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His eyes bounced around the restaurant, unable to land on her face. "Uh, yes. There is something else."
Her heart pounded in her chest. It felt like time was standing still, like it was an eternity until he opened his mouth again.
"I was hoping to reconnect with you. The house is one thing. Obviously I'm interested in it. But I came to see you. To make amends."
April's heart softened a bit at the mention of making amends. She had longed for this moment for years, but now that it was here, she wasn't sure what to do.
Her eyes widened. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. Her father had never shown interest in reconciling with her before. She felt a glimmer of hope, but also a deep sense of skepticism.
Richard had a way of making her feel both angry and vulnerable at the same time, a complex combination that always left her confused. It had been that way since she was young.
"I know that I haven't been the best, but I'm here now. I want time with you," he said, his eyes full of hope.
What did this mean? What could he possibly say to make up for the time they'd lost? And yet, what right did she have to deny him the chance?
"Okay. I'm open to it," she replied quietly.
Richard's shoulders fell as he relaxed. He let out a deep breath and put a hand to his chest. "Oh, thank god. Thank you, seriously. I really appreciate that."
April nodded her head. She wanted to tell him not to mess it up, to beg her for her forgiveness. But it wasn't the time for chastising. She couldn't even think of what to say.
"The best way for us to spend time together is if we stay at the same place. What do you think? Livin' with your dad for a bit? It could be just like old times."
Old times, as in when she was an extremely young child. Otherwise, she hadn't seen enough of him to spend more than a night or two under the same roof.
His eager smile plunged right into her heart. How could she say no to that? No, really, she was trying to think of a reason.
The bed and breakfast had guests now. It was the beginning of her dreams coming true, and that came with hard work.
But then again, maybe it would be good for them to spend some time together, just the two of them. Maybe they could finally work through their issues and build a real relationship.
How could she possibly say no to family?
"Alright, sure. You can stay at the bed and breakfast in the room next to mine. How does that sound?"
Her father excitedly shuffled in his booth. He had to stop himself from clapping his hands, stopping them inches from each other. "I am so excited, honey. I can't wait for all this time together. We're going to have so much fun."
April smiled weakly, not completely convinced. She knew how easily her father's enthusiasm fizzled out. But she couldn't deny that she felt a twinge of excitement too. Maybe this was the turning point they needed.
The rest of the meal was spent in small talk, planning out their days together. Richard was brimming with ideas and stories, eager to make up for lost time. April couldn't help but feel a spark of hope that they could make this work.
As they left the restaurant, Richard slung his arm over her shoulder. "You know, I think this is going to be the start of something great."
April smiled and nodded, but inside, she wondered if it would actually become the start of something awful.
CHAPTER FIVE
Three more guests were coming the next day, which meant more preparation for April when they got back to the house.
She sent her father to make something for dinner for himself as she worked. It took him fifteen minutes of questioning before he felt confident enough to find everything he needed in the kitchen.
With a deep sigh, April started on the management system. After opening her computer, she picked out rooms for the new guests and read their requests. She would have to block off the room next to her main suite so her father could stay beside her.
There was still so much to be done to the property, including the several hundred acres of land they owned around the house.
The beautiful flowers in an ad stood out to her, but she knew there were other landscapers that would take care of the property for less. She sent emails to both, enquiring about their services.
Then she began to look for ideas for the next renovations, updating a few bathrooms and beginning to think about the ranch the property held. She still wanted to create a kind of horse ranch for all of the wild horses that roamed the property. It was supposed to be a sanctuary for them, where they would feel safe and maybe even rehabilitate. She wanted to rescue them.
