In the backseat, all the laughter drained from Dad’s eyes, and they flashed defiantly. “You know I don’t want to see any of them.”
“Yes, I know what you don’t want,” I answered gently. “But Dad, it’s time. It’s time to get what you need. These guys love you like a brother. And it’s not fair to them or you if they don’t get to see you again until your funeral.”
My eyes filled with tears as I finally acknowledged out loud, “Because that’s coming, sooner than any of us imagined. And we don’t want to remember you like this. Cooped up in the house, only coming out for events if you’re sure no one you used to know will be there. You deserve more than that. Your friends and family deserve more than that. So please do this. Do this for us.”
Dad dipped his chin guiltily but shook his head. “Oh, Jazz, I don’t want to upset you, baby, but….”
He trailed off. Probably unable to come up with any good way to finish that sentence.
I understood better than most. “I hate asking for help too, of appearing weak.” I reached around my seat to take his hand. “But I’m finding out love makes me stronger than isolation and bootstrap thinking ever could.”
“You’re right,” he agreed, taking his hand back from me. However, he still didn’t reach for the beach walker he’d placed in the back seat because he hated when any of his girls tried to help him out of the car—including my mom. “I just…I just can’t.”
“Oh, Dad…” I started to say, realizing that this might have been too much too soon for him.
Dad and I jumped when a knock sounded on the window.
We’d been so engrossed in the moment we hadn’t seen Bill approaching the car, along with Albie.
But when Han immediately rolled down Dad’s window and Dad’s window only, I got the distinct feeling that this moment might have been planned, just like our intervention disguised as a birthday party.
“Grandpa! Grandpa! Come on. Everybody’s waiting for you!” Albie wheedled.
Bill’s argument was a lot less sweet. He simply opened the door with a “C’mon, you stubborn old dog. Don’t keep us waiting any longer than you already have.”
There came a tense moment, and Dad’s brow furrowed with anger.
But then he grabbed his walker and grumbled, “You know I don’t like surprises. Or maggots. Now you’re making me deal with both—stand back so I can get out this car.”
“Do you really think I’m a maggot, Grandpa?” Albie asked as he and Bill stepped back. He sounded all kinds of hurt.
“Naw, Albie, not you. I was talking about the worm you brought with you to the car.”
Dad glared at Bill. “You probably did this because you’re still pissed at me for winning that bet about who would get to ask Letty out after we saw her at the exchange store.”
Bill winked at my mom. “You know it. Two divorces later, I’m still wondering what would have happened if I won that coin toss.”
Dad threw open his walker with a loud clack. Then he rolled over to get in Bill’s face and let him know, “Muscles ain’t all the way wasted yet, man. I can still beat you down like a new recruit.”
Mom just shook her head and said, “Grown men acting like boys, the two of you are. You should be ashamed.”
And just like that, they walked off, threatening each other and laughing as Dad used his new walker to support him on the way to his waiting beach party.
But before I got out of the car, I had to ask, “Do all your plans usually just magically work out like that, Fae King?”
He gave me a wry smile. “Most of them until a certain little surfer girl came along.”
I couldn’t help but laugh…and lean forward across the center console to give my husband a grateful kiss. “Well, thank you for bestowing your magic upon my family, Your Grace.”
“You’re welcome,” he answered, his lips curving up over his perfect white teeth. I wondered if there’d ever come a time when that smile wouldn’t completely devastate me.
But then he grew serious. “Your father…you were right about what you said about him when we first met. He is a good man, and he was worth all the money you paid to protect him. I’m sorry. I’m sorry you cannot keep him for as long as any of you wanted.”
My heart cracked open at his words, and fresh tears filled my eyes. “Me too.”
If anything else had been lingering to make me doubt the decisions I’d made regarding this man, they dissipated as he looked back at me with such love and understanding in his gaze.
Suddenly, I couldn’t be more grateful to my dad for putting me in the position of having to pay off his betting debt.
