13. Sarah
Sarah
“Daddy,” I call as we come down the stairs. “Let’s take Luca to see the horses.”
He laughs from the couch and looks over his shoulder.
“Sweet girl,” he says, “why don’t we eat some dinner first? Your mama made your favorite.”
My eyes widen.
“Fried chicken and corn on the cob?”
He grins.
“You know it.”
“Sorry, Luca.”
I immediately make a beeline for the kitchen.
When I walk into the kitchen, a bowl of fresh watermelon sits in the middle of the island. I reach in and grab a piece.
Mama swats my hand with the dish towel, but she’s smiling.
“Dinner’s almost ready.”
I pop the watermelon into my mouth anyway.
She shakes her head.
“Did you leave Luca with your daddy?”
“He’s a big boy.” I shrug. “He’ll survive.”
Mama smiles to herself as she stirs the potatoes.
“I know you sent pictures, but he sure is handsome.”
She bumps my hip with hers.
“Mm-hmm.”
“You sure seem to like him.”
“Mama,” I say, giving her a look.
She raises both hands.
“I’m just saying.” Her smile softens. “You seem smitten.”
She glances toward the doorway.
“And he looks at you the way your Daddy looks at me.”
“Stop.”
Mama only smiles.
“I raised you. I know that look.”
I roll my eyes and wander back into the living room.
Daddy has the Weather Channel on, though it seems less like he’s watching it and more like he’s narrating it for Luca.
“…if we don’t get enough moisture this week, we’ll have to rotate the cattle earlier than I planned.”
Luca nods.
“That makes sense.”
I raise an eyebrow. I know for a fact he has no idea what Daddy’s talking about. Luca looks up when he sees me. I smile and sink down onto the couch beside him.
“Daddy,” I say, “don’t bore Luca with the weather.”
“No,” Luca says before Daddy can answer. “He’s not boring me.”
Daddy grins.
“See?”
I shake my head. “Mama says dinner’s almost ready.”
Dinner is exactly the way I remember it. Mama fills the table with fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, homemade rolls, green beans, and enough food to feed twice as many people as we’re expecting.
The conversation never really stays in one place. Daddy asks Luca about Los Angeles. Mama asks me about USC. Somewhere in the middle, they start telling stories from when I was little, and I spend half the meal insisting they’re exaggerating.
I reach for the butter, but before my fingers get there, Luca slides it in front of me.
“Thanks.”
He nods once before turning his attention back to whatever Daddy’s saying about the ranch.
A few minutes later, I laugh so hard at one of Daddy’s stories that I forget about the piece of chicken sitting on my plate.
Luca nudges my elbow with his.
“Eat, Baby Girl.”
I smile and take a bite.
Mama keeps talking, and somewhere between stories, I empty my glass without realizing it. By the time I look for the pitcher, Luca is already standing. He refills it, sets it back beside my plate, and picks up his own conversation with Daddy.
I glance across the table just in time to catch Daddy looking at Luca. Our eyes meet for the briefest second. Then he goes back to talking to Luca.
Dinner winds down almost an hour later. By the time the last roll disappears, we’re all leaning back in our chairs, too full to move.
I start stacking plates.
Daddy stands, stretching his back.
“Sweet girl.”
I look up.
“Come help me feed the chickens.”
I grin.
“Okay.”
Daddy looks across the table at Luca.
“You mind giving Adele a hand with the dishes?”
Luca doesn’t hesitate.
“Of course, sir.”
Mama waves him off.
“Oh, honey, you don’t have to.”
He smiles.
“I’d like to.”
Daddy gives him a single nod.
“Appreciate it.”
I catch Luca’s eye as Daddy heads for the mudroom.
“I’ll be back.”
“Go,” Luca says with a smile. “I’ll survive.”
Daddy and I head toward the chicken coop, the gravel crunching beneath our boots. Halfway there, he slips an arm around my shoulders.
“Luca seems like a good man.”
I turn my head and look up at him.
His eyes stay on the path ahead.
“He listens more than he talks.” Daddy steps over a patch of mud before continuing. “He’s respectful without trying too hard. Doesn’t seem interested in proving anything.”
I watch him for another step.
“And the way he looks after you…” He shakes his head once. “Most men don’t even realize they’re doing those little things.”
My gaze drops to the ground in front of us.
Daddy reaches for the gate.
“I like him.”
Before he can open it, I wrap my arms around his middle.
“Thank you, Daddy.”
He chuckles softly and kisses the top of my head.