Page 28 of More Than Words (Trickle Creek: The Lyons #2)

Chapter Twenty-One

Delaney

I knew better than to make them wait.

It had only been two days since the romance book club met and already the women were blowing up my inbox with inquiries about the list of holiday books I’d promised them.

Out of all our book clubs, the romance club was definitely full of the most avid readers. Those ladies could put down three or four books a week. Which was why they were the only club I gave a list to, instead of only one book to discuss.

Normally, I had the selections chosen right away, but I couldn’t seem to bring myself to even go near the romance shelves, let alone pull out the best holiday books I could find. Maybe I was being dramatic, but the last thing on my mind was love.

Yes, I was definitely being dramatic. But I didn’t care. I was allowed to wallow in my own self-pity. At least for a little bit longer.

“Rochelle.” I finally gave in and handed my employee the clipboard where I’d written a few titles before scratching them out. “Can you please pull together some holiday romances for book club. I just?—”

The bells over the door saved me from an explanation, not that one was needed.

I didn’t generally talk about my personal life with my staff, but Rochelle wasn’t stupid.

She’d noticed a change in me, and probably the very noticeable absence of the brewmaster from next door, who, up until recently, had popped in at least once a day.

“I got this.” She gave me a soft smile, and I nodded gratefully before I turned to greet the new customer.

My heart caught in my throat. “Quinn.”

She raised a mittened hand. “Hey, bookstore lady.”

“Hey, yourself.”

I hadn’t seen her since the other day in the plaza when I’d run into her and Ethan.

It had been awkward and awful. Besides, she was way too smart not to have figured out that something was wrong.

Which probably explained her absence from the store.

I couldn’t help but wonder what Ethan had told her.

“You haven’t been around for a while.”

She shifted her weight from foot to foot, like she wasn’t sure what to say.

“I’ve missed you.”

Her head shot up. “You have?”

“Of course.” I took a few steps toward her, afraid she might turn around and bolt. She seemed so uncertain and not at all like the Quinn I’d gotten to know.

“I almost didn’t come.”

“You know you’re always welcome here,” I said softly. “No matter what’s…” I couldn’t finish the thought, but she did it for me.

“What’s going on with you and my dad?”

I nodded, and she shrugged.

“I’m mad at him,” she blurted after a moment. “Like, really mad.”

That hurt my heart in a way I hadn’t expected.

“Oh, Quinn.” I reached for her and led her to the oversized chair she preferred. She sank into the soft cushions immediately, and I perched across from her on the ottoman. “You don’t need to be mad at him.”

“Yes,” she said softly but firmly. “I do.” She took a deep breath.

“You don’t understand. Dad and I…we tell each other everything.

We always have. But now…this thing with you guys.

” She waved her hand around. “Well, it doesn’t feel good.

And it doesn’t feel good the way he won’t talk to me about it. ”

I nodded because it was the only thing I could do. She was right. None of this felt good.

“I thought maybe if I stayed away from here, he might tell me…well, it doesn’t matter. It’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid,” I said quickly. “None of this is stupid. I’ll be honest, I don’t know what the right answer is either.”

“You don’t?”

I shook my head. “But I do know what the wrong thing is.”

She looked at me, waiting for the information that would make it all better.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have it. But I hoped what I did have to say might ease things a little.

“Being mad at your dad isn’t going to help things,” I said gently.

“I know it might feel like it will, but it won’t.

And the other important thing is that you don’t have to pick sides.

That’s not fair to you. None of this is your fault. ”

She swallowed hard and nodded, ducking her head.

“So you and me,” she said after a moment. “We can still be friends?”

My throat burned, and I blinked hard, determined not to cry in front of her.

“We better still be friends,” I said with a smile. “Because we never stopped.”

She smiled then, even if it was a little sad.

I squeezed her hand and just held it for a moment before clearing my throat sharply. “Now, are you ready for a new book? Because I just got my last inventory shipment in and I’ve been holding a few behind the counter for you.”

Her eyes lit up, and just like that, the air between us cleared.

“Some more of that fantasy?” she asked hopefully. “Nothing with the gross stuff this time.”

I laughed. The last book I’d given her only had a kiss between the two leads, but obviously even that much romance was too much right now.

I couldn’t disagree with her.

“Strong female lead, epic world building, and absolutely no gross stuff,” I said. “You know I’d never steer you wrong.”

She followed me to the front counter, where I retrieved the books I’d been saving for her.

“So cool.” She ran her hand over the cover of the first book and then spontaneously wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. “Thank you, Delaney.”

My heart caught in my throat, and I squeezed her tightly in return.

It didn’t fix everything.

But it was something.

And for the moment, that was going to have to be enough.

Ethan

The lasagna was still bubbling when I pulled it from the oven. The smell of it made my mouth water in anticipation, and just as I hoped it would, it also drew Quinn from her room and into the kitchen.

“Smells good,” she said begrudgingly.

It wasn’t much. But at least she was talking to me now.

The lasagna had taken me all afternoon to put together. But it was Quinn’s favorite, and well worth the effort if it meant my daughter would at least give me the opportunity to explain…and apologize.

I set the pan on the table along with a Caesar salad and a basket of garlic bread.

Quinn raised an eyebrow in question as I sat down across from her. “What’s the occasion?”

“No occasion.” I shrugged. “I thought it would be nice to have a home-cooked meal.”

“Lasagna is my favorite.”

I shrugged again and offered her a wry grin. “Is it?”

“You know it is.” She finally cracked and gave me a small smile in return. “Even if it is an obvious peace offering, I’ll take it.”

I reached forward and grabbed the serving spatula to offer her the corner piece, just the way she liked, before dishing up my own.

A few quiet bites passed between us before I dared to broach the subject I’d been avoiding. “I’m sorry.”

She paused, a forkful of lasagna halfway to her lips.

“For how I handled everything,” I elaborated. “I shouldn’t have treated you like a little kid, Quinn. I know you’re not. It’s just sometimes…” I set my knife and fork down and sat back in my chair. “It’s hard for me to remember that you’re getting really grown-up and you can…”

“Handle the truth,” she finished for me.

“Yeah.” I nodded. “And I never should have snapped at you and shut you down the way I did. I’m sorry.”

Her face softened a little. “You were upset.”

“That’s not an excuse,” I said quickly.

She hesitated for a moment before setting her fork down. “You kind of scared me a little when you got mad.”

That gutted me.

“I hate that,” I said quietly. “I want you to always feel like you can talk to me, Quinn. Even when I make a mess of things. Maybe especially when I mess things up. I am really sorry, kiddo.”

After a moment, she looked up and gave me a small smile. “It’s okay.” She ripped a piece of bread off and stuffed it in her mouth.

It wasn’t. But it would be.

We both resumed eating in a newly peaceful silence. After a few minutes, Quinn said, “I saw Delaney today.”

I froze for a moment before putting the forkful of salad in my mouth and chewing thoughtfully. “Oh yeah?”

“Yup.” Quinn reached for more garlic toast. “She told me not to be so hard on you.”

A smile twitched at my lips. “She did, did she?”

“Yup. She also said that we were still going to be friends no matter what.”

My stomach twisted. “Of course you are.”

“What about you guys?”

Quinn asked the question so frankly, it took me off guard.

“Are you still going to be friends?”

More than anything, I wanted to be friends with Delaney.

No. Not true.

I wanted to be more than friends.

I took a deep breath and told Quinn the truth. “I hope so.” I kept my tone even. “In fact, I’ve been thinking a lot about that lately and about how badly I handled everything with her.”

Quinn nodded sagely as if she, too, had spent some time thinking exactly that.

“The truth is, I was so focused on the way things always had been, that I didn’t stop to consider what they were growing and changing to be.

And what they could be. I didn’t stop to consider how my choices and decisions might affect Delaney, and when you’re in a relationship, that’s exactly what you should do. Does that make sense?”

“I think so.” She chewed thoughtfully before adding, “You hurt her.”

The words were so simple. But so accurate. And they hit right in the heart.

“I did.” I swallowed hard. “But I didn’t mean to.”

“I know you didn’t, Dad.” Quinn lifted her fork in the air and stared at me for a moment. “But does she?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure,” I said, opting for the truth. “But I hope she will.”

She tilted her head, and for the first time, I could see the wisdom in my little girl and how grown-up she’d become. Especially when she said, “Then you’re going to have to show her that, Dad.”

“You’re exactly right, kiddo. Exactly right.”

She shrugged and popped another bite of lasagna in her mouth. “I know.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

We ate the rest of our dinner with easy conversation about Quinn’s school and her classmates. It felt normal again. Or at least, like it would be soon.

Later, after the dishes were cleared and homework was done, I knocked on Quinn’s bedroom door.

“Come in.”

She was in bed under a pile of blankets, the glow of her bedside lamp giving her enough light to read by.

I hadn’t tucked her in for years, but I hovered in the doorway like I used to when she was young.

She set the paperback down when I walked in. “What’s up?”

I hesitated for a moment. “I just wanted to say good night and…” I gestured with my head toward her bed. “Can I sit?”

She didn’t answer, but scooted over and patted the bed next to her. I reached out and smoothed a piece of hair off her forehead. She didn’t pull away.

“I just want you to know that I am going to try to fix things with Delaney,” I said softly.

She blinked up at me. “How?”

I blew out a breath. “I’ll start with an apology, but I know it needs to be more.”

She nodded, but didn’t speak.

“I’m going to show her that she matters,” I continued. “ Really matters.”

“Good.”

I smiled a little. “I know I screwed up, kiddo. But if she’ll let me, I am going to fix it.”

“You better,” Quinn murmured. “Because I like her. A lot.”

“So do I,” I said softly.

“So?” Quinn straightened up in bed. “Do you have a plan yet?”

“As a matter of fact,” I told her, “I do.”

Her eyes lit up.

“And I’m going to need your help.”

“Obviously.” She rolled her eyes before a yawn took over.

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow,” I said. “I still have a few details I need to discuss with your Uncle Reid first.”

To my surprise, she accepted that and held her arms out for a hug.

I kissed her forehead. “Love you, kiddo.”

“Love you too, Dad.”

I stood and was halfway to the door when she called out again. “Hey, Dad?”

I turned. “Yeah?”

“She looked like she missed you.”

The lump in my throat was instant.

“I miss her, too.”