Rugged Guard - Jason Collins Page 0,30
like he never really made time for anything that wasn’t work-related?”
“I feel like it pained him to be away from the office,” I admitted. “I feel like we were always second to last on his ever-evolving to-do list.”
“I’m sorry, Parker.”
“Sorry for what?” I offered Derek a playful grin. “It’s not your fault my dad was M.I.A.”
“I know,” he replied. “But I can tell it’s still haunting you. And I hate that you can’t just enjoy yourself right now, without thinking about how he made you feel.”
“It’s just part of life, I guess.” I sighed. “And it’s not all bad memories, anyway.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I smiled as I nodded to a different corner of the trail. “Like, right over there? That’s where my dad and I celebrated by drinking a few beers after we got the deed to the land for the Bed & Breakfast. It was honestly one of the happiest days of my life. It was just really special, having him be a part of something good, having him tell me that he was proud of me.”
“Well, I’m happy you have some happy memories of him,” Derek said. “My advice? Hold onto those for as long as you can. It might not make things hurt less, but it’ll help you remember that your dad wasn’t all bad, either.”
“Thanks.” I smiled. “And thanks for listening to my little rant about it, too. It’s nice to talk to someone about my dad, even when it’s… hard.”
“No problem.” Derek smiled too before he wobbled on top of his horse. “Shit!”
“You’re okay, you’re okay,” I replied. “Just… try to stay still. And you’ll be fine.”
“Okay… okay…” Derek took in a deep breath as he righted himself on the saddle. “Fuck. That was close.”
“Don’t worry. I’d never let you fall.”
“My hero.” Derek smiled as he brought his focus back to the trail ahead.
By the time we were done with the horseback riding tour, the sun was already setting in the sky. I went to my office to finish up sending off a few emails, while Derek went to survey the Bed & Breakfast’s perimeter, making sure nothing had changed since we’d left. And by the time I’d sent an email to the last vendor, I looked up at the clock on my wall and noticed that it was time for dinner. I was ready to head to the kitchen to grab something out of the fridge. However, as I made my way to the kitchen, Iris stopped me in my tracks and gently pulled me to the main dining room.
And that was when I noticed that Eddie, Derek, and Austin were already seated, each one with a Styrofoam container in front of them. Eddie and Austin seemed to be engaged in their own conversation, while Derek appeared to be actively listening, his face turned toward them both.
“Dinner is served!” Iris shouted across the dining room table. “Everyone eat up before it gets cold—”
“Or what? You’ll have to put it back in the microwave?” Eddie joked.
Iris rolled her eyes. “Complain, complain, complain. That’s all people do when their stomachs aren’t full.”
“Thank you for dinner, Iris,” Austin spoke up. “And thanks for inviting me. You didn’t have to do that—”
“What do you mean I didn’t have to do that?” Iris scoffed. “Austin Sherman, you’ve been staying with us so long you might as well be a part of the family now. Besides, I was thinking that maybe we could help you clear your head with a good, old fashioned Chinese takeout meal.”
“Maybe so.” Austin smiled.
Derek chimed into the conversation. “Thanks, Iris. I was pretty much starving after being on horseback all day. Staying upright took a lot more effort than I thought it was going to.”
“Oh, but you liked it, I’m sure?” Iris smirked at Derek. “Especially getting to spend so much time with… our guests.”
Iris seemed to hesitate on the phrase our guests, which made me wonder if she’d originally meant to say something else. I spared a look over at her, wondering what was really on her mind.
But Derek went through with his reply just as if Iris hadn’t been strangely hesitant.
“Yeah, I did like it, actually. A lot more than I expected to,” Derek admitted. “I wouldn’t even hate going again if we had the time.”
“Well, I’m sure you’ll find the time, Mr. Lavine,” Iris spoke, a smile playing at her lips before she took a seat at the head of the table. She then motioned for to me take a seat right beside her,