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I’d tried to brave the front of house that first day, but the desire to burst into tears was too damn strong, so I’d given up and decided to stick to paperwork until I was at least able to fake that I was all right.
My staff gave me a wide berth to avoid my manic mood swings, and Hazel had started to look at me with worry in her eyes in the evenings. I needed to do better for my little girl, and I promised myself to put on a mask and be the mom she knew me to be when I got home from work that evening.
The one bright, shining light in a week that had sucked balls, was the fact that I’d finally had enough on Kadence to nail her ass to the wall. After Penelope had told me what she’d been doing at the register, I’d set up one of those nanny cams and caught her red-handed.
As promised, I’d waited until Pen was on shift before calling the police and having her arrested in the middle of the restaurant during the lunch rush for everyone to see. Maybe it was catty, but I didn’t give a damn. She was a shitty person. I would have let it go had it been a couple hundred dollars, but she’d stolenthousandsfrom me, and I was going to make an example of her.
Watching the cops cuff her hands behind her back, cart her out of Junior’s, and stuff her into the back of a cruiser had made me feel a bit like my old self, and it helped that Asher came over later that night after I’d put Hazel to bed, and I got to relive the whole thing over a couple glasses of wine.
As for my friend and soon-to-be sister-in-law, she was a shoulder to lean on while I dealt with heartache after Ford and I imploded. She called and texted regularly to check on me but made sure to give me space so I could sort things out on my own. She even called one night to tell me she heard from Owen that Ford was kind of a mess himself. At least I wasn’t alone in my misery.
A part of me wanted to be bitter over him breaking my heart, but I couldn’t stop thinking of that picture and the desolate look on his face when he told me about them. I couldn’t imagine that kind of loss. I couldn’t fathom my life without Hazel in it. I thought I was struggling after Keith’s empty threat, but it was nothing compared to how Ford had suffered.
He'd lost the love of his life and the beautiful gift they’d made together in one tragic, life-altering accident. It was a wonder he was able to function at all. I didn’t think I would be strong enough. For as much as I hurt, I couldn’t help but grieve for his loss as well.
I just wished things had turned out differently.
It was on that thought that a knock sounded on my door, pulling me out of my melancholy and back into the present.
“It’s open,” I called, figuring it was one of my staff needing something from me. I wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d drawn straws to see who’d be stuck approaching me, and I didn’t blame them for wanting to keep a safe distance.
But it wasn’t any of them who opened the door and stepped through. “Dad. Hey,” I said with surprise. “I didn’t know you were coming in today. Is everything all right?”
“Everything’s just fine, honey. But I was wondering if maybe you had a minute for your old man?”
My lips tugged up in the corners as I waved him in. “I always have time for you, Dad.” And that was the truth. We hadn’t exactly seen eye to eye lately, and because of that, our relationship had been tense, but no matter how angry or frustrated I got, I loved both my parents without condition, and there wasn’t anything in the world that would change that. “Have you had lunch yet? I could grab a couple slices if you have time.”
“That would be nice, darlin’. Tack on a couple sodas and you’ve got yourself a date. I haven’t had lunch with my girl in way too long. I’d say we’re overdue.”
Despite the mood I’d been in lately, I couldn’t help but laugh. I knew the game my father was trying to play, and I wouldn’t be any part of it. I stood and rounded my desk, as I told him, “You’ll have a water, and you won’t complain about it, or I’ll tell Mom you tried to con me into giving you a soda after your doctor explained you needed to cut back on your sugar intake.”
He grumbled as I patted his shoulder and moved past him to the kitchen to grab a couple slices of his favorite, olive and Italian sausage, only I made sure it was mild instead of spicy.
“So, what brings you by?” I asked once we both had our food in hand.
He gave me a curious look as he chomped on the bite he’d just taken. “Can’t a father just come in to visit his daughter without having an ulterior motive?”
“Of course he can,” I said with an arched brow. “But age and experience has proven that’s never the case with you. So, spill it old man.”
He wiped his mouth with a paper napkin, his expression growing serious just before he announced, “Sweetheart, I owe you an apology.”
I froze with my slice of pizza halfway to my mouth. “I’m sorry. What did you just say?”
He gave me an arched look. “You heard me, and you damn well know it,” he grumped, and for the first time in days, I let out a full belly laugh.
“I did, but can you blame me for being surprised? I’m not sure I’ve heard those words come out of your mouth before.”
He grunted something about the women in his life doing his head in before returning to the topic at hand. “I’ve been hard on you lately, but it’s not because I don’t think you’re capable. I’ve just had a hard time letting go.”
“I get it, Dad,” I said softly. “This place is important to you and Mom. Trust me, I understand. It’s important to me too.”
He shook his head, his thick brow furrowed. “No, sweetheart, you misunderstand. I’m not struggling to let go of this place. I’m struggling to let go of you.”
My head tilted to the side, befuddlement pulling my features into a frown. “Let go of me? What are you talking about?”
“You’re my little girl,” he said with a shrug. “You’ll always be my little girl, no matter how old you get. But you don’t need me anymore, and I haven’t handled that very well.”
“Daddy—”
