Page 73 of The One for Me
I lean back in my chair and sigh. “Daddy, you know Sean wouldn’t let me be homeless. Or Jasper. Or Sydney.”
He chuckles. “I guess I did. I wouldn’t let you be out there and not ask around.”
“I know. Did you call just to catch up?”
“No, I called because I would like you and your mother to sit down and talk this out. I love you both, and this is destroying me, honey. I know you guys have a lot of things in your past, but this has to stop.”
It couldn’t have been easy for him to say all that. We’ve gone through a lot as a family, and Dad had some health scares the last few years. He just wants his family to heal and go back to the way things were. I just don’t know if that’s possible. My mother is the one with the issues. Not me. I’ve forgiven myself for my mistakes. She is still holding on to it and making it impossible to move on. Still, for him, I’ll do as he asks.
“All right, Daddy. Sean and I can come by the house this weekend after Austin’s tournament.”
I can hear the long sigh through the line. “Thank you, my sweet girl.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” I say with a small laugh.
“Are you and Sean . . .”
“Together?” I ask, knowing that’s what he’s hinting at. “Yes, we are.”
“It’s about damn time the boy got his head out of his ass.”
“Dad!”
“What? You’re the best girl in the world, Devney Jane Maxwell. I’ve always hoped that the two of you would find your way together.”
Well, now I’ve heard it all. “You’re like the tenth person to say it.”
“Which goes to show you just how long we’ve all been waiting.”
I smile. “I’ll be by late Saturday.”
“All right.”
“I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you most.”
When I hang up the phone, I feel a bit lighter than I have in a long time. It’s all going to be okay. Somehow, someway, we will figure it out. If I can patch this up with my mother, then maybe I won’t feel guilty about going to Florida with Sean. Maybe I can start to live my own life and not have to keep trying to make up for the past. I might have a future with the man I’m completely head over heels in love with. But first, I need to get his Christmas present.
* * *
“It’ll take some work to get it the way you want it.”
I look at the car, the exact one that he had when we were kids. “But you can do it?”
Jasper almost looks offended at the question. “Of course I can, it’s just not a lot of time...”
“I need this.”
“Why the hell do you wantthiscar? I mean, it’s beautiful. It really is. I can’t believe how nice this Camaro is.”
“Because Sean needs to have the perfect gift. Especially after the trip he just took me on.”
It has to be this car. It isn’t the same color, but it’s the same make and model of the one Sean used to drive.
Jasper grumbles a bit as he runs his hand over the hood. “A private plane. The guy is making the rest of us look bad.”
I laugh. “Hazel has no complaints with you.”
