Ready for You (Ready #3)(84)

“I don’t know. I want to believe he’s being genuine. I mean, he did divorce the woman. That’s pretty convincing to me.”

“Damn, I would have loved to see her face when he dropped that bomb. That had to be priceless,” she said with amusement.

I tried not to grin, but she was right. It was hard to picture my mother in a situation she couldn’t control, and she had definitely been able to control my dad.

“Well, you know I’ll support you no matter what,” Liv said. “I’ll hug him and welcome him back to the city, or I’ll kick him in the balls. Whatever you tell me to do, babe.”

That brought a smile to my face, and I could not help but laugh. “Thanks, Liv. I’ll keep you updated, but I’ve got to go. I’m making dinner for Garrett, and then I’m headed out to dinner with my father.”

I heard an audible snort before she said, “You’re making dinner for Garrett? Are you trying to kill him?”

“No! I just wanted to be nice. He’s been so nice this week with everything, and I feel bad for ditching him, so I wanted to have dinner ready for him when he gets home from work.”

“Okay, babe, but you would have been better off ordering a pizza,” she said before laughing and hanging up.

I looked down at the pot of water filled with half-limp pasta, and I sighed in frustration. Does food hate me? I followed the directions, didn’t I? Liv was right. I should probably just order a pizza.

Picking up my phone again, I headed upstairs to freshen my makeup and grab my boots, so I’d be ready when my dad arrived. He’d called a few days ago and asked if I wouldn’t mind going out to dinner with him, and I’d agreed. I knew he was making an effort, and even though I was still wary of falling back into a relationship with him, I wanted to allow him the opportunity to at least try.

Grabbing my boots in one hand, I dialed the pizza place down the street and ordered Garrett’s favorite. I raced back downstairs and started the process of chucking the failed meal in the trash just as Garrett came through the door. Head lowered, he was engrossed in a phone call and dodged into the office.

“Do you have any other ideas? I’m totally tapped out,” he said before he shut the door.

Okay…weird.

It wasn’t the first odd moment of the week either. I’d caught him on the computer late at night. As soon as I’d entered the room, he’d quickly shut down the monitor. He’d had a number of mysterious phone calls as well, and he’d seemed on edge, not grumpy or moody. It had been just like he was about to explode.

With the dinner now trashed, I moved to the living room to slip on my shoes. As I was pulling up the last zipper of my left boot, I felt the familiar warmth of Garrett’s hands running down my shoulders and arms.

“Sorry, I had to finish that call,” he said, bending forward to pull me against him.

“No problem. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“You’ve been very vague lately,” I said, turning to face him.

The corner of his mouth curved into a small grin, but he remained silent. Instead, he just placed a small kiss on my nose.

The doorbell rang before I had a chance to push him for answers. I gave him a look that said this conversation wasn’t over, and he just chuckled. He released his hold on me, so I could answer the door.

My father looked much the same as the last time I’d seen him. He appeared very casual but still well-dressed in dark-washed jeans and a tailored button-down wool jacket. He had my blue eyes and dark hair. Luckily, I hadn’t inherited much from my mother. For a dad, he was actually pretty good-looking.

He gave me a warm smile and moved in to hug me, but then he stopped himself, obviously unsure of boundaries. Unsure myself, I stood awkwardly and bit my lip.

“You ready?” he asked, shoving his hands in his coat pockets.

“Yep!” I said a bit too brightly.

I turned to say good-bye to Garrett and realized he was right there. I should have known. He’d offered to come with me, but I’d told him that I needed to do this myself. He’d squeezed my hand and told me he understood, and he’d said he would be there for me in a second if I needed him.

I kissed him sweetly on the cheek and said I’d be back shortly.

The drive was short, and we ended up at a little cafe down the street that Garrett and I loved to visit. I was surprised by my dad’s choice, but figured he was trying to impress me by picking something more my style.

“This is a great place,” I commented as the waiter seated us near the back.

“I always loved this place,” he said, picking up the menu and smiling, like he’d just seen an old friend.

“You used to come here?” I scoffed, trying to picture my dad in one of my favorite restaurants. I looked around at the less than five star atmosphere, taking in the exposed pipes at the ceiling and the rustic wall paper.

It wasn’t a dump, but it definitely wasn’t the Ritz either, which was the only type of dining experience for my mother. This cafe was a mom-and-pop type of location with real food and great service. It was definitely not the type of place I’d expect to find my father.

“Yes, I always came here for lunch. It was my little secret,” he said with a grin.

“What other secrets do you have?” I asked.