Haley. Dad had also been busy, retirement or no. There had been a lot he’d had to wrap up on the base. Apparently, the handover after having been the head instructor at BUD/S for so many years was no picnic, either.
In addition to all that, his fellow retirees were trying to get him into golf. He’d always detested the sport, but it seemed to be growing on him now.
Today was the first time we were both at home, both seemingly without any plans. Dad read the paper in the kitchen but looked up when I walked in.
“I thought you’d be gone by now,” he commented, sipping from his khaki-colored mug. His dark brows knitted together. “Don’t tell me Haley has finally remembered she has a business to run and can’t spend all the time gallivanting with you.”
I pressed a kiss to his temple before going to fix myself a cup of coffee. “You know, if I wasn’t used to your extremely unfunny sense of humor, my feelings might have been hurt right now.”
He guffawed, dropping his gaze back to the article he’d been reading as I moved away. “Good thing you know not to be offended by my hilarity.”
“Your hilarity,” I placed emphasis on the word as I spooned sugar into my mug, “is very well known around these parts. Talk of the town really.”
“Shows you how much people really have to talk about these days,” he remarked, then flicked a curious glance in my direction. “On a serious note, what are you doing today? Do you finally have time to get some studying done?”
“I don’t have anything to study, Dad. It’s summer, remember?” I filled my cup to the brim and let out a soft moan when the bitter aroma hit my nostrils.
Dad frowned at me, setting the paper down on the table and crossing an ankle over his knee. “Couldn’t you be getting ahead of the work for next semester?”
“That’s not really how it works.” I blew on the surface of the drink, sighing as I wrapped my fingers around the mug. “What are your plans for today?”
A slight smile quirked the corners of his lips, which gave me the answer before he did. “I’ve got some work to do on the boat.”
“Want some help?” I offered. “You always used to let me help when I was growing up. It feels like it’s been forever since we last worked on it together.”
My father’s hazel eyes flashed with surprise, but his expression remained stoic. “Sure. Are you sure there’s nothing else you’d rather be doing, though?”
“No.” I grinned at him. “Is that your way of saying please don’t help me?”
His stubbled jaw tightened, but he shook his head. “No. Just don’t touch anything I don’t tell you to touch. As you’ve just pointed out, it’s been years since you’ve worked out there with me. I wouldn’t want either of you getting hurt.”
“By either of us, you mean me and the boat, right?” I joked. When he scowled at me, I held my hands up. “Kidding. I know she has a name, and I know she’s your second baby. I promise I won’t touch anything I’m not specifically instructed to touch.”
“Good.” He gave me a satisfied nod. “Let’s get started then, kiddo. My errands later aren’t going to run themselves.”
I groaned but hung onto my coffee as I followed him outside. While he got started, I sat in the Captain’s chair and finished my morning brew.
Dad didn’t say much as he unrolled his toolkit and crouched down to get to work. He was wearing a sleeveless white vest and cut-off cargo shorts.
If I’d seen him from the back and hadn’t noticed the silver shine in his hair, I’d have mistaken him for a much younger man. Dad was still as intimidating and industrious as ever. He kept himself in shape, his mind sharp, and his morals and body strong.
While he’d never been a sensitive man or father, he sure had taught me how to be strong, too. Maybe not physically, but mentally and emotionally for sure.
Watching him now, it was difficult for me to reconcile Lincoln’s view of him with my own. There were many points we agreed on, such as him being bullheaded. Lincoln, however, seemed to believe Dad was borderline evil while I knew that despite his tough exterior, he had a heart of gold.
Thinking back to what Linc had told me during our most recent walk on the beach, though, I had to wonder if that heart