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“Hi, Dad.” Then I turn to his girlfriend, her short dark curls wavy above a long, flowing dress. “Hi, Genevieve.”
Dad gives me a kiss on the cheek as he comes in, and Genevieve gives me a warm embrace, which I gladly accept.
My vote for who his girlfriend is had been a win—and so had Archer’s. Though to be honest, I was mostly voting out of my own desire than any knowledge I might have had.
Seeing Dad with her that night at Archer’s event had been eye-opening, and he’s been the same way every other day we’ve seen them together—the first time we’d gone on a trail ride at Horseshoe Holler, just the four of us—and now in Archer’s home. I’ve never seen anyone make Dad so happy, and it warms me through.
The four of us sit around the table, and compliments abound about the setting and the food as we devour everything in sight until we lean back in our chairs with full stomachs and talk about the last few weeks together.
“Okay, so not to throw Dad under the bus in front of his girlfriend or anything,” I begin, and he loosens his collar as I go on. “But I’ve got to ask about the details.”
I’ve been holding my tongue for weeks now, waiting for the right moment to dive in. Now seems as good a time as any.
“Go on,” Genevieve says, holding Dad’s hand under the table like lovesick teenagers. “I want some of these answers myself.”
“So with Lisa...” I begin, “never any interest.”
“None,” Dad says. “She started those rumors herself...with probably some help from the Ednas.”
That isn’t surprising. “What about the Keller’s Bakehouse sticky buns?”
He narrows his eyes. “What about them?”
“There was evidence that you were sharing one with your secretary.”
He laughs. “No. I buy those for myself.”
“Two? Dad, that’s not healthy.”
“I can’t help it. My body craves maple-y goodness.”
Genevieve laughs, her dark eyes sparkling as she stares at Dad.
“But what about Sharon?” I ask next. “Talking to her at the football event, at the hospital when Archer first took me there. You always acted so rigid and uncomfortable.”
He shakes his head. “Ah, well that’s because I knew about those rumors and didn’t want to encourage them—especially with you. We were part of the same singles group a couple years back, but nothing ever romantic happened between us. I was just being a friend whenever I checked up on her.”
“Then explain to me the fall festival. The hospital tent?” I press. “You going in there and being late for the dunk tank?”
“Ah,” Genevieve says, holding up a guilty finger. “That was my fault. I was bumped by Edna G. when I was hot gluing my wreath and burned myself.” She turns doting eyes on Dad. “Your dad took me to the tent to make sure I was okay.”
“That’s why I spoke with Sharon at the football game,” Dad says. “I was asking her if Genevieve needed any extra help with that burn.”
I shake my head, marveling at everything I misread—and correctly read. “So when you choked on the water in the truck when I mentioned Genevieve’s name...”
He nods. “That was because she was the last person I expected you to interact with.” He smiles at Genevieve. “And the first person I wanted you to interact with.”
“All right, I’ve got a question for y’all,” Archer says, leaning forward. “How did you discover that I...paid for the barn?”
An excellent question—one I’ve thought of myself since overhearing the news in the hospital bed.
“It was Lisa, wasn’t it?” I put forth. “She must’ve snuck a look at some account or form or something.”
Dad chuckles. “Uh, no. It wasn’t Lisa.” Then he glances at Genevieve.
A blush is already across her features. “Okay, okay. I’m the guilty party.”
“You?” Archer asks. “How did you find out?”
