I Have Lived and I Have Loved - Willow Winters Page 0,318

good at sports.”

“Do you get butterflies in your stomach when you see him?” I asked. I might not like him, but Max was hot. And an excellent lay. And I had to admit to a couple of tiny butterflies whenever our eyes met.

“I’m not sure. I don’t think so,” she replied.

“If he doesn’t give you butterflies, he’s not worth going toe-to-toe with your dad for. He sounds protective.”

I finished loading the final washer and pressed start on all three machines.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love my dad. He’s just not good with women.”

I laughed. “None of them are. It’s a good lesson to learn early in life.”

“And he wants me to stay a baby. I don’t want go to my eighth grade dance wearing a frilly dress that a three-year-old would wear.”

“You got a picture of the strapless one?”

She pulled out her phone, scrolled through photos, then held up her handset. The dress was a little revealing. “It’s pretty, but I think you can do better by leaving a little more to the imagination,” I replied. “Can I?” I held out my hand for her phone.

I hopped up next to her and began to scroll through websites. “Have you thought about one of those dresses with a long sheer skirt over a shorter skirt? That might make him happy.”

She grinned at me. “What’s your name?” she asked.

“Harper. Finder of eighth-grade-dance dresses.”

“I’m Amanda. Needer of an eighth-grade-dance dress.”

“It’s fate,” I said, tapping the phone.

“Do you think I could do strapless if it’s long?”

Amanda’s father didn’t sound like a man who wanted his daughter to show any skin. “I don’t think strapless is the most flattering style. I think you can still show off some skin here,” I said, sweeping my hand below my neck, “without upsetting your dad. We need to find something off the shoulder. Suits all women, young and old.”

Amanda grinned at me. “That sounds like it could work.”

“And then maybe something long but with a slit up the leg?” I glanced up from the phone to see Amanda fidgeting excitedly.

We spent the next hour looking at different styles, working out what would be demure enough to please her father, but pretty enough to please her.

Eventually Amanda’s laundry was ready. “I better go back. He’ll be home from work and wondering where I am. I left a note, but he won’t read it.” She rolled her eyes. Her phone started to vibrate, Dad flashing on the screen. “Speak of the devil.”

“Hi, Dad.” She rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m coming up now.”

“He has dinner ready,” she said. “I better go.”

Wow. A man so devoted to his daughter he didn’t date, and on top of that he cooked. Sounded like a keeper. “Never say no to a man who can cook. And remember, be nice to him. That’s the way to get what you want. Men get taken in so easily by a few compliments.” I winked at her.

“Thank you so much.” She flung her arms around my neck and I froze, her gesture taking me by surprise.

“I’m going shopping again next week,” she said as I squeezed her back. “Yesterday was a total bust, but at least now I won’t just try the same things again and have the same argument.”

“Exactly. Men have to think they’ve won. Never let on that really, you’ve gotten your own way.”

Amanda laughed. “I need boy lessons from you.”

“Single girl,” I said, pointing to myself. “I don’t know anything.”

“That’s not true. I’m not going to listen to a word boys say from now on. I’m only going to watch what they do.”

“You’ll go far if you remember that. It was so nice to meet you, Amanda. Have fun at your dance.”

She took her pile of clean, folded laundry and left me to my three washers, my report, and thoughts of my father. Was it because Amanda’s father was of a younger generation that he was so involved with her growing up? When I was younger, every now and then my dad had tried to get involved in my life. I even remembered him coming to a couple of my school plays. But it had never lasted long and then we wouldn’t see him for months. He’d just disappear as soon as I started to expect anything of him. I grew out of any expectation eventually.

Or maybe not. I still wanted him to ask me to go work for him, even knowing all the times he’d let me down. I guess I still wanted him to