“Is that what they call it?” Weird.
“Let me see if I understand. You decided to test Alec by telling him how much you’d love to see Texas in the hopes he’d invite you.” He scratches the scruff on his chin. “But you didn’t think he’d do it.”
“Pretty much.”
“Only he didn’t balk. He jumped at the chance?”
I nod. “You got it in a nutshell. Not only that, Alec offered to pay for my flight.” But I can’t let him do that.
Right?
“What are you gonna do?”
At that moment, our front door opens and my brother’s voice sounds. “Dad? Mattie?”
Placing a finger over my lips, I whisper, “Not a word to Bobby.” I can’t deal with his thoughts on this matter.
My dad gives me a slow nod, then shouts, “In the kitchen, Bud.”
Dad kept his pie-hole shut the entire time my brother was over. I know he’s not done talking with me about Alec and Texas. It’s not because he’s nosey; it’s because he cares and he’s rooting for me and for Bobby.
He’s such a great dad. He’s always been good, but after Mom died, he turned into great when he stepped up to the plate to make sure both Bobby and I knew he was there for us. There was never any doubt. We were lucky. It could’ve gone the other way entirely. He could have buckled from grief and withdrawn, but he didn’t. Buck Conklin is the entire dad package: a friend, a cheerleader, a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, a disciplinarian when we needed him to be, and a regular dad the rest of the time.
That night, after I returned from work, my dad was waiting up. Sitting on the living room sofa with a book in his hand, he asks, “Did you reply to Alec?”
“Not yet.”
“What are you gonna say?”
“Yes?”
Dad picks up his book and flips to his page. “Good.”
“You want me out of your hair for a while or something?” I smirk.
“No. I want you to go down there to see if I’m right.”
“Right? About what?”
“About him. And you.”
“Dad—”
“Just go. Take time off work.”
“B-But—”
He holds up a hand to stop me. “If they don’t let you off, quit. That job is soul-sucking.”
It is. While I believe in the notion that our environment would benefit from solar panels, I don’t want to be the one to sell them.
There, I said it.
“Go upstairs and answer him.”
“I will.” I mean it. I will. Right after I tell Kimmy about everything. And I’ll do that right after I talk to Alec.
* * *
