“Be happy I have enough life left in me to care. I’m sixty years young. You’re not yet thirty. So why are you wasting your time with your old man when you could be hanging out with your boyfriend?”
“We broke up, I told you.”
“So un-break up. You know, Dex talked to me a few days ago.”
She paused in taking a sip and lowered her mug. “He did?”
Her dad wore a sly grin. “Yep.”
“And?”
“That’s for me to know. Don’t worry, it’s nothing earth-shattering. But I got the impression he misses you.”
“You did?” she tried for casual but didn’t think she’d hit the right note.
“Jesus, Maya. Don’t be dense. I raised you better than that.” He smacked her in the head.
“Ow, Dad.”
“I saw the way that boy looked at you twelve years ago. He had a huge crush on you, and you liked him. I remember how cute you two were at his prom.”
“You know he blackmailed me into going with him.”
“That just proved he was smart. Ilikethat boy.” Her dad grinned. “Then he comes back to Bend a success, and who does he target? My baby girl. Why? Because the man has taste. He knows a good thing when he sees it—her. You. Oh, you know what I mean.”
“If I’m so great, why did I hurt him?” She felt terrible. “I kept thinking I’m not meant to be so happy. He’s so great. So special and genuine. I think I love him, Dad.”
Her dad’s eyes shone. “About damn time.”
“Dad.”
“At least you found someone I like. Not a hippy, a biker or an ex-con trying to hide out in the mountains.”
She blushed. “Oh…you knew about Kirk?”
“None of them were anything serious, so I didn’t say anything. But I see now maybe I should have. You were being like me, pushing people away so you didn’t have to worry about them doing it first, hmm?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, honey.” He hugged her. “You know how Bev got me?”
“How?”
“I was tired of being alone. Tired of spending the last thirty years afraid of my own shadow when it came to women. Not of the superficial stuff. The parties, the intimacies, the dating. But the quiet times. The closeness. Letting someone in can be awful.”
“I know.” She missed Dex’s laughing eyes, his dimple, those huge biceps he flexed to impress her, as if she needed more than his smile to do that.
“Bev came along at the right time. I’d like to say I’m sorry about how my earlier relationships were handled. But you know, I appreciate Bev now because of the choices I once made. Don’t regret what you’ve done in life. But be smarter than I was. If you want Dexter, go after him. Then if things don’t work, at least you tried.”
“You sound like Ann and Riley.”
“You mean my other daughters?” He smiled. “How’s Cheryl, anyway?” Riley’s mom. “I haven’t talked to her in a while. Had coffee with Ann’s dad the other day though.”
“Cheryl is still in Italy loving life. A lot more than Riley is at the moment.”
“Why’s that?”
Like old times, they talked into the night, sharing stories and gossiping like old ladies. Two hours later, neither of them could hide a yawn.
