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Dad rested his elbows on the table and focused his blue eyes on me. “What are you doing with your art?”
“I bought a kiln, and I’m trying my hand at blowing glass. I was able to make some hearts and basic ornaments. But I haven’t been able to get the birds right.”
I pulled out my phone and showed him the images.
“You’ll get there. Just keep trying. I’ve found when I’m stuck on a chord, that one day, it just comes easy, or I see something I couldn’t see before.”
“Thanks for the tip.”
Our food came, and I looked at my dad with new eyes. He could relate to my art. He was a decent guy. As long as I didn’t need him for anything, like walking me down the aisle.
I stilled, with the forkful of eggs halfway to my mouth. Is that where this thing with Talon was going? Is that what I wanted? Would I get married on the farm like Ireland and Emmett and Sarah and Knox?
“You going to settle down and have some kids, or are you a free spirit like me?” Dad asked between bites.
“I haven’t traveled much, but Talon said he’d like to do that with me.” Which I appreciated. Especially since he’d already traveled a lot. “But I don’t think I could move from one place to another. The Monroe farm feels like home to me now.”
“What happens if something goes south?”
“I have my apartment.” His concern hit a little differently than if it had come from my mom. He’d never been worried about me getting hurt. Usually, he was the one who inflicted the pain.
“You should always have a backup plan.”
Is that what my dad had, some escape plan in the back of his mind? You thought you were connecting with him, and in his mind, he was already running away from you? It made me feel uncomfortable.
Was I the same? Could I break through the fear of being abandoned and have a solid relationship with Talon? Or would I always be haunted by the wounds of my past?
Chapter 25
Talon
Ever since I got the message from Holly that she was having lunch with her father, I kept checking my phone for an update. Should I intervene somehow? Make my presence known? More than anyone else, Holly’s father had the power to hurt her.
I didn’t like the thought of her coming home upset or worried that she wasn’t good enough when the fact was, he’d never been good enough for her.
I tried to focus on work, to trust that Holly could handle her dad, even as the space between my shoulder blades tightened.
When a knock sounded on the open shed door a short while later, I removed my safety goggles. “Knox. What are you doing here?”
“We were looking at the wedding centerpieces when Holly’s dad showed up.”
“He didn’t call or text beforehand?” I would think Holly would have told me if she’d arranged to meet her father for lunch.
“She seemed surprised. I asked her if it was a good idea, and she said she could handle her dad.”
“I have no doubt,” I said, though my stomach churned. Would Holly freak out about us once she talked to her dad? Would she remember all the times he’d abandoned her and do the same to me? I hated that I was thinking this way. Since we’d gotten back together, things had been great.
“You’re worried about her,” Knox said, moving deeper into the space.
“Wouldn’t you be if the roles were reversed?” I asked him tightly.
“That’s why I’m wondering why you’re here working instead of being with her.”
“You heard her. She could handle it herself.”
“Don’t you think it would be nice to support her? You can show her dad that you’re the man in her life now, and he can’t mess with her like he has in the past.”
My jaw tight, I asked, “How am I going to do that?”
