“She even threw in an extra shot of espresso for free.” I back out of The Thirsty Turtle’s parking lot after he’s buckled. “You ask her out yet?”
“Shoot. Cut your ol’ dad some slack. You don’t just ask a girl out like that all willy-nilly. It takes time. It takes work. Not like you kids these days.”
I chuckle. “I feel you on the taking work. Sadly, that still hasn’t changed in the dating world for people my age either.”
“Yeah?”
I don’t glance his way because I don’t need to. I already know what expression I’ll find on his face. Hopeful.
“Sorry, still not dating anyone.” I take a sip of my coffee, the bitterness mixed with the sweet vanilla an explosion of deliciousness on my tongue.
“What happened to that one gal? You know, the cougar?”
I choke on my coffee. “She wasn’t that old, Dad.” I swallow. “And she was fine. But I guess, yeah, the age thing was a problem. For her, not me,” I clarify.
“Aw, that’s okay, son. The right one will come along.”
The right one did come along, I wanna say. She came along and I snagged her. I had her. But then I lost her. And even though she’s walked back into my life, it feels like she’s slipping through my fingers again.
“I know what you’re thinking,” he says, and now I do glance his way. “If you and Rosie are meant to be, you’ll find a way back to each other.”
I chew on my lip.
“You never mentioned it, and I didn’t have the heart to ask…Did she make it to town for Dottie’s memorial?”
I swallow the rising lump in my throat. “She did.”
“How did it go?”
“Actually, she’s still here.”
“Really? Is she planning on sticking around?”
“For about a week.”
Dad blows out a whistle. “A week, huh? Sounds like…a chance,” he says at the same time I say, “like trouble.”
I groan out apftand mutter, “whatever.”
Dad’s quiet for a moment next to me and I’ve almost reached the marina. This feels like as good a time as any to tell him about Charlie. “Dad?”
“Mhmm?”
“That’s kind of why I asked if you wanted to come fishing today. I’ve got some…news.”
“Oh? So there was an ulterior motive? Not just a casual father/son fishing trip?”
I park my truck in the first open spot at the marina, worried if I waste any more time, I won’t be able to spit out what I need totell him. I ram the shifter into park so fast we both fling forward before rearing backward. Dad’s head ricochets off the headrest.
“Whoa, what’s going on? You okay? You’re scaring me.” He rubs at the back of his head.
I turn to look at him, clenching my teeth and trying to ignore the other fishermen likely beating us to the best spots.
“Are you in some kind of trouble?”
I shake my head and exhale a wobbly breath. “Rosie didn’t return to Golden Harbor alone.”
A sullen expression overtakes his face and his lips droop. “Oh, son. I’m so sorry. She brought a boyfriend with her?”
