“Surgery, you say?” Dad exaggerated his interest, which got Jason talking.
“I got to touch a cat’s teeth while it was asleep. And another time Quinton cut open a dog and took stuff out.”
All eyes swiveled to stare at Quinton.
He dropped salad on his plate. “We were spaying her.”
Vivian’s lips pressed in an amused grimace. “I can’t believe you let him see that.”
“Kids see way worse stuff on the Internet.” Dad turned back to Jason. “Did you learn something?”
“Yep, I learned that cats need their teeth brushed and they can get cavities, and that we should treat all animals with respect, and that puppies pee when they get excited.”
Everyone laughed.
Beckett took that moment to squeeze Daisy’s knee under the table. Their eyes met, and a promise passed between them. A promise that one day they’d have family dinners and listen to the gross but way cool things Uncle Quinton let their kids do. How they could say that all in such a short time was testament to the feelings growing between them. Daisy dropped her gaze, overcome with the vastness of Beckett’s silent conversation.
Since she’d spent so much time with her mom, Daisy offered to do dishes with Dad while everyone took a walk around the block to help them digest. Really, the walk was for Mom’s digestion and to wear out Jason before bedtime.
“That Jason sure is taken with Quinton.” Dad ran warm water in the sink. Daisy would have been fine soaking pans, but he insisted on getting all the dishes washed and put away.
“I think the feeling is mutual.”
“And his mom?”
Daisy bit her lip. “We’re working on that.”
“Good. I like her.”
“I do too.” They fell into an easy rhythm. He washed, and she dried and put away.
“Beckett’s not so bad either.”
Daisy opened the cupboard door to hide behind—and because she needed to stack the plates—but mostly to hide behind. “Yeah, he’s great.”
“I hear you two are an item.”
The only thing worse than having to talk to her mom about all this was having to talk to her dad. She and Dad weren’t big talkers. They covered surface information really well but never got into all the feelings and such. “Yep.”
“You know, I always pitied the girl who married into that family.”
The comment was from left field coming from her dad. “Why?”
“Because his parents will make the world’s worst in-laws.” He shook his head as if witnessing a tragedy.
Daisy didn’t want to hear another reason she shouldn’t be with Beckett. She’d spent the last two days thinking of as many as possible so she’d have an answer for her mom. She narrowed her eyes. The two of them had ganged up on her with this sneak attack from Dad.Well played, Mom. “We’ve been dating for one week, Dad. It’s much too soon to be thinking about these things.” Although she knew just the channel to binge-watch when the time came to plan a wedding. And after the look she and Beckett shared at dinner, she didn’t think it would be long. “Wait, wasn’t Doug one of your golfing buddies back in the day? I thought you like him.”
“He’s a great golf buddy. But he’s too gruff for a daughter-in-law—especially if she’s my daughter.”
“Thanks, Dad. That’s really sweet of you to want to protect me.” She leaned her head on his shoulder.
Dad kissed her hair. “And if you are going to date him, you need to get him off your couch.”
Daisy’s head popped up. “How did you …?”
Dad tapped the side of his nose, but he didn’t say a word.
She laughed. “Just so you know, Quinton invited him to stay here. I had nothing to do with it.”
