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I blink when Dad lays a hand on my shoulder.
“Are you okay? Is something bothering you?”
“No.” I shut the tailgate and tug my shirt off, because just thinking of Claire has me hot and bothered.
“Ahhh. Now I get it.”
“Get what?”
“Woman problems. Nothing to be ashamed of, boy. We’ve all got ‘em.”
I shake my head. “There are no woman problems, because there is no woman.”
“Well,” Dad says, nudging my arm. “Maybe that’s your problem.”
“You telling me I need to find a woman? Because I’ll have you know that women love me.”
“I know they do, son. You’ve got too many to pick from,” he says. “And hell no. I wouldn’t tell you to get a woman until you’re one-hundred-percent ready, because women are a pain in the ass, and they’ll drive you insane. They’re completely worth it in the end, but it’s the middle shit that’ll make you lose your mind.”
“And how does someone know he’s made it through all the crazy shit? When does the headache become worth it?”
“When you’ve got the girl. When she smiles at you like you hung the moon and promises to love you forever, you’ll know you made it.”
“Sounds like a lot of work.”
“It’s not easy; that’s for damn sure.”
Dad and I climb into the truck and head for the barn.
“Was Mom a pain in the ass?”
“The worst. Your mother made me chase her for years before she finally agreed to go out with me.”
I laugh because I can totally see my mom doing that. She’s stubborn to a fault. “And you’ve been together ever since.”
“Hell no. We both made a lot of mistakes, and we broke up several times before we got it right.”
“That doesn’t sound like fun.”
“Love rarely is, but it’s a beautiful thing, and once you get a taste of it with the right person, you’ll never get enough. You’ll spend the rest of your life fighting for it.”
I keep my eyes trained on the dirt road, afraid that if I look at him he’ll see how much his words have resonated with me.
“Just take your time, son,” he says, rolling down his window. “There’s a girl out there for you. You’ve just got to find her.”
I think I already have. “What if I’ve already found her, but I’ve kept something from her?”
Dad gives me a curious look, but asks only one question. “Whatever you’ve kept from her, will it hurt her?”
“Maybe.”
Dad nods. “You have to be honest. Lay it all on the line and let the chips fall where they may. You can’t control fate, son. If she’s meant to be yours, you’ve got nothing to worry about. But no secrets. You can’t build a solid foundation on lies. You need trust for that.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“Anytime, son.” He claps a hand on my shoulder. “Now, let’s get to work.”
Today I need to work my ass off. Maybe if I concentrate on the things I need to get done, I won’t think about how soft Claire’s lips are and how her breasts felt pressed against my back yesterday. And I certainly won’t think about how badly I want to touch her again.
