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CHAPTER11
Colton
What was my dad up to? He’d been so chatty with Annabella, and that was unusual for him. The only woman I’d ever seen him comfortable with was my mother. Even when Mom would have her quilting friends over, Dad would disappear into the garage or suddenly need to pick something up in town.
Annabella seemed to have cast a spell on us Marzoni men, because she had me captivated as well. I mustn’t have been as quick-thinking as my dad apparently was, because I had no idea how I would be able to convince her to stay a couple of days more.
Delaying her departure might help me understand what it was about her that I couldn’t shake. Maybe it wouldn’t even take that long, since we were going into town for dinner and drinks.
I was waiting in the living room with my dad. “What’s keeping her?”
“I’m sure whatever it is, it is worth the wait,” he replied.
I looked at him and said, “Dad, I hope you’re not trying to play matchmaker.”
“Of course not. That was your mother’s role, not mine. I was only sharing my wisdom. When a woman is running late, she is usually trying to make herself extra pretty for the one doing the waiting.”
“You know this how?” I questioned.
“Your mother did it to me many times. And a word to the wise - make sure you notice it.”
“Notice what?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Whatever it is that she did to make tonight special. Your job is to figure it out,” he said with a wink.
I never got nervous for a date, but Dad was making me question myself a little. Before I got the chance to reflect too deeply, I could hear the click-clack of heels on the stairway. When Annabella entered the room, I didn’t have to search for what to say.
“You look beautiful.” When I met her in Boston, she’d had her uniform on, and yesterday she was wearing black as well. Earlier this morning, she was dressed in baggy sweats. Tonight, she was dressed for a date. “Red is your color.”
Her hands brushed over her dress, and she smiled. “Thank you. I wasn’t sure what to wear.”
For the bar and grill I had in mind, she was better dressed than anyone else would be. But it wasn’t too late for a change of plans. I was just wearing jeans and a dress shirt, but I could easily fix that with a jacket.
“Wherever we go, all eyes are going to be on you,” I said, honestly.
“Too much?” she asked looking down at her outfit. “I can go change,” she offered.
“You could wear a paper bag and it wouldn’t change anything. Your smile is going to light up the room.”
Dad gave me a nod, then got up and said, “I hope you two have a wonderful night. I’m not waiting up for you. If it’s too late, and you’re too tired, just stay at your apartment.”
“I thought you were looking forward to my homemade blueberry pancakes in the morning,” Annabella replied.
“I might sleep in late tomorrow. It’s been a…long week,” he said.
Annabella walked over and hugged him. “We are only a phone call away if you need us.”
It should be me telling my dad this, but instead, here she was, caring for him as though she was part of the family.
I know what’s so special about you. It’s your heart.
That scared the shit out of me. I couldn’t see this working long term. She lived in Boston, and during our chats, she had shared her dream to have a beachfront home.We have rivers and lakes, but no ocean here.
My dad had been through so much this week. I didn’t want Annabella’s departure to break his heart again. How was I going to get her to stop being so damn nice when it came so naturally to her?
Not everyone is a born asshole.
I pulled the keys to my truck out of my pocket and said, “We’d better get going.”
