I hop off the island as my dad hands Lucas a bottle of wine and a six-pack of…artisanal soda.
I’ve made it a point to not concern myself in my dad’s life since I left Ocean Beach. The only time we get together is for the money exchange, and I’ve never stayed long enough to eat or drink anything at the restaurant we would meet up at. I wasn’t sure if he was still drinking but I’m curious now.
“Why don’t you and Jordan sit out back by the fire, and I’ll be out in a second to start the grill.”
Lucas plants a kiss on my cheek as he walks by me, and I hug my dad before I take him out the back slider to the fireplace.
We sit across from each other and both fidget for a beat as the awkwardness sets in. Luckily, Lucas walks through the door with a bottle of soda and a glass of wine, handing my dad the soda. Unfortunately, he disappears back inside.
I eye the root beer in my dad’s hand as he takes a drink. “I quit drinking when you left the house,” he answers my unasked question.
I chew on my bottom lip and nod. “I guess I never really asked you after I left.”
He picks at the label of the soda bottle and doesn’t make eye contact when he says, “You were right in leaving. I needed the wake-up call. We could have avoided all this mess if I were sober and thinking straight when I met Emmett. But my biggest regret… was letting you grieve by yourself. We should have had each other to lean on this whole time, and instead I fucked it up. Your mom is rolling over in her grave right now at everything I put you through.”
I lean forward on the patio loveseat. “Look at me, dad.” And he does. “We both made mistakes. But we’re here now and we need to put the past behind us. Mom would be proud of how far we’ve come. She would never hold this against you. All that matters is that we own our mistakes and move forward.”
“I just hate how I let you down.” I can see the tears well in his eyes.
I place my wine down on the ground and round the fireplace to give my dad a hug. I can feel a stray tear hit my lip and I lick it away as we embrace. I’ve missed my dad so much and I have so many regrets. But this is a fresh start for us. One I know we’re going to come out on top of.
Lucas clears his throat from the sliding glass door, and I pull away from my dad, wiping at the tears I can feel on my cheeks.
“Everything okay out here?” he asks.
I nod my head and smile. “Yeah. We’re all good.” I go back to my seat and take a sip of wine while Lucas sets a tray of marinated steaks and veggies on the side of the grill.
“Miller told me you got the immunity agreement.”
“I did. Provided I testify in court. I also may have a job offer on the table,” my dad tells him.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“He told me that the department needs a forensic accountant and with everything I did for Emmett and José, he thought I could be a good fit since I know what to look for.”
“That’s amazing,” Lucas says as he mans the grill.
“It really is, dad.” I give him a genuine smile.
Things are starting to fall into place for both of us and I couldn’t be happier. I know my dad had a hard time watching my mom go through what she went through, and then when the financial troubles hit, he kept sinking. It’s time for him to be able to move on and be happy. He one hundred percent deserves it.
“So, Lucas…” My dad waits for him to turn around. “How long have you been a cop?”
Lucas takes a swig of his IPA before saying, “I went into the academy after I graduated high school. Both my parentsare cops and I wanted to follow in their footsteps. I started undercover work a few years back.”
“Hmm…” my dad hums. “You’re really good at lying…”
I have no idea how Lucas is going to answer him because it’s not a question but more of an insinuation. He doesn’t like that Lucas lied to him… or me. And I can tell he’s afraid it’s going to affect our personal lives.
I chug the rest of my wine, waiting for Lucas to respond.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was a cop when I came to your apartment that day. But I couldn’t risk blowing my cover. To be fair, I told Jordan the next day. I held off as long as I could, but I couldn’t walk away without her knowing. I had to keep her safe and she needed to know in order for me to do so.”
The two stare at each other for a good twenty seconds before my dad asks, “And what are your intentions with my daughter?”
I choke on my own spit. “Dad! You can’t ask questions like that!”
“I can and I will. Especially since he was lying about who he was. Cop or not, I’m not sure I trust him.”
