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Mid-morning,in my tiny office at the back of the hardware store, I was finally working on the Cicero supply order, hoping to plead my case when I sent it in late and beg, if I had to, for a shipment this week.
Rosella had come by twice already to complain. I think it was her way of making me feel bad enough that I’d transfer that anger to the software idiots and get the system fixed. I could only hope that meant she cared enough about the store to stick around in the end.
Another knock sounded on the door.
“Come in.”
I’d expected Rosella again, but instead it was my dad. I jumped to my feet.
He walked in. “I’d like a word.” Translation, I needed to listen.
“Sure.” I motioned to the visitor chair in the small space and retook my seat.
He closed the door and sat. “You’ve got to stop showering her with gifts.”
That set the agenda. I’d hoped he wanted to talk about the store, the Pollocks—anything but Angela.
“I screwed up pretty bad,” I admitted. “I need to atone.”
He nodded and stroked his chin. “And you think that’s all there is to it?”
It wasn’t unusual for Dad to be thinking outside the box. “I don’t understand the question.”
“Let me ask you this. When you said whatever fool thing you did that messed it up between you two, what was her response?”
I closed my eyes for a second, recalling that terrible day. “She left.”
He nodded again. “And did you talk about it after she’d cooled off? I mean a real discussion.”
“I tried to explain, but no, we didn’t talk like that.”
“So she didn’t want to have the discussion?”
I shook my head. “Not yet.”
“So you thought you’d buy her affections instead?” he countered.
“It’s not like that.”
“Well, that’s what it looks like to her, and anybody else with half a brain.”
How stupid could I be? Of course that’s what it looked like. “I guess. So what am I supposed to do?”
“Look, Boone, it takes two to tango. If you and she don’t want the same thing, you’re just trying to put a square peg in a round hole, and it won’t work.”
I nodded along.
“Your aunt tells me Angela just got out of a terrible relationship. She’s going to be protecting herself, and if that means cutting you zero slack, then that’s where she is today. You’ll just have to wait.”
“So you want me to do nothing?” A knot grew in my stomach.
“For now, yes. From what I hear, you two were very good together until this dust up.”
I nodded. “I thought so.” The idea of sitting back and doing nothing rubbed me entirely the wrong way. Fate could be a fickle bitch.
“Then give her time. She put up the wall, and she’ll have to be the one to take it down.”
