Page 108 of Small Town Swoo
“He’s okay. I mean, he looks terrible—pale and haggardand hooked up to tons of machines—but he’s breathing and not in pain. He’s sleeping a lot, but he did wake up and talk to me.” She smiled wryly. “He asked who was managing the diner.”
I chuckled. “Of course he did.”
“My aunt filled in for my mom this morning, but I told him I’d close up later.”
“Need help?”
She shook her head, placing a hand on my leg. “No. You’ve done enough for me. You don’t need to spend your last night in town working at Moe’s Diner.”
I took a sip of my coffee and tried not to think about tonight being my last. “My dad called. He sends his best wishes for a fast recovery and says he has lots of tips for getting healthier.”
“Oh, good. He looked so great yesterday. And how cute were he and Julia on the dance floor together?”
“He seemed happy,” I agreed. Julia was exactly as everyone had described—lively, beautiful, kind, and best of all, she truly appeared to adore my father. She lit up whenever he looked her way, and he was obviously just as enamored, eagerly opening doors for her, pulling out her chair, offering his arm when they walked side by side. I’d never seen that side of him. It made me feel good to know he would not be lonely.
“He really did. And it was adorable that he stood in for Lexi’s dad.” Sighing, she tipped her head onto my shoulder. “It was a beautiful wedding. I’m sorry we had to leave early.”
“Don’t be. Devlin texted and said he and Lexi are thinking of your family, and they were glad you were there.”
“That’s sweet.” She straightened up and yawned. “Can I ask you for one last favor?”
“Of course.”
“Can you run me home so I can clean up and get my car? Then I’ll come back and give my mom a chance to go grab a shower. When she gets back, I’ll head to the diner.”
“Is that all you need? A ride?”
“Yes.” She paused. “What time is your flight tomorrow?”
“Eight a.m.”
She looked down at her coffee cup, flicking the edge of the plastic lid with her thumb. “Your dad will want to see you tonight.”
“We’re all getting together for dinner at his house at six.” I put a hand on her leg. “Can I see you afterward?”
“I won’t be home from the diner until after ten.”
“I don’t mind.”
“You have to get up so early, Dash. It’s an hour and a half drive to the airport.”
“I know.”
“Won’t everyone think it’s weird that you’re leaving to go somewhere on your last night home?”
“I think they all know what’s going on by now. And if they ask, I’ll tell them the truth. I want to see you before I go.” I met her eyes. “Is it okay?”
Her eyes filled, and she nodded. “It’s okay. I can’t promise I won’t be a little emotional.”
“Lucky for you, I’m an expert at emotions now.” I put my arm around her, kissed her temple. “Don’t worry about a thing.”
Outside, the skies had turned gray, and raindrops were just starting to fall. After dropping her off, I went home and crashed for a couple hours, lulled to sleep by the gentle roll of thunder and the steady hum of rain showers on the roof. When I woke up, I did some laundry, including my sheets, and packed up most of my things. I was hoping to spend the night at Ari’s house. Then I called Beatrix, who didn’t answer, so I left a message.
“Hey, this is Dashiel Buckley. I’m just wondering if you heard anything more from Katherine Carroll’s team about Tuesday. Let me know, thanks.”
I sent a quick text to Ari checking in, and she said she was back at the hospital. There were no changes in her dad’s condition, but she was pretty sure he’d have a bypass within the next few days.
My dad and Julia arrived home in the early afternoon, and the rest of my family came for dinner around six, even Devlin and Lexi. Since everyone was exhausted from the weekend, it was a fairly early night, Austin heading out with Veronica and the twins by eight, followed fairly quickly by Xander and Kelly, then Devlin and Lexi. Mabel, who was staying at the house, trailed me upstairs, leaving just Dad and Julia in the living room.
