Chapter 24

Autumn

I had planned to stay at work all day, but around mid-morning when I finished up my calls, I realized the sun outside my office window was just too damned inviting, especially considering that I was still too pissed at my father to talk to him.

I knew Emmett was probably at Camp LeJeune, and while I wished he was around to do lunch, I could only think of one other person I’d want to spend the day with.

I got up from my desk and grabbed my bag. Then I shut everything down, content that I was leaving for the day. I went down to personnel and found Lila on the phone as usual. She’d been with the company for three years and was on the phone so much, I don’t think I’d ever seen her without something held up to her head.

“I need the keys to the plain truck.” I didn’t want to drive the one that had our logo on the side because it was too damned big and smelled like cigarettes.

“Yes, ma’am.” Keeping the phone to her ear, she went from her desk to the cabinet where the keys were kept locked away. “Here you go.” She gave me a big smile and went back to talking to the person on the phone.

“Thank you, Lila,” I mumbled as I walked away and went to the parking garage, hoping no one had ruined the newer truck with stale smoke. Thankfully, it smelled like the leather seats, and I let it fill my nose as I started the truck and headed out to pick up Penelope.

I knew she wanted her attendance to be good, but checking her out for half a day wouldn’t count against her, and she was excited to see me when they called her down from her classroom to the office.

“Mama!” She hugged my legs, and I took her bag from her.

“Are you ready to go?” I slung her bag over my shoulder and then took her hand to lead her out to the truck.

“Where are we going?”

“Anywhere you want to go.” I had a feeling I knew where she’d pick and she didn’t let me down.

“Even if I wanted to go to Sparkly Spa?”

“Yes, and while we’re in the mall, we’ll pick you up a new outfit. How about that?”

Her eyes widened, and she squealed with joy. “Awesome! I know the color I want my nails, and I want them to braid my hair, too!”

The girl’s spa offered hair and nail packages that gave mothers and daughters a little pampering together. “I think we can swing it, but we better go to the food court for lunch first. I’m starving.” I stopped and unlocked the truck, and Pen didn’t seem to care what I was driving as long as she could go with me.

“Can we have Bogo Burgers?” She batted her little lashes at me and smiled.

“Anywhere you want.” I knew that spoiling her wasn’t going to fix my problems with my father or hers, but I needed a little break from the norm, and I knew she really needed the extra attention with her father being absent. Perhaps I was going overboard, but one special day wasn’t going to hurt anything, and I needed a little mother-daughter time to brighten my mood.

We ate and then headed over to the Sparkly Spa where we started out with a mani-pedi while we sipped frozen ice from flower-shaped teacups and short twisty straws.

I chose a pretty red nail polish, and Pen wanted purple, with one glittered nail on each hand. “You need a glitter nail too, Mama!”

I hadn’t ever worn glitter on my nails or anything more than straight, basic colors, but today was supposed to be special, so I decided to try it. “You think so? Why don’t you pick a design, and I’ll do one finger on each hand like you are?”

“Do them with glitter and add a little crystal to the middle. Emmett is going to like that.”

I was taken off-guard by the comment and wondered if she knew more than I thought. “Why would you think Emmett would notice?”

“He thinks you’re pretty. I can tell by the way he looks at you.”

The nail tech smiled but kept to her work, and I turned to see that Pen was smiling, too.

“Are you okay with Emmett looking at me like that?”

“I don’t mind. I like Emmett. He’s handsome.” She wagged her brows, and the two techs exchanged a look and a soft giggle.

“Yes, he is very handsome.” I closed my eyes and let the lady finish with my nails in peace and quiet as I imagined Emmett in my mind.

After we finished at the spa, I did as I promised and took her to her favorite store to find her an outfit. “Can I get this in the blue, Mama? I don’t have anything to wear on blue day.” She and Paisley were still choosing colors for each day of the week, and she hated the only blue shirts she had.

I was just about to answer when my phone rang. “Yes, Pen. Try it on though. It looks like it runs big.” I stepped away to take the call, but only because it was my father calling for the second time. I knew he wouldn’t let up until I answered. “Hello, Father.”

“Where are you?”

“Why, would you like to come down and bring a client with you for me to impress?”

“I had already promised you’d be here,” he said.

“And why would you do that?”

“The man asked about you, Princess. I think he finds you attractive. I don’t know.”

My nose wrinkled in disgust. “I can’t believe you just said that. I mean, seriously? Are you my father or my pimp?”

“How dare you say such a vile thing to me? That’s not how it was, and you know it. I hired you because you’re the smartest person I know, and despite your suspicions, I do love you. I worked my ass off with this company not only so I’d make a living, but so you could have one, too.”

“You have to know where to draw the line, Dad. I told you that I wasn’t going to be available, and you bullied your way into my evening, interrupted my family dinner, and took me from my guest.”

“I’m sorry.”

Surely, my ears were deceiving me. “Wait, you’re what?”

He sighed. “I’m sorry. I know that was an awful thing to do.”

“Especially because I was already pissed at you. You’re going to push me too far.”

“I figured I had already. I went into your office, and Lila told me you’d gone. I didn’t know if something had happened. You always tell me when you’re leaving.” I was glad to know that he did care about and notice some things.

“I’m at the mall with your granddaughter. I decided to take back the time you stole from me last night.”

“Then I’ll leave you to it. Tell my granddaughter that I send my love.”

“Tell her yourself.” I hung up and waited for Penelope to come out. When she did, she was strutting like a runway model. She did a little spin as she got closer and then walked down the hall in the fitting room to the back mirror.

“I love that. You look beautiful, honey.” I couldn’t help but smile, watching her strut and preen. She was a girlier girl than I’d ever been, but then, my only goal as a young girl was to keep up with Emmett.

“Thank you. I think this is the one I want.”

“Well, don’t buy the first one you try on, pumpkin. Let’s look and see what other tops they have in blue. You might like one of them better.”

“Okay, but if I find two I like, it will be harder to choose.” She let out a sigh and headed back to the dressing room to change.

We scoured the aisles, and she found two more that she liked. She tried those on, and when she was done, we picked out a pair of sneakers to match and then checked out.

I was glad to be out of the store when we were done, and as we walked toward the front entrance, I saw a familiar silhouette coming my way.

“Grandfather!” Pen dropped my hand and ran to see the old man, who gave her a tight squeeze and a pat on the head.

“What are you doing here?” I couldn’t believe he’d come all the way down to the mall to put me in my place.

“I thought about what you said and realized that you were right. I did need to come and tell her myself. And I think I could use a day with my two favorite people on the planet.” My father gave me a warm smile and then picked Pen up on his hip for a bigger hug as he pulled me in close.

“Thanks, Dad. We were just about to leave.”

“Have you eaten?”

“Yeah, a couple of hours ago.”

“Then you’re ready for some ice cream for dessert?” He looked at me with hopeful eyes, and I was so grateful that he’d taken the time for me and Pen that I wasn’t about to say no.

“Can we, Mama?” Pen gave me a pleading look.

“Of course. There’s an ice cream shop around the corner here if you want to stay in the mall.”

“Sounds good. You two lead the way, and I’ll treat.” He put Pen down on her feet, and then she took his hand and showed him the way.

I breathed a little easier, the anger in me for him subsiding for the first time in months.