Page 115 of Guarded Deputy
He must notice because he places the frame back where it was and looks at us.
“I don’t know where to begin.” He frowns. “Leaving my family behind was the biggest mistake I’ve made. I know that nothing I say will be enough for you to forgive me, but I hope you’ll give me a chance to at least get to know each other again.” He smiles, and it almost seems genuine.
“You left us, Dad. You broke Mom’s heart, and we had to struggle to make ends meet. If you cared at all, even if you fell out of love with Mom, the least you could’ve done was take care of us. We are your children, you know?” Brooke stands tall, arms crossed.
“You’re right.” He bows his head.
“You seem to have done well for yourself despite that. Both of you.” He glances between us. “My two kids are grown up and professionals. Brooke with a family. Nate a man of the law.” He boasts proudly.
“Don’t let this view fool you. It hasn’t been easy getting here, thanks to you,” I tell him. “Now, if this is what you came to say, you can go.” I lift my hand toward the front door.
“Tell me about my grandson. At least give me that,” he tells Brooke, ignoring me.
“Why? So you can break his heart like you did to me by disappearing without a trace?” She lifts her brows.
“Right.” He frowns. “Remember when I taught you how to throw a football? We watched the Cowboys every week.” His eyes shift to mine.
I hate that he uses this to get to me. It’s my favorite memory of him. It was our thing to play catch and cheer on our home team.
I nod silently as memories rush my mind, the first time I threw a spiral and he carried me on his shoulders like I won the Super Bowl, when he bought me my Cowboys jersey so we could match, teasing my mom about her lack of football knowledge. It all crashes over me like a wave, and I take a seat on the couch, rubbing my jaw.
“What do you want?” I ask, tired.
“I already told you. I want to start over and make up for lost time.” He sits beside me, squeezing my shoulder.
I shake him off and look at Brooke for guidance. She sighs, tears building in her eyes. I crack my neck and turn to my dad.
“We need time.”
“Let me treat you to dinner. I can order a pizza while we talk. I can meet my grandson. What’s his name?”
“Walker,” Brooke responds.
“Walker. I like it.” He nods with a wistful smile.
My sister looks at me and nods. I sigh and shrug. While we have our silent conversation, my dad leans back on the sofa and looks around the living room.
“I’ll go pick Walker up while you order the pizza,” Brooke says.
“Thank you, sweetie.” My dad stands and hugs her, catching her off-guard. Brooke’s eyes widen before her arms pat his back.
“Don’t mention his father,” she says when she steps away from him. “He passed away a couple of years ago and we’re still recovering.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Go on, sis. We’ll grab the pizza. It’ll be faster than waiting for delivery.” I look at my father expectantly, but he remains on the couch. “Ready?”
“Why don’t you go? I don’t want any questions about who I am or our family history. This really is a small town.” He stands, fishes his wallet from his back pocket, and grabs a twenty. “Like this we can leave our private life out of small-town gossipers.” He presses his lips together.
I watch him carefully, unsure if I should trust him. My dad keeps holding the bill out between us. I snatch the twenty from his hand and point at him with narrowed eyes.
“Don’t do anything stupid. You’re lucky you’re even here.”
“I wouldn’t dare. I’m determined to prove it to you, Nate. Your resentment is valid, but I plan to change your mind.” He smiles, nodding encouragingly.
“I’ll be back soon, and Brooke shouldn’t be more than ten minutes.” I clench my jaw, praying I’m making the right decision.
I grab my phone to call in the order before driving off so I don’t have to wait long. When I hang up I see a text message notification. Opening it, I curse when I see it’s from Lizzy asking what time we were going to get together.