She smiled, so proud of her father. And she hadn’t even bought him a birthday gift. What a lousy daughter! “He has what it takes to make it in this field. I dare say he could take on the Beast.” She bumped him with her shoulder as she took another bite. Lobster was good. She’d been missing out.
He lifted one eyebrow but didn’t argue.
“He put all that aside and moved to Seattle to set up his own practice so he could have time to be with me.”
“That was noble of him.”
She tipped her head. “It wasn’t until I was in high school that I learned he’d turned down clients and big contracts to keep his workload light. We lived comfortably, but when I look at all this—” She waved her butter-covered hand in the air. “—I realize how much he sacrificed.”
Adam set down the claw he’d been working on. “I’m sorry I called him weak.”
“And a quitter.” She bumped him again, softer this time. She smiled to let him know she wasn’t truly angry. He’d said some mean things, but then, he’d been in a bad place. Knowing he wasn’t the horrible person she’d met in the east study that day made it easier to forgive him. Seeing him go through all that he had to recover from the attack had softened her heart to him. He may have a plane and live in a castle, but he had a heart. One that was as vulnerable as hers.
“That too.” He wiped his fingers on a napkin. “I haven’t told you, or him, but I was impressed with the courage of his bid to oversee The Cove, the brassy confidence. I suppose it reminded me of me.”
Bella giggled. “Makes total sense.”
Adam used his napkin to swipe her chin.
She felt the butter whisk away and rolled her eyes. “I don’t suppose there’s a course I can take on eating lobster without dripping butter on your face.”
He shook his head. “It’s not possible.” He leaned forward to continue his way through the meal. Bella copied his every move, sometimes successful and sometimes not so much.
When they were finished, and the table looked like a tornado had blown through, they both leaned back, their hands over their stomachs. It was after eight. Dad would still be up.
“Do you have someplace to be?” Adam asked, his voice low and with an edge.
“It’s Dad’s birthday and I haven’t talked to him all day.” She reached for her phone on the side table. “Do you mind?”
He shook his head. “I’ll clean some of this up and we can get another hour or two of studying in.” He grimaced. “Not exactly a romantic holiday for you.”
Bella gasped. “No! It’s been perfect.”
His head came up, that longer piece of hair in the front falling over his eyes. “Really?”
Before she could talk herself out of it, she reached up and brushed the hair aside. “Really.”
Adam held still, like he was frightened he’d scare her away. Bella brushed the hair aside once more and then moved back. She wasn’t afraid of him; she was afraid of what he could do to her. Feeling the attraction pulsing between them, she concentrated on her phone. Adam retrieved the serving cart from the hallway. He stacked dishes as she dialed.
Dad picked up on the first ring. “Hello?” He coughed several times.
“Dad? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” He sounded out of breath. “I’ve got a cold.”
The guilt for not calling him earlier doubled. “A cold? Can I bring you some soup?” Here she’d sat, having a lovely lobster dinner with a handsome man, and her father was in bed on his birthday.
“Not in this storm.”
“But—”
“It’s not worth the hassle. I’ll be better before you know it.”
“I hope so.” She bit her thumb with worry. “Do you have the humidifier hooked up?”
“It’s all running smoothly. Tell me how things are going there.” He coughed again, this one a hacking, deep-in-the-lungs rumble that had Bella on her feet.
“That doesn’t sound good.”
