Page 103 of Revelry
I wanted this.
Ireallywanted this.
Living the dream, that’s what Tate had said.
“Uh, Living The Cream?” I said.
The man chuckled. “I like it, I’ll keep an eye out for you. Have you got a business card?”
“Oh, no, I haven’t.”
“No worries, I’ll remember the name. You have a good evening.” He lifted his ice cream in a small wave and then disappeared.
“You too,” I called after him, but he was swallowed up by the crowd.
“Living The Cream,” Tate repeated, and I turned to him.
“Too much?” I asked, desperate to know what he thought.
He shook his head, smiling and pulled me close. “Just right.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Gertie
“I’ll be back,” Tate said, his voice hard.
I looked up and saw his attention fixed over my head. His jaw clenched and I followed his gaze. I spotted the man and two children I’d seen outside Tate’s house at Halloween. The man who had sent him into a mental health spiral. His father.
I nodded. “Sure, you go. Let me know if you need me.”
He looked down at me and stroked over the apple of my cheeks, his eyes flitting back and forth between mine like he wanted to say something. Then he pressed a hard kiss to my forehead and was gone.
A moment later his father was dragged to my stall by his youngest child, desperate for ice cream.
“Hi there,” he said, smiling at me and the deep lines around his eyes crinkled. He had dark eyes, a shade or two darker than Tate’s, though not as bright. But the nose was the same and the smile that Tate was showing more and more was the same as this man’s.
I vaguely recognized him. I must have dim memories from seeing him when I was a child, before he left his whole family and sent them into a tailspin that Tate still hadn’t recovered from.
He cocked his head. “Do I know you?”
“Erm, I live next door to Dr. Wilder,” I replied. I don’t know why I called him Dr. Wilder, only that I couldn’t sayTate.I expected the man to react and shut down at the mention of the son he abandoned but if anything, he lit up.
“Is he here tonight?” he asked, eagerly looking around.
I glanced in the direction Tate had gone. I didn’t want to lie; he could just bump into him in a few minutes’ time and that would be horrible for everyone. The sullen teenager by his father’s side also followed my gaze, his face lifting with hope at the mention of Tate.
“He is,” I began. “But I don’t think it’s a good idea that you approach him.”
His expression faltered slightly. “Oh. Well could you maybe pass on a message for me? My name’s Scott, I’m his father.”
I twisted my hands together, my gut clenching. “Yes, I know who you are. I don’t know, I don’t want to get involved,” I replied, reluctantly.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to put you in an awkward position,” Scott said gently and then turned to his youngest child who was tugging on his arm. “What do you want, kids?”
“What’s this?” The little boy pointed at the Rainbow Surprise which was down to its last scoop.
“Rainbow Surprise, and it’s been mighty popular, so you’d better get the last bit while it’s going,” I teased. His smile lit up as he glanced at his father who nodded.
