The Hazards of a One Night Stand (Hazards #2)(31)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

I felt the stinging of tears, and dug my nails into my palms to stop myself from crying. I couldn’t cry in front of him. I refused to let him know how much his lack of interest in me hurt.

I rallied all the strength I had. “I wanted to see you.” The strength I used to speak made me lose my composure. I lost it. I mean all out tears.

Dad sighed. “Davie, could you give us a minute?”

“I can’t leave Mallory.”

“What? You don’t want to leave your sister alone with her father?”

Davie shifted nervously. “No.”

“As much as I appreciate your protectiveness, I assure you she’ll be fine.”

“It’s okay. I’m all right.” I calmed myself down. Davie wouldn’t leave with me crying like that.

“I won’t be far.” He gave me a long look before walking out of the room.

“Pull that chair over here.” Even two days after a heart attack, Dad was ordering me around.

There was no reason to be difficult. I’d wanted to see him. “Okay.” I pulled the chair over near his bed.

“You don’t actually believe I didn’t want to see you, do you?”

“Of course, I do. You made your wishes clear.”

“Yet you chose to come anyway.” He studied me in the way you study a puzzle, as though he was trying to figure me out.

“Yes. I wanted to see you.”

“I wanted to see you too. Not like this though. A daughter shouldn’t see her father looking this way.” He gestured to his place in the bed and the multiple IV lines streaming from his arm.

“But Davie could? Why is it different?”

“Because it is.” He folded his hands in front of him.

“Great.” I tapped my toes on the linoleum floor. At least I’d stopped crying.

“How are you?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?”

He smiled. “I don’t know. I think your answer would be more interesting than mine.”

“I’m doing well. Fabulous, actually.”

“You get that sarcasm from me. Your mother doesn’t have that trait at all.”

“It’s a great one to have.” I crossed my arms.

“Well, you got your looks from your mother. You’re lucky there. And your brains.”

“What do you know of my brains?”

“You’re on a full ride at Harrison. That takes brains, sweetheart. And, contrary to popular belief, I did spend the first eight years of your life in the same house with you. You’re smart.”

“How’d you know about the scholarship?”

“I called the school to pay your tuition and—”

“What? You called Harrison?”

“Yes. Did you think I was really going to leave your schooling costs for your mother?”

“Thanks for the birthday card.” I’d thanked him in a note, but it felt better to say it in person.

“Glad you got it. Hopefully, you’ll put it to good use.”

“I’m sure I will.”

“Mallory?” he asked with the hint of a smile.

“Yes?”

“You do realize I know your birthday isn’t until January, right?”

I looked at him questioningly.

“I figured you could use the spending money now. I’ll send you something else on your actual birthday.”

“Oh.” I smiled. Maybe I didn’t give Dad enough credit.

A light knock on the door had us both looking up. A young nurse hovered in the doorway. “Is there anything I can get you Mr. Clark?” She smiled at him flirtatiously. Seriously? She wasn’t much older than me. Yuck.

“No, Nancy. I’m just spending some time with my daughter, but thank you.”

She nodded and walked off.

“Gross. Please tell me you don’t date women that young.”

Dad laughed. “No. I barely have enough time for my own kids. I don’t need to babysit any others. Although, that brings up another question I have for you.”

“I’m not pregnant, Dad.” I have no idea where the joke came from. I never joke that way.

He laughed. “I’d hope not. Although, is that a possibility? Do you have a boyfriend?”

“No. No boyfriend.” Colton technically wasn’t. Even if he was, I wasn’t going to bring him up to Dad.

“Just make your next one better than your last.”

“You only met Jack once.” I didn’t make a point of standing up for Jack, but when Dad criticized him, it also felt like he was criticizing me for choosing to date the wrong guy.

“And it was enough. You don’t need boys like that. They’d just keep you in Gasden. I’m so glad you’re in Charleston. You needed to see there’s more out there.”

“Jack left Gasden.”

“I’m sure he’ll be back one day. They all go back. You need to find someone with ambition, who won’t make the same mistake I did.”

“Mistake?” My chest tightened. “Was I a mistake?”

“No. Are you so self-centered you think I’d mean you?”

“Well, what other mistake would you have made?”

“Going back to that town. Your mother wanted it, but it wasn’t for me. I should have realized it would stifle me and destroy our marriage.”

Dad had never talked about the divorce to me. I didn’t say anything, afraid I’d ruin his uncharacteristic openness. “You need to choose your partner wisely. Don’t waste your time with a man who can’t give you the life you want.”

“You make it sound like I’m surrounded by thousands of men just dying to give me the perfect life.”

“At a school like Harrison, there are bound to be a few.”

“If you say so.” Talking to Dad about guys was incredibly awkward.

A loud knock signaled Davie’s return. “Can I come back now?”

“Yes. Good timing. I’m going to grab something to eat.” I stood up. “Great talk, Dad.”

He smiled. “Pick me up a coffee while you’re down there.”

“Are you allowed to have caffeine?”

“Wouldn’t you get it for me even if I wasn’t?”

I smiled. “I’m guessing I get my stubborn streak from you too.”

“Correct.”

I patted Davie’s shoulder before heading into the hallway. Dad’s words swirled around my head the rest of the day and evening while Davie drove me home. I was still thinking about it when he dropped me off. What was I going to do about Colt?