Page 71 of Wildflowers and Wide Receivers

“But what if you need it?” I ask, looking around. I’ve never driven a truck quite like this before, and it’s almost intimidating.

“I have another one.”

“Oh, you kept your old truck. That makes sense; you loved it.”

I’m glad. I loved it, too. I feel like there’s a lot of change, and I need a bit of stability. Jonah, Vivi, unexpected emotions, jobs, possible changes, potentially moving, having to say goodbye, him losing weight, new trucks, uncertainty . . . everything feels like it’s leaning on an edge about to fall. One strong gust and over I go.

“No, I traded it in for this one. I was spending more money on fixing it than it was worth.”

I turn to face him. I’m confused. “So you bought a second car?”

He glances at me but smiles to himself. His cheeks shade a little red, and I feel like I’m having an out-of-body experience. My dad doesn’t blush. What is going on here?

“We have much to talk about,” he says like it’s some deep, insightful enlightenment.

“What do you mean? We talk all the time.” And we do. Every day through text and at least once a week on the phone, sometimes more if the Vikings or the Twins are winning.

“Yes, we do, but now that you’re here in person, I have some exciting news to share with you.”

His eyes twinkle. Like actually twinkle.

My subdued, laid-back, nothing-fazes-him father must be under a spell.

“Like what?” I ask, anxious to hear if he won the lottery or something.

That blush spreads, and the tips of his ears turn pink. I feel like I’m in some alternate universe where my dad’s personality has suddenly been swapped with someone else's.

He holds his breath for a second and then slowly lets it out. “I met someone.”

Whoosh goes that gust as it slams into me and knocks me over.

“What?” I’m shocked.

Leaving one hand on the wheel, he rubs the back of his neck with the other. “I wanted to wait until we got home so you could meet her, but clearly, that didn’t work out as planned.”

Meet her. That means she must be there. At. Our. House. He was going to spring her on me without warning?

Oh my God.

“How? When? Where?” I fire off.

“At the gym of all places and just before Christmas.”

I feel my jaw drop as I’m momentarily at a loss for words.

“You joined the gym?” I’ve never seen him work out a day in my life. He used to go for walks with my mom, but that was it.

“Well, yeah. I’m not getting any younger, and the doctor told me I needed to do more strength training.”

That explains the weight loss, especially if his muscles are getting leaner and stronger.

“I understand why you need to work out, but before Christmas? Why didn’t you tell me then? Or any day since then?” My heart twinges with a feeling of betrayal.

The truck slows and then turns. He glances at me again and then looks out at the road. Our home is in Falcon Heights, not too far from the airport, and with each minute that passes, I know we’re getting closer to her. Heat flashes under my skin. It’s not that I don’t want my dad to date, or that I’ve never considered what it would feel like when he did, but it’s just always been us.

And now it’s not.

“Because we had just started dating. I didn’t even know if it was going to become something.”