“Areyougonna have a heart attack?” She gave me an amused smile before propping the door open and jumping down from the truck. “C’mon, it’ll be okay, I know it.”
My dad opened the front door before we even reached the porch. Hank ran out faster than I’d seen him move in the last decade.
“Aww, c’mere boy,” I said, but he didn’t even glance at me. He went directly to Ali, crying loudly as he rolled around in the snow by her feet.
Ali immediately dipped down to him. “Oh, you big boy. I missed you too, Hankiepoo,” she cooed, hugging my old, chubby, snow-covered dog. Hank licked at her face, making her laugh.
“Wow, didn’t know that dog still had it in him to run like that,” my dad said with an amused gleam in his eye as he watched the two of them. Holding himself up against the doorway, he was wearing his typical heavy flannel and work pants with paint stains on them. “C’mon in you guys, I’ve got the fireplace going and some biscuits and gravy on the stove.”
“Fuck yes,” I murmured, immediately moving to the porch.
But my dad held his arm out, blocking me from entering. Even though he looked older and frailer, he was still strong as an ox. “Ladies first, Jamie,” he said with another smirk.
I could hear Ali giggling as she and Hank walked up behind me. Hank struggled on the porch stairs, his big belly hitting the edge of the step and his frail legs struggling to hoist himself up.
Ali’s face dropped and she immediately went to help him, but I quickly grabbed her coat before she could bend down. “He’s gotta be pushing 40 pounds, Al,” I said, hoping she’d remember that the doctor said not to lift more than 25.
Her cheeks heated as she brushed the snow off her hands. “Forgot.”
My dad’s curious eyes bounced between us, but if he found the interaction weird, he kept it to himself.
When Hank finally got himself up, he slowly made his way to me, wagging his tail. I bent to greet him. “Wow, buddy.Nowyou’re happy to see me?” I cocked an eyebrow up at Ali, who was practically bursting with happiness.
“Hi, Mr. McQuaid,” Ali said with a warm smile.
“None of that,” my dad said, waving her off, “you know you call me Cliff.” He pulled her into a hug. “It’s good to see you, Ali,” he said in a gruff voice.
After shedding our shoes and jackets in the front hall, my dad ushered us to the stove.
“Been keeping the food warm for you guys,” he said. “How ya feeling?” he asked me. “Well enough to shovel the driveway?”
“Ah, I don’t know about that,” I said.
“Damn.” He gave me a smirk. “Saw it snowing yesterday and thought I could wait for ya. I’ll go out now.”
Ali gave me a worried look.
“No, I’ll just hire someone,” I countered.
“Hire someone? Why would we do that?” His forehead creased.
“So we can relax together. It’s okay, Dad,” I said with a chuckle.
He frowned. “No, I'll go take care of it.”
“No, c’mon, just stay.”
“Yeah, stay,” Ali chimed in. “We need to catch up.”
Ali’s words had him pausing, and I had to chuckle to myself because of course he’d only listen to her.
When we were all settled around the kitchen table, he studied my arm. “So, I guess you’re out for a while? Stinks you won’t be on the team’s Dad Trip this year.”
“Well, you won’t be either, soI’msorry,” I said, barely taking a second to breathe while inhaling the biscuits and gravy on my plate.
“Yeah, I will,” he said gruffly. “Colt already asked me.” He gave a proud smile.
“Oh.” I was taken aback.
