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Now he was standing inside the same room and completely disoriented.
“I didn’t think you were stupid enough to believe in love at first sight. Life isn’t a Disney movie.”
“But you’re saying I could marry anyone and, if I worked hard enough, be happy.”
Dammit. He’d been so caught up in what his father had been saying that he’d forgotten to get the butter out of the fridge. And set the kettle for boiling water.
“No. I didn’t say that. I said the kind of relationship your mom and I have takes work and time. But she couldn’t have had it with any of those bozos she was dating. I didn’t meet another woman I could have had it with, either. Maybe she exists, but I don’t care. I’m good where I am.”
I’m good where I am. His dad’s words echoed what that date, Allison, had said, that he was always looking over the horizon for something more. For something bigger and better. But maybe bigger and better was right in front of him and he was too lazy to reach for it.
“If I ask Mom about this, is she going to tell me the same thing?”
“She probably wouldn’t say bozos or stupid.”
Jason laughed. “Of course not.” His mom was always polite. He’d only ever heard her say, “Bless their hearts,” a couple times.
“Is that why you’re not married yet? Because you’re waiting for love at first sight?” The disbelief in his dad’s voice was clear, including the implication that, as far as his dad was concerned, he might as well be waiting for a rainbow to appear over the woman who was his one true love. For angels to sing from on high, and the hand of God to come down and touch them both.
His parents were religious people and had raised him to go to church every Sunday. But they were both too practical to look for signs from God.
“I guess,” was all Jason said in response.
“Well stop.”
“Thanks a lot, Dad.”
“Son, you want a nicer lecture, call your mom.”
“Yeah, yeah. Okay.” He stood, taking care with how he measured out the butter and added salt and pepper to his dinner. The world may look the same as it had before he’d called his dad, but it was different down to its core. Hell, food might taste different now. “I’ll let you get back to fishing. Hope they start biting.”
“Eh. It’s getting dark,” his dad said, like that mattered. His dad didn’t care if he caught anything while out fishing. “Are you coming for dinner on Sunday?”
“No. I have a date.”
“Give her a chance, son.”
“I always do, Dad,” Jason said, no longer sure if that was true.
They hung up, and Jason looked around his kitchen wondering what the hell he was going to do now.
* * *
THE BAR WAS slow on Sunday afternoon. No surprise. The Triangle area of North Carolina didn’t always feel like it was part of the South, but it was. People still went to Bible study on Wednesday night and church on Sunday, followed by family dinner.
Jason looked back at his date, Felicity. She was cute, with a bit of an elfin look about her. Curly blond hair. A pert nose. Cute was a start, right? A start to what his father said, of finding a nice girl and letting sparks come. He knew love at first sight wasn’t really a thing, but his dad was a smart guy. Waiting for sparks seemed reasonable.
It had worked for his parents.
He turned back to smile at the bartender and order two beers, plus something easy to snack on. After church, he’d spent the afternoon mowing his lawn and hadn’t really eaten much for lunch. He’d need dinner after this, but didn’t want to commit to such a long date with Felicity until…until sparks, he realized.
Maybe he hadn’t been listening to his father as well as he thought. And maybe Allison had been right, that he wasn’t willing to give women long enough of a chance.
And while he was thinking about people who were right…
Nah, he thought, hiding his chuckle. There was no way Marsie was right about her algorithm. While she wasn’t waiting for true love, his dad would agree that her way wouldn’t work any better. Marsie wasn’t thinking about the work and investment necessary to create a happy, long-term relationship.
