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“I’m sorry. I waltzed into your two-person unit and became a commanding officer instead of a father.” He closes his eyes and shakes his head ruefully. “Did I really keep you at the dining room table until way past your bedtime, forcing you to finish your homework? What was I thinking? That the work would get easier the sleepier you got?”
“I’d forgotten, but yeah, I remember once you took my wrist and finally wrote the answer on my paper yourself. You were really mad that night.”
“You had every right to hate me, Josie. I’m sorry. I’ve been sorry for years and have been too much of a coward to reach out and apologize. I should have done it long ago. Certainly should have done it when your mom… passed.”
Dear God, he looks so genuinely remorseful. This has been eating him up. Before I can absolve him, he forges ahead.
“I can’t tell you how happy I was when you reached out to me for help. Here you were, giving me the perfect opportunity to fix something. I was so happy to do it.”
He looks at me, his eyes shining, clearly holding back tears.
I’ve hated him for a long time. A younger Jo would want to grab his balls under the table and twist them, or gloat at the emotional pain he’s in as he admits his shortcomings not just to me, but allowing Chance, a hybrid, to hear him confess his myriad imperfections.
But I’m not a younger Jo. I’m old enough to have made a boatload of my own mistakes—and regret them.
I slip off my chair and into his arms, press my cheek to his chest and allow tears of relief to track down my face. Something unlocks deep in my chest as if his words were the key that opened something inside me.
Tipping my head up so I can both see him and allow him to see the profound effect his words had on me, I say, “I’ve waited a lifetime to hear an apology, Slater. I can’t lie. I’ve wished for it forever. It feels even better than I dreamed it would.”
He holds me and rocks me and for a moment, I feel like a little girl in her father’s arms. There’s been so much water under the bridge, so much pain, but I’m ready to say goodbye to all that, to let it float away like a leaf in a swift-running stream.
“I’m sorry, Josie. I wish I could have a do-over.”
When he presses his lips to the top of my head, it causes my tears, which I thought were slowing, to kick into high gear again. I refuse to examine why this feels so good and just allow it to pour over me like a soothing balm.
When my tears finally stop, I say, “I have a lot to apologize for, too. I was awful to you. I never followed your directions, argued with you at every turn, took pleasure in irritating, frustrating, and disappointing you. I’m sorry.”
The look I give him is filled with regret and apology.
“You asked for a do-over. I’d love that. Maybe we’ve already started. You saved my ass by bringing me here. Without your generous offer of help, I’d be in jail right now.”
I don’t need to glance at Chance to know I’ve shocked him. His tail is whipping up and down accompanied by stomps of his back leg. Shit, I should have confessed why I’m hiding out in Splicer Town days ago.
“Can we, Josie? We can use this time to start over? Can we get to know each other? Develop a relationship?”
“Yeah, Slater. I’d like that.” I give him a watery smile.
“Your milkshake is melting.” He tips his chin toward my minty meow, but the look in his eyes is pure fatherly affection.
Father. Crap. Can I do this? I think what I’m about to do will require more courage than I would have needed to walk into court and get sentenced to prison.
“So…” I take a sip of my warm mint soup. “How do you feel about the wordDad?”
I keep my gaze on the walnut table until the silence stretches far too long. When I finally lift my glance to look at him, I see him beaming. It transforms his stern colonel’s face into something slightly goofy.
“I’d like that, Josie. Very much.”
“Okay, D-Dad.” That wasn’t easy. Maybe I should try it again. “Okay, Dad, as long as you call me Jo from now on. Oh, and you may want to buy another cone. Yours is a puddle on the table now.”
The easy laughter around the table is a balm to my healing heart.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chance
Colonel Slater left a moment ago. I didn’t wait a second before I moved closer to Jo’s chair and tucked her to me, giving her my wordless support. While she’s still deep in thought about what transpired with her dad—wow, it’s funny to use that word regarding Colonel Slater—I examine my own feelings about what just happened.
I don’t have a family, have never had one. As I probe my heart deeper, I realize I’m jealous. What I just witnessed was so profound. Two people who have had such a difficult relationship just made peace with each other. There would have been no reason for it, except for their bond. Theirfamilybond.
