“How was work today?”
“Good. My dad went over the paperwork, and I had my attorney scrutinize it line by line. He did everything he said he’d do.”
“That’s good.” I can’t help but cringe when he talks about his father. Not that he’s been anything but nice since we met, but I’ll never forget how we officially met. Or at least how I first heard his voice.
“And you.” He pulls back and cups my face. “Everything good?”
“Yes.” I smile reassuringly. “Everything is great.”
The bells above the door ring again. “I’ve got to get that.”
His body stiffens as his chest expands, and he lets go of me. I rest my hand on his arm. “It’s fine. If it’s Rick and he’s aggressive, I’ll call the police. But he won’t show up until tomorrow. If he’s as drunk as Dana said, he’ll need to sober up first before he can even find his way here.”
I stop at the threshold between the office and the lobby, causing Alexander to bump into my back.
He grabs my shoulders and holds me in place. “Sorry, babe, are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
He glances up once he’s positive I’m okay, and while I thought he was stiff before, it’s nothing compared to now.
“Hello, father.”
My dad allows the door to shut behind him. “Daisy.” He nods as his eyes rake over Alexander, taking in everything at once. “Is this him?”
“Yes, this is Alexander.” I don’t move any closer. I’m not ready to see him, and I’m not sure when I will be.
“Sir.” Alexander moves in front of me and crosses his arms over his chest. “What do you want?”
My father’s chest puffs out to match Alexander’s stance. They’re like two banty roosters. “To talk to Daisy.”
“So, talk.” Alexander’s jaw flexes as his chin shoves outward.
“It’s fine.” I grab Alexander’s arm and step around him. “My father isn’t going to do anything to hurt me.”
“Words hurt as much as actions.”
Who is this man? He’s like a superhero without a cape. “I’m fine. I can handle him.”
“This is bullshit. I’m not going to do anything to you.” My father slaps his hands on his hips. “I would never hit you or do something like these deadbeats that you seem hellbent on saving.”
“I know that, dad. And we try not to call them deadbeats.”
“You need to get back to the university so you can get into medical school in the fall. We can pretend this was a moment of insanity.” My dad ignores Alexander’s existence. “I can tell the board that you were led astray by your professor, and it wasn’t your fault.”
“I’m not going back to school. The shelter is a dream come true job, and I’m not shifting careers at this point. The shelter is where I belong.” I shake my head and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “And I’m going to ignore that you insulted Alexander so we can continue to have a relationship.”
“It’s this guy and his influence on you. He’s bad news. You know the saying, if you lay down with the dogs long enough, you get fleas.” He marches toward us and stops two feet from Alexander, squaring off against him. “And he’s causing all kinds of trouble for Heather.”
“It’s what I want to do, and it has nothing to do with Alexander. I had my social work degree three months before I met him. And Heather is responsible for all the trouble she’s getting. It was her own actions that led to her arrest.”
Alexander didn’t want to drag our personal business into the media unless I agreed. I wholeheartedly agreed. I’m not going to lie. Seeing Heather arrested for extortion was a great day. She might not see prison time but allowing her to walk away with Alexander’s money with no consequences was unacceptable. I don’t care if he could survive without the money or not.
“Fine, but I don’t like it.” He shoves his hands into his pockets.
“Dad, I appreciate you’re upset, but I’m not ending things with Alexander.” I wrap my arm around his waist and lean against his shoulder. “He’s who I plan to spend the rest of my life with, so you need to get used to it if you want to continue seeing me.”
He shifts from foot to foot. “I wanted to work with you.”