Page 42 of The Cold Ride

“Done. Two years from now, this is where I will be. And I’ll come to visit whenever I’m on leave. I promise.”

The smile that spread on her little face struck me straight through the heart. Every moment I spent in her presence, my love for her deepened.

“Here you go. I’ve got a couple of cheeseburgers, fries, and milkshakes for ya.” She set our meal on the table. “Is there anything else I can get ya?”

“We’re good for now, thanks.”

“Well, enjoy. And just holler if you need anything.” She walked away without a backward glance, stopping by another table with her spiel.

We sat in that booth for over an hour, eating cheeseburgers and fries, enjoying our milkshakes, and finding common ground. Amelia gave me the lowdown on all her friends in school, her favorite subjects, the books she liked to read, the movies and TV shows she enjoyed, and even her favorite music.

“Dad, you’re just going to have to accept that I’m a Swifty.”

“But there are some great bands.”

Amelia held up a hand. “And I’m happy to listen to them. But I love Taylor’s songs, and you’re just going to have to get used to it.”

Jesus Christ, I loved hard rock and heavy metal, and sometimes rap and country. But pop music? My new unit would laugh themselves into a hernia, but I didn’t give a fuck. If that’s what my daughter listened to, I would do it for her. “I’ll let it rest for now. But I still want to introduce you to some of my favorite bands. I think you’ll enjoy them.”

“Maybe. But aren’t they all like, old?”

Holy fuck! I’d never felt more ancient than I did in this moment. “Brat,” I chuckled, “Come on. Let’s hit the road. I’m sure your mom is starting to wonder where we’re at. If you need to hit the restroom, now’s your chance.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back.”

I paid the check while she went to the bathroom. And then we were speeding down the two-lane highway, headed back toward the inn. I went a direct route on the return trip. We’d been gone for quite a few hours, and I didn’t want Rory to worry.

We made it back and found Rory in the kitchen kneading dough. Her smile was bright as she asked, “Hey guys, did you have a good time?”

“Mom, it was so awesome. You should go riding with him sometime.” Amelia bubbled over in excitement.

“Yeah, Rory, you should go for a ride with me.” I’d love to feel all her curves pressed against my back.

She blushed at my innuendo. “We’ll have to see about that. Maybe.”

“Do you need any help getting dinner made?” I asked, even though when it came to the kitchen, I was good at reading the instructions on the back of a box or grilling, but that was about it.

“Nah, I’ve got this. Unless you want something other than pepperoni on the pizza. Oh, and I picked up some of that beer I saw you and the guys drinking. There’s some in the fridge in here and then more in the fridge in the garage. And I washed your sheets and towels. If you have clothes that need to be washed, I put a basket at the end of the hall. Just dump it in there.”

“Uh, sure, that would be great.” I was starting to run out of clean clothes, especially with the work I’d been doing on the house.

Touched that she would go to such lengths, I headed into my room to grab my laundry and drew up short. On the bed was a photo album with a note on top.

To start your collection.

Rory

Lifting the book, I flipped through the pages. Images that I’d liked in the baby book stared up at me. I sat on the bed and thumbed through it. The pages progressed from when Amelia was an infant to today.

God, this woman.

She’d always moved me. And I couldn’t help but wonder if I had gotten over my issues and not been such an ass when she’d come to me if things between us would have been different. It was one of those little things I would always wonder about.

At the knock on the door, I said, “Come in.”

Amelia poked her head in. “Hey, Dad, do you want to go kick the soccer ball around in the backyard while Mom’s working on dinner?”

“Sure. That sounds like fun. Let me get my laundry together for your mom, and then we can play. I’ll be right out.”

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