Six
“There’s my girl!” The sound of my father’s voice snaps through the current between Dave and me.
“Hee-eey!” I look at dad, and every other thought disappears. Trooper bounces gently against my chest, hearing the excitement in my voice. I throw my arms around my father before remembering, a beat too late, that he’d recently had his chest cracked open.
“Ooof!” He stiffens as the grunt escapes.
Instantly, I rear back. “Oh my God, Dad. Did I hurt you?” Panic shades my tone and my gaze travels over him, searching for signs that I’d hurt him.
He laughs, the sound thinner than I remember as his voice exposes the strain. “Only my pride,” he teases. “You forgot about the surgery. It’s okay.”
“I didn’t. I just lost concentration for a minute because I’m so happy to see you.” Guilt floods me. “I’m sorry.”
He smiles and wraps me in an embrace, this one gentler than the first. “I should have braced myself. You’ve always been a hugger.” His voice softens as he kisses the top of my head. “I’ve missed you, sweetheart.”
“I missed you too, Daddy. I’ve been worried.”
For a long moment, neither of us speaks. I simply hold him and breathe him in; grateful he isn’t lying in a hospital bed anymore. The steady beat beneath my cheek reminds me just how close I’d come to losing him, and I silently thank God for the chance to, once again, hold my father.
Trooper squirms between us, demanding his share of attention. Dad chuckles as I lift the puppy from my arms and place him into his.
“Well now,” he says, scratching beneath the little chin, “who’s this handsome guy?”
Trooper relaxes, acting like he’s known my father forever. Dad cradles him like a baby, and when the puppy rolls to look up at him, it exposes the white marking on his chest.
“Look at that,” Dad says, tracing the outline with one finger. “It’s a little heart.”
I smile. “I noticed it in the truck.”
He studies the imperfect shape for another second before looking at me. “It means we’re buddies.”
“Why’s that, Dad?”
His eyes drift from Trooper back to mine. “His looks a little broken, just like mine was.” He pauses.
Dave joins us, extending his hand toward my father. “Good to see you, Mr. Rich.”
Dad returns the gesture for a handshake, then surprises both of us by pulling Dave into a quick one-armed hug while still holding Trooper. “It’s good to be seen.”
Dad’s gaze lingers as they sever the embrace. He looks from Dave to me and back again, the faintest smile tugging at the corner of his mouth and speaks under his breath. “I always wondered …”
Dave blinks as my father turns away. “Wondered?”
Dad chuckles, then dismisses his comment. “You’ll figure it out.”
Somehow, I get his meaning. I had a crush on Dave when I was younger, but he was focused on his future. Then I went away.
Heat warms my cheeks. I busy myself stroking Trooper’s ears, hoping neither man notices the blush I can feel spreading across my face. Judging by the amused sparkle in my father’s eyes, I’m unsuccessful.