“Yes,” she snapped. “But trust me, I wasn’t holding my breath.”
He scratched his jaw. “How long has it been since we’ve seen each other?” he asked.
She held her trembling chin up. “Five years at least.”
“Time flies, huh. Can I come in so we can talk?”
Morgan nodded. “I suppose. It’s not every day that one’s father walks back into her life.” Morgan couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her voice. Who did her father think he was to just barge back into her life?
“Let me get those,” her father said, rushing to her side and taking the bag of groceries from her hands.
With trembling fingers Morgan riffled through her purse and extracted her key chain. She pushed open the door and stepped inside as her mind whirled with the notion that her father had just showed up here unannounced.
“I like what you’ve done to the place. The holiday decorations add a nice flair,” he said, looking around with appreciation at the décor. “I remember back in the day when your granny owned this place. Then it went into disrepair.”
“I know we have to get through November, but I love how festive Christmas is.”
“You always did love Christmas, Morgie.” Morgie. He hadn’t called her that in a very long time. Was it possible that her father had missed her? She didn’t want to get her hopes up. He’d hurt her so many times, disappointed her for most of her life. Allowing herself to hope was asking for a broken heart.
“Would you like some tea or hot cocoa?” She couldn’t very well be rude to him and not offer any refreshments. After all, Mama had raised her right.
He grinned at her. “I’d love some orange tea if you have some.” He sat down at the kitchen table, then began tapping his fingers on the wooden surface. For some reason he appeared jittery. Was he just as nervous as she was about seeing him again after all this time?
Morgan put the tea kettle on and pulled out a tin of chocolate macadamia cookies she’d made a few days ago. She placed some on a plate and placed it down in front of her father.
He picked up a cookie and bit into it, letting out a sound of deep appreciation. “You always did know how to bake like nobody’s business.”
“Thanks. I’m a chef now. At Savannah House. Miss Hattie left partial ownership to me in her will. I’m running the inn now with Callie, Charlotte, Hope, Olivia and Fancy. I’m sure you remember them?”
He appeared stunned by her announcement. “Oh yeah. Nice group of girls. I can’t believe Hattie was so generous to you gals. But I guess she didn’t have children or any family to speak of. Your mother was always her right hand woman.”
“Does Mama know you’re here?”
“No,” he answered, his expression sheepish. “I decided to skip the lecture.”
“You’ve skipped a lot of things,” she said pointedly, unwilling to let him off the hook so easily.
“I know,” he said in a soft voice. “But I truly want to mend things and get back on track. I don’t know if you want me in your life, but if you do, I’ll be back in a heartbeat.”
Could they really reconcile and be in each other’s lives? Could she forgive him for all the years of neglect and sadness?
Over tea and cookies, Morgan told her father all about inheriting a share of Savannah House from Miss Hattie. He asked questions in all the right places, conveyed pride regarding her career as a chef and doled out sage advice about taking Savannah House to the next level.
Moment by moment Morgan felt as if Roderick was chipping away at the icy covering she’d placed over her heart to protect herself. Hope soared in her heart that finally after all this time she might have her father present in her life. Oh, God was good! Out of a clear blue sky he’d walked back into her life in order to make amends. And she would accept him with open arms. You were only given one father in a lifetime. And even if she had to swallow her pride to do it, she was going to work hard to make things right between them.
“Do you have plans on Friday night?” Roderick asked.
“No,” she answered, hoping that he wanted to spend more time with her. She felt like a small child again, one who had been starved of fatherly affection and care. Now, she was basking in the glow of her father’s attention. She craved it like sunshine after weeks of rain.
“Good!” Roderick said with a huge grin. “How about I take you out for the biggest steak dinner in all of Savannah?”
Morgan grinned back at him. “That sounds fantastic.”
He glanced at his watch. “I better scoot, Morgie. I have a few errands to run.”
“Okay,” she said, wrapping up a few cookies for him to take along with him. “I actually have plans tonight myself.”
“Why don’t we meet up at The Onion on Market Street. At seven sharp. They used to have the best lobster mac n’ cheese in the city.”