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Tom laughed, making his belly and man boobs jiggle.
My almost flat chest was jealous.
“Not tonight, girly.” Tom took a swig of beer.
I really wished he wouldn’t. He worried me. I don’t know if I would call him an alcoholic, but he teetered on the edge. At least he was a happy drunk. Though sometimes he waxed very sentimental. He missed his kids and ex-wife something fierce. Carly had opened the door for reconciliation and had even visited him briefly a couple of times so Tom could meet his grandsons. I wasn’t sure, though, that their relationship would ever be the same as it had been before he’d cheated on Mrs. Hamilton while on a business trip during our senior year. When it had come to light, it had rocked everyone’s world and created a seemingly uncrossable rift between Tom and his family. Carly had had a family-only destination wedding twelve years ago. Tom hadn’t been invited. Brooks wouldn’t allow it, according to Carly. It was either Brooks or Tom, and Carly had chosen her brother.
The breakup of the Hamiltons’ marriage had even upended my world. When June and her children had moved out, not only had I suffered the loss of my two best friends, but June Hamilton had been like a mother to me. After I lost Momma, she had taken me under her wing like a little chick, helping me pick out prom dresses and even buying me tampons. When she left to move back to her hometown in Arkansas to be closer to her parents, I thought she would keep in touch, but I guess anything related to Pecan Orchard was too painful, even me.
I smiled at Tom. “Bring it on.”
“Watch and learn.” Tom shuffled the cards before dealing us each two, facedown. He loved playing Texas Hold’em.
“How was work today, sweetie?” Dad asked me while peeking at his cards.
I thought about how to answer that truthfully, without revealing that Brooks had been there. I’d already used up my lying quota for the day. “Um . . . it was interesting. I had a really rude client, but I gave him the what for, and I won’t be seeing him again.” I peeked at my cards, trying to keep a straight face. They were excellent—two queens.
“Good for you, honey.” Dad held his cards close to his chest.
“He didn’t come on to you, did he?” Tom growled.
I wish. Wait. No I didn’t. At least I hadn’t for a while. So maybe that was a lie too. “No, he didn’t.”
Tom set the deck down. “Good. Or I’d have to find him and beat the hell out of him.”
Oh, that probably wouldn’t go over well. Though Brooks probably needed a good talking-to. However, Brooks would easily best his dad if a physical altercation ever occurred. The man was pure muscle. I was trying not to think about it. But holy crow, it was hard not to think about his body.
“Let’s move on to more serious matters,” Tom interrupted my sizzling memories. “Have you caught up on The Nanny?”
Tom and I had a thing where we binged on old TV shows and then discussed them. We’d watched everything from I Love Lucy to The Golden Girls. I still couldn’t convince him to get into General Hospital. I had to settle for the fact that I’d made Carly a fan for life of the greatest soap opera ever.
“I watched a few episodes last night.”
“I can’t believe Maxwell doesn’t want C. C.” Tom threw some poker chips into the pot to get the betting going.
“What? C. C. is awful. He’s supposed to fall for Fran.” I shouldn’t be surprised that Tom had a thing for C. C. He’d fallen in love with Bea Arthur’s character from The Golden Girls too. Something about tall, strong women, I guess. It made sense since June, though a beautiful woman, was more on the masculine side. When I knew her, I swear she could have beaten the crap out of almost any guy. She was six feet tall and had broad shoulders like a linebacker. She had also rocked some stilettos, and she had some serious curves. Carly had gotten her momma’s height and had towered over all of us on the cheerleading squad. Poor thing was always on the bottom of the pyramid. But, boy, could she shake it.
“Fran?” Tom scoffed. “She talks with her nose. I would have to shoot myself if I had to listen to her voice every day.”
“But she’s good with the children.” Daddy surprised us both and jumped in.
My head whipped in Daddy’s direction. “You’re watching The Nanny, Daddy?”
His ears pinked a bit. “I thought I should check it out since you said you loved it.”
Aww. This was why I would forever be a daddy’s girl and believe that there were good men out there. I had to believe there was one for me. “What do you think of it?”
