The Hazards of a One Night Stand (Hazards #2)(56)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

“No. She’ll have an egg white omelet with cheddar and spinach. I’ll have two eggs over easy with a side of sausage. Also coffee for both of us.”

The waiter just nodded and walked away.

I stared at him with my mouth hanging open.

“What? That is what you were going to order, wasn’t it?” There was a challenge in his face, like he was just asking me to deny what we both knew was true.

“What was that for?” He’d correctly assumed that I shared the same omelet taste with my mom.

“There’s no point getting something you won’t like.”

The waiter returned with our coffees.

“Why are you here?” There had to be something motivating the visit.

“For several reasons.”

“Which are?” I poured some milk into my coffee.

“One was to see you, but I’ve already told you that.” He sipped his coffee, leaving it black.

“And the others?”

“The next is to invite you to spend a week with me over your winter break.”

“A week?”

“With me.” His hair had more gray in it than I remembered.

“And what makes you think I’d want to do that?”

“I’m your father. And it means less time in Gasden.” He said Gasden with the distaste I knew he felt. For the first time, spending time back home didn’t sound bad. A few weeks of free time with Colt sounded fantastic.

“Do you really want me to? Don’t do this out of guilt.” I couldn’t deny some excitement over spending time with him. Maybe this was it. My chance to really get to know him. To show him I was more than the little girl he’d left behind.

“When’s your last final? Maybe you can come up before Christmas?”

“I never said I was coming.”

“You’re going to say yes.” He was right, but he shouldn’t have presumed it.

“Dad—”

“There’s no reason to argue about it. Besides, I already talked to your mom.”

“What?”

“She said it’s fine.”

“Why would she do that?”

“Because your mother understands that a girl needs a relationship with her father.”

“What’s the catch?”

“Catch? What do you mean?”

“There has to be one. Why are you inviting me? Davie will still be in school.”

“That’s the point. I’m going to have him visit me for his spring break. I’m getting tired of repeating myself.”

“But why now?”

“Because I almost died. I realized I wasted ten years. I want to know my children.”

Our food arrived, but I had no desire to eat it. I should have been thrilled that he’d invited me to visit, but I couldn’t shake the suspicion that there was more.

He finished eating, seemingly unaware that I hadn’t touched my food. I wasn’t sure what to think.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” he finally asked.

“I’m not hungry.”

“Please, Mallory. You’re not four anymore.”

“And age has to do with having an appetite?”

“No. But you’re grown up and have to make grown up decisions. You’re still looking to play around.”

“Excuse me?” I knew it. There was more.

“With all the men at Harrison, you decided to date Cole? I thought you had better judgment.”

“Cole? His name is Colt, Dad.”

“It doesn’t matter. I just think you should start thinking about your future. I’m more than happy to do it for you now, but I won’t be around forever.”

“Oh, yeah, because you’re always looking out for me.”

“I always am, even if you don’t know it.” He looked away, but then back at me. His face softened. “Maybe you’re right. I haven’t been the most attentive father, and for that, I’m sorry.”

I nodded.

“So, why not come to spend time with me? We can get to know each other again.”

“Okay. I’ll think about it.” I didn’t give him an answer, but I’d already made up my mind. I wasn’t sure if I was making the right decision, but I refused to give up the chance. I’d waited years for Dad to recognize me, and he finally was.

Chapter Twenty-Four

I don’t know why it was so hard for me to tell Colt about the offer to visit Dad. Maybe it was because I knew how little Dad approved of us dating. I doubted Colt would have cared, but it wouldn’t be a good feeling. I’d have hated to know that Colt’s parents didn’t approve of me. For all I knew, they didn’t. Could they really be that cool with me having dated two of their sons?

I finally dropped the news on our way home for Thanksgiving. Having the same hometown came in handy for occasions like that. “Hey, can I talk to you about something?”

Colt took his eyes off the road to look at me. He was driving my truck. “Of course.”

“I’m going to be spending the first week of winter break in Charlotte with my dad.”

“Really? Is that what you guys discussed when he visited?”

“Yeah. He invited me, and I finally gave him an answer.”

Colt looked pensive for a minute. “It’s a good thing. You need to make peace with him. You’re never going to be happy if you don’t.”

How could my dad have a problem with me dating someone so incredibly thoughtful?

I ran my fingers up his arm. “Thanks for understanding.”

“But since I’m losing a week of break with you, that means you’re spending almost all of this weekend with me.”

I smiled. “I was already planning on it.”

***

The last few weeks of the semester flew by. Before I knew it, it was finals week. Thanks to Colt’s insistence that we do extra credit, we were able to opt out of the standard anthro exam. Instead, we worked on a project discussing how aliens were viewed by ancient civilizations. Cains assigned the topic. I knew the guy was weird.

“I’m going to miss this class.” Colt closed up his laptop. We’d finished a final read through of the paper.

“Really?” I looked at him skeptically. We were seated on his bed. I’d fully gotten over my issues with hanging out in his room.

“Yeah. I mean when else will I get the opportunity to write about aliens?”

I laughed. “And I thought you were going to say you’d miss working on projects with me.”