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“What? Whoa! I just said she’s super hot because she is. Everyone in town thinks she rocks. And I’ve followed her career for what feels like forever and a day. The least you could do is make an effort to have her over so I can get to know her.”
Lucas was about to smack his head against the wall, but managed to hold himself together. “So you’re not interested in girls?”
Nadia gripped his shoulders. “Dad, breathe! I’m not gay. Relax!” A moment later she frowned at him. “What if I was?”
“I don’t care either way, sweetie. I just want you to feel like you can talk to me.”
Nadia wrapped her arms around him in a big hug. “Dad, you’re a dork. Of course, I can talk to you. If I was gay, I’d tell you, but really, don’t you think Caroline Franzen is super hot?”
Her eyes were innocent enough, but her smile… her smile was a little too knowing.
“What are you really trying to get at, Nadia?”
“Who? Me?”
It was his turn to roll his eyes. “Yes, you! Don’t be coy.”
Nadia laughed. “Then just answer the question, Dad. She’s gorgeous, right?”
Leaning back against the counter, he sighed. “Of course she is.”
“Then why did you act like such a jerk when I was trying to invite her over?”
He couldn’t help the way the thought of Caroline tied his tongue in knots.
He just didn’t think that his daughter needed to know about it.
“I think Caroline has plenty to do instead of standing around our backyard looking at our little chicken coop.”
“Little? Dad! It’s a chicken mansion!” She sighed. “Look, I know that you’re in St. Raphael under duress.”
“I’m not.” Lucas groaned. “You certainly have a way with words.”
“Well, it kind of is true.” She shook her head. “I know you moved us here because I wanted to go to one high school and graduate in the same place. I get that you gave up a lot to do this for me, but Dad, I have a feeling you’ve given up a lot more than that over the years. I don’t remember all that much when I was a kid, but I’m pretty sure that I saw Caroline when I was a little kid, back at one of your restaurants.”
“No one can fault your memory,” he grumbled.
Nadia sighed. “I know I get my smarts from you, Dad.”
“You get your smarts from you, darling.”
“Dad, stop it.” She poked him in the stomach. “Come on, stop distracting me. You knew her, that much was obvious by the tension between you.”
“Tension?”
“Duh! Tension, Dad. It’s obvs that you and Caroline have tons of tension and… chemistry.”
“Chemistry?” He shook his head. “Nadia? Really, just because I know Caroline Franzen, doesn’t mean that I… that I-”
“I’ve seen the clippings, Dad.” She gave him a sweet, loving smile. “It’s really old school. And adorable. If you wanted to keep track of Caroline’s career, I could have made a Pinterest board for you. Or set up something for you on Google to send you alerts every time her name is in the news. I just want to know why you aren’t taking the opportunity you have right here.”
Lucas turned back to the counter and continued making dinner. “The opportunity I have right here is spending time with my daughter. That’s the reason we moved here.”
Nadia leaned against the counter and picked up a sliced bell pepper and put it in her mouth. “But it doesn’t have to be, Dad. I mean, yeah, I want to spend time with you, but we’ve always done that. You’ve always been the one to really be there for me.
“I just want you to know that I’m planning to go to college in a few years and I certainly don’t expect you to follow me to college.”
“Well,” he hesitated, “I could-”
