Page 80 of The Second Dance
“I’m tired.” I say, abruptly standing up.
Her lips pull into a thin line. “Okay.”
“I’m going home. We’ll talk later, okay?”
“Sure, whatever, Andy.”
Lincoln is a long drive away, but it’s better than spending another minute with her.
It’s only after I’m walking down the sidewalk that I realize I didn’t say goodbye.
It’s not necessary, though. The good-bye was in between the lines.
45.
Bo
I carry my toolbox back up the slope, turning back to survey the line of nest boxes spread across the property.
I hear a truck’s engine and turn to see my dad’s pickup bumping down the lane. He slows down and puts the truck in park just as I reach the crest of the hill. He rolls the window down and scans the pasture as I walk up.
I put my hand on the hood of the truck and we both survey my work.
He squints at me. “Aren’t you supposed to be headed to Denning to pick up that part?”
“I sent Cal. Wanted to get this done before it rains tonight.”
“This is the first time I’ve come out here since your bird lady took over.” He scans the ground. “Looks different already. It’s good. Looks good, Bo.”
I glance at him, surprised to see he’s being genuine. He meets my gaze and inclines his head in acknowledgement. “I was pretty pissed at Heather at first for all this. But… you know… I think it’s going to turn out real nice. It’s kind of good to know that something positive came from all that ugliness we called a marriage.”
I hold my hands out. “Standing right here.”
He laughs. “Oh. You think you and your dumb ass brother were good things, too?”
“You’re damn right we were.”
He huffs a laugh, turning to look at the pasture.
We’re quiet for a moment, listening to a pair of cardinals call back and forth.
He clears his throat, his voice is rough. “I really did love her, you know.”
The smile fades from my face. “Yeah. I know, dad.”
“I made some mistakes, though.”
“I know about that, too.”
He winces, nodding. “Should have figured. No secrets in small towns.”
“Didn’t seem like you were trying too hard to keep that a secret.”
He shrugs. “I’m a flawed man, son. If I could go back and do it over, I would. But even though I made mistakes, I’m still glad we had the years we had. If you look at the whole picture, the good outweighed the bad. Your mother and I just used up all the time we were allotted. It’s okay for a chapter to be over. Sometimes you just got to turn the page.”
“You’re awfully poetic today, dad. Is that a veiled message for me?”
He looks up sharply. “You? God, no. You’re just getting started.”