Especially when she’s going to be pregnant with my child.
She damn near trips over herself as she comes racing toward me with my water.
“There ya go. Glad you decided to stick around, unlike dad who’s a party pooper.”
She playfully sticks her tongue out at him, and it makes me wonder for a brief second if she’s being nice to me simply because of my relationship with her father.
No. It’s more. I’m not mistaking this.
Sadie quickly excuses herself to attend another table.
“You ready to be an empty nester in a couple of weeks?” I ask my friend.
“Empty nester?” he says, his eyes narrowing letting me know he doesn’t follow.
“Sadie. She’s leaving for college. You said she was going out of state.”
“That was the plan but she up and changed it one day, said she wanted to stay local. Her mom and I were shocked, even tried to talk her out of it at first, but she wouldn’t listen. Will be good to have her around.”
I nod and take a sip.
“When did she change her mind?”
“About three months ago. Shock to everyone.”
Right when I announced I was retiring, coming back home. Coincidence?
“You two get her for a little longer. Can’t be a bad thing.”
“No, not at all,” Rick says, pinching my trapezius muscle letting me know he’s about to bail. “Plus it gives me a chance to keep an eye on her. She’s getting to that age where boys become a real thing, something that catches their interests.”
“She showed an interest in anyone?” I ask so quickly I damn near choke on my water.
“Not yet, but her mother and I know it’s only a matter of time.”
“Only a matter of time,” I repeat. A very short time if I have anything to say about it.
I place the glass back on the table and only then realize how tight I was gripping the edge of the bar with my other hand.
“Maybe I should leave with you,” I add, tipping back the glass of water and tossing a wad of bills down on the bar.
“I don’t want to rush you…after four, or was it five hours,” Rick jokes. I don’t find it funny at all. I could sit here all day looking at his offspring. Rick’s eyes narrow. “That’s a generous tip, SEAL.” His eyes open wide as he sees the multiple hundred dollar bills on the bar. “You know I already paid.”
“College is expensive. A little goes a long way.”
“My pocketbook thanks you.”
And I think you for creating the most beautiful woman ever known to man.
I need to get out of here, get some fresh air, and stop acting like a stalker who’s afraid to make a move. I stay here much longer there will probably be a shift change anyway, which defeats the entire purpose of being here in the first place.
She’s not here, then neither am I.
Rick and I step outside, moving toward his Suburban. He jumps onto the driver’s side, having only had a couple of beers over so many hours and I grab the passenger side and pause.
“Rick. Maybe it’s better if we take a cab.”
“I’m fine.”