Page 140 of That Moment
Dad grunts, “I should have.”
“But you didn’t,” she says, her hand sliding across the table to rest on his. “You stayed. Even when everyone told you not to.”
Something softens in Dad’s eyes as he looks at her, the rough edges fading like they always do when he stares at Mom. “Yeah. Guess I did.”
Mom smiles and turns to Scotty. “So, you see, I have a soft spot for the men my husband swears are bad ideas. He’s usually wrong.”
Dad grunts. “Usually.”
Scotty looks between them and smiles. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Good, now finish your plate.” Mom nods toward his still half-eaten pile of vegetables that he’s clearly avoiding. “If you don’t, you don’t get apple pie.”
After we finish dinner, Scotty offers to help clear the table, but Mom waves him off immediately, “Absolutely not. You’re a guest. Adrienne, Axel—grab those plates.”
“Axel?” I ask, confused, until I hear the back door creak open.
“Smells like dinner’s over,” he says, stepping in. “Oh, dessert, hell yeah, perfect timing.”
Mom grins. “You’re late.”
“Grab a dish towel,” I tell him, stacking plates in his hands, freshly cleaned from the dishwasher. “You’re on drying duty.”
He salutes me. “Yes, ma’am.”
Scotty chuckles under his breath as he leans against the counter, watching the chaos. I catch him sneaking a look at me every now and then, that soft, private smile that still makes mystomach flip. When I pass him with the last of the glasses, his fingers graze mine, just enough to send a jolt through me. He murmurs, “Your family’s something else.”
“That’s one way to put it,” I tease. “Still sure you’re up for it?”
Before he can respond, Dad’s voice calls from the living room. “Scotty. Got a minute?”
“Yes, sir.” He leans in, glancing quickly over his shoulder this time before kissing me and whispering. “If he kills me, I love you.”
I glance over at my mom when she laughs softly. “Relax, sweetheart. If your father was going to murder him, he wouldn’t invite him for a drink first.”
Axel snorts. “Pretty sure that’sexactlywhat he would die. Get his victim to feel relaxed, let his guard down, and then go in for the kill.”
“Axel.” Mom swats him with the dish towel.
“You sound like a psychopath, you know that?”
Axel rolls his eyes at me, “Watch any Dateline episode and tell me I’m wrong.”
Scotty gives me a reassuring nod before following my dad outside. I dry my hands and peek around the corner, careful not to intrude but too anxious to stay put. They’re standing by the mantle, neither talking. Dad pours two fingers of bourbon into a glass and hands it to Scotty.
“Thank you,” Scotty hesitates only a second before taking it.
“I meant what I said out there,” Dad begins. “It’s not about money or reputation. Never has been. It’s about character.”
“I understand,” Scotty says quietly.
“Listen, son, I didn’t mean to imply that you don’t have integrity, but we both know that I’ve watched you grow up. I’ve seen the string of women and broken hearts you’ve left in your wake, and I’ll be damned if my little girl ends up as one of them.”
“I hear you, sir," Scotty’s head dips, like he’s ashamed. “You’re right, there’s no way around that. I have been reckless and, at times, even heartless with women in my past. I know that and I know why I did it.” My stomach is in my throat while I wait for him to continue. “I was insecure and projecting that. I thought if I got validation from women, I wouldn’t have to look inward and really question why I never felt worthy enough of your daughter.”
My dad’s shoulders square, and he stands up a little taller, like he’s really listening to what Scotty has to say.
“I was intimidated by you, your family, the entire Slade name. Look, we both know I could never even come close to offering Adrienne the kind of wealth and comfort that you and your name can, and I’m okay with that. I don’t have that much of an ego that I’m insecure about that. But I always let myself believe that I could never compare when she could literally have any man she wanted. Shit,” he mutters, kicking at nothing on the floor, “he was a damn MLB star.”
