reflection of him.
“It won’t happen again.” He gave a satisfied nod and returned his attention to his plate. “How’s Mrs. Quinn?” I asked.
Something resembling a snarl turned his mouth down. “I wouldn’t know.”
What? The last I’d seen them, they were happy.
“Why wouldn’t you?” I asked carefully.
“I broke it off with her.” He shoveled a piece of broccoli in his mouth a little too aggressively.
I stared at him incredulously. “You what?”
He set his fork down on his plate and leaned back in his chair. “It’s not fair to her. She shouldn’t have to accept that I don’t think I can go through a relationship again.”
I put my own fork down with a clatter and pointed at him. “Does this have to do with Mom?”
He banged his fist on the table in an uncharacteristic display. “No. And I don’t want to talk about her.”
Whoa. Seemed like I was getting warmer to the root of what was going on.
“I’m just trying to figure you out. I thought you and Mrs. Quinn were on fire.”
He shot a shut it look in my direction. “On fire?”
“Yeah. Hot for each other.” I leaned back in my chair and polished off my beer, relieved the conversation was less intense.
“You aren’t trying to do anything but avoid telling me why you won’t go home. I’m thrilled to have you here any way I can get you, but if you want to get real, let’s get real. Why are you calling your old man after work instead of that beautiful roommate of yours? Or hell, even your brother or sister?” He pushed his mostly empty plate away from him and folded his hands on the table.
My dad avoided some things like it was his job. Mainly anything to do with my mother. But he didn’t shy away from the hard stuff. He always knew when to push and when to leave things alone.
“Andrew and Marlow are probably in bed.” I picked at the edge of the label on my bottle, avoiding his eyes.
“Not with my two grandkids.” He winked.
“What kind of trouble did they get into today?” I loved my nephew and niece. Well, technically she wasn’t my niece yet, but I was never one to get bogged down with technicalities.
“We’re back to avoiding the subject at hand?” Dad tilted his beer back. “Suits me.”
“I just needed some space.” I worked harder at peeling the label off in one piece. It began to rip when I had a quarter of it off.
“Living with her isn’t what you thought?”
I concentrated on the label, slowly pulling on the edge to stop the split. “No. It’s pretty much exactly what I thought.” Aside from not being able to control this need to touch her. If anything, it was getting worse. “Can we not talk about Baker?”
A smirk toyed on my father’s lips. “You pushed about Audrey and Ivette.”
“Fine. Let’s just forget about women for now.” I held up my bottle. “Want another?”
“Please.” He handed me his empty.
I paused in the doorway to the kitchen. “You aren’t the same without Mrs. Quinn.” Now that he’d confessed he’d let her go, it was painfully obvious he was struggling.
Plates clattered from the dining room as I disposed of our bottles in the recycling bin. I opened the fridge and pulled out two more. Dad dropped our dishes in the sink.
“No, I’m not,” he admitted through a stiff jaw. “But I’ve made my bed.”
“Just want you to be happy, Dad.” I held the fresh beer bottle in front of him.
He took it greedily from my hands. “Why do all my children keep saying that to me?”
“Because it’s the truth.”
“If all of you are happy, then so am I.” He meant it. I knew that with everything I was. But there was a halo of loneliness around him that burned brighter than it had before I’d left for Wyoming.
“Call her.” I couldn’t keep my mouth shut when I knew he was being a fool not to try with Mrs. Quinn.
He hooked an arm around my neck and pulled me in. “Have I told you how glad I am to have you home?”
“Once or twice.” I hugged him back. The man told me every single day in some way, shape, or form. I was glad to be back too. “Mind if I crash here tonight?”
“You never have to ask.”
His phone vibrated in his pocket. He checked the caller ID and shoved it back where it came from.
“More lady friends?” I teased.
His eyes looked haunted. “No. Your mother.”
“What does