AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“A country rockstar?” I put on my sunglasses. The afternoon sky is so clear and bright it’s making my eyes water. “Since when are you into those?”
Dad smiles from his captain’s perch and shrugs. “Since Lady introduced me. She’s got great taste in music. We listen to it all the time. And I meanallthetime.”
I spear a hand through my hair. “Dad, I’m happy that you’ve found a... special friend. But please keep the details of your sex life to yourself, okay?”
“Okay.” Dad keeps smiling. “You should really try it, though. Life’s so much better when you’re f?—”
“Finding things in common with that special friend. Got it. Lady is a lot of fun.”
Dad and Lady Gibbes have been an item ever since they ran into each other at Goldie and Coop’s wedding. Lady comes from a very wealthy family that’s summered on the island for as long as I can remember. She’s actually the aunt of Lu Wade, the girl Riley is obsessed with.
I mean it when I say Lady’s fun. She’s got the mouth of a sailor, but the mind of a women’s studies professor—literally, she’s a professor at UNC Wilmington—and she loves a good drink.
I also mean it when I say I’m happy for my dad. He and Mom split up ten years ago. Luckily, I was deployed then. He’s dated off and on ever since. I’ve never heard him talk this much about anyone, though.
I’ve never seen him sing Maren Morris songs.
There’s a tug in my gut. Not jealousy. Can’t be. I don’t want to be in love. Being in love means you’re dependent on someone else. You’re opening yourself up to total and complete destruction if things go south.
And that’s inevitably what happens—you get cut off at the knees. Just look at Mom and Dad. Becca and me.
Dad and I cruise a good ways out onto the Atlantic. I breathe in the salt air. Turn my face up to the sun. I should be in the office right now. But after this morning’s appointment at Maren’s OBGYN, I knew I’d never be able to focus. I need space. Time to sit and think, the low throb of the engines lulling me into a daze.
I’m tired. I haven’t slept much.
I knew Dad would be heading out to cast some nets, so I called him and asked if I could join. Nothing clears my mind quite like fishing.
It’s a hard way to make a living. But some days, like today, I miss it.
Dad cuts the engines. I open my eyes and push up to my feet, reaching for the nets. But Dad puts a hand on my arm.
“How ’bout we have a beer instead?”
I give him a side eye. “Since when do you not want to bring in a catch?”
“Since my son became a big fancy millionaire and paid off my house. I got Stella and Sam Adams Octoberfest.”
I let out a whistle. “Now who’s the fancy one?”
Dad chuckles. “You been rubbin’ off on me.”
A minute later he presses a frosty cold bottle into my hand. We sit on the captain’s chairs on the stern and watch a pod of dolphins swim past. They glisten in the sun. Their movements are rhythmic, steady, but somehow playful too. Watching them makes my chest feel tight.
I drink my beer. Its smooth, slightly bitter taste is familiar. A much-needed comfort during a mindfuck of a day.
“So.” Dad crosses his ankle over his knee. “Who’syourspecial friend? The girl that’s got you playin’ hooky on a Friday afternoon? You’re not one to run, son, but you’re running today.”
Tugging a hand over my beard, I sigh. “It’s a long story.”
“I got time.” Dad gestures to the ocean. The sun is still high in the sky. “Tell me, son. I know something’s bothering you.”
My dad is a good man. We’ve always been close. He’s not perfect, but he’s always been a solid presence in my life. I respect his opinion.
I also hate keeping shit from him. Makes me feel like a liar. A bullshitter. And let’s be real, I could use some advice right now. Especially from a man who doesn’t judge me for the (very) stupid things I’ve done.
“Funny you should mention Maren Morris.” I take another long, hard pull from my bottle. “My Maren—Katie’s nanny—she’s pregnant.”
Dad’s eyebrows pop up to his hairline. “YourMaren? Pregnant with your baby?”
