My Super-Hot Fake Wedding Date

I opened the door and found my dad, holding out my garment bag. “You forgot this at the house, sweetheart.”

I ushered him inside. “And you came all the way from the island to give it back to me?”

He scrubbed a hand across his face and followed me into the kitchen, where he warily eyed the ice cream. “Everything okay, Maddy?”

“Yeah, it’s great. I pitched that investment firm earlier and I landed the account.” I handed him a pint of ice cream and a spoon. “How’re you?”

“I’ve been better.” He had a bite of ice cream.

“What’s wrong?”

“Frank won’t let me live that tennis match down.” He frowned, his perpetually tan face sagging a bit. “He’s really rubbing my face in it.”

“No offense, but Dad? You totally deserve it.”

“Ah! I know that.” He put the ice cream down. “It’s that boyfriend of yours I’m mad at. I want him to come back for a rematch.”

“Dad. He’s not my boyfriend.”

He eyed the ice cream again. “You two have a fight, or something?”

“Not really. I mean, kind of. It was more of a falling out, I guess. And he was never really my boy

friend.” I put my hands on my hips. “Did Mom put you up to this?”

“No—your old man was just worried about you. And I can tell by all this ice cream that my instincts were once again correct.” He chuckled. “Why don’t you tell me what happened? Is this about that crazy ex-girlfriend of his?”

“Don’t you already know? You and Mom interrogated him about her. Pryce tapped his phone. You basically ran him off.” I started pacing. “Why would he want to date me when my family is absolutely nuts?”

Dad didn’t flinch. “Have you met his family?”

“No.”

“Ten bucks says they’re crazy, too.” He shrugged. “Everybody’s family is. You’re not a special snowflake in that regard, honey.”

“Well, I probably won’t ever meet them. I didn’t handle our weekend together very well.”

“But his ex-girlfriend kept calling him, and then she jilted her new fellow. Sounds like you had a reason to be less than perfect for once.”

I stopped pacing. “Dad… That’s sweet. But let’s face it. I’m not nearly perfect in the relationship department. I haven’t had a boyfriend in years. All I do with Mom is fight. I barely see Sienna. Josie and Claire are my only friends.”

“Your sister’s got a different agenda than you, and so does your mother—always have.” He patted my shoulder. “You don’t have to take resposibility for everyone else, Madison. I know you’re a big-time CEO and you’re used to controlling all the details. But life isn’t always like that. It’s messy. People are messy. Your mother and your sister aren’t perfect. This fellow Bob probably has a few issues, too. And some people are so obsessed with their winning tennis record, they continually bully and humiliate their old friends just to hold onto a feeling that doesn’t really mean anything.”

I blinked at him. I hadn’t been sure my father was that self-aware. “Huh. Thanks for that, I guess.”

He smiled. “You just have to take care of yourself. And if you like this guy, don’t write him off just because he didn’t handle everything perfectly. Don’t run away from your feelings just because you’re scared that he’ll see that you and your crazy family aren’t perfect either. It’s called giving him a chance.”

“But… Don’t you disapprove of him? He beat you at tennis. Then he decked Tyler Dermody on your court!”

“Tyler’s an asshole.” Dad shrugged. “And yes I disapprove of him—not only for beating me, but for talking to another woman while he was spending the weekend with my daughter—but sometimes even I make mistakes in judgment. I’d be willing to give him a second chance.”

“Mom said no way. She said he wasn’t ‘good enough’ for our family.”

“Well, your mother can be an asshole too, sometimes. But she’s not all bad.” Dad’s eyes twinkled. “Maybe you could give her a second chance.”

He kissed me on the cheek. “I have to go, sweetheart. Give me a call soon and let me know what’s happening.”

I watched him climb into the back of the SUV waiting outside and drive away.