by Peyton Storm
“Hey, Peanut, can you please run in the house real quick, grab some more napkins, and put them on the table by the smoker?”
“Yes, Mama!”
She jumped to her feet and skipped towards the open patio doors. Dad, too, rose to his feet, though not nearly as fast.
“Happy birthday, Daddy.”
He smiled wide and pulled me in for another bear hug. “Pulling the daddy card, are we? Don’t think so. You’ve got some explaining to do, young lady.”
Still, he gave me another tight squeeze before stepping back and pinning me with his expectant glare. I knew I’d have to walk Dad through it. I just didn’t expect to do right then and there. Well...okay, my plan wasn’t going to work out exactly how I’d thought. Fair enough.
“How long has he been here, Presley Rae?”
Before I could utter one word, he fired off another question and then another.
“Daddy, please. Let me explain.”
He cleared his throat, softened his brow, and lowered his gaze.
“You’re all grown up, I know, but what that boy did...he broke your heart, your spirit.”
“I need you to trust in the both of us.”
“I beg your pardon?” Dad’s brows shot up in disbelief. I didn’t get it from no stranger.
“Us,” I continued, by gesturing between him and I.
I’m not claiming to be perfect, and I had surely lost my way a time or two, but my dad had raised me to know my worth and to stand on my own two feet, no matter how many times I tumbled. Greyson was not a weakness that I would allow to blow it all to shit.
Your terms from here on, always.
Dad’s voice cracked when he spoke those words to me. It had been day forty-four after Greyson left town. He’d said the words through his own pain, as any hurt that ever came my way, he bore upon his shoulders.
“Mr. Manning?”
Dad and I, both stunned, turned in Greyson’s direction, taken off guard by his sudden approach. Always with great timing, that one. Belle had promised to keep an eye on him, but when I looked just to the left, her reason for failure was clear, roughly six foot two, and at the moment marveling over a jalapeno popper.
“Pres? You mind if I talk to your dad for a sec? Alone?”
Every fiber in my being told me not to leave those two alone, but Dad nodded once, and so I felt I didn’t have much choice. Reluctantly, I made my exit and hoped for the best.
Chapter 27
Greyson
“Dude. What the fuck is taking so long?” Housekeeping gave me the side-eye as I banged on Dax’s door. Again. Finally, I heard the lock disengage, and I pressed my way in only to be met with Dax’s giant hand slamming against my mouth.
Shut. Up, he mouthed and pressed harder to hear the person on the other end of the call. He was working for me, and he’d have my ass for interrupting, so I raised my hands in surrender and planted my ass on the couch.
His suite was identical to mine, only spotless. Where I had empty cups, cans, and bottles strewn all over the bar, he had well, nothing. Even his complimentary bottles of water stood perfectly straight, labels facing forward. When I first signed on with him, I always found myself uncomfortable in his space, like a bull in a china shop. His need for absolute perfection had taken some getting used to.
I started to text Presley to let her know we might be late, but given our history and the countless times I hadn’t been there when I’d promised to be, I decided to explain face to face instead. Dax finally disconnected the call. I sat slack-jawed as he explained the endorsement offer and I couldn’t believe it was real life, my life. For a company to want me as their face...it was hard to wrap my brain around. We were half-way to the truck before I remembered I hadn’t grabbed the tickets for Mr. Manning. I bypassed the elevator and took the stairs three at a time. Just a couple of minutes later and we were on our way to Mickey’s to pick up some to-go.
“You ready for this, Tack? I mean, what’s the plan? Do we need a safeword?”
“No, you kinky fuck. Stop freaking me out. I just want to rip the band-aid off. Presley aside, I owe Mr. Manning an explanation, a chance for him to rip my ass at the very least. You weren’t there, man. Every ounce of hostility you may witness….trust me when I say it’s warranted.”
Dax chuckled because, apparently, my shit storm of a reunion was comical.
“Oh, I have no doubt it’s warranted. I mean, I have met you.”
“Dick.”
“Just sayin.”
We rode the rest of the way in silence because yes, I’m a grown-ass man who can and will pout like a motherfucker. We turned onto Presley’s street, and I immediately recognized Carter’s car and Mr. Presley’s old truck, and suddenly rethought my decision to go in the first place.
“How are you with the kid?”
Paisley. I’d spent all week stressing over what I’d say to Mr. Manning that the idea of also engaging with Paisley completely escaped me. I didn’t do kids. Especially kids that young. It was a bad idea, such a bad idea.
“If you’re done creating worst-case scenarios in your head over there, may I offer some advice?”
To my knowledge, Dax knew just about as much about kids as I did, but I figured what the hell, it couldn’t hurt.
“Let her lead the conversation. Be prepared for her to drop some serious wisdom. I swear man, kids that age? They know things. The meaning of life, a sixth sense, all that shit. And then it’s like we lose it when puberty hits or some shit.”
I had to stop him there. I mean, at that point, the fucker was rambling and only making things worse. We parked Weezy on the curb, a couple houses down. I continued to second guess things as we made our way up her driveway and to the front door. There, we found a pinned note.
“Around back.” The handwriting was undoubtedly Presley’s, but given the hearts, rainbows, balloons, and stars, Paisley had helped.
“Hold up. You’re telling me folks around here not only leave their front doors unlocked but actually post a sign advertising it?”
I could only shake my head. City boy, born and raised. We heard voices the second we stepped inside. When we walked through the small kitchen on our way to the backyard, the memories came flooding in. For as long as I’d known them, Mr. Manning was all about the Tex-Mex cuisine. It was something he and Uncle Jake had in common. The scent of freshly cut limes, tamales, and smoked brisket really took me back. So much so, I exhaled a little bit and thought Okay, maybe this won’t be so bad after all. That was until Mr. Manning and I locked gazes from across the yard.
He was mid hug with his “would be” son-in-law. Oddly enough seeing their exchange made me feel...I don’t know. Angry, uncomfortable, invisible even? I filed it away for another time, another session.
Soon Presley’s best friend, Belle, appeared, and even though she was obviously doing damage control, Dax and I followed her lead. Especially Dax. I wasn’t sure what intrigued him most: the spread, where every bite was enough to make a grown man cry, or Belle, who’d I also bet had caused a tear or two in her time. I kept my distance for a minute, maybe two.
Belle and Presley both tried small talk to ease the tension, but until Mr. Manning and I had our face to face, I would never belong back here. He was someone I’d had a great amount of respect for, someone I’d let down. I wanted another word with Carter before approaching Paisley and her colorful chalk, but before either of those things happened, I had to man up and take whatever was in store.
It was clear Presley didn’t really want to leave us, but even she knew that in order for any of us to move forward, the face to face had to happen. Once Presley walked away, though, tension was thick, and no words were spoken. I wasn’t sure if he was gathering his words or waiting for me to speak first, so I took a gamble.
“Mr. Manning, umm...I’m sure you’re surprised to see
me here but—”
“No. I’m not.”
Okay, so maybe he did have plenty to say.
“I’m not at all surprised,” he continued. “I knew you’d come back here, I just didn’t know how long it would take for ya to wake up and become the man your mama and uncle Jake raised ya to be.”
Relief washed over me. I exhaled deeply and could feel the corner of my mouth tug to—
“You can wipe that shit eatin’ grin right off your face. Let me tell you this. Done are the days of my daughter sacrificing, questioning her self worth all for the likes of you. From here on out, her only way to your heart is through your fucking chest. We clear?”
Mr. Manning was a man of few words but when he did have something to say...yeah.
“Sir. Yes. I mean, yes sir, understood.”
He then took a step back, looked me up and down, and demanded I go for a second plate. “You’re gonna need to pack on a good ten plus pounds before the draft.”
With that, he walked away. I, however, couldn’t move. Dax sat at a picnic table across the yard and gave me the thumbs up. To anyone out of earshot, the conversation went okay. Cordial, even. Another thing about Mr. Manning? He could read your ass the riot act without even once raising his voice. Dax’s intervention was the last thing I needed at the moment, so I nodded back and set out to find Carter.
As I scanned the yard, my eyes couldn’t help but land on Presley. She wore sand-colored shorts. The material was thin and hung loosely off her hips. Her white sleeveless top fit much the same way. Simple, yet sexy as hell. She’d foregone any type of shoe. Her ocean-blue toenails shone brilliantly within the blades of grass.
She must have read my mind because once my eyes made it back up to her face, her eyes cast downward, and the sweetest shade of pink touched her cheeks. I just wanted to take her hand and head to the beach, but I had to do things the right way. A wink or two later, I headed towards her kitchen in search of Carter.
I found him cleaning up, loading the dishwasher, and so on. He looked so comfortable, completely at home in her kitchen, and I was sure he knew the rest of her home, from top to bottom, as though it were his own. The realization left a lump in my throat.
“Don’t just stand there. Make yourself useful.”
I glared at his back a couple seconds longer and then joined him at the sink.
“Well, you’re still walking upright, so I guess Dad took it easy on ya.”
Again with the Dad shit. Was it to rub me the wrong way, or had they really grown that close?
“He said his peace, I guess.”
“You broke his heart, too, ya know.”
Carter’s words were almost a whisper but hit me dead square in the chest nonetheless.
We worked in silence for the next few minutes. I gathered up what was left out on the counters by handing most of it to him. He knew where everything went, while I would just make an even bigger mess. As he handed me a lid for what was left of the pico, I decided to cut to the chase.
“Our conversation at my hotel was cut short. There’s still a lot left hanging in the air.”
“And you think this is the time and place?”
“Not necessarily, but I don’t feel right, ya know, interacting with your kid without your blessing or whatever.”
Carter tossed the kitchen towel aside, cocked his head to the side, and demanded an explanation. I told him about engaging with her through texts, Paisley painting pictures, and having Pres send them to me. His ice-blue stare made me uncomfortable as fuck. Whatever he had to say, and clearly there was plenty, I wished he’d just come the fuck out with it.
“Our conversation was cut short because you got a call.”
There was a questioning tone in his voice, though he and I both knew he was aware it was a doctor.
“It’s none of my business but—”
“You’re right. It’s not.”
Therapy had saved my fucking life. It wasn’t something I was ashamed of, nor was it a secret. Still, him fishing for info set me off. I hadn’t mentioned it to Presley yet. The last thing I wanted was for her to hear it from him first, spun to fit his agenda, even if I was still unsure of what his agenda was exactly.
“Let me just say this,’’ he continued. “It’s important to us to raise Paisley to understand that while no one is perfect, accountability is key. I’m going to assume you’ve taken action to—”
“Daddy!”
A blur of curls came running through the kitchen and slammed into him with enough force to make him rock back on his heels. She wrapped her arms tight around his legs and linked her hands behind his knees. Carter reached down to ruffle the top of her head but didn’t look away from me.
I just stood there like a complete idiot who had no idea what to do or say next. Could I at least say hi, thank her for the cool painting in person, or was it best I leave the envelope on the counter and see myself out? The latter seemed the better choice. I’d find Presley, then Dax, and we’d get the hell out of here. I nodded once, stepped back, and started to leave father and daughter be.
Carter cleared his throat, eased Paisley back a step, and stooped down to her eye level.
“Aren’t you going to say hi to—” And before he could finish, she whipped around and smiled her mother’s smile.
“Hi, Mr. Tack!”
I’d been called a lot of things in my life but never that. Still, I found her smile contagious.
“So, Peanut, what would you think about Mr. Tack coming by one day, maybe even having lunch with you and Mommy? Your favorite.”
I stood motionless, even more unsure of what to say, but knew I should say something. With eyes that matched her dad’s, her entire face seemed to light up at the idea.
“Yes!” she yelled, but then her eyebrows drew together suspiciously. “Do you know how to make grilled cheese?”
“The best.” I winked.
Seemingly satisfied, she skipped across the tile floor back towards the sliding glass doors, high fiving me along the way.
“Book it!” she yelled over her shoulder and pulled the doors shut behind her.
Chapter 28
Greyson
Carter rose to his feet, but instead of calling out to me as he passed by, he stepped in, bringing us nose to nose.
“She’s my entire life,’’ he ground out, and for the first time, I was almost able to put myself in his shoes. There was a sudden vulnerability that vanished as quickly as it had appeared. “Don’t...” He paused. “Don’t make me regret this.”
Then he walked around me.
“Carter.”
He paused his stride but didn’t look back to me.
“Thank you.”
He stood still a couple moments longer, and though he never replied, I knew he’d heard me. As he slid the glass door open, Presley met him on the other side. With concern etched across her face, she asked if everything was alright. I still couldn’t see his face, but her tentative smile in response told me she only half-believed him. Still, she kissed him on the cheek, and he kissed the top of her fingers before she brushed his arm as they passed one another. Their level of intimacy would take some getting used to.
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
“We good?” she asked, without pressing for details.
“Not yet.”
Stepping into her space seemed to be okay, given she met me halfway. I couldn’t help but reach for her. I kept my true urges in check but couldn’t leave her without a touch, a taste. There was just enough space between the waist of her shorts and the bottom of her shirt for me to drag the tip of my finger from one hip to the other. She rose up on her tippy toes to meet me. Her mouth was sweet and supple, and as much as I wanted to stay and have my fill, it was time to go.
Dax was gonna kill me for leaving him
out there for so long, plus we had a lot of prep work ahead of us. All in all, the BBQ had gone smoother than I had expected. No cameras, and I didn’t have to go for anyone’s throat. For the most part, it had been uneventful.
I took a couple steps back, though I kept our fingers intertwined, and asked one big question.
“Are you free at all next week?”
“Maybe.” She grinned.
“How about you and Paisley? We could maybe drive up to Houston or somethin?”
Her grin faltered. I hadn’t worded it right. She’d need to talk it over with Carter, and I had zero say in the how and when for that conversation, so instead of pushing, I attempted a reassuring smile.
“You guys, ya know, figure it out. Just let me know.”
“Deal.”
Thankfully, that was enough for her grin to return.
“I’m gonna say my goodbyes, grab Dax, and head out, okay?”
“Okay, sure. I’ll make you guys a plate to-go.”
“‘Preciate it. Oh! Before I forget, here’s a little something for your dad.”
I handed her the plain white envelope. She immediately asked if I’d rather give it to him myself.
“Baby steps.”
When she giggled in agreement, it made it even harder to leave. Just one more kiss, only this time, in order to keep my head, I kissed the top of hers.
Dax seemed to feel right at home. In one hand was a bright red bean bag that, no matter how many attempts, he couldn’t sink in the hole. And in the other was an ice-cold bottleneck with a lime wedge poking out of the top. Fair enough; I’d be taking his keys. I let him finish his rounds while I went through the awkward task of shaking hands.
When I got to Paisley, again, she opted for a high five. I couldn’t help but laugh and genuinely looked forward to getting to know her.
Presley
It wasn’t hard to keep myself busy while Dad and Greyson were huddled up. We had at least a handful of guests, including some of Dad’s old coworkers I’d known since I was a kid, and it was time to catch up. With Ocean Falls being such a small town, I would run into them from time to time at the grocery store, or maybe the post office. Dad’s BBQ, though, had been like a reunion of sorts for the past few years.