"You were so smart, I felt like you were destined for bigger things than planning weddings and birthday parties."
The passive aggressive compliment triggered Eden's defenses. She folded her arms and lifted her chin as she met her dad's gaze. "Maybe, but I should have been allowed to choose for myself." She held her breath after saying the words.
It had been a long time since she and her father had spoken so frankly with one another, and she expected him to blow up any second now and tell her how ridiculous and immature she was acting.
But he didn't blow up. Instead, he looked at the kitchen door, the muscle in his jaw repeatedly flexing.
Helen must have threatened him with something big, to make him hold his tongue like this.
He let out another sigh, but this one sounded more resolved. "I suppose you're right." After a brief pause, he went on in a firmer tone. "I know I was hard on you and pushed you to do things you didn't want to do, but I figured I knew what was best for you and that someday, you'd thank me."
Eden bristled and dropped the fork she'd just picked up. It landed on her plate with a clatter. "You want me to thank you for pushing me down a path I never wanted to go?"
She felt Rudy tense beside her, no doubt waiting for her to yell skunk. And boy, did she want to. Why couldn't her dad trust her to run her own life without criticizing every little choice she made?
His features hardened as he squared his shoulders. "I hate to see you not living up to your full potential."
"Why do you get to decide what my potential is?" She couldn't help raising her voice in response.
The sound of pans banging together in the kitchen had all three of them looking at the closed door.
Her dad scrubbed a hand over his face. He'd tempered his tone when he spoke again. "But you're wasting your education and your years of experience in the business field. You're just walking away from everything you worked for."
"No, I'm walking away from everythingyouworked for." Eden tried to keep her voice even. "I'm not wasting anything. My education and experience are valuable in all areas of business. In fact, I'm doing some marketing for a small craft boutique in Providence to increase sales and take their business online."
"A craft boutique?" The blank look on his face said he was far from impressed. "You can't honestly expect to support yourself on a fifteen percent cut from...anEtsyshop." The emphasis he put on Esty was full of disgust.
Eden squirmed. She didn't want to admit to her father that he was right, especially since she'd only asked Hattie for ten percent.
"It's more than an Etsy shop. It's brick and mortar and not solely online." But it was pretty much the same thing. "Besides, it's only temporary, until I find a real job."
Rudy's fork scraped against his plate, sounding like nails on a chalkboard, and she sensed him tensing again. Except this time, she doubted it was in anticipation of defending her.
Is he upset that I might be leaving soon?
Or did her use of the words "real Job" sound as condescending to him as it did to her? Working for Hattie was a respectable job, it just wasn't the corporate job she was used to.
She shot him an apologetic look before turning back to her dad. "I applied for some jobs last week. Here in Spokane."
Only two actually, but the use of the plural sounded better than the singular.
Rudy stared at her now, but she couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze. She felt so torn.
Please my dad and disappoint Rudy, or please Rudy by staying in Providence forever and disappoint my dad.
Her father's opinion shouldn't matter so much to her, especially since she'd fought so hard to gain her independence, but it did. She'd never had the unconditional love and acceptance from him that Rudy had from his parents, and she wanted that. If her dad was willing to meet her in the middle, she needed to do her part.
Yet less than twenty minutes ago, she'd been ready to kiss Rudy for the way he'd faced her father with pride and confidence. Her heart had swelled with emotion when he promised that if he married her, she would never go hungry or without a roof over her head. Then when he said he planned to build a house next door to Scott and Kennedy, her daydreams of sharing that house with him had run rampant, complete with images of a white picket fence around the yard where their children played.
"Great! Where did you apply?" Her dad's question pulled her thoughts away from a future with Rudy. "Maybe I can put in a good word for you."
"No, Dad. My next job will be one I get on my own." She doubted her father had connections with the home decor stores where she'd applied to be a brand manager.
He gave her a tight smile, but that didn't keep the muscle in his jaw from tensing and the grip on his fork from tightening. Eden had never known him to show this much restraint. This time, she was the one who stared at the kitchen door.
What did Helen do to my dad?
Was her real father tied up in the pantry?
