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He snorted. “No, it ain’t.”
“You can’t compare the two. The farm has its charm, but living in the city has its charm as well.”
“Huh. Well, I’ll just have to take your word for it.”
“Dad…”
He stopped for a red traffic light and looked over his shoulder. “What?”
“Are we ever going to address the enormous elephant in this van?”
His cheeky smile caught her off guard when he said; “You’re even bringing an elephant to that damn place? No wonder Ry complained about his back while getting your stuff into the van.”
She giggled and her father laughed along with her. It had been the first time in weeks that they had joked and laughed together.
“I really missed this, Dad,” she said before she could help herself.
He cleared his throat, and his expression turned once again serious. She wanted to hit herself in the face about being so stupid. Why did she have to open up her big mouth and say something?
She watched them pass the pub as her dad went into another street to head to the back entrance of Lucky, where he could park the van.
Her father killed the engine and sighed. “I really missed you, too.”
She turned her back to the passenger window and observed her father. He’d lost several pounds in these past weeks. And the bags under his eyes told her he hadn’t been getting much sleep lately.
“I’m sorry for saying the things I did that day we got into an argument. I walked in on you talking about that strip club—about stripping, and I lost it. It broke my heart that Shauni was crying.”
“I’m sorry, too.”
Her father nodded as he held her eyes. “I know. I’m also sorry that it took me so long to figure out what got me so mad that it pained me to even look at you…”
A tear slid from her eye and she swallowed down her hurt at hearing her father’s blunt honesty.
“It had nothing to do with you, sweetheart. I know this now. It had to do with me wanting to be the best father you kids could have. I felt like I had failed you once again. Memories about Ryan finding you that day in that field while you were bleeding and unconscious popped into my head and I lost it. I took out my own insecurities on you, sweetheart. Because if I didn’t have to talk to you about what went wrong, then in my mind I would be still a good father.”
“Dad…”
“Hold on. I need to say this.”
She nodded for him to continue.
“I realized that the only time I’ve been a truly lousy dad was when I stopped talking to you. I haven’t been able to live with myself in these past weeks. Can forgive me?”
She unbuckled her seatbelt and hugged her dad. “It’s okay, Dad. We’re going to get through this. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Now, let’s get that damn elephant up those stairs, shall we?” he said.
She snickered and got out of her side of the van. She closed her door just as her brother parked his truck next to them. “Okay, let’s do this,” Ryan said.
She hopped on his back like she used to do when she was just a kid. He laughed with his head back. “All right, T. Let’s get this show on the road.”
Brennan helped them move Teagan’s stuff into the renovated apartment. After just three hours, she had her new bed installed and her clothing organized in the closet she’d brought from the farm. Her old bedside table stood next to her bed with an alarm clock on top. She smiled as it made her think of her mother.
Her father and brother had left an hour ago, since the move went so smoothly. She thought about checking in with Emmy downstairs for a hot minute. Nah. She was going to enjoy this first night with a bottle of wine, sitting on top of her new bed, in her new home.
She took a sip from her red wine and almost spilled her glass all over her new bed sheets when her phone pinged with an incoming text.
GWENN: How’s your new place? When is the house party? :P
