Chapter 29
For the third time, Daniel checked his reflection in the mirror. He needed a haircut, and it wouldn’t hurt his feelings if he lost ten pounds. His dark Levi’s were ironed to perfection, a skill he’d learned when Holly had started school. No more pleated skirts straight out of the dryer for his daughter, once she had started first grade. Though glad he no longer had to bother with the pre-K uniform, he’d continued to iron some of his clothes, which led to his becoming somewhat of a neat freak. As the years passed, he’d had way too much free time on his hands, hence the overkill with the laundry and folding his socks, which, come to think of it, was sort of odd. Holly teased him about his habits, deservedly so, he guessed, at least by most manly standards.
Checking to make sure that all the buttons were properly matched with the correct buttonhole, he made fast work of tucking his khaki-colored shirt in his jeans. He wore the same brown leather belt he’d had since his college days.
“Dad?” Holly called, and tapped on his door. “Hurry up, or we’ll be late.”
He smiled. “I’m good to go,” he said, and stepped out of the room to find that his daughter had also taken extra care with her appearance. She was dressed in a red jumper with black leggings, and the red UGG boots she had received for Christmas last year, along with the hair accessories Ivy gave her earlier in the day. Her cheeks were flushed. She looked adorable, he thought.
“Oh, my God, you have on way too much cologne.” Holly pinched her nose, even though she was grinning. “Ivy will think you’re trying to impress her.”
He was, but he wouldn’t say this to Holly. “It’s a new brand I thought I’d try out. On you. Apparently, it’s a bit strong,” Daniel told Holly. “And whatever you do, do not mention this to Ivy.” Hating to add this last bit, he felt he had no choice, since Holly sometimes forgot to filter her words before they escaped her pretty mouth.
“I won’t,” his daughter agreed.
“Then let’s not waste another minute.” Daniel gathered up his truck keys from the bowl he kept on a table in the entryway.
Though it was only half past six, the autumn air was sharp and crisp as they stepped out of the house. “It’s going to be a rough winter,” Daniel said.
“How do you know?” Holly asked while she waited for him to open her door.
Once he was in the driver’s seat, he cranked the engine over. “Just feel it in my bones. There’s a scent in the air, like a giant snowball heading our way, and my nose is a radar,” he joked.
“Dad, I do not want to be mean or anything, I know I’m in massive trouble for that note.” She paused. “I’m sorry I wrote that stuff, but all that aside, I am not three. I do not believe that your nose is a radar or that a giant snowball is heading our way. I used to believe that a zillion years ago. Just so you know.”
Daniel hadn’t a clue where his daughter’s conversation was leading, but he let her talk. He had not felt so at ease with Holly in a very long time. Instead of worrying about every little thing she did, he found it was nice to simply let her be herself, say what she wanted without fear of being punished. Though he would not admit it to her, he knew he’d gone overboard big-time with the math, but he would do anything in his power to steer Holly away from the career that had destroyed their future. Of course, though she was much too young to see the significance now, she would later. He was positive.
“Do you like Ivy?” Holly asked.
Daniel chuckled. “She seems nice enough. Why do you ask?”
Holly fiddled with her seat belt. “Because you’re being, like, super nice.”
He laughed even harder. “Am I really that bad?”
“No, you’re much worse, but it’s okay. I understand. You’re sad and lonely. You need a girlfriend, a grown-up to talk to. You need to stop spending so much time looking at your garden books, too.” Holly made this announcement as though she were a relationship advisor, like one of those online dating commercials that swore they would find the right partner if you joined them. He certainly did not need guidance in that department. Though to Holly’s credit, she was not aware that he’d dated a few women. He did not feel the need to add this to their adult conversation. Again, when she was in college, married, or, perhaps, a great-grandmother, he would talk with her about such things.
“I like my garden books. Like you like your Harry Potter books,” he said, and reached over to pat her. “I’m glad you like reading.”
“Then why don’t you tell me this stuff when I’m home? I always feel like I have to sneak to read. Especially now, and I haven’t finished Deathly Hallows, and I have to return it to the library this week. I can’t even check it out again because I have already gone past my limit. They only allow you to check a book out so many times, especially the popular ones. If I had a computer, I could just download the books from the library. They have an app for that, too, in case you didn’t know.”
Daniel was getting an earful from Holly and loving every minute of it. He made a sharp left, then another left turn, and pulled into the parking lot at Ollie’s. Saturday nights were always packed, and tonight was no different. He should have picked someplace nicer, a place where he could actually make a dinner reservation. Ivy probably thought he was ignorant of the finer things in life.
“I didn’t know that,” he said as he scanned the parking lot. Finding a space at the very end, he parked the truck, then turned to Holly. “You look really pretty tonight, just like your mom.” As soon as the words were out, he wanted to take them back. Not the pretty part, but the mom part.
“You really loved Mom, huh?” Holly asked as she unhooked her seat belt.
“I really did. She was very special to me.” There were times during their marriage that he’d wondered if she thought he was as special as he’d thought her to be. There was always that little nagging doubt that if she were to be given a choice between him and her career, her career would win first place. He hated having those thoughts. It’d been such a long time ago, but he had a daughter to think of, and he did not ever want her to have to choose between her family and a career, though he was of the mind that one could have both if one was willing to make sacrifices.
“Dad, for the third time, let’s go in. It’s getting cold out here.”
He was so focused on his thoughts, he had not heard her at all. “Sorry, come on, let’s go put our name on the waiting list.”
Inside Ollie’s, Daniel gave the hostess his name and told her there would be three in his party. She peered behind him as though looking for a third person. “It’ll be a few minutes,” she said.
Daniel nodded and stepped aside. His stomach was in knots. He had not been this nervous over a date since . . . ever.