AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes.” She nodded, tucking her hands under her head in the most adorable way. “I will.”
“Yet, the last we talked. . .” I allowed my sentence to trail off for Charlee to pick up.
“I should have told you about the potential promotion. I was just so nervous, being it was mainly about Dad and all. Which. . . no worries on that front anymore.”
My brows rose. “Really?”
“Really. We had a long talk, I told him where it was at, and why I love you, and he actually listened.”
“You love me, huh?”
“I told you that already, silly.” She reached up and tapped my nose.
“And I love you, Charlee. But we’ve got to start talking to each other.”
“Instead of crossing our arms in frustration?”
“Precisely.”
“Or running away?”
“Guilty as charged,” I said. “This works both ways, and I’ll admit to being a bit closed off at times too.”
“A bit closed off?”
“Maybe a lot closed off.”
“Better.”
“So tell me what he said.”
Charlee relayed the conversation with her father, admitting that although she knew with her “whole heart,” as she said, that she wanted to be with me, she was less sure of her future career-wise.
“Shockingly, he didn’t try to push. Well, any more than he had in the past.”
“That’s a good thing. You can think through it. We can talk it out if that helps.”
My reward was an ear-to-ear smile.
“I’d like that. I also like the idea of talking things through a bit more than we have.”
“Probably necessary if we’re going to survive.”
“If? Didn’t think doubts were something you dealt with.”
She had me there. “Okay, when.”
“Better.”
I leaned forward and softly kissed her on the lips. “Speaking of talks with our fathers, I had an interesting one today too.”
I told her what my father had said, but Charlee didn’t seem as surprised as I’d been. “Your father is clearly no dummy. That he had a life before your mom left? Makes sense. His drinking makes sense too.”
“I don’t disagree. But I deal in excuses as much as doubts. If he wanted to get help, he could. Do you know how many times I’ve offered?”
“Not as many as you need to, since he hasn’t taken you up on it yet.”
“So I just keep after him, month after month, year after year, until he either drinks himself to death or agrees to get help.”
