Page 65 of Reaching Roland

“It depends on who you ask,” I said, laughing.

“Why?”

“He didn't officially ask me out on a date until the Fourth of July, but we were hanging out before then. One of his sons says we should count back to when we started having more personal conversations when he came into the salon. He and his friends call it our twenty-questions dating period.”

Her laugh floated into the air. “It sounds like they’re onto something.”

I tended to agree, honestly. I had such a huge-ass crush on him that it tracked for me. Roland didn’t think anything should count until we were actually aware.Whatever.

“Has he decided when he’s starting the handyman gig, yet?” I’d told her all about Miss Georgina’s idea for a name, and she’d loved it as much as we all did.

“He’s meeting with a financial advisor. He’s willing to do it, but he wants to make sure he has all his ducks in a row.”

“Good. My husband was the same way. There’s nothing wrong with a responsible man.” She got that faraway look in her eyes that meant she was remembering her spouse, so I gave her aminute. Quicker than I expected, she said, “You tell him that I want to be his first customer, okay?”

“That's awesome, Evelyn, but you know he’ll come over and fix anything you want for free for being such an awesome landlady to me.”

She shook her head. “No, I want to pay him. It's the right thing to do. It'll be nice knowing that the work will be done by someone I can trust. Besides, I’m only so good to you because you’re an amazing tenant. Not that I expect you to be here much longer.”

My cheeks flamed at her words. It wasn’t like Roland and I had talked about that yet or anything, but I thought about it constantly and dreamed about it at night. I wanted him to be the first and last person I saw every day. If we went by Indie’s timeline, there’d be a chance it might happen in the next couple of months. Using Roland’s, Lord knew how long he’d make us wait. “I gotta go,” I said and scurried out the gate.

Her laughter followed me out of the yard and to my car. I drove the speed limit over to Roland’s house so I wouldn't get a stern lecture when I got there. My poor Daddy, he really didn't have a clue how to handle me when I bent his rules or scared him. Luckily for him, I lived for his rewards. Bounding into the house with my bag slung over my shoulder, I yelled, “Daddy,” but stopped short when I found him in the living room. He was surrounded by open boxes, and the things from the shelves were all over the floor. Basically, it looked like a cyclone had hit the interior of his house. “Daddy, what are you doing?”

“Hey, shortcake.” He came over and picked me up, peppering kisses all over my neck and making me laugh as my bag of clothes fell to the ground with a thump. “I missed you.”

Wrapping my legs around his hips and my arms around his neck, I said, “I missed you, too. But seriously, what are you doing?”

He huffed, then carried me into the living room with him, where he fell back on the couch and rearranged us more comfortably. “I was supposed to be done with this by the time you got home, but as you can see…” He trailed off.

“Actually, I'm not sure what I see.” Chaos. Destruction. The exact opposite of how he usually kept things.

The skin around his eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. “It's been pretty monumental this summer, hasn't it?”

Okay, subject change. I’d play along. “It has.”

“First, there was you.” He kissed my cheek. “Then Indie started his new endeavor with the Outreach.”

“You decided that you're going to quit your job and try the handyman business.”

He nodded. “There’s that, too. Pete and Fred are back in my life.”

“Which is good.” Really, it was great, but I tried not to make too big a deal out of it. He’d convinced me under the cover of night, laying in his bed, that he struggled with how completely he shut everyone out. He really didn’t know what else to do, though, and honoring Indie was the most important thing. The two men who’d ended up being his real friends, and their families, had all understood completely and didn’t hold anything against him. Roland had invited them over for a barbecue, and I’d met them all, and they’d been so warm and inviting. If these were the type of people Rhonda surrounded herself with, I completelyunderstood why Roland kept in touch with Tweedle Dee’s and Tweedle Dum's wives and children.

“It is, but it's all a lot of change.”

He sounded so somber that I leaned forward, resting my forehead against his. “It is, Daddy. Is it overwhelming you?” I didn’t think I was overwhelming, but I also thought he’d tell me if I was.

“No, shortcake. As a matter of fact, it's breathing new life into me, which means it's time to make some changes around here.”

I sat up and scrutinized the room. I didn't see anything wrong with it. “But why? Your home is lovely.”

“Because, with the exception of new furniture I purchased when I needed it, everything in this house is exactly like Rhonda left it.” He framed my face with his big hands. “ I want to start filling the house with things we find together. Our own special treasures.”

My breath caught. “Daddy, you don't have to do that.”

“Yes, I do. I love you, shortcake. And whether we live here or somewhere else, at some point, I'm going to want you to live with me, and it needs to feel one hundred percent like your home.”

I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I didn't know if it was because he was so considerate, or if it was because I knew what a big step this was for him. How many times before we started dating had he told me that Rhonda was his one and only true love? And here he was, not only making space for me in his life and his heart, but also in the personal space he shared with his favorite person, too. “Daddy, I love you, too.”

He chuckled. “I had a feeling, shortcake. Is this happening too quickly for you?”

“Hell no.” I pecked a quick kiss to his lips and hopped up. Rubbing my hands together, I asked, “How can I help?”

He dropped his head back on the couch cushion and groaned. “I don't even know. For some reason, I thought I'd just throw some things in a box and store them in the attic, and it would be done lickety-split, but as you can see…” He raised his arms hopelessly.

“Why don’t we call Indie and Cameron and see what they're doing? I'm sure Cameron will want some of his mother’s stuff, too, and Indie and I can help clean as you two make decisions.”

“I like that idea.” He stood up, towering over me, and rested his hands on my shoulders. “Sorry about that botchedI love you. It wasn't exactly the romantic gesture I’d planned on giving you.”

“Daddy, we’re Strawberry Festivals and Farmers’ Markets, family dinners, and hanging out at the bar at The Tap Tavern. I know I’m adorably stylish, but I like our lives the way they are. I don't need roses and chocolate. I only need you. My Honey-Do Daddy.”

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