Page 15 of Snowed In with My Best Friend's Dad
Miranda's lips twitched upward slightly as she turned her focus back to her food. "Not exactly."
Feeling a little irked, I grumbled. "Then exactly what do you mean?"
She finished chewing her bite, but I had a feeling she was also using the time to choose her words.
Finally, she said, “Do I think Lindsay is spoiled? Yes, a little bit, but not in a way that makes her unlikable. Lindsay is the epitome of what life could be like if you didn't have to worry about anything. You can pursue any and every interest that you have. You can savor every moment. I sometimes envy that sort of freedom, but I also know that when the time comes for her to be encumbered by responsibility, it will be a challenge to her. It might even be sad to watch because she has such an exuberance."
I loved my daughter more than anything else in life, but I had seen the way she flitted through life while being irresponsible. But to see Lindsay through Miranda's eyes, I realized she was right. My goal in raising Lindsay was to give her the world. And so, who was I to be upset with her when she reached out to grab it, expected to receive it? She did it in a way that she wasn't acting entitled but instead wanted to fulfill every moment with happiness or fun. But had I set her up to not be ready when real life came her way?
"Maybe you should be studying psychology?"
"I'd rather teach." She studied me for a moment. "How did you decide what you were going to do when you were our age?"
"I didn't grow up with a whole lot. My family wasn't as poor as some, but we were poorer than most. I grew up in a rural area not far from here, actually." It was one of the reasons I didn't care much about coming to the cabin as much as Lindsay did. I much preferred the vibe, the energy of the city than memories of a more difficult life in the country. "I knew that if I wanted to do more, I needed an education and opportunity. I got a degree in business and parlayed my interest in sports and fitness into a line of supplements and sports drinks and other nutritional items. And then with my buddy Duncan, we opened a gym which is now several gyms across the country."
"So, in the end, you still pursued something that was close to your heart. Art is what fulfills Lindsay’s heart.”
“That may be, but what is she going to do with it?”
“She could become a fashion designer.”
“Yes, but who’s going to build her business when she has no business or marketing background?”
She smiled. “Remember, Lindsay goes through life with the expectation that good things will come her way.”
“I suppose that’s where I failed her.” Did I need to spend this last semester tightening the purse strings to help Lindsay learn to plan and be more responsible?
Miranda’s eyes turned sympathetic. “The reality of life is going to come to Lindsay later than most of us. But it will come, and I know that you will be there for her when it does.”
She wasn’t wrong. Despite the fact that I wanted Lindsay to be more committed to her studies and plot a path in life, no matter what happened, I would be there for her, which would perpetuate the problem. But it was what it was. Lindsay was my life. There wasn't anything I wouldn't do to make sure that she was happy.
Miranda finished her meal and rose from her chair. "I'll do the dishes since you cooked."
I was disappointed for the conversation to end, and because I was, I knew that it was time for me to disengage. It was one thing to want her sexually, but to connect to her at a different level that could enhance feelings of desire would be even more problematic. The idea that I would even be thinking this was a shock. I hadn’t met a woman whom I wanted to get to know at a deeper level in a long, long time. Just my luck, the woman who interested me was one I couldn't have. So, for that reason, I needed to extricate myself from this situation.
I stood, carrying my plate into the kitchen. “Thank you. I was going to put a fire in the fireplace and finish decorating, but since Lindsay isn't coming and you’ll be leaving as soon as the snow stops and the roads are clear, I don't see much use in it."
She turned on the water, her attention in the sink when she said, "I could help you if you wanted. I know I'm not Lindsay, but it's been a long time since I was in a home that was decorated for Christmas."
That stopped me short. She didn't celebrate Christmas? Then again, the fact that she was planning to spend it with Lindsay should've clued me in. "You don't have Christmas at your house?" I wondered if there was a religious or cultural reason for it.
She shrugged as she started to rinse the dishes. "Not really. Not since my mom died. My dad remarried for a short time, and we had Christmas then, but that was mostly because Loretta wanted fancy gifts. When she took off, Christmas sort of ended."
Holy hell. What sort of father did she have that he didn't try to lavish his daughter? I understood that money was tight, but I grew up in a family in which presents for birthdays and holidays were scarce, but there was always a celebration.
All of a sudden, the need to give Miranda a Christmas holiday became a singular focus. "I’ll tell you what. I'll make some hot chocolate, and because you're old enough, I’ll add a little peppermint liqueur to it. Then you can help me decorate the living area."
She didn't look at me, but a wide smile spread on her face. "I'd like that."
In my brain, warning bills were clinging. Spending more time with her would be problematic. Sure, my mind understood she was off limits as Lindsay’s friend, but Lindsay wasn’t here and my dick remembered all too well what it had been like to slide inside her.
But I was a strong man, right?
So, I ignored the warning and went out to make a fire in the fireplace.
6
Miranda
