“Hell yeah!” I push my chair back.
Grabbing my plate he walks into the kitchen and puts it into a to-go container. “I know you skipped lunch. You’re not skipping dinner too.”
He hands me my meal and a new fork with a kiss. Just one of the many ways he shows me his quiet love.
All the broken things in our marriage have been repaired with quiet tender love and care.
Something I vow to never forget.
“I don’t understand why this is such a big deal.” My daughter is bringing her new boyfriend over for dinner. It’s the first time we’re meeting him but we’ve met boyfriends before without such fanfare.
“Because she said it’s serious! She claims he’sthe one.”Jules rolls her eyes at me.
The day our daughter started dating is the day I started getting gray hair. She’s attracted to the dumbass ranch hands who don’t deserve her. Juliette likes to point out that I was a dumbass ranch hand and I rebut that I knew her before becoming one. So I don’t count. But my daughter, she picks the ones who don’t respect her worth a damn.
“Whatever. She’s nineteen. How serious can they be?”
“I think you’d be surprised. She’s already talking wedding.”
I choke on the water I just sipped.
“No. Jules, come on, that fucker better not be coming to ask for her hand.”
“What if he does?” She slides her arms around my middle pulling me close.
I furrow my brows. “What do you know, woman?”
“Nothing other than she isreallyhappy. Besides, we knew when we were fifteen. What’s so crazy about nineteen?”
“She hasn’t known this boy since she was fifteen.” I roll my eyes back at her. I do not like the feeling I have about tonight.
A knock sounds at the door before Reece walks in holding the hand of a man in the dark of the porch.
“Mom, Dad.” She draws our attention as if it wasn’t already there.
“Hey, baby girl, what are you doing? Come in here.” I step toward her.
“Dad, do not freak out,” she warns.
“Why would I–” Her boyfriend steps in. “Jaycob?”
“Reece?” Juliette waits for an explanation.
“I told you guys not to freak out. But Jaycob is who I’ve been dating. We’re in love.” They still haven’t stepped fully into the house yet.
“Mr. Cal…” Jaycob starts but I cut him off.
“Nope. Not happening. You are almost twenty-five Jaycob! My girl is only nineteen! How the hell long has this been going on?”
Juliette places her hand on my forearm. “Come in, dinner is almost ready and we can talk then.”
“I’m not coming in until I know Daddy is going to be nice.”
“Don’tDaddyme now, baby girl! How long have you been dating?” I stare at Jaycob as I speak, waiting for him to man up and stop letting my girl take the brunt of my anger.
“A year, sir.”
“Oh, well shit, I mean at least you waited until she was legal. Jesus fucking christ. Do you hear this Jules?”
