“Is Wylder hickey guy?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.
My father starts to cough.
“Yes,” I tell her with a glare.
She laughs her ass off as she and Pike leave my father and me in the waiting room.
“Well, it could be worse,” he says, finally stopping his imaginary coughing fit. “At least it’s only a hickey.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s not even that. She’s only stirring the pot.”
“She’s good at that.”
“You can say that again. My poor cousin with three girls filled with attitude. I don’t know how he survived their teen years with any form of sanity,” dad says.
“You sure couldn’t tell by looking at him. Uncle Joe’s still got it. Man is handsome as all get-out. He has a huge social media following when he posts at the shop.”
“Really?” he asks, his forehead wrinkled.
“Yeah. It’s crazy. Older women are bananas. And the number of young women who have a thing for the silver fox, as they call him, is astounding.”
Dad smiles. “We age like fine wine.”
“Yeah,” I mutter. “Unlike us. We wither away with chin hair and more lip hair than ever, but you guys only get better.”
“Don’t be silly, baby. You get more beautiful every single day. Just like your mom.”
I’m hit by a sudden pang of sadness. “She was beautiful.”
“Inside and out. I didn’t deserve someone as pretty and good as her.”
“Dad, you deserve only the best, and Tilly’s everything I could’ve ever wanted if it couldn’t have Mom. Mom’s been gone for so long, I sometimes have a hard time remembering small details about her time with us. My memory is filled with Tilly and her love. You did well. The best.”
Dad pulls me into a hug, and I melt against him as he presses his lips into my hair. “It was bumpy at times, but I’m beyond blessed. And out of everything, your mom gave me two amazing kids and another with Tilly.” He pauses as I hug him tighter, pressing my cheek against his chest. “Well, at least you. Brax is still a work in progress.”
I giggle against his T-shirt. “He’s a pain in the ass.”
“Most men are until they’re like forty.”
“That’s no lie, Daddy.”
“Speaking of which…”
I peer up at him, my arms still wrapped around his body.
“Things good with Wylder?”
“Yeah. We broke down on our way back yesterday, but Wylder fixed the Scout, and we were able to get back a few hours ago.”
“It’s handy when you have a man who knows a thing or two,” he tells me as I step out of his embrace.
“It is. He was surprisingly calm too.”
“That’s what I like to hear, baby. No one has time for a mantrum.”
“Mantrum?” I ask, chuckling.
“You know the type.”
