“It’s really not.”
“Nicholas Sparks? Jude Deveraux? Christina Lauren? Ann Nichols?—”
“Is Dad around?” I interrupted, my gaze falling to the Ns.Nichols.I ran my fingers along the spine ofThe Forest of Dreams.
I could hear Carver frowning in his voice. “How did you know I was at the funeral home?”
“You only ever call me when you’re bored at the funeral home. Not enough work at the tech firm today?”
“Wanted to leave early. Dad’s wrapping up a meeting with a client,” he added, which meant he was talking with the bereaved about funeral arrangements, caskets, and pricing.
“Have you talked to him yet?”
“About the chest pains? No.”
I made a disapproving noise. “Mom says he keeps refusing to go see Dr. Martin.”
“You know Dad. He’ll make the time eventually.”
“Do you think Alice could pressure him?”
Alice wasreallygood at getting Dad to do things he didn’t want to do. She was the youngest of us, and she had Dad tied around her pinkie so tightly, just the merethoughtof upsetting her would drive him to pull down the moon if he had to. She was also the one who decided to stay in the family business. She was the only one who wanted to.
“Already asked,” Carver replied. “They’ve got something like three funerals this weekend. I’m sure he’s going to go next week when he’s a little less busy. And he’s fine. If anything happens, Mom’s right there.”
“Why does he have to be sostubborn?”
“Funny coming from you.”
“Haha.” I picked out two sci-fis and a charming-looking paperback.Howl’s Moving Castleby Diana Wynne Jones. Buying books always made me feel better, even if I never read them. “Can you try at least? To convince Dad to go sooner rather than later?”
“Sure, if you can convince him to take a day off work—”
In the background, I heard Dad yell, “Convince who? Of what?”
And Carver replied, covering the receiver to shout back (not that it helped my eardrums), “Nothing, old man! Go drink your Ensure! Hey—I was joking—oh, what’s that, Mom? I should come help you with something? Sure! Here’s your second favorite—”
“I amnotsecond favorite,” I interjected.
“Okay, bye!”
I heard a scuffle on the other end of the phone as Carver very quickly handed it over to Dad. I could imagine the exchange—Carver tossing his cell phone to Dad as Dad tried to swat him in the arm and missed to catch the phone, and Carver slinking away into one of the other rooms after Mom, laughing the entire way.
Dad raised the phone to his ear, and his bold, boisterous voice boomed through. “Buttercup! How’s the Big Apple?”
My heart swelled at the sound of his voice, chorused with Carver laughing away in the background. I missed my family, more than I really cared to admit most days. “It’s good.”
“Eating enough? Staying hydrated?”
“I should be askingyouthat.” I exited the aisle and sat down on the bookstore step stool, satchel and books in my lap. “Old man.”
I could almosthearhim roll his eyes. “I’mfine.These old bones haven’t quit on me yet. How’s my eldest doing? Found a nice catch in the city yet?”
I snorted. “You know my life is more than who I date, Dad. Love isn’t everything.”
“How did my beautiful eldest daughter become so bitter? It’s so tragic,” he lamented with a heavy sigh. “She was made from the loins of love!”
“Gross, Dad.”