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“I love you too, princess. Now, another bite. You didn’t eat enough yesterday. I saw you give Tinder half your plate of food under the table last night.”
I kick my legs back and forth, knowing I need to be careful what I say next. Daddy loves me, and is very tolerant with me, but he does not stand for sassy, bratty replies.
“I’m sorry. I just wasn’t that hungry and I didn’t like the hamburger. I don’t like meat, you know that.”
“Yes, baby, I know. I’ll try to find some other options for you. My little blossoming vegetarian still needs to eat healthy food. You can’t live on cupcakes and French fries. I’m going to be sure of that.”
Another mouthful of eggs arrives at my lips. Daddy bought the drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility in downtown, the one where you go if you don’t have any money. He’s upgrading the place, building onto it, expanding it. He will have a scholarship program for people that don’t have the ability to pay, because he wants everyone to benefit from the same treatment, but it’s not going to be second rate in any way. It will be high end. We will have the best of the best when it comes to doctors, and the programs there will be first rate.
It was my idea to incorporate an animal program, and that gave us the idea to have an animal shelter next door. That way the residents could have access to some supervised work, bond with the animals, adopt one during their stay—there are all sorts of ways they can help each other.
“And what about Dad?” I gather my courage and swallow hard, waiting for his answer.
“Well, when you are ready, he’s ready to talk to you, baby. But I think you should wait. He’s just started his treatment. I say we give him a couple months. I have to do what I think is best for you, and he was in bad shape when they found him. Just be glad he agreed to go the facility. I paid for everything he needs—clothes, the program for six months, his apartment. Let’s give him some time. He’s been sick for a long time.”
“Okay. I trust you.” I take another bite of eggs before I continue with my mouth full. “I know I don’t even know him, but I wish him well. Even if he doesn’t want to be part of my life, I still want to know he’s okay.” I gulp down the food. “But if he does, I want to meet him. Again. And just see what happens.”
“If that’s what you want, baby, I’ll make it happen, as long as I know you will be safe and he won’t hurt you. But we’ll talk more about it as time goes on. Let’s see how he does in treatment, okay?”
It’s toast this time, with strawberry jelly, and I take a bite before I lean my head into the crook of his neck. It’s my favorite place, I can smell his masculine scent, hear the low thump of his pulse in his neck, his heart in his chest.
We finish up breakfast and I sit on top of the kitchen counter, spinning my hair between my fingers, watching while he does the dishes.
“Andrea called last night.”
“Yeah? How’s she doing?” He looks over at me with a warm smile. Everything and everyone that means something to me is important to him.
“She’s good. Seems like she and your brother Erik had a nice time at Thanksgiving dinner. They went out to lunch yesterday, and they are going to dinner Saturday.”
We had a big dinner here at the cabin for Thanksgiving, with Daddy’s family all around us. Andrea came too, because her mom was out of the country with her new boyfriend. She ended up sitting next to Erik and he looked like a deer caught in headlights the whole night.
A deep chuckle comes from Daddy’s throat as he dries his hands and folds the dishtowel in a perfect square before placing it on the counter. He steps over and I spread my legs for him to stand in between. He doesn’t need an invitation, he just moves in and kisses the top of my head.
“They did seem to make a connection.”
“Yep. She said he’s texting her like four times a day. Making sure she’s okay. Asking her if she ate her lunch, if she has gas money, and if she slept well. Sounds like the Leonard men have something in common.”
He wraps me in one of his bear hugs with more deep laughter.
“We may be slow to start, but once we do we’re hard to stop.” He rubs his fingers on my back. “How’s your ass, baby? I didn’t hurt you, did I? I’d kill myself if I hurt you.” His voice loses its lightness and I know he’s so worried about everything.
“I loved it, Daddy. It’s a little sore, but the good kind of sore. You didn’t hurt me. It felt so good.”
“Good. I love you, babygirl. So much.”
His phone buzzes in his pocket and he lets me go to pull it out. He smiles and taps out a reply to a text. When he looks up, his eyes dance and sparkle, and I know something is up.
“Who was that?”
“You’ll see, come on. I have a surprise for you. Put this on.” He reaches over to the chair where my winter jacket is hanging. I wondered why it was there, he’s normally so tidy, everything put away in its proper place. Seems like someone’s been hiding a secret plan.
Once he’s got me zipped up he turns his back to me. “Hop on.” He crouches down, and in a second he’s got me piggy back and out the front door just as a pickup is pulling down the long, gravel drive through the pine trees. It crunches around the circle toward where we’re standing. It’s cold, but he has heat lamps on in the entryway and the overhang.
It doesn’t take me more than two seconds to see the person in the passenger seat struggling to calm an excited ball of fur.
“What? Is that what I think it is?”
He lowers my feet to the ground as my hands dart to cover my mouth and I start jumping up and down. I love Tinder and Leopold, but I’ve been talking about how much I loved raising Cherokee from a little pup. I guess when he said making me happy and giving me everything I want (within reason of course) is what makes him happy, he wasn’t kidding.
