a good pregnancy?”
I shrugged. “Far as I can tell. I don’t see them too much nowadays since they both have families. But, we do what we can.”
That was the extent of the dinner conversation with my father. He wasn’t much of a talker, and I didn’t care for idle and mindless chit chat. But, after dinner was over and Dad retreated into the living room to turn on the news, my mind started wandering as I cleaned up the kitchen.
Specifically, I started turning over the idea of moving back into my apartment.
Dad had been gracious enough to pay my rent out of pocket, even though I’d been staying home for a while now to help him out. But, the mere idea of going back to that place and learning how to live alone again seemed daunting. I’d gotten used to waking up with someone else here. I had gotten used to having someone who would sit with me at night and watch television, or go with me to the grocery store, or try out my latest dessert concoction in the kitchen.
I’d miss him once I moved back. But, I was ready for my own space again.
“Hey! El!”
My father’s voice ripped me from my trance. “What?”
“Someone’s here!”
And that’s when I heard a firm, steady rapping against the front door. I wiped off my hands. “I got it.”
My father murmured to himself. “Who the hell bothers someone at dinner time? Go home and eat somethin’, ya idiot.”
I giggled. “For all you know, Dad, it’s not dinner time for them yet.”
“Well, it is for us.”
I reached for the doorknob. “Technically, our dinner time ended fifteen minutes ago when you got up and came in here.”
He waved his hand at me. “Sassy, like your mother.”
I pulled the door open. “And you know you miss it.”
Dad’s face grew somber. “More than I care to admit.”
My heart broke for him, but I put on my best smile and turned my eyes to the person on the other side of the door.
“Hey there. Can I help… you…?”
And when he stood on the porch smiling with his hands shoved into his pockets, my heart stopped in my chest.
Bart.
“Hey there, Luna,” he said.
“Who the hell is that?” Dad asked.
My eyes traced his body as I tried to register what was happening. Right, right. Willow gave Bart my father’s address. But, all of that just happened today? What was he already doing here?
“Luna!” Dad exclaimed.
Bart chuckled. “Just me, Mr. Faircloth.”
Dad harrumphed. “Tell that Bart boy to get in here and quit letting the air out.”
I knew that was a bad idea, though, so I ripped myself out of my trance. “I’m going to speak with him on the porch. I’ll be back in a second to finish cleaning the kitchen,” I said.
Dad clicked his tongue. “My shotgun’s in the closet, El.”
I shook my head. “Noted, Dad. Thanks.”
As I stepped out onto the porch, the scent of oak and cherry overtook me. The smell was so rich and so decadent it almost made me moan as I closed the front door behind me. I let my eyes pan up Bart’s body, rife with muscle and teeming with a tan. And when his dark-blue eyes came into view—accented by the honey-brown natural highlights in his chestnut hair—I finally felt my heart kickstart again.
Bart was easily the most handsome man I’d ever set my eyes on.
And I could’ve sworn he was studying me the way I studied him.
5
Bart
I silenced my sigh as I held the phone to my ear. “Artem, I’m fully aware of all of this. We’ve been over this a dozen times. The numbers haven’t—no, you can’t go by what the market’s doing. Why? Because we haven’t hit the market yet. That’s like saying ‘five out of ten restaurants that open up right now are going to fail because five out of ten restaurants on Main Street have shut down.’ The argument makes no sense.”