Page 27 of Daddy to Go

I rolled my eyes at her and brushed the crumbs off my hands. Standing, I walked over to the sink and put my plate down. I stood there for a minute stewing.

“I don’t know why you can’t just be happy for me. Iwantto go away with Ryder. How often does anything like that happen to a girl in this town? It’s so different from our boring old existence.”

“But it’s dangerous for your emotions,” Melody snapped, turning around in her chair.

My eyes drifted off to the window, thinking about her words.

“When someone here goes on a date, it’s either a group date with our friends from high school, or the guy takes us to some shitty burger joint. Why would I choose greasy hell when I could have filet mignon?”

“Because filet mignon can make you sick,” Melody replied. “Sometimes it tastes gross and you end up wishing you had just grabbed a hamburger.”

I shook my head, but she wasn’t going to get it.

“Well, I want to take my chance on the filet. Ryder is, at this very moment, planning a wonderful weekend getaway at some place called Breaker Villa about three hours from here. It’s on the ocean, it’s nicer than anything you or I have ever been to, and it’s just for the two of us. I’m excited about it, and I won’t let your distaste for me, or men, or whatever is your problem, dim that excitement.”

Melody turned back to her book, sniffing.

“Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Dr. Rivington breezed into this town, money in his pockets, and he will breeze right back out the same way. He’s enjoying the fun part of a relationship, but he will never stay to see it through. He’ll leave before normal ever settles in because that’s what men like him do.”

I stopped and stared at her for a minute, lowering my tone a bit.

“Melody, Ryder isn’t going to do that. Not all men are like Dad.”

I could see Melody’s shoulders stiffen and she stood up, almost knocking the chair over. Pointing her finger at me, her face twisted in anger.

“Don’t. Don’t turn my commonsense warning into some psychobabble bullshit. I wasn’t talking about Dad. I was talking about your fake ass new boyfriend. I warned you, Abby. Don’t come crying to me when you’re left with nothing but a broken heart.”

She huffed and stomped off. I stood there listening as she climbed the stairs and slammed the door behind her. Nothing she said was going to get to me. Melody has been a pessimist since the first moment she learned how to speak. She expects the worst from everyone, and I knew it was because our father left us. But having that mentality would keep us locked up in a mental prison forever, and I wasn’t going to let my father ruin anything else in my life.

Besides, I wasn’t my mother and Ryder wasn’t my father. Our connection was something real and special. It was definitely meant to happen, and my sister just doesn’t get it because she’s an eternal Debbie Downer. Well, no matter how much I loved my sister, I wasn’t going to let her ruin my mood because now, I had a romantic weekend to look forward to.

13

Abby

The week seemed to move at a glacial pace. I spent my days at work at the call center and my nights texting with Ryder. We met up for coffee a couple of times, but overall, he’d been busy. He wasn’t getting out of the office until six or seven each evening and then every other night he pulled duty at the Emergency Room to boot. It was hard, and he was exhausted.

While I wanted to see him more, I knew that weekend we would be able to spend as much time together as possible. So, I hunkered down and just worked through it. At night I would read one of the hundreds of books I had on my shelves, trying to put my mind somewhere other than on him. I’d already devoured every book on that shelf, but I loved to read, especially fantasy with the damsels in distress, dragons, and deep emotional love affairs.

It was Thursday and I was on the couch, a blanket up over me, and my comfy fleece pants and socks to keep me cozy. Sure, it was hot outside, but I liked to be warm. I leaned back and opened up the book, ready to pick-up at Chapter 7 when there was a knock on the door. I sighed and threw the blanket back.

When I opened the door, I was greeted by my mother’s smiling face.

“Hi sweetheart, I brought you a cookie. They gave them to us at work.”

I stepped to the side, letting her in. “Thanks. I love to have visitors.”

Belinda was still dressed in her work clothes, and she looked exhausted. Every time I saw her, she looked that way. I could remember very hazily a time when she looked rested but ever since my dad left, her face showed deep lines and wrinkles. She looked around and tapped her hands at her sides.

I raised an eyebrow and moved the blanket so she could sit.

“What’s up? You look like you have something on your mind.”

My mom sat down on the couch, rubbing the fabric with her hand.

“You did a nice job re-storing Grandma’s old couch. I remember laying on this when I was a kid.”

Plopping down next to her I grinned. My mom had given me the couch when I moved upstairs. It had been sitting in the basement since my grandmother had died. I re-upholstered it myself, and I was proud. “Thanks.”