After his meteoric rise to superstardom, Jim O'Brien is no longer a small-town boy who plays in bars and dreams of success. His handsome face is plastered on the covers of celebrity gossip magazines, and his voice alone is enough to make girls swoon...
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"Another one for you, Pumpkin."
Smiling, Dad nodded toward the bouquet on the kitchen counter. The heat that rose to my cheeks had very little to do with the jog I'd just returned from.
"There's also a book or something that looks like it."
Dad's eyes paused on the rectangular package next to the roses. The corners of my mouth lifted. Jim had finished reading my novel, and I could barely wait to read his notes.
"They are from Jim," I said. "Aren't you working today?"
Dad took a sip from his coffee mug. "In the afternoon. Go shower, and we can have breakfast together. I haven't eaten anything yet."
I nodded and trudged up the stairs to my room. After taking off my sweaty clothes and tossing them into the hamper, I stood under the blistering spray for a blissful five minutes, allowing myself to daydream.
My breakfast was on the table when I made it back to the kitchen.
"So, the flower guy is still in the picture. How many dates have you been on?"
"I lost count." I giggled, reaching for the pitcher of orange juice. "But I think after almost four months, you could meet him."
"I'd love to," said Dad.
He didn't say much while we ate our omelet and drank our coffee, but when we were done eating, Dad leaned back in his chair and looked at me for a long moment.
"I'm happy to see you like this," he said.
"Like what?"
Dad shrugged. "Happy. And don't get me wrong, I wasn't exactly eager to see you dating a guy. No father ever is. But the change in you is obvious, and it's a good thing."
"Obvious?" I bit back a smile and shifted on my chair.
"I'm not the healthiest example when it comes to relationships," Dad said with a frown. "And I didn't want you to be like me in that regard. I've taught you to be self-sufficient and not depend on anyone to make decisions, but having a special person in your life makes everything better. Does he treat you right, Ava?"
"Yeah," I said, my voice small. "He's kind and thoughtful and so funny we spend lots of time laughing. But we also talk, and we like similar things. He knows how to listen. And he takes care of me. Not that I can't do it myself, but...it feels nice."
And there was also that crazy, off-the-charts chemistry I wasn't going to mention to my dad.
"I'm happy for you." Dad reached across the table and caressed my cheek. "Tell him I'd like to meet him, will you, Pumpkin?"
"Sure." I beamed. "I'll tell him tonight. We're going on a date. Jim said it was something special."
Smiling, Dad rose from his chair and took our dishes to the dishwasher, dismissing me with a wave of his hand. It was the ideal situation to bring up Harper, but I couldn't betray her trust and tell Dad I knew.
