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I’m taking my first bite when Daddy casually says, “I met Jake this morning.”
My fingers dig into the pastry and cream filling squirts out both ends. A wet splat of gooey cream lands right on my father’s cheek.
“Well, that wasn’t the reaction I was expecting.” Picking up his napkin, he gingerly wipes the cream off.
Dropping the squished eclair, I thrust my napkin at him. “I’m so sorry!”
Laughing, he shakes his head. “It’s a bit of cream. It’s not a big deal.” He’s quiet for a moment before his lips quirk up in a grin. “Just like your young man’s job isn’t a big deal.”
I must look like a fish with my mouth flapping open and my eyes blinking rapidly.
Folding his dirty napkin, he places it next to his untouched eclair. “I’m assuming that’s why you’ve been avoiding me these past few weeks.”
A bolt of shame fills me.
All along, I’ve been acting like my father is the snob that wouldn’t accept Jake. When in reality, it’s my own prejudices that have made me keep Jake a secret from him. The other night, didn’t I accuse Jake of having unwarranted bias against his sister’s fiancé? And yet here, I’ve had similar hangups.
Guess Jake and I both have a lot to learn.
“Yes,” I whisper, clutching my sticky hands together in my lap.
A gusty sigh leaves my father. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes, haven’t I?”
My head jerks up. “No, this is all my fault.”
My father’s smile is joyless as he shakes his head. “I led you to believe that I would only a accept you dating a certain type of man. So no, the fault lies with me. Baby, my only wish for you when it comes to dating has always been for you to have a good man by your side. And from I’ve seen so far, Jake’s a good man.”
“That must have been some conversation for you to know that! What did you talk about?” I ask, eager to know what the two most important men in my life chatted about while I was peacefully sleeping this morning.
“Actually, not much.” He chuckles and pokes at his eclair. “It’s more what he didn’t say. I wanted him to talk to you on my behalf and have the two of you meet me for lunch tomorrow. He refused and told me that I needed to be the one to talk to you.”
Jake did that?!Surprise courses through me.
“And what’s your answer? Will you and Jake have lunch with me at the club tomorrow? I’d like to get to know him better.”
“I’ll ask Jake later, but I’d like that too.” I reach across the table for my father’s hand and smile when he grips mine. “I’m sorry I’ve been like this for the past few weeks. I should have told you about Jake.”
A thought buzzes incessantly around my brain before popping up like a red flag. Unconsciously, my fingers tighten on Daddy’s and while it might not be my place to tell this information I’d rather he know now, then find out later.
“Baby?” he prompts.
“So, you’re okay with Jake being a trashman, but ummm… he also has a record.”
My father sits up straighter. “He was in jail?”
“Prison.”
Daddy sputters for a moment, then collects himself. “But it wasn’t for murder?”
I burst out laughing. “I said the same thing!”
“Well, it’s not my place to judge him. He’s already been judged and served his sentence. But so help me, if he ever so much as makes you cry, I’ll bury him!”
“Daddy!”
Squeezing my hand, my father lets go and stands up. “And now I better ensure that our trashcan gets to the end of the driveway, as Jake was so kind to remind me.”
I giggle. That sounds like something Jake would do.
