Chapter 3
Chapter Three
She needed to say hello.
He was her dad, after all. And hiding out in her stepsister’s sewing room wasn’t going to make the situation any better.
Please, Lord, I need You. This is hard, and I don’t know what to say. And I’m afraid there’s going to be a fight.
Scottie drew a wobbly breath, eased the door open, and stepped into the hallway.
The smell of coffee and something savory tugged her into the kitchen.
Lainey must’ve renovated because the old galley-style space Scottie recalled no longer existed.
Maybe she’d taken down a pony wall? The room felt massive with its high ceiling and whitewashed beams. Soft floral curtains framed the tall windows, and gleaming stainless-steel appliances were inlaid against custom cabinets painted a lovely shade of robin’s-egg blue.
A large island dominated the center of the room, topped with white quartz.
Her dad glanced up from where he stood beside the counter.
Seeing him nearly knocked the wind out of her.
He looked…smaller. Craggy lines, dark hair flecked with gray and thinning at the crown, jeans sagging on his narrow hips.
And the oxygen tank—oof. She wasn’t ready for that. A lump pressed at her throat.
“Hi, Dad.”
“There she is.” His damp eyes locked on hers, the machine hissing as he opened his bony arms. “I waited for you to drop by the house but started to get antsy, so I decided to just come over.”
“It’s good to see you.” She went to him. Let him pull her against his frail chest and breathed in the familiar scent of Old Spice.
When he leaned back, he tapped one of her curls. “Still got your mother’s beautiful hair. That was the first thing I noticed about her.”
She offered a wobbly smile, not trusting herself to speak. She wasn’t prepared for him to bring up Mom either. Not this soon.
“Good morning!” Lainey breezed in, radiating positivity in a mint-green short-sleeve dress with tiny white polka dots that hugged her trim waist and swished just right when she twirled.
“You look so cute,” Scottie said, even though the words felt clumsy on her tongue.
“Oh, this?” Lainey glanced down and did a half spin. “Thanks. It’s one of my favorites.”
Scottie kept her smile pasted in place. Lainey always had a way of looking effortlessly fashionable. Even in her own kitchen.
“Coffee’s hot,” Lainey said, patting Dad’s shoulder. Then she smiled at Scottie. “Nice to see you both together.”
A knot in Scottie’s chest cinched tighter. Together. Sure. But how long before their peaceful reunion imploded?
Lainey pulled a golden quiche from the oven and set it on the cooling rack. “Ham and cheese. Extra cheese if you want it. And I’ve got honeydew and cantaloupe.”
“Wow,” Scottie said. “This is amazing. You went all out.”
Lainey’s brow furrowed. “All out? This is just my typical summer breakfast for guests.”
Guests. Right. Theo and whoever else stayed last night would probably join them soon. Heat prickled her cheeks. Five minutes in, and she’d already said the wrong thing.
Dad patted her arm. “Both my girls. Real go-getters.”
Scottie swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth. Go-getters? Lainey runs a perfect B&B. I can’t even manage a simple hello without fumbling.
“Dad, why don’t you sit?” Scottie took a pale-yellow plate from the stack on the counter. “I’ll bring you some quiche.”
“Just coffee for me, thanks,” Dad said. “Already ate at home.”
The refusal stung more than it should have. She wanted to do something to help. But he shuffled to the table instead, slow and careful, dragging the oxygen tank behind him.
Scottie tucked an errant curl behind her ear. She had to say it. “Dad, I’m sorry I didn’t come by last night. I wanted to, but Damian roped me into a last-minute meeting.”
Guilt surged hot and raw. Excuses. Always excuses.
His brows scrunched together as he sat down at the end of the table.
Before the silence could stretch, Lainey added a slice of quiche to Scottie’s plate. “Don’t worry about it. He wasn’t home. He was at trivia night at the Eagles Hall.”
Trivia night? Scottie’s pulse quickened. She darted a look at her father.
He gave a crooked smile. “Don’t worry, girls. I didn’t gamble away my life savings. Not yet, anyway.”
The words were meant as a joke, but they slammed into her.
Not yet? Damian’s and Lainey’s comments about her dad’s house echoed.
Her thoughts spiraled—late bills, overdue notices, comments about the vintage items he collected.
She had been here before, watching him make light of trouble. Until their family fell apart.
Lainey’s eyes flicked toward her, quick and unreadable. Was she worried too?
“I’m glad you’re getting out and having fun, Dad,” Scottie said. But inside, her stomach churned. She didn’t want to doubt him, not when he looked so frail. Did he really need to hang out at the Eagles Hall though?
“Morning, folks.” Theo strode in, grinning, with his ball cap on backward and dimples out in full force. He tapped his knuckles on the counter, then drew in a deep breath. “Smells like heaven.”
Lainey amped up her smile, straight into host mode. Like they hadn’t just sidestepped a sticky family situation. “Good morning, Theo. You’re just in time. Hope you slept well.”
Scottie clocked the faint half-moons under her stepsister’s eyes. The tiny tug at her jawline as she held her happy expression in place.
Dad lit up too. “Theo, our front-runner. Right, kiddo?” He looked between Scottie and Theo. The oxygen tube snagged on the chair back. Scottie moved to free it.
“Front-runner?” Theo said, laughing. “Sir, careful. The audience hasn’t voted yet.”
“Nonsense,” Dad said. “I’m on Facebook all the time. The ladies won’t stop talking about you.”
“Gary,” Lainey said. “Settle down. Let the guy eat his breakfast.”
“Happy to talk about the show anytime,” Theo said, eyeing the quiche. “Is this ham and cheese?”
“Sure is.” Lainey sliced a neat wedge. “You can add more cheddar if you like, and I’ll have fruit coming in just a minute.”
“Oh, you are a delight,” he said, grinning.
Lainey’s cheeks flushed.
Scottie set her plate down at an empty seat beside her dad, then draped her arm around his shoulder and gave him a squeeze. Oh, his bony frame shocked her again. She should have come sooner. Visited more often.
“I’m so glad you’re back,” Dad said, his voice more like the old days, when he stood strong, confident. “Feels right.”
“Gary, you need to take these with your coffee, okay?” Lainey handed him a pill organizer, its Wednesday lid open. “I’ll get some Greek yogurt. Scottie, can you grab him his coffee and also the honeydew and cantaloupe from the fridge? It’s already cut.”
“Sure,” Scottie said, as if her one small gesture could pay the debt she owed. Pushing back her chair, she crossed the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.
Whoa. Labeled containers, color-coded sticky notes. Juice, milk, creamer, lined up like obedient soldiers. She took the fruit out and carried the serving bowl to the table, careful not to disturb Lainey’s well-ordered routine.
“You’re headed to Port Frisco, right?” Theo asked, sitting down opposite her and her dad at the table.
“Yep. We’re going to hit the ground running.” She lifted a chunk of honeydew and popped it into her mouth. “I saw the call sheet. Today’s packed.”
“Oh, I thought we were going to hang out today,” Dad said. “Maybe go out to the Dock Point Trail? Do some fishing?”
Hiking on the trail and fishing—two of their favorite old summer activities.
“Um, wish I could, but the chopper leaves in”—she glanced at the time on the wall clock—“yikes. Less than an hour. I’ll be back soon though. We’ll make it a date.”
That’s how she tried to say no without saying the word. That’s how she’d always done it.
Lainey’s gaze flitted between Scottie and her dad, then her expression grew serious.
Scottie looked away, picked up her fork, and dug into a slice of quiche.
Lainey wasn’t a villain. Far from it. She was the one who made sure the oxygen tank got filled, all the pills sorted. Probably had a color-coded Trello board on her laptop that kept Dad in line.
Theo, either oblivious or just being gracious, lifted his fork. “Whatever comes our way, we’ll make you and the other fans proud.”
“You already do,” Dad said, then smiled at Scottie. “You always have.”
“Dad, you sure you don’t want some cantaloupe or a little slice of quiche? It’s delicious.”
“I’m fine, sweetheart.” He patted her hand. “Thank you though.”
“Please take these now,” Lainey said, nudging the pill organizer closer.
He did and then gestured to the chair beside him. “Sit a minute. Enjoy some family time.”
“I can’t,” Lainey said. Weariness flickered across her face.
“Come on. Two minutes won’t set you back, will it?” Theo pulled the chair out beside his. “So, Scottie, what do you think you’re going to film first? Berry picking?”
“Probably. Whatever Damian asks us to do, right?”
Theo nodded and then sipped his coffee.
“I should get ready,” Scottie said.
“Of course.” Lainey moved to gather dishes.
Scottie stood, kissed her dad’s temple. “I’ll let you know when we wrap,” she said, another promise that really cost her nothing.
“Love you, kiddo,” he said.
“Love you too.”
On her way out of the kitchen, Scottie brushed Lainey’s arm. “Thank you for all this.”
Lainey didn’t stop moving. “You’re welcome. Be safe.”
Scottie nodded and hurried out into the hall. Doing what she did best, because when things got messy, she always found the escape hatch.
Man, he hated helicopters.
It wasn’t the flying that got to him. He flew commercially several times a year and didn’t mind the cramped seating arrangements or the constant hum of jet engines. But this chopper was mostly plexiglass. Strapping into its rickety shell with spinning blades and no room to move made him nauseous.
“Dude, you’re sweating like crazy.” Ethan glanced over from the pilot’s seat. “What is going on?”