Chapter 36
Juliet
The following morning, I keep my eye out for Archer at the parade as I ride with Dad along the route in Mr. Sharrow’s truck bed, but unfortunately, there’s no sign of the cowboy.
“I’m glad you joined me this morning, Jules,” Dad says as he tosses another handful of taffy to the cheering crowds.
“Me, too.”
I wasn’t going to join him—riding in parades is not on my list of “high enjoyment activities”—but after his thoughtful request this morning to spend more time with each other, I couldn’t say no.
Lisa’s riding in the back with us, along with a few of his other advisors. She has over fifteen pink “I Voted” stickers plastered across her shirt and keeps trying to talk to Dad about Ashtyn, who’s participating in the parade with the other cheerleaders.
I watch closely to see if Dad asks questions about the stickers or if he listens as a guy-dating-a-mother would, but he’s mostly focused on getting as much candy as humanly possible to every kid standing along the route.
Lisa doesn’t seem bothered that Dad’s not paying attention, but after talking about her daughter for the first half of the parade, she shifts to overtly resting her hand on Dad’s arm and giggling at everything he says.
Those stickers have to mean something. She wouldn’t be flirting with dad if she’s guessing someone else is dating him.
On second thought, maybe she would.
To my surprise, he’s also spending more time talking to me than Lisa. He must have sensed something was off yesterday. Not only did we have a sit-down breakfast before the parade, but the very fact that he insisted I join him is going a long way in mending the weird gap between us.
Of course, our words remain surface level—no mention of Archer or Dad’s dating life appears, but I’m okay with it for now.
I’m in a considerably better mood, so I happily divide my attention between Dad’s candy throwing and Lisa’s yammering until the parade ends, and I’m back at it, helping Rosie straighten out the kinks of the chalk walk and prepping for the tailgate party until I get to unwind again at the homecoming game for Autumn Ridge High.
Dad and I find each other and sit next to Tom and Ann, eating hot dogs and drinking soda as the football game begins. Tate and Liv sit farther down the row, their eyes shifting around them in between plays, though now I understand their reticence at being out in public.
Jaxon’s somewhere else with Landrie, but Ben sits next to Tate, looking more pensive than usual. Ever since Maven left at the beginning of the festival week, he hasn’t seemed himself. I think the Ednas are almost as crushed as Ben apparently is with the direction the reconciliation is going.
I talk with him for a bit, but I’m not sure how exactly to handle the Maven situation, so I soon move to chat with Luke instead.
“So,” he says, nudging my shoulder with his. “Where are things with you and the cowboy?”
I happily—and quietly—catch him up on all that’s occurred, and he gives me nods of approval with each new revelation.
“You’re killing it. I love it.”
I can’t help but agree. Then I interrogate him on Tess, which he responds to with a less than mediocre response.
“Still haven’t reached out to her,” he says.
“You’re literally killing it. As in, you’re killing your chance to be with her.”
I spend the first quarter of the game forcing him to write out a text to her with a promise that he’ll actually send it, then we focus more on the plays in between visits to the concession stand.
Right after, the seating shifts again. Luke moves down to his brothers, and I sit by Ann, with Dad and Tom in front of us.
“I haven’t heard anything about your time in Boston yet, Juliet,” Ann says with a warm hand tapping my knee. “What’s it like there?”
“Busy,” I say. “Really cool with all the history and transportation. So different from here. But...fun.”
I feel like I’m trying to convince her that I like it, and I’m doing a terrible job at it.
“And how’s college?” She leans on her fist and watches me with attentive eyes. “When do you go back?”
I draw a breath. I don’t know if Dad’s listening or not. Maybe now would be a good time to broach the subject—in front of his friends. “I was planning on January, but now, I’m not positive.”
Sure enough, Dad’s eyes turn to mine with a furrowed brow. “I thought you’d decided on next semester?”
“Well, like I said,” I say as casually as I can, “I was planning on it, but I don’t know now. It depends.”
In reality, I’ve made up my mind, and nothing’s going to change it.
“Since when?” Dad asks, leaning to see me more directly.
Ann stares out at the football game, trying not to impose on what has become a father-daughter conversation.
“I’ve been considering it since before I came back,” I say.
“I thought you liked it there. Why take a year off?”
A year? We’re talking forever here, Dad.
The band begins to play a loud rendition of some tune I can’t really make out, which prevents any more conversation. Dad looks disappointed, but I’m relieved.
I glance at Ann, who gives me a look of understanding, but a movement behind her draws my attention.
Ben is gone from his seat, but Carson Price lingers nearby, his hand on his daughter’s shoulder as they sit down next to the Walkers. Then Sharon, his mom, appears next.
I sit forward, chewing on my upper lip. Carson gives me a brief nod in greeting, though Sharon waves happily at me before her eyes drop to the back of my dad’s head. There, she lingers before sitting down beside her granddaughter, Penny.
Sharon points out things on the field, and every once in a while, the nine-year-old grins, laughing at the jokes her grandma cracks.
Ready for more sleuthing, I tap on Dad’s shoulder. He still has that look of concern on his features, but I motion down the row.
“The Prices just got here. You should say hi so they feel welcomed.”
He glances at them, his features shifting almost indiscernibly from worry to pleasant surprise.
“You’re right,” he says, his eyes fixed on Sharon. “I’ll do that before the second half starts.”
He stands, smooths down his shirt, then sidles his way toward them. I watch as he greets them, his eyes lingering longer on Sharon. She grins up at him, fluffing her blonde locks as he sits in front of her.
I think they’re connecting, but truth be told, I could be imagining all of it.
“Being a little matchmaker, are we?” Ann asks, still beside me.
“More like a detective,” I clarify.
“Good. Because I hear your dad has no trouble finding his own women to date.”
Does she know about the bulletin board in the library and the “I Voted” stickers? Has she voted?
Before I have time to ask, halftime starts, and the seating shifts again as Ben appears with Maven at his side, one hand holding a thing of nachos, the other on Maven’s back.
“They’re back together?” I whisper to Ann, but she merely shrugs.
“I can never tell where the two of them are.”
Maven greets her mom with a smile of her own, then Dad next as he lingers near the Prices.
I don’t know a lot about Sharon, but as I watch Maven, Carson, and Penny with their mother and grandmother, it’s clear how much they love her.
But...does Dad love her? He seems more engaged than with Lisa. Sharon’s not trying to cling to him, either. To be honest, though, I don’t see a spark. I haven’t seen that in Dad apart from old home videos of him and Mom, so I’m probably just being picky.
A cheer sounds, but my attention remains on Dad. He said before at the potluck that he wanted to talk to me. Maybe he’ll find time now that he knows I’ll be staying in Autumn Ridge.
Then again, he’ll probably just talk about my own future instead of his. Either way, things are winding down—or gearing up—and the truth between us is going to blow wide open whether we’re ready for it or not.