17. Chapter 17
Chapter seventeen
Cashlynn
“Hi, Dad.” I lean down and kiss my father’s cheek before sliding into my side of the booth. I suggested we meet at Catch & Release for our rescheduled lunch date, partly because I’ve been craving their onion rings. I’m not sure what Dallas puts in his batter, but they’re out of this world.
“Hey, June Bug. How are things?”
I push my hair back from my face and set my purse on the seat beside me. “Things are great!” I say a little too enthusiastically.
His eyebrows rise. “That good, huh?”
“I mean, I’m slipping into the small-town life pretty seamlessly, I think. I really love it here.” And my fake fiancé is now treating me like his real one, so my giddiness is beyond my control most days. “I can see why you were eager to stay when you found out grandpa left you the practice all those years ago.”
My father nods. “Yes, well, part of that was a sense of obligation, but I’ve been very happy here for the past eleven years.”
“I think I’m gonna be happy here for at least that long too,” I say, growing more optimistic about the idea every day. Every day I can mo re clearly see a real future here—and that future is quickly including Parker in hopefully a real engagement. But that’s a conversation for us way down the road. Right now, we’re living in the honeymoon phase, which includes endless amounts of sex—a detail I am not complaining about.
“So, things are going well with Parker then?”
“Yes, why wouldn’t they be?” I ask, a little too defensively.
“I don’t know.” He shrugs but there’s concern in his eyes. “I was wondering if you two had driven each other crazy yet. Last time we talked, you were unplugging the coffee machine.”
Laughing, I reach for my water. “I was messing with him, trying to see how he reacted to certain situations, you know? It was, uh…something I read in an article about moving in with your significant other, a way to see if you’re really compatible.” That sounded convincing to me, but the look on my father’s face is unreadable.
“Well, he sure seems more focused lately. He’s been putting in a lot of time at the practice. I hope that hasn’t caused any issues.”
“Not at all,” I say. Those mysterious Monday night appointments he still hasn’t explained, on the other hand… I don’t want to think the worst, but the truth is, I don’t know a lot about the man still. I want to trust him, and deep down, I think I do. He said he was going to try to let me in, but then why won’t he just be honest with me about where he’s going?
Ugh, I’m driving myself nuts with thoughts of what it could be.
“And what about work for you?” Dad’s question lands squarely in the pit of my stomach.
I knew this topic was coming. “Work is…slow right now. I finished up a few cases I had open before I left Philly, but right now I’m just processing a lot of paperwork.”
“ I don’t understand how you’re supposed to practice law in a different state than the one you have your license in.”
“Actually, North Carolina has reciprocity with Pennsylvania, so my license is good here.”
He nods, but then his eyes dip down to my hand, that’s covered in spots of green paint. “Have you been painting?”
“Um, yes…” The truth is I just came from the gallery and was working on the mural of the coast of Carrington Cove that is going on the wall behind the reception. I thought I’d scrubbed off all the paint, but clearly, I missed some. Shit .
He scoffs, shaking his head. “You shouldn’t be wasting time painting right now, Cashlynn. Honestly.” His voice takes on that familiar tone of judgment. “This community could really use a lawyer of your caliber.” He clears his throat before continuing. “I think you should talk to Timothy MacDonald. He’s the town lawyer, and I’m sure he could give you a referral. It’s been six weeks now, and it’s time to start putting down real roots.”
Emotion crawls up my throat, but I swallow it down. “I appreciate the thought, Dad, but I’m trying to take my time adjusting here. Parker even encouraged me to do just that.”
He shakes his head. “I just don’t understand, June. I’m trying to, but…”
“Is this what Mom had to deal with?” I snap, anger fueling me now.
His head rears back. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“Did you berate Mom for every one of her choices too? Try to push her into doing what you wanted?” I can feel my hands shaking under the table, but I try hard to keep my composure.
His eyes narrow. “Watch your tone, Cashlynn June.”
“ Or what?” I shoot back, leaning forward, ready to press the issue. But the waiter arrives right then. And it’s probably a good thing. I take that time to get control of my heart rate.
Once the waiter leaves, I lock eyes with my dad. “I honestly want to know if this is how you’ve treated every woman in your life, or if I’m just the lucky one who gets all of your criticism.”
He leans back in the booth, studying me for a moment. He doesn’t speak and, for a second, I wonder if I’ve pushed him too far. But he shocks me when his reply is in an even tone.
“Your mother was the love of my life, June. And yes, there were times I expressed my concerns about her work, but I knew it made her happy, so I supported her the best I could. But losing her…” His bottom lip begins to tremble, and in an instant, I reach for his hand. “I’m sorry. I just…”
The crack in my heart widens as I look at him. “You’re so lucky to have experienced a love like that, Dad,” I say softly, feeling remorse for going off on him, but fuck, I’m so tired of answering to him. “I miss her every day. Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if she were still here. And sometimes I wonder if you’re trying to control me because you think it will stop something from happening to me too.”
He stares down at our joined hands and nods. “That might be plausible.”
“I love you, and I always will. I’m just asking you to trust me. Let me live my life and own my mistakes if I make them, okay?”
His eyes lift and meet mine again. “I’ll try, June. I just—”
“Want what’s best for me,” I finish for him, repeating the words I’ve heard countless times over the years.
His lips quirk into a faint smile. “I always have and I’ll never stop.”
The waiter comes by with our food, breaking our moment. Relief washes over me because as much as I hate seeing my dad upset, this c onversation needed to happen. I just hope when he sees what I do with my gallery, he’ll be able to accept that my happiness is the best way for me to control my life, and that’s what matters at the end of the day.
“So, how did your appointment go last week?” I ask as I pop an onion ring in my mouth, salivating as the flavor hits my tongue.
He stares at me quizzically. “What appointment?”
“The one you canceled our lunch plans for.”
He nods, clearing his throat. “Oh, yes. It was…good.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes, June. Everything is fine,” he says, his voice clipped.
I tilt my head, not convinced. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, okay? If I had something to tell you, I would.”
I lift my hands in surrender. “All right. No need to get snippy.”
“Well, you’re interrogating me and I don’t like it.”
Funny—he doesn’t like a taste of his own medicine .
“I’m just curious. Parker said you were gone for the rest of the week.”
“Yes, I just…went away for the weekend,” he finally says. “It was a trip I’d had planned for a while.”
“Oh.” My surprise is difficult to hide, but my father never leaves work for trips. Or at least, not that I was aware of. “That sounds nice. I’m sure you’re looking forward to more trips like that once you pass along the practice, aren’t you?”
He arches a brow at me. “Is that your way of digging for information about my decision?”
I lift both of my shoulders. “Not particularly, but you know…if you had anything to tell me, you know you could.”
He scoffs. “Not when you’re engaged to one of my candidates, I can’t.”
I d ebate pushing the topic, but then I remember my deal with Parker. Even though our status has changed, I still need to hold up my end of our bargain. “You know, Parker has so many plans for the practice, Dad.”
“He does, does he?”
“We talk about it all the time .” We don’t, but he doesn’t know that .
“Like what?”
Shit.
I pop an onion ring into my mouth, shaking my head. “I think you should ask him yourself. As much as I try to understand everything he talks about, I don’t speak veterinarian.”
My father scoffs, but there’s a smile on his lips. “Okay. I will.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I think a conversation about the future of the business might help me make my decision.”
“Are you honestly considering Seth?”
My father’s brows draw together. “Seth is a fine doctor. He does a decent job.”
“Just decent? You want your legacy to be carried on by someone that is decent ?”
He narrows his eyes. “There’s more that goes into this decision than you realize, June.”
“I can’t imagine how difficult this must be for you. One chapter of your life is closing, and a new one is beginning, but I hope you’re thinking about the big picture, Dad. I can’t see Seth being the best choice. Beth has told me some stories about him.”
“Beth needs to keep her opinions to herself.” He drops his eyes from mine, reaching for another french fry. “But this is a new chapter, indeed. Nobody likes change, especially me.”
A laugh escapes me. “You don’t say.”
Rol ling his eyes, he reaches for my hand. “I must say though, being able to have lunch with you on a random weekday is a nice change.” Yeah, something I wouldn’t to be able to do if I was still a lawyer.
I squeeze his fingers, cherishing the moment while we have it. “Me too, Dad. Me too.”
***
“That mural is turning out amazing.”
I stand back and assess the portion I just finished as Willow stands behind me to get the entire effect. “I’m actually really happy with the way it’s turning out so far.
“And the white walls with those blue circles are going to be perfect for displaying the artwork.”
“I’m glad you like it. Most galleries stick with all-white walls, but I wanted to tie in the mural more. I think the little bit of color did that.”
Willow nods, moving toward the back of the space through the opening that separates the studio from the gallery. “The cabinets turned out great too.”
“Penn put those together so fast that I felt like I blinked and they were done.”
Willow laughs. “The man is a whiz with power tools. Believe me, I know from personal experience. He practically renovated my entire house.”
“I would love to see it sometime. I can’t imagine having the ocean as my front yard.”
She sighs. “It’s incredible and never gets old. In fact, why don’t you and Parker come over for dinner this week? You can see the house, and while he’s there, he can check on the geese for me.”
My eyes light up. “The viral geese?”
Willow clasps her hands together over her chest. “Yes, and I love that you saw those videos.”
“It was part of the reason I got him to agree to be my fake fiancé—to deter his new admirers.” I wink at her.
“And now I like you even more.”
A knock on the front door pulls my attention. Through the brown butcher paper still covering the glass, I see the silhouette of someone waving like a lunatic. Stepping closer, I peel back a corner of the paper and laugh when I see Hazel’s grinning face. I open the door, and she shuffles in, balancing a tray of coffees. “Hello, ladies!”
“Hi.” I shut and lock the door behind her.
Hazel takes in the mural as she walks over to one of the high-top tables I have strategically placed around the room, setting the tray of drinks down before turning to admire the wall in its entirety. “I fucking love this, Cashlynn.”
“Thank you. It’s coming together slowly but surely. I honestly still can’t believe that this space is mine.”
Willow reaches for her decaf coffee and takes a sip. “Oh believe it, because in about a month, this place will be open to the public.”
I sigh. “Yeah, and then I have to come clean to my dad about everything.”
Hazel hands me my coffee. “How did lunch with him go the other day?”
I take a sip before answering. “The usual. He had a lot to say about my job, or lack thereof. He still thinks I’m working remotely, but he insisted that I speak with Timothy McDonald to try to practice law here.”
Willow flashes me a look of understanding. “I’m sorry, Cashlynn. Hopefully, when he sees what you’ve created, it’ll all be worth it.”
“ I hope so. He saw paint on my hands and instantly chastised me about it.” Hazel shakes her head as I continue. “It made me so angry that I snapped at him.”
“What did you say?” Hazel asks.
“I asked him if he criticized my mom the way he criticizes me.”
Willow’s eyebrows shoot up. “Damn. What did he say?”
“His mood shifted instantly. He told me that there were times he expressed his concerns about her work but tried to support her as much as he could. So, I asked him to do the same for me. I almost told him right then and there what I’ve been up to, but I can’t. Not yet. There’s still too many unknowns and I don’t want to jeopardize my side of my deal with Parker.”
Hazel steps toward me, placing her arm around my shoulder, her eyes moving around the room. “Just keep making this place the best it can be and hope that he can see all of the love you’ve poured into it. If not, then maybe the man needs reminding about what it means to be a supportive father, and I have no problem giving him that with a knuckle sandwich on the side.”
Willow rolls her eyes. “You beating up an old man isn’t going to solve anything, Hazel.”
She turns to face her sister-in-law. “You don’t know that.”
I squeeze Hazel from the side. “I appreciate the offer, but physical harm isn’t necessary. He’ll either accept it or he won’t, but either way, at least I’ll have what I’ve always wanted out of this, and hopefully Parker will too. I talked to my dad about his decision a bit during our lunch and told him he’d be stupid to pick Seth.” I chew on my bottom lip. “I might have also told him that Parker has plans for the practice if he takes over though, and I’m not exactly sure that’s true.”
Hazel rolls her eyes. “If I know my brother, I’m sure that it is. But you might want to give h im a heads-up.”
“I’m going to talk to him about it tonight. He got home late last night, and we uh, didn’t exactly do a lot of talking before we went to sleep.” My cheeks flush as the girls gawk at me.
Hazel gags. “Didn’t need to know that.”
Willow takes a step closer to us. “So things are going well with him?”
“Yes, but he still hasn’t opened up about certain things. And he uh…has these appointments on Monday nights that make him come home late.”
“Okay…”
“But he won’t tell me what they’re for.”
“Have you tried sex again?” Hazel asks as I shove her off me, her laughter ringing out.
“No, and that’s not how I want to get him to open up. I’m hoping that, with time, he’ll want to tell me. But if he doesn’t… How can I trust him fully if he’s keeping secrets? And how can I avoid triggering him if I don’t even know what he’s dealing with?”
“Any idea what it could be?” Willow asks, turning to Hazel.
“Maybe he’s getting his balls waxed,” Hazel says with a shrug.
Willow and I stare at her in disbelief. “What the hell is wrong with you?” Willow demands, shaking her head at her sister-in-law.
Hazel holds her hands up. “Hey, it’s something a guy wouldn’t want to share with someone!”
“Don’t you think Cashlynn would know if Parker gets his balls waxed, though?”
Hazel’s hands drop to her side. “Good point.”
“Not that we should even be discussing this, but I know for a fact that’s not it.”
Wil lows blows out a breath, still shaking her head. “Okay, well… I’m sure it’s not something bad. I mean, all the man does is work and exercise. Is he going to a gym?”
I shake my head. “He has pretty much every piece of equipment you could think of in his garage. That wouldn’t make any sense. And he doesn’t come home sweaty. But, his hair is always a mess when he walks in, like he’s been running his hands through it, or someone else has,” I say, my stomach churning at the thought.
Hazel takes a step toward me. “He is not cheating on you, so don’t even think it.” I nod as she continues. “My brother is a lot of things, but a cheater is not one of them.”
“I think so too, but I’m just in the dark, and he won’t talk to me about it. Everything feels very surface-level right now—except the sex. That’s still amazing.”
“Men are so fragile when it comes to feelings,” Willow says, running her nails absently across her stomach. “I can tell you this—my son won’t be afraid of talking about his emotions, not after the roadblocks Dallas and I have both overcome in that department.”
Hazel wraps her arm around Willow’s shoulders. “And women everywhere will be thanking you for generations to come.”