AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Dad just smiles. But it’s not his usual warm smile. It’s an acknowledgement, with added concern on the side.
“Bree’s a good girl, Jackson.”
“She’s a woman actually, Dad,” I reply dryly. “You can’t call women girls anymore, it’s politically incorrect.”
“Whatever,” he snarls, which only makes me laugh. Dad’s an old-fashioned man and nothing is ever going to change that.
“All right. Bree is a good woman,” he says pointedly.
“I know that.”
“Then maybe, you ought to do something about it.”
I instantly feel a twisting in my guts. It’s not fear, but apprehension. I’ve been off the horse for so long, I can’t even remember which end the tail is at. Dad is right, and I know he is right. But after today, after reliving the pain all over again…
“What if—” I begin apprehensively.
“What if, what?” Dad nearly barks. “What if I had let your mother’s death stop me from ever marrying again? What if I had let Lizzy’s death cripple me for life? What if I had caged myself in my own mind, instead of looking outside at the world? Life is a contact sport, son. You cannot go through it without pain.”
His words hit me hard. I had admired Dad for so long. I had seen life throw all kinds of trials and tribulations at him, and he had got back on his feet every time. Surely, I could do the same. He had been the best example of determination and resilience I had ever seen, and instead of following in his footsteps, I had decided to hide in the shadows, pretending to have found some sort of solace in them. I had built a wall around me so high, it wasn’t just keeping people out, it was keeping me in. I had been a prisoner. I was not living.
But I don’t want to continue doing that. I don’t want my tombstone to read:
Here lies Jackson Scott. He sacrificed the joy of living so he would feel no pain.
I had to break out of this mental prison. I had to move on, step out of the past, face the fear, and live again. Even if things don’t work out between me and Bree, which is a terrifying thought, at least I would have tried, right? Dad’s words swirl around my head like a mantra.
Life is a contact sport, son. You cannot go through it without pain.
“You’re right,” I say, looking straight at him with newfound conviction. “I’ve been a coward.” They’re harsh words, but true. “Maybe it’s time to pull up my big boy pants and start living again.”
Dad chuckles. I can see relief in his eyes.
“I have to go back to the city for a few days. Phil called earlier. He needs me back to warm up a prospect.”
“Well, you’re all caught up now,” Dad says. “No more orders have come through since I put it up on the website that I’m out of action for a while. If you need to take a few more days…”
I smile. “I think we both know I need to come back, Dad.”
Dad beams a huge grin at me. “Good for you, son.”
