Swear (Landry Family 4)
Page 20
“Stop needling me and tell me what’s happening with you. How’s the shop coming together?”
“We’re aiming to open soon,” I say. “Maybe a month or so. It’s taking a little longer than I thought it would.”
“I warned you.”
“I know,” I sigh. “You’ve warned me about a lot of things in my life.”
The words tumble from my lips before I can stop them. Taking a deep breath to try to settle the little flutter in my belly as my brain demands to replay Ford’s smile from earlier today, I look at Dad. Of course he notices my hesitation.
“What’s this all about?” he asks.
I could lie to him. Or, more accurately, I could try to lie to him. He’d know though. He always does.
Sucking in a breath, I go for it. “Ford is back in town.”
His features remain passive, but I see the sparkle in his eye. “He is, huh?”
“He came by Halcyon.”
“How’s he doing?”
“I don’t know,” I say as casually as I can.
He scoffs, leaning forward so his elbows rest on the table. “Don’t be like that, Ellie.”
“Don’t be like what?”
A low chuckle rumbles from his chest, but he’s not amused. It’s more irritation, a frustrated huff that his baby girl is a little more like him than he cares to admit.
“Life’s too short for this,” he warns.
“Life’s too short to not want to have an in-depth conversation with someone that broke your heart?”
“You were both young.”
“I. Don’t. Care,” I bristle, knowing he’d take my side in a second if he knew the truth. But I have never told him, and if I’m honest with myself, a part of the reason is I don’t want him to be mad at Ford. I don’t know why I don’t. I just don’t. “I know you’ve always liked him, but you could at least pretend to like me more.”
His laugh this time is genuine and I almost return it.
“He’s a good man. I know you—”
“Daddy, don’t start on this now.”
“Ellie Dawn, listen to your old man for a second,” he says in the way that lets me know I’m about to get an earful. “You are the only person in this world that I love. The only reason why I’m not lying beside your mama right now,” he tells me. “I only want the best for you. I want you to have a full, happy life.”
“I know that.”
He sighs. “I have one regret and that’s raising you to be too much like me.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re just like me,” he says with a hint of pride. “You’re as stubborn as a mule and ready to argue for the sake of it.”
“It’s served me well.”
“But once you get to be my age, you realize it’s the setup for a lonely life.”
My heart constricts in my chest as I watch a flutter of memories flicker across his face. I reach out and take his hand, speckled with dark spots and calluses from a life of hard work.