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“I know, Dad. I’ve just had other things occupying my attention.”
He pulled out his phone and started scrolling. “I saw an ad the other day. Let me find it for you.”
“An ad for what?”
“A hair stylist. I think the salon was down in Wenatchee, but we could just change the wording a little.”
“Dad, it’s fine. I can write an ad myself.”
“Of course you can,” he said, his tone soothing. “I’m just trying to help.”
“Thanks, but I’ll take care of it.”
“Elk!” Mom exclaimed out of nowhere.
Dad glanced at her and raised his eyebrows.
“We saw elk on the trip to Yellowstone. Do you remember that, flower?”
“I don’t think so. Maybe I was too young.”
“Of course you were. You couldn’t have been more than three.” She touched Dad’s arm. “That’s what we should do next summer. A family road trip.”
“Love it,” Dad said.
I opened my mouth to say I didn’t know if I’d be able to take time off for a family road trip—and I was in my thirties, not a ten-year-old—but I closed it again. Mom got ideas like that all the time. She’d probably forget as soon as something else caught her fancy. I didn’t need to make waves by saying no to a vacation that probably wouldn’t happen.
Her eyes moved to me, coming into focus. “How have you been lately? I sense something is wrong.”
“Are you okay?” Dad asked, his voice suddenly laced with concern.
They had no idea.
But I really didn’t want to get into any of it with them.
“I’m fine. I’ve been busy, but I’m all right.”
“And what about this man you’ve been seeing?” Mom asked.
Dad’s expression hardened. “What man?”
“I’ve been sort of seeing someone, but it’s very early. Nothing to get excited about.”
“Nothing to get excited about? Flower, everyone in town is talking about how you landed the rich out-of-towner. Isn’t he the one building the mansion up north?”
“I don’t know if it’s a mansion.”
“I heard it has fifteen bedrooms.” She put her hand over mine. “Honey, I would never tell you to go for a man for his money. But if a good man happens to have money? There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Dad still looked skeptical. Strangely, I was glad for the concern in his expression. Mom was the furthest thing from a gold-digger, and I knew she meant what she’d said—she’d never encourage me to chase a man for his money—but I didn’t like the idea that she already had heart eyes for Preston because he was wealthy.
“I’m honestly not sure where it’s going,” I said. “If anywhere.”
“You’ve always been so careful with your heart,” Mom said. “I admire that.”
“Good thing you weren’t or I’d have been screwed,” Dad said with a chuckle.
She leaned against his arm. “You had my heart from the beginning.”
