Page 11 of Wood Riddance
And if this was what she wanted, practicing family law in Bangor and a life with a guy like Mike, then I would not stand in her way.
But it meant I was stuck here.
I hadn’t planned to leave the Navy so early. I’d always seen myself as a lifer, despite how hard the last deployment had been. But Alicia was set on coming back to Lovewell. She wanted Merry to grow up near her grandparents and cousins. And I appreciated that.
Even if it meant I had to come back too. Because my baby girl was the most important thing in my life, and I would never, ever pass up a minute with her.
I had missed so much time with her while I was in the Navy. My service took me away from her too often, and I promised I’d never let that happen again.
So, like the good sailor I was, I showed up here, ready to settle in and give it my all. Even if it meant working for my father.
It helped that he wanted nothing more than to have his war hero son home. He wanted to brag about me to all his cronies and flaunt me and Merry around.
So he bought a plane. That’s how he lured me back into the family business. With the title to the bush plane and a promise to invest in my air tourism company.
Didn’t take long for that to go to shit. And my brothers and I were stuck trying to save the family business and our own asses.
Alicia and Mike were both successful lawyers. They could provide Merry with everything she needed. And it stung. Because I was her dad, and I would be damned if I slacked on the most important job I’d ever have.
So I would work. Even if it was for the Gagnons. I would keep my plane and start my business. And along the way, I’d never miss a birthday or a parent teacher conference or a soccer game.
* * *
“You know you don’t have to feed me,” I said with a groan. Though I couldn’t be sure if it was a groan of exasperation or of satisfaction. Despite my belief that grilling did not qualify as a hobby, Mike could cook the hell out of a rack of ribs.
He laughed, picking up his plate, then Alicia’s. “I always make too much. You know that.” He dropped a quick kiss on Alicia’s head before carrying the dishes back to the kitchen. “And you’re family.”
I wanted to hate him so much, but I couldn’t—especially when he made ribs that good—and that was unsettling.
Alicia met Mike shortly after we moved back to Lovewell. It was clear from day one that they were destined to be together. And it burned me. Deeply. Not because I was jealous of him or because I wanted Alicia for myself, but because she’d found it. The real thing. After wasting her twenties with my dumb ass, she went out and found a successful, ambitious guy. The kind of guy who could give her and Merry a wonderful life.
Me? Until today, I’d been unemployed. I had a convict for a father, a trashed reputation, and a family business circling the drain.
“Merry. Get the rest of these.”
My daughter sighed loudly but grabbed my plate and hers, leaving Alicia and me in the sunroom. The house was new construction. It was enormous and had state-of-the-art everything. It made my sad apartment that much more pathetic.
Merry had her own room and bathroom and a huge yard, and they were talking about putting in a pool next year. They’d probably get her a dog, the thing she wanted more than anything—aside from a sibling.
Me? I had spent most of my life rejecting material wealth. My dad was ostentatious and snobby, and I’d worked hard to ensure that I was nothing like him.
No one joins the military for money, and I wanted a greater purpose.
I rarely had regrets, but right at this moment, taking in my surroundings, I was kicking myself for not settling for some kind of corporate job. Because Merry deserved everything she ever wanted.
“You’re not okay.” It wasn’t a question.
I shrugged.
“The new job?”
“It’s a go,” I said. “Not ideal circumstances. But—”
“It’s flying.” Alicia finished my sentence. She knew me. Probably better than anyone. She knew how deep my love of flying went. There were times she had resented it. That I didn’t have the same kind of passion for her. But we were long past those days.
“Henri Gagnon has been decent. But his sister, Adele? Let’s just say if anything happens to me, you know who did it.”
“Are you seriously making a murder joke right now?” Alicia asked.
