Wild Wind: A Chaos Novella (Chaos #6.6)(54)

And right now, she needed to do this.

“Archie, what’s up?”

The concern in her father’s voice got to her and she laid it out.

Quickly.

No nitty gritty, but her father knew who Jagger was. That Jagger had lost a parent. And that he’d been someone to Archie before he was someone to Archie. So she went over that part fast.

“The thing is, like I said, he’s great. We’re great,” she started to sum up. “Everything’s going great. Joany likes him, and Joany makes everyone earn a like.”

“That’s big stuff, Joany liking him,” he agreed.

“I just…there’s something…off.”

As was his wont, Daddy Bear reared up instantly, and Andy declared, “Archie, if you’re feeling at all strange in your gut about this guy—”

Before he went too far down that path, Archie pulled him back to the right one. “He’s lost.”

Andy’s head jerked back in surprise. “Sorry? Lost?”

“I think it’s about his dad.”

Her father closed his mouth.

“And I know there’s something there,” she carried on. “I even have this feeling I might have triggered it. At first, I warned him we’d have to get into it. Because, you know, I’m giving him all there is about me. And that should go both ways. Then I decided that was wrong. I should let him be. I should give him space to come to me when he’s ready about this, or about anything, really.”

Andy grunted, which was no help at all.

“But, the thing is, I think I can find out without him telling me,” she announced.

She then watched her father’s jaws bulge, an indication he was clenching his teeth.

In other words, proverbially biting his tongue.

“Dad,” she prompted.

He unclenched to say (still unhelpfully), “I want to guide you, sweetheart, but I haven’t even met this guy.”

“Okay, but this is my guy, and I think you get how deep he’s my guy, and I want to be there for him. Am I there for him by just being there? Am I there for him by pressing him in a gentle way to face whatever’s troubling him? Or am I there for him by going around him to find out what’s troubling him so I can be there for him from a place of knowledge and he doesn’t have to give me that knowledge or maybe even know I have it?”

Her father looked perplexed.

“How would you do that last?” he asked.

“There’s a movie about his Club. I didn’t watch, but I read about it. His father is mentioned in the blurb. Like, really predominantly.”

Andy grunted again.

For shit’s sake.

“Dad!” Archie snapped.

“Okay, honey, I’m not in a place of knowledge to be able to advise what to do about this.”

“Well, you’re a guy, aren’t you?” she threw out the rhetorical. “How would you feel if I watched a movie about your life and your history and your dead dad without you knowing I did that?”

“I…Archie, I really want to help—”

Jagger was right.

She was usually very chill.

Starting with her mom, Archie had learned this.

Bryn Harmon was chill. She was not only a catch-more-flies-with-honey person, she didn’t allow herself to get worked up about things.

They’d never gotten to the zone where Bryn could explain her sorcery in this matter, but either by nature, or nurture, Archie had inherited it.

And after losing her mom, there was so much to get hyped up about, she’d have exhausted herself if she’d broken the seal on that and let that all hang out.

So she didn’t.

But further, it was like paying homage to her mom that she also didn’t give in to the drama.

She just got on with things.

That said, right now, with her dad being clueless again, she wanted to scream.

She didn’t.

Haley did.

Not scream, exactly, but she lost patience and she did this also exposing she was totally eavesdropping.

“Oh, honestly, Andy,” she snapped, coming out of the kitchen and glaring at her husband with exasperation.

She then looked to Archie and spilled the beans.

“We saw him, a while ago, riding his motorcycle with some of his buddies. Andy told me who he was to you. Your father was worried, him being in one of those gangs—”

“Clubs,” Archie corrected quietly.

“Right, they made a point of that in the movie,” Haley stated, bobbing her head. “And yes, that means we’ve seen that movie. I’d noticed it trending on Netflix and I knew that…uh, Club was in Denver and I mentioned to Andy maybe we should watch. Well, we sure did when we saw your guy wearing that patch.”

Archie felt her heart speed up a little.

“And?” she asked.

“And, I’m sure your father will disagree, but I’m proud I have a man who was not afraid to shed a few tears when he learned all your guy has lost.”

Archie had not yet taken a seat.

After hearing that, she found a chair and sank into it.

Andy watched his daughter do this, biting impatiently, “Haley.”

But Haley kept her gaze steady on Archie.

And she kept her shoulders squared.