Especially when she needed to be at the theater inforty-five minutes.
But all the together time with Jagger meant she didn’t havea lot of windows to do something like this.
And right now, she needed to do this.
“Archie, what’s up?”
The concern in her father’s voice got to her and she laid itout.
Quickly.
No nitty gritty, but her father knew who Jagger was.ThatJagger had lost a parent.And that he’d been someone to Archie before he wassomeone to Archie.So she went over that part fast.
“The thing is, like I said, he’s great.We’re great,” shestarted to sum up.“Everything’s going great.Joany likes him, and Joany makeseveryone earn a like.”
“That’s big stuff, Joany liking him,” he agreed.
“I just…there’s something…off.”
As was his wont, Daddy Bear reared up instantly, and Andydeclared, “Archie, if you’re feeling at all strange in your gut about thisguy—”
Before he went too far down that path, Archie pulled himback to the right one.“He’s lost.”
Andy’s head jerked back in surprise.“Sorry?Lost?”
“I think it’s about his dad.”
Her father closed his mouth.
“And I know there’s something there,” she carried on.“Ieven have this feeling I might have triggered it.At first, I warned him we’dhave to get into it.Because, you know, I’m giving him all there is about me.And that should go both ways.Then I decided that was wrong.I should let himbe.I should give him space to come to me when he’s ready about this, or aboutanything, really.”
Andy grunted, which was no help at all.
“But, the thing is, I think I can find out without himtelling me,” she announced.
She then watched her father’s jaws bulge, an indication hewas clenching his teeth.
In other words, proverbially biting his tongue.
“Dad,” she prompted.
He unclenched to say (still unhelpfully), “I want to guideyou, sweetheart, but I haven’t even met this guy.”
“Okay, but this is my guy, and I think you get how deep he’smy guy, and I want to be there for him.Am I there for him by just being there?Am I there for him by pressing him in a gentle way to face whatever’s troublinghim?Or am I there for him by going around him to find out what’s troubling himso I can be there for him from a place of knowledge and he doesn’t have to giveme that knowledge or maybe even know I have it?”
Her father looked perplexed.
“How would you do that last?”he asked.
“There’s a movie about his Club.I didn’t watch, but I readabout it.His father is mentioned in the blurb.Like, really predominantly.”
Andy grunted again.
For shit’s sake.
“Dad!”Archie snapped.
“Okay, honey, I’m not in a place of knowledge to be able toadvise what to do about this.”
