Page 78 of Watching Henry
“It's Hadley. That job offer still open?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“But nothing, I'll be there this afternoon. Any chance you know of any place that can put me up? A couch or something will be fine, no for anything special.”
“I've got a spare room,” Eleanor said. “It's yours if you want it.”
Hadley grinned. “Thanks. See you soon.” She ended the call.
Baby steps. That's what she needed. She'd loved looking after the McLeod-Allan kids, and she was a hundred percent sure that she'd found what she was meant to do, though how she was meant to do it was another question.
She'd need to go back to school, that was for sure. So that was going to be step one on her list.
In the meantime, she needed a job, which the coffee shop could offer, and a sense of stability, which she'd get by building a life, making changes. All of this and she'd prove to Florence that she wasn't a risk, that if anything she was a sure bet, a definite thing.
She'd already started to place the other call, waiting until her father picked up.
“Dad?”
“Had?”
“It's me, listen, I need to tell you something.”
“Sure thing, honey. Are you in a car? Where are you? Not on that damn bus already?”
“No dad, I'm not on the bus. I'm not even getting on the bus. I'm in a cab to the station and I'm going back up to the mountains.”
“Has Ms. McLeod offered to take you back on?”
“Not exactly,” Hadley grimaced. She was pretty sure she'd burned her bridges there. “But I have decided to take your advice. I'm going to do what needs to be done. I'm going to prove everyone wrong.”
He laughed. “Give 'em hell then, and let me know if you need anything.”
She looked out of the window at the city speeding past. “Actually, that's why I'm calling.”
“Sure.”
“It's less that I need something and more that I don't need something. Uh, dad, I really appreciate it, but I think it's time that I gave up my allowance. I think it's time that I started looking after myself.”
He was quiet for a minute. “You sure?”
“I know that the safety net is always there dad, and I know that that security is a luxury. I also know that if I don't make my own way in the world then I won't be able to look myself in the face every day. Does that make sense?”
“It does,” he said, slowly.
Hadley smiled. “I'll call you when I'm settled in, okay?”
“Don't be a stranger, Had, I don't want to lose you to the mountains.”
She laughed. “Don't worry, dad. I'll call, promise.”
She was about to put the phone down when he spoke again. “Had?”
“Yes?”
“I'm proud of you.”
Her heart beat harder and she had never been so sure in her life that she was doing the right thing. She glanced at the clock. A train was leaving soon and she intended to be on it.