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“Thank you for inviting me. It’ll be nice to have a home cooked Sunday dinner again.”
“So what do you do for a living?” Phillip asked.
Ashton rolled her eyes. “Way to just jump into that, Dad,” she mumbled.
“No, it’s fine,” I stated with a chuckle. “I’m a mechanic, sir. I work down at Rocky’s Auto Repair.” Confidence laced my voice when I answered. For the first time, it felt good to meet a family of regular people, a family like my own. Seeing her dad’s face light up at my answer made me solidified that feeling, giving me a sense of pride about my job. I could remember the times Kayla’s parents would look down their noses at me when I’d talk about my job or they’d tell me to avoid the question if one of their stuck-up, asshole friends would ask me about it at their events I was forced to attend with their daughter.
“That’s a nice trade to have. I just recently bought a ’58 Volkswagen Beetle at an auction for dirt cheap. I plan on gutting that baby and restoring it to something beautiful. I’ll have to show you,” he said.
I nodded and smile. “Oh, that’s cool, sir. Are you a collector?”
“I wouldn’t say collector. I like to take antique cars and restore them back to their former glory, but with a few enhancements. I eventually sell them at auctions for antique cars since someone won’t let me keep them,” he said, eyeing his wife.
Janice patted his hand and gave him a small smile. “That’s because I don’t want to turn our land into a car lot,” she stated.
“Yeah, yeah. Actually, let’s go to the barn and check it out,” he stated.
“Oh God,” Ashton muttered next to me.
I stood and followed him out of the living room and down the hallway, walking through the kitchen and over to the French doors. The smell of dinner was stronger in here, making my stomach growl.
Phillip laughed. “Happens to me, too. Janice made her special pot roast tonight. You couldn’t have come on a better night,” he said as he opened the door.
The backyard was just as breathtaking. A sparkling blue pool held the reflection of the setting sun as we passed. Strong brown horses stood behind a fence grazing on grass, completely unfazed by our presence.
“How many acres is this?” I asked.
“About six. It was passed down to me from my father as a wedding gift,” he said, putting his hands in his pockets. “Janice and I knocked down the old family house and built this new one. Thing was falling apart anyway. It would’ve cost us more to update and fix things, so we decided to just start fresh.”
I took in a deep breath, the scent of grass, horses, and summer filling my nostrils.
“Well, it’s beautiful out here. Real peaceful.”
“Sure is. I hope to pass this down to Ashton one day,” he said and looked at me. “So you and my daughter are roommates, huh?”
I nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Hmm.” His sudden silence made me a bit uneasy. “What are your intentions with her?”
I raised an eyebrow in confusion. Were my developing feelings for her that obvious? “I’m sorry?”
“Look, my daughter has been through a lot over the last few months. You seem like a good guy, but I only want what’s best for her.”
“Of course.”
“I see the way you two look at each other. I’ve been around long enough to know when people have chemistry, and you guys have something that looks explosive.”
I looked down at the ground, unsure if I should admit he was right or brush it off with a denial.
“She told me about her ex and what happened. I had my own nasty breakup a few months ago as well. I wouldn’t want to cause more heartache for her.”
“How do you feel about her?”
I swallowed hard. How did I feel about her? I had her flowery scent imprinted in my mind. Her warmth gave me peace that I hadn’t felt in a while and her laugh and smile were like my anti-depressants. She made me feel alive again, pushing the dark clouds of Kayla away and replacing them with sunshine. I always looked forward to being next to her again, spending my time at work thinking of her and what she could possibly be doing. No matter how I tried to twist it, I had to admit that I was quickly falling for her, despite trying to keep my heart on ice.
“She’s a great woman,” I finally said. “I care a great deal about her, but I don’t want to hurt her. I don’t think either of us are really ready for a relationship right now.”
Phillip nodded. “Good answer. Ashton loves hard. Poor thing wears her heart on her sleeve and gets hurt time and time again. I just want her to be happy.”
