“Hey, Katie. I thought you guys would’ve left by now.”
“We’re heading out now. I wanted to check in with you before you took off.”
“Sure, is there something I can help with?”
“Not a thing. You have been amazing, and I want you to charge your plane tickets and stay on my card.”
“Katie… that’s not…”
“I won’t hear it. You deserve it, and I know your dad’s care is taking a toll.”
“If I’ve missed anything…”
“You haven’t. You have been beyond amazing from the jump. The best assistant anyone could ever ask for. You anticipate my needs before I even know I have a need. I couldn’t be Katie Carter without you. So, treat yourself. Upgrade your tickets to first class, get a nice hotel room, take your dad out to dinner, do some shopping. Whatever. It’s on me.”
I bit my lip to hold the tears at bay. “Thank you.”
She hugged me and walked away, waving at me. Her dad and Walker Holt waited for her. I didn’t know either man, but Walker Holt had the Daddy vibe going for him. And I was here for it. Not that he’d be interested in me. The man was married to a beautiful woman who’d been super sweet all evening. They had a son who closely resembled his father. Jackson had a bit of that same vibe I craved, but from what I could see, the younger Holt was all but taken as well.
Oh well.
I just had to be patient. I’d find my guy. There had to be a guy out there for me, right? I sighed and pushed the self-doubt away. Everyone had a person. I just had to wait. I’d find him. I just hoped he was a Daddy. Cause that’s what I wanted. Well, what Ireallywanted was a pair of Daddies.
Two is always better than one.
Some people didn’t understand the Daddy thing. Honestly, it was hard to explain my need to someone who didn’t get it. It had nothing to do with my relationship with my dad, despite what people thought.
My dad and I had a fantastic relationship. He supported me in everything from day one. He had to because my mom died when I was a baby.
Growing up, all my friends and classmates thought I was strange because I just had a dad. The one and only fight I ever got into was because someone mocked me about my mom. I told them I did have one, but she was in heaven. They laughed at me and called me a liar.
I got sent home from school that day with a busted lip. Instead of punishing me for fighting, Daddy took me out for dinner—something we didn’t do often. Back then, I didn’t realize why, but I knew now it was because money was so tight. After dinner that night, we went to the movies to watchFinding Nemo.It was the best night of my young life and cemented that movie as my all-time favorite. It was my comfort.
Whenever life tried to flip itself on its head, I’d turnFinding Nemoon, curl up in the couch’s corner with a fuzzy blanket, my stuffed Squirt, and a pint ofCrank & Boomice cream. My go-to was Blackberry & Buttermilk. I stumbled across the ice creamery last year when we were in Lexington for a concert, and I found my newest weakness. I had to special order it from Kentucky because no one else carried it anywhere else, but it was worth it.
Sometimes, it took two pints and a rewatch, but it always made me feel better by the end.
And the boy who made fun of me?
Oh… he went home with a broken nose. When I was allowed back to school, his mama and he were waiting for me. She made him stand in front of the class and tell me he was sorry. It was so great until I found him crying on the playground.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and rolled my eyes. Speak of the devil. I swiped the screen to answer, but didn’t bother to say anything.
“Hey, squirt!”
“Gavin, the number of times I’ve told you not to call me that…”
“Oh, hush! So, what’re we getting into this weekend? You’re still coming home, right?”
“I swear, you’re a feral monkey.”
“Umm… aren’t all monkeys feral?”
I sighed and growled. “I dunno, and no, I’m going to see my dad.”
“UGH! No! You’re supposed to come hang out with me!”
“Gavin, you won’t even be there. You’ll have hockey crap to do.”
