MissBEHAVED

Chapter Seventeen

Melody

We quickly fell back into a familiar routine over the next month, spending all day Monday and a few nights during the week together. Dixon hadn’t invited me back to his grandparents’ house, so I hadn’t had to refuse to go. As far as I was concerned, never would be too soon to see his grandmother again. She reminded me of the stuck-up society snobs that I sometimes had to interact with in Pittsburgh, and her behavior led me to think long and hard about my future with Dixon.

The good news was that he’d decided to move out from his grandparents’ carriage house. I felt it was a necessary step for him to take. While they’d raised him and supported him, his grandmother’s ideas on what was best for Dixon were too much. I was working on getting over the whole dinner debacle, but the things his grandmother said still echoed in my ears late at night when I was alone, and only time would make them dissipate.

The bad news was that there were very few rentals available in March in our neck of the woods. He’d gone to see a few houses that looked like they’d blow over if a strong storm came through, complete with peeling paint and rotting porch steps. Most apartments were in the village, and he wanted to be more in the country, closer to me. Which brought me to today, early on a Sunday morning. Dixon spent the night at his house since he had to open the hardware store, and I always went in early to catch the after-breakfast crowd of shoppers. Even though it was barely eight in the morning, I knew my parents would be up. I didn’t always consult them about my life choices, but before I made the offer I was considering, I wanted their input. Both because they owned half my house and because my thoughts and feelings were conflicted. My heart told me to move forward, but my head told me it was too soon.

Taking another sip of my coffee and then a deep breath, I dialed my mom’s number.

“Good morning, Mellie. This is a nice surprise,” she said, answering on the second ring. “Your father and I are just having breakfast in the sunroom.”

My parents weren’t always predictable, but Sunday morning breakfast was a constant in my life growing up. Us kids didn’t have to join them once we hit our teenage years, but if we wanted to, we always knew they’d be at the cozy table in the sunroom from seven-thirty to nine, drinking coffee, sharing a newspaper, and eating pastries and quiche.

“Good morning, Mom. That’s good that he’s right there because I wanted to talk to you both.”

“Okay, sweetie,” she replied without a hint of reservation. My mother just rolled with whatever her children threw at her. She stayed calm and supportive, even when I’m sure she wanted to throw up her hands in frustration at some of our more ridiculous ideas. Like moving a state away to open a lingerie store in a resort town. “I’ll put him on speaker.”

“Hey there, Mellie Belly.” The childhood nickname warmed my insides and made me smile.

“Hi, Dad. How are you?”

“I’m good. We’re both good. Your mother and I were just talking about coming up to see you for Springfest in April. Maybe your brother and sister can join us.”

“That would be great. I’d love to see everyone. Just let me know.”

“How are things with Dixon going?” I was surprised she waited for my father and I to talk before asking. While she wasn’t the type of mother to push me toward marriage and babies, she was very excited that I had Dixon in my life. She was a sucker for a love story.

“He’s good. That’s actually why I called. I wanted to get your thoughts on something.”

A brief moment of silence elapsed before I heard the rustling of newspapers and the clink of dishes, then she said, “Okay, sweetie. We’re all ears.”

“Well, like I said, things are good with Dixon, really good. He’s supportive of my goals and a great partner to bounce my ideas off of. We have so much fun together. We’ve been going snowshoeing and skiing. He likes to take care of me, and he always makes sure I’m safe and happy.”

“That’s great, Mellie,” my father said. “All we ever wanted for any of you kids was to be happy and fulfilled.”

“I am, Dad. Between my store and Dixon, I feel like I have everything I want at this point in my life.” I paused, not knowing how to broach the subject.

“So what did you need to talk to us about? It seems like everything is great.” Leave it to my mother to ask the hard question.

I took a deep breath. “I know we haven’t been together long, but what would you think about me asking Dixon to live with me? He’s been looking for a place, but there’s not much available around here.”

“Doesn’t he live in a carriage house? Why does he want to move in with you?” my father asked, his tone more businesslike than it was a minute ago.

“He doesn’t. I mean, I haven’t asked him. We haven’t discussed him moving in here, but he wants to be closer to me, and he doesn’t want to rely on his grandparents anymore. Plus, they could charge far more for rent than what he’s paying, so it would help them as well.”

“How long have you been dating?” my mother asked, and I could tell she was considering it where my dad was more focused on preventing me from being taken advantage of. That’s why they were so perfect. My mother was the dreamer, open to any possibility, while my father was more logical and focused on the potential negatives.

“Just over two months. I know it’s early, but everything feels right between us. That’s why I need your perspective. Am I rushing things? Should I wait for some arbitrary amount of time to pass? What if things don’t work out?” I sighed, wishing there was a crystal ball someone could shake that would tell me if Dixon and I were going to be together forever.

“That’s a lot of questions, sweetie,” my mom said soothingly. “You know I put a lot of stock into fate and trusting your gut. If you feel ready to ask him to move in, then do it. The worst that could happen is that you discover you’re not compatible long term and then he moves out. But the best that could happen is you fall in love and live happily ever after. Unfortunately, there’s no way to predict the future, but I don’t think waiting another month or two will change the outcome. Either you’ll work out or you won’t. So I say ask him to move in.”

My father grunted in the background, and I knew he wasn’t thrilled with my mother’s opinion, but also didn’t have any way to contradict her.

“Dad, what do you think?”

“I think if you’re going to ask him to move in, you also ask him to sign a rental agreement that outlines how much he’s going to contribute and what happens if you want him to move out. I want you protected, Melody. You can explore your love, but you’ll do it after I make sure you don’t end up with a squatter in your house.”

I hadn’t expected any less from my father, but still…

“That’s going to be kind of awkward, Dad. What do I say? Please move in with me but sign this agreement first?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what you say. If he moved in anywhere else, he would have to sign a lease. It’s not unreasonable for you to expect the same.” He paused. “And, Melody, if he’s the kind of man I think he is, he will want you to be protected. He won’t be offended. He’ll want an agreement so he doesn’t feel like he’s taking advantage of you.”

Huh. As my father spoke, I realized he was right. Dixon wouldn’t want to put me in a bad position. In fact, I wondered if he’d even accept my offer.

“Okay, Dad. Can you have your lawyer draft an agreement that has a blank spot for the amount of rent? I want to talk that out with him.”

“Yes. I’ll get it to you tomorrow.” His hurried response let me know how relieved he was that I hadn’t argued. Being with Dixon definitely made me think before I put up a useless argument. It wasn’t worth the red bottom I’d end up with, though I wasn’t telling my father anything about that.

“One thing I’m sure Dixon is going to ask about is the cameras. I think we need to turn them off when we’re home, Dad. It creeps him out.”

My father grunted again, then sighed. I pictured him running a hand over his face, knowing I had a point but not wanting to give in.

“I’ll have the alarm guys come out and reprogram them to only turn on when you set the alarm and say you’re leaving or going to bed. I know you’ll want your privacy, but I still want eyes on the property when you’re not there or sleeping. That’s all the compromise I’m willing to make.”

Again, I knew it wasn’t worth it to argue. And I was sure Dixon would be okay with that. At least we’d have control of when the cameras were on.

“That’s perfect, Dad. Please send me the agreement. I don’t know when I’ll talk to him about this, but I’ll let you know as soon as I do.”

“Sounds good, sweetie. I hope it turns out the way you want it to,” my mother said, wishing me the best but not pushing her own opinions on my life. Comparing her to Dixon’s grandmother made me even more grateful of how my parents raised me. The only expectations were to do my best at whatever I chose to do and be a kind and decent person.

“Thanks, Mom. And thank you, Dad, for looking out for me. I love you both.”

They echoed my sentiments, and we hung up. I only had a half-hour to get ready to go, so I pushed away any worries about how Dixon would react to my offer. There would be time enough to think about that later.