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Liv
Mydadbouncesdownthe stairs, whistling a merry tune, wearing a blue plaid button down tucked into jeans with his nice boots. His subtle cologne wafts in my direction as he passes me on the couch, ruffling my hair as he goes.
“Hot date?”
He grins as he grabs his phone from the coffee table. “Yep.”
I can’t help but smile. I’ve never seen him like this. “So, things are going well with Barbara?” They’ve been spending every night together for the past few weeks.
He nods. “Yep. And my stubborn daughter is going to have dinner with us tomorrow night. Life is grand.”
I roll my eyes and he laughs. He bends down and plants a kiss on my temple. “Love you, Livvie. Don’t wait up.”
“Gross. Love you too.”
He grins again and hustles out the door, the screen banging shut behind him. His boots clunk down the steps and the truck starts a moment later. Garrett appears from the kitchen, munching on an apple.
“Why does he go crazy over her? I don’t get the appeal.”
Garrett shrugs. “Simple. Your mom is hot.” He plops next to me on the couch with a mischievous grin and I smack his arm. Hard.
“Ow!” he groans and rubs his injury.
I glare at him, which only makes him laugh harder. “What? It’s the truth.”
“My dad isn’t a Neanderthal like you.”
He quirks an eyebrow. “You sure about that?”
I smack him in the same spot, and he hisses. “Jesus, slugger. Take it easy.”
I stare at my plate of spaghetti. There are bacon bits in it, just like Barbara made when we were kids. It was my favorite, but I never had it again after she left. We’re at her tiny apartment in town that sits above the antique store on Main Street.
“Sorry, are you a vegetarian now? I remembered how much you loved my spaghetti when you were a kid.”
I sigh and scoop some onto my fork and shove it into my mouth. “It’s fine,” I say after I chew and swallow. Damn, it’s even better than I remember. Barbara smiles and we continue eating in awkward silence. She’s nervous and fidgety, but she should be.
“So, how are things at the shelter? Your dad says you and Garrett have been drawing attention to the adoptions?” she asks.
“It’s going great, thanks.” Polite indifference is all I can settle on. My dad sighs and nudges my foot under the table. I swallow and meet her eyes. “People seem to like Garrett, and he brings attention to our needs. It’s working well.”
Barbara turns to Garrett. “That’s kind of you.”
He flashes her a charming grin, and we return to the awkward silence. “How was your guys’ date last night?” Garrett asks.
Barbara blushes and my dad grins like an idiot. Oh God, what fresh hell just opened? Dad clears his throat before he speaks. “We had a great time. I took her to the dance hall, and we had a steak dinner.”
“Liv, did you know your dad is an amazing dancer?” Barbara asks.
“Must be where John gets it from,” I say.
She perks up at the mention of my brother and I regret my words. “Your dad said he won a dance competition a few years ago?”
“He did.”
“What about you? Do you dance?”
“She dances well, but you should see her when she dances with Luke,” Garrett says, and I kick him under the table. He grunts but otherwise ignores me.
