The Convenient Wife

“Oh,” I say, watching her hug the little boy and ruffle his hair. “He’s a cute kid.” My chest swells, expanding like a hot air balloon as that feeling in my gut moves through my body.

“He is. He looks a lot like you when you were his age. He’s got the Sheckler nose, that one.” Clearing his throat, my father looks around the room. “So, where’s your wi—Starla?”

My eyes dart to his as he catches himself and calls her by her name. Smiling, I fold my arms across my chest. “She’s not feeling well,” I say, not wanting to tell him the truth.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Gripping my shoulder, he gives me a little shake. “I was looking forward to getting to know her better.”

Snapping my head in his direction, my brows dip in hard. “What?”

Did he really just say that?

Grinning, my father reaches out and grabs two glasses of wine as the waiter walks past us. Handing one to me, he takes a sip of his. “Your mother and I have been talking, and you’re right. I don’t know a thing about this girl. But, I’d like to, I’d love to get to know the woman who stole my son’s heart.”

“Wait, what’s going on here?” Taking a step to the side, I turn to face him straight on. “This isn’t what you were saying earlier. What changed?”

“Your mother.” Holding the glass to his lips, he chugs the rest of his wine and sets the empty glass on the table beside us. “She made me realize a few things.”

“Like what?” I’m confused. His sudden change doesn’t make sense, not after this morning.

“Like the fact that she wasn’t welcomed into our family at first either. Your grandmother hated that I chose her. Your aunts hated her too. Your mother was loud, she was bold, she was the opposite of what everyone else wanted. And I chose her anyway because she was right for me.”

“But Mom was upset too, so why did she change her mind?”

Letting out a weighted breath, he angles his head. “She wasn’t upset about who you married, Bolt, she was upset that you got married and didn’t tell us. She wanted to be there for it. She feels like you took that from her. Your mother has wanted to watch you get married since you were a young boy. It makes her sad that you didn’t want her there for it. But, we do want to get to know Starla, we want to see what you see. If she makes you happy, then I’m happy.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

Wrapping his arm around my neck, he gives me a side hug. “I’m sorry for pushing you so hard with all this crap. I was wrong to do that. I’m just happy it looks like it all worked out.” His smile is full and light, and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him look so happy before. “Please, just don’t hide any babies from us, let us be there for that.”

Did it work out?

I want to ask his advice. I want him to tell me how to fix this thing I broke.

Because I’m not sure how to fix a broken heart.

“Dad—”

“Oh, excuse me, Bolt, someone is waiting for me.” My father lets go of my shoulder and walks to the dance floor before I can get out the rest.

His eyes light up as he gives me one last grin over his shoulder, biting his lip and flashing his brows. His stride is smooth, he’s moving his hips and shaking his shoulders to the beat of the music.

My mother is standing there with a huge smile on her face, her eyes twinkling as my father dances his way to her. It’s easy to see the love they have for each other.

And as I stand there watching them dance, watching my father kiss her softly as he holds her waist and they spin in circles, I finally understand what he’s been pushing me to find.

It wasn’t just about him giving me orders or controlling me. He wanted me to have what they have. He wants me to feel what they feel.

There’s a sensation that comes over you when you fall in love. There are no words to describe it, it can’t be explained to someone else. It has to be felt. It has to flow through your body and fill all those empty spaces.

Starla did that. She filled the voids, she made me smile, she made me look past what people have and see what was important.

All the money in the world didn’t matter if you had no one to share your life with.

I can’t imagine sharing my life with anyone else but her.

15

Bolt

Clink

The green light pops on, and that’s all I need to see. Throwing my shoulder into the door, it flies open easily and I stumble into the room. I expected it to be barricaded, maybe blocked by the couch or a table. It isn’t.