Page 97 of Waiting for Friday Night

Quinton folded his arms on his desk and leaned forward. “Do you really think your mom isn’t smart enough to pick a guy for herself? That even if she didn’t like me, she’d just throw herself at me for your sake? Especially after you told her you didn’t want us together?”

Shania pouted for several seconds as she considered his question. Finally, she looked at him with worry in her gaze. “I don’t want her getting hurt. She does everything for me. I want her to date for herself.”

Some of the tension eased out of Quinton. Her walls were down, and she was finally ready to hear him out. “Shania, I’m here to tell you that your mom doesn’t do anything she doesn’t want to do.”

“Then how come she likes you so much after she liked Gregory?”

“Gregory wasn’t the right guy for her.”

“And you are?” she shot back with a raised brow.

He knew that just as sure as he knew he could coach this team to their first division title this year. “I’d like to be. Not just because I’m your dad, but because I liked your mom from the moment I first saw her when I moved to town.”

Shania absorbed that information before asking warily, “Why didn’t you say anything before?”

“I’m a patient man. Which is why I’ll be patient with you, too. You don’t have to trust everything I’m saying today. Time will tell. But please trust that neither of us would have gone with this if we didn’t really think there was something there to go after. We don’t want to hurt you, Shania. We love you.”

Shania’s eyes widened. “You love me, too?”

He nodded; the realization that he did brought a smile to his face. “I do. You’re my daughter. I’d do anything to protect you.”

“Do you love my mom, too?”

Quinton considered her words. He loved Halle’s stubborn independence. Loved the way she would do anything for Shania and her friends. Loved how she looked at him. The sound of her voice.

“I love a lot of things about your mom.”

“But do you love her? Gregory didn’t. He just wanted to fit into her life. He never did, but you do. If you love her then that’s okay.”

“I think your mom should be the first person to hear my feelings.” Because the realization that he had fallen in love with Halle had his world spinning. He wanted to believe it was too soon, that he was still in the throes of infatuation, or that this was the precursor to love, but he knew that wasn’t the truth.

Shania grinned and sat back in her chair. “You love her. I can see it.”

Quinton sat up straight and frowned. “How do you know that?”

“Because everyone gets a goofy look on their faces when they fall in love. You look goofy.”

Quinton grunted and scowled. “Teenagers.”

Shania laughed off his comment. “Can I go to your place and see Grandma and Grandpa? Mom won’t mind.”

Quinton blinked, surprised that she would want to spend time with his parents instead of going home, but thrilled that she believed what he said. “First, you need ask your mom if it’s okay. And, you need to talk to your mom about what happened today. You stormed out today without talking to her. You shouldn’t do that.”

Shania lowered her eyes and bit the corner of her lip. “I know. I was just upset.”

“Even when you’re upset you need to talk to us. Storming off and ignoring a problem doesn’t make it go away. Understand?”

Sighing, she straightened her shoulders and met his gaze. “I understand. So, I’ll say this. I still don’t understand how you two got together, but you’re right about Mom. I’ll wait and see what happens. I just don’t want my mom to get hurt.”

“Neither do I, Shania. Believe me when I say, you and your mom are two of the most important people in my life right now. I don’t want to hurt either of you.”

Thirty-One

Halle was still upset about Shania rushing out of the house that morning when she got the text from Shania asking if she could go to Quinton’s place after practice. They must have talked. Had they made up? If so, would Shania be as forgiving with Halle?

Instead of demanding that Shania come straight home and talk to her, she’d agreed to let her go visit her grandparents. Maybe Quinton had been right to let her calm down before they talked. Halle was used to facing everything head-on instead of letting it simmer and get worse. Her tendency to push did make Shania clam up. She hated to admit it, but this co-parenting thing might work if she and Quinton could tag team on dealing with Shania’s problems.

Her cell phone rang as she neared Quinton’s house. She quickly answered when she saw Imani’s number. “Hey, everything good?”

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