Page 11 of Catch Him
He flashed her a smile. “Sorry, love. You can try again tomorrow.”
“Night,” she said as she took the box and made her way back home.
Once he was out of sight, she let herself do what she had wanted to do all night and sighed like an actual princess who might have met her Prince Charming. She was too practical to know it would last. He was only here for a limited amount of time. Still, she could only imagine the look on her face right now. Something she would have to be careful to hide from him tomorrow, as he’d already pointed out she was fairly obvious.
Tomorrow. Another chance to be with him. Another chance to be wooed by him. Maybe another chance to kiss him. She wanted to dance, she wanted to sing. Wanted to raise her arms in the air and twirl.
Her. Sinead O’Hara. A girl who had never twirled in her life.
Most of all she wanted to feel like this again. How strange to not even realize what a funk she’d been in until she was pulled out of it by the most unusual of circumstances.
She made her way up the stairs to the landing to her apartment door. Unlocking it, she cursed under her breath, seeing the living room light was still on as she stepped inside. Her father sat in his favorite worn recliner, reading. He never was much for television unless there was a sporting event.
Fortunately, the piles of twenties had been cleared from the table. Sinead wondered what the odds were of being able to walk in, lock up behind her and say good night without him commenting.
After all, he was a man. Would he even realize she’d changed her clothes?
Sinead did exactly that. Locked the door, put the bolt in place. Murmuredgood nightand started to walk toward her bedroom.
“How much that all cost?” he asked just as she reached the hallway leading to her room.
Shit. She should have known. Yes, he was a man who was mostly oblivious, but he was also a cop deep down in his soul. Cops noticed things.
“Don’t worry about it, Dad.”
“Ah, don’t worry about it, she says. Stands in front of me a few hours ago and calls me dirty, then turns around and lets some guy buy her a fancy dress and shoes. You know what that makes you?”
That had her anger sparking. She dropped the box and walked back to stand in front of him.
“What does it make me, Dad? A whore? Is that what you’re implying? Because clearly I didn’t have sex with him, unless you think I was blowing him in the car. Because that’s so like me, isn’t? To take expensive things in exchange for sex. Do you even know me? At all? Your daughter.”
He frowned at that. “I know that if something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Watch your back.”
The best night of her life in the longest time she could remember, and it ended withwatch your back.
Sinead nodded. There was no reason to expect his reaction would be any different. No reason to think he might want to share in her happiness. Yes, he was her father and no matter what, she couldn’t turn her back on him. They were all they had left in this world. She’d just wished one time for him to do the unexpected.
How did your date go?
Did you like him?
Was he a gentleman?
Instead she got,watch your back.
“Good night, Dad.”
