Dad set his newspaper down and gaveme his full attention. “Did you run out of food?”
The story came out in a torrent ofinformation. “Derrek showed up unexpectedly after Vann left for his date. Ifelt uncomfortable staying there by myself.” For all my newfound courage, myexplanation still trembled.
Dad’s expression hardened. “Whywould he do that? Why didn’t he call first?”
“He doesn’t have my number. And Iwouldn’t have answered anyway.”
“Because you’re a smart girl,” hesympathized. I saw the questions bounce around in his head through the windowof his concerned expression, but for some reason, he didn’t ask them.
I wondered if he didn’t need to.Maybe he already knew. Maybe he’d figured it out for himself. Either way, hepatted the seat next to him and told me to grab some coffee before I sat down.
While I poured the perfect ratio ofcream and coffee in my chipped Mickey Mouse mug, my dad asked a very practicalquestion. “Are you going to have to worry about him showing up again?”
I’d already considered thatpossibility, and it made me nauseous. I didn’t want to go to work every nightworrying about Derrek lurking in the shadows. “I’m not sure,” I answered. “Heopened his own restaurant in Charlotte. So it’s not like he has a ton of freetime. But I’d love it if he never, ever showed his face again. Like if he couldjust bury himself upside down in the sand, that would be ideal.”
Dad sputtered his coffee all overhis newspaper. “Sorry,” he coughed, wiping up the mess with the napkin he’dbeen clutching. “Warn me before you start plotting murder.”
I hid my smile in a long drink ofcoffee. “Will do.”
“What are you going to do abouthim?”
“I’m going to reach out to him todayand tell him that I don’t want him anywhere near the food truck or me.”
He eyed me shrewdly. “And if thatdoesn’t work?”
“I’m going to file a restrainingorder.” There. I said it. The words were out in the world now, and I couldn’ttake them back. I couldn’t even pretend they didn’t exist. It was something Ishould have done a very long time ago.
Some of the color leached from hisface, and I could tell he had his suspicions, but he hadn’t put together thewhole story yet.
He looked at me, blinking slowly.“Do you want to talk about it?”
I shook my head. Despite my brand-newmettle, I couldn’t bring myself to tell Dad what happened with Derrek. Thesunlight was too bright, too revealing. And my past was much too dark. My dadloved me more than anything, but the crippling embarrassment and fear ofjudgment kept the words locked inside me.
I justified my omission, byreminding myself I didn’t want to stress Dad out any more than he already was.I wanted him as strong as possible for chemo and this gross cancer. He knewenough.
A restraining order was notsomething to joke about, and I hoped he knew me well enough to know I wouldn’tjust throw that threat around unless I absolutely needed it.
When I answered, “Not really,” I pushedthe guilt aside. I loved my dad more than anything, but I wasn’t a little girlanymore. I needed to start fighting my own battles. Fight them. Not just run fromthem.
Knowing he would be there for meanytime I needed him gave me a whole new sense of daring.
“You can tell me anything, babygirl,” he soothed. “I know you’re all grown up and got your own business andall that. But I’m still your dad. I’ll still go after any boy that breaks yourheart. Or worse.”
I took another sip of coffee to hidemy emotional reaction. “I know, daddy.”
His smile was sad, but genuine. “Ilove you, Vera May. There isn’t a thing in this world I wouldn’t do for you.”
I sniffled and nodded. “Thank you.”
He looked back at his paper, quicklyhiding the tears that had filled his own eyes. Geez, all these heart to hearts wereturning us into a bunch of softies.
My phone buzzed with a text message.I looked down to see Killian James Quinn’s name appear in the bubble. I’dchanged it from James Q because I couldn’t erase the image of a middle-aged manin a bathrobe trolling me from his mom’s basement.Call me when you wake up.
I blushed, surprised by the romanticmessage, even after everything that happened last night.
Just kidding. I didn’t blush. Andthe message wasn’t romantic. Leave it up to Killian to send me commands throughtext without even a please or thank you.
God, that man…
