“I was kind of poking fun with you a little. Okay, well, a lot. I thought you were just some out-of-towner passing through.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Sorry. Sometimes I get carried away,” Luke said. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“That is not what a father wants to hear. In fact, have I shown you my gun collection?”
“Sir?”
Misty grabbed Luke’s hand. “I think Vanessa will forgive you sooner than my dad will.”
“I’ll be a complete gentleman, sir.”
Vanessa nodded to Misty.Every daddy’s job.
CHAPTERTHIRTY
Mike watched from the door as Luke helped Misty into his Carolina-blue Ford pickup. “Never did like UNC blue,” Mike said.
“Be nice,” Vanessa said.
“That was me being nice. At least he’s driving a Ford.” He swept at a tear on his cheek, pausing when he realized she was watching him while sweeping a tear from her own. “Must be contagious.”
“Highly.” She dabbed at the corner of her eye. “She really looked beautiful.”
“Exactly like her mother.” His voice grew quiet. “Man. It’s not easy to see her grow up.”
“I can’t imagine. I’ll say this, though: If I’d ever had a daughter, I’d be awfully proud to have one as bright and caring as yours. You’re doing something right.”
He shrugged as he walked back inside and closed the door behind them.
“Thanks for letting me help her. I was kind of like her when I was her age. I was a little awkward.”
“That’s hard to believe.”
“Oh, I was. I had this whole fashion business and it was pretty successful too for a fourteen-year-old, but even though people thought I had great fashion sense and bought things from me, they made fun of me.”
“Kids can be mean.”
“Don’t I know it,” she said. “You never forget that stuff.”
“Misty looked so grown tonight. I take it that was your dress she was wearing.”
“It is.”
“You always pack a fancy dress no matter where you’re going?”
“Of course I do. It’s a little black dress. You can dress it up. Or down. Never mind. You don’t need to understand. But it saved you tonight.”
“It did. I owe you for that. Thank you so much. I don’t know how you did it. She was a mess when I was trying to talk to her.”
“Yeah, she was pretty upset, but she was right. That dress was a disaster.”
“That situation needed a woman’s touch.” He lifted his hands in front of him. “I don’t have that. When I first lost my wife, I knew I was in over my head. The women of this town helped me like you wouldn’t believe, but that was a long time ago now. I thought I had everything under control. We have routines. But now, dances. Boys. Working. It’s a whole new game.”
“It’s got to be easier here, though. I mean, Fraser Hills. It’s Americana. The wide-eyed American dream without all the complexities and drama of the city.”
“We get our share of drama here, too,” he said. “I don’t just mean tonight’s meltdown either.”
