Page 7

His hand moved away, and he gave me a wry smile.

“Sorry. Old habit.”

I rolled my eyes, but Griff ignored me, continuing his story.

“Anyway, my dad died a few months ago and this lawyer found me. I’ve been working as a wildlands firefighter for many years, and my home base was in northern California. The lawyer told me about my father passing and that he’d left a will. I was his sole beneficiary.”

“Even though you hadn’t talked to him in twenty-five years?” Chloe asked in surprise.

“I know. I was shocked too. I thought it was some kind of scam, but the guy’s story checked out. I went to Phoenix for the reading of the will and to figure out what I was going to do with his house,” Griff explained.

“I went through his belongings, and I realized I didn’t know my dad at all. It was like going through a stranger’s house. It made me start thinking about what would happen when I died. I started imagining what it would be like for you to go through my house, knowing we didn’t have a relationship, knowing I was a stranger. Knowing that it was my own fault that we didn’t have a relationship. Then it struck me: it was too late to make things right with my dad, but not my family. I needed to find you two and apologize. To make things right.”

“We’re not your family,” I said peevishly. “You gave up that right.”

“I hope you will be again, some day. I know I don’t deserve it, but I’m asking for your forgiveness. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to be in your lives, to get to know you both better, in whatever way feels most comfortable. I’m here for a while to make that happen.”

“You’re staying here?” I asked in horror. “In my town?”

He nodded. “I rented an Airbnb while I look for a house of my own. I’m moving back here permanently to be closer to you two.”

Chapter 5

Griff

The look of horror on Dawn’s face was almost comical. Or it would be if I didn’t totally deserve it. But as much as I wanted to make things right with Dawn, I knew my first obligation was to my daughter.

She was so grown up and beautiful. I wanted to kick my own ass for missing all those years with her. I only hoped she’d be willing to give me another chance. Chloe looked at Dawn, and they had one of those silent conversations that only people who are super close can have. Chloe turned her eyes back towards me, eyes that mirrored my own.

“Okay Dad, I would like to get to know you better. Maybe I’ll regret this later, but I’ll always wonder about it if I don’t take this chance. But I want to set the parameters of this relationship.”

I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Understood. You just tell me what works.”

She nodded, and after another silent conversation with her mother, asked, “Do you like hiking?”

I nodded. “Love it.”

“The restaurant is closed today and tomorrow. How about we go hiking tomorrow? It’ll give us a chance to get to know each other better, and we’ll go from there.”

I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and sent a prayer of gratitude to the heavens. I had expected this to be much harder.

“I’d love that Chloe. Thank you. Let’s get each other’s phone numbers, if that’s okay.”

Chloe and I chatted for the rest of brunch, asking each other questions about our lives, while Dawn was quiet. It used to be I knew every expression that crossed her beautiful face, but looking at her now, I couldn’t tell what she was thinking at all.

We finished breakfast and after a brief scuffle over the check, I paid, and we walked out of the restaurant together.

“Is it okay if I give you a hug?” Chloe asked me.

My heart thudded in my chest. “It’s more than okay.”

And for the first time in twenty-five years, I hugged my daughter. As I pulled her to my chest, I knew then that everything would be okay with her. Dawn however, would be a harder nut to crack.

The next day I met Chloe at a trailhead. She’d picked out a trail I used to like when I lived here. It was about five miles, and halfway through, the trail came out on a cliff that overlooked the ocean. It had always been my favorite hike, and I wondered what it meant that my daughter had picked it.

Chloe arrived a few minutes after me, pulling up in a battered Corolla that was probably older than she was. I immediately resolved to buy her a car once we got to know each other a bit better. I couldn’t have my daughter running around in that thing, even if it sounded like it worked pretty well.