A need to defend Holden hits me in a boom. “Well, his kids are great, maybe misunderstood, but they are kids with a warm heart. Plus, Holden’s not in the media anymore, and I’m sure Holden from years ago is not the same man as now.”
He rests his arms on the table. “Except now he’s sleeping with my daughter.”
My face drops. “Daddy!”
My father shakes his head and grabs a handful of nuts from the bowl. I feel as though I’m about to be lectured as if I’m no longer an adult.
“It was obvious the moment I walked through the door that something is going on.”
“I-I…” I don’t lie to my father unless I’m sixteen and sneaking out to a party. “What if I am? I’m an adult.”
Leaning back, his cold look gives me no clue of what he must be considering. “You’re right. Doesn’t mean I can’t voice my opinion. You’re younger than him, he has kids, and his life is quite different to yours. You travel and look for adventure.”
Anger is flaming inside of me. “What if being with Holdenisan adventure?”
A near sinister laugh hits my ears. “What if you’re infatuated?” He takes a moment to admire the lake view and maybe calm a smidgen. “I’m just watching out for you.”
I twist my hair and plump it on the top of my head to tie into a bun. “I get that. But, please, just let me figure out my life on my own.”
“He doesn’t even have the decency to speak with me about this.”
Throwing my hands up in the air, I’m exhausted. “We’re new. Going slow. We’re being sensitive to his family situation,” I explain. Watching them is more a picture of a family than I had growing up.
My father’s eyes grow big. “Moving into his house? That’s not going slow.”
“Not that it’s your business, but we weren’t this way when I moved in. He needed a little help with his son and daughter since the nanny quit.”
He scoffs a sound of further disappointment. “You’re a nanny now?”
The humor in how this must all sound brings a smile to my face. “No. I’m not the nanny,” I grumble. “Now, can you be the dad that I’ve always remembered who would let me be and discover the world for myself?”
“Daddy bear has to come out when you’re dating an older man who I happen to know quite well.” He is half serious, which makes it all the more endearing.
Throwing him a pout, the kind that causes him to remember the days when I would skip around with piggy tails, his entire body falters.
A sound of hopelessness fills the air. “Fine, Lexi, I’m not one to tell you what to do with your love life. I can only warn you and hope you don’t get hurt.”
“Thank you.” I pick up the bowl of nuts and offer it to him. They’re his favorite, slightly salted with a few sugary coated peanuts thrown in.
“Any other shockers I need to prepare myself for?” he queries.
I shake my head. “Not that I can think of.”
“Great. Will you do me a favor then?”
“Of course.”
My father rubs his face. “Text your mom about this. Because if I have to tell her, then I’ll have to listen to her shriek for half an hour straight.”
Warmly, I smile. “No problem.”
The next half-hour, we talk about the team, a vacation he is planning with my mom, and possibly redoing their BBQ area in their backyard. My father has an uncanny knack to continue conversation, even if a thousand thoughts are running in his head.
By the time we are hugging goodbye and walking through the lobby, I take notice of the clock on the wall. It’s nearly the end of the school day, which for some reason now makes me wonder how Lori and Harry’s day went or what homework they have.
It’s also the time when Holden walks through the lobby because he needs to go pick up the kids, as he is doing exactly now. The faceoff between my father and Holden is instant.
“I’m expecting you to contact me for a talk. My daughter isn’t hockey.” My father’s voice has a lot of bite to it, and it causes my body to jolt and my brow to raise. I’m not sure if I should chortle or be scared. He storms off before I can solve it, or before Holden can reply.
