Chapter 41
Juliet
The following morning, Dad and I head to church in an awkward silence. He forces polite smiles and words to everyone who greets us, but I remain mostly quiet. By the time we’re done, back home, and changed, I’m ready to get things over with.
I find him on the front porch, leaving me alone—just as I’d requested.
“Mind if I join you?” I ask, motioning to the seat on the porch swing next to him.
“Please.”
We sit together, looking out over our front yard. The green grass is shifting to a shade of yellow, and the specters still dangle from the tree—one shorter than the rest.
“I turned off the cameras,” Dad says. “I only got them because of what’s been going on with the Walkers and Liv. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’m sorry, too. For sneaking around.”
We sit in silence for a minute. Dark circles frame Dad’s lower lids, and new wrinkles seem to have formed overnight. “Are you really going to date him?” he asks, barely above a whisper.
I hesitate, trying to soften the blow I know it’s going to cause. “Yes.” He cringes, so I rush on. “Please, can’t you try to find some way to respect my decision?”
He doesn’t respond. Anxiety creeps in. If Dad doesn’t accept Archer, and this animosity continues, I can’t handle what it would do to Archer, and I can’t handle what it would do to my relationship with Dad.
A potential future spirals through my mind—Dad hating Archer, Archer growing tired of the hostility, both of them unable to be in the same room together. Then I leave Autumn Ridge, unable to handle living here because of the life I could have had.
“Why him?” Dad finally asks, staring out across the street. “There’s a ridiculous number of eligible young men in Autumn Ridge.”
“And you’d disapprove of every single one of them if I showed any interest in them.”
“Not Luke Walker.”
“That’s because he’s your best friend’s son. But I bet if he started kissing me and holding my hand in front of you and talking of marriage, you’d have a hard time with him then.”
As if on cue, Dad pulls back with an uncontrolled look of disgust.
“See?” I say. “You just have a problem with Archer because he likes me.”
“That’s not true. Not completely anyway. I would have an easier time if I didn’t know he’s been arrested twice.”
“I told you there were deeper reasons behind his acts.”
I’ve a mind to tell him what those reasons were. After all, Archer gave me permission on that first horse ride. But I want Dad to put in some effort—to receive the answers from the source for himself.
“It doesn’t matter what he’ll say,” Dad returns. “A crime is a crime.”
“But doesn’t everyone deserve forgiveness? You don’t know what he’s done to make up for his actions. In Texas and in Autumn Ridge. He’s not perfect, but is anyone?”
“I’m very near it.”
I shake my head, amused. “He doesn’t want to come between us. You must have noticed the difference in him.”
He averts his gaze. “Taking over the dunk tank, sneaking out with my daughter, hiding in her room...”
“Those were all my doing. He’s been the one telling me to talk to you about it all. You should give him a chance.” I pause. “Maybe...maybe you could come with me to the Sleepy Holler event this Saturday.”
He grimaces.
“For me, Dad,” I press.
With a pent-up breath, he closes his eyes. “Fine. I’ll go. For you. But can I ask for something in return?”
“Of course.”
“Can we spend some time together this week? In between my duties and the festival, I feel like we haven’t seen each other.”
His request is reasonable, even though I want to say, “We haven’t seen each other because I’ve been with Archer and you’ve been with your girlfriend,” but I hold my tongue.
Things are going well right now. Dad’s actually compromising. About Archer, for Heaven’s sake. I’m not going to bring up anything to ruin it.
“Sounds great,” I say.
He nods, though a frown still mars his brow. I ignore it this time, leaning into the smidgen of hope I feel that this event might be just the thing to change Dad’s heart for good.
Because if not, I don’t know how I’m going to live a life where my only living parent hates the only man I’ve ever been in love with.