Page 43 of His Curvy Distraction

I chuckled and shook my head. Dad hadn’t fired a gun in decades and would probably hurt himself if he tried to use the rusty old firearm at the back of the closet. Not to mention there hadn’t been ammunition in the house since I was born, according to my mother, so the threat was an empty one.

“Nothing happened that requires violence, Dad.”

“Then what did happen?” Mom asked.

I shrugged. “I’m me. And he’s… He’s too perfect for someone like me.”

“Did he say that?” Dad barked.

“No. He wouldn’t. But I know him, and I didn’t realize it until I sat down. There’s no way we would work.”

“Why not?” Mom asked. “You don’t give yourself nearly enough credit for the amazing woman you are.”

I shook my head as she spoke. “It’s just not going to happen. He’s… He has to be in the public eye because of his job, and I’m no good at that. I’m definitely a behind-the-scenes person.”

“You don’t have to be.”

“Oh, yes, I do. And I’m okay with that. I know who I am. And I know who I’m not. It’s taken me a long time to accept that, and I’m not going to try to be someone else for anyone.”

“What makes you think this man is looking for someone who is in the public eye? Did he say you’re not good enough?” Dad asked.

“No. He’s too diplomatic for that.”

“You make it sound like you had a date with the mayor,” Mom joked.

Dad laughed.

I stayed silent.

“Well, whoever it is, he’s not worthy of you if he doesn’t see how amazing you are.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“But I do wish you’d give yourself more credit. Amelia has been keeping me up to date on all the things you’re planning and doing with the new summer camp. It sounds like it’s going to be amazing.”

My lips lifted into a smile just thinking about it. “I’m really excited. It’s going to be a lot of work, and it’s going to take a long time to get it to where we really want it, but it’s going to be amazing.”

“Tell us about it. What are you planning? Where are you at right now?” Mom and Amelia had been friends forever. It was one of the many reasons I felt comfortable with Amelia. They were similar in a lot of ways, including the way they both encouraged me to be myself and not worry about people who didn’t understand me.

“Still planning. We have a very small budget, so we’re working on setting up a fundraiser. Daisy is helping me with that.”

“She’ll have everyone involved, without a doubt,” Mom teased. She loved Daisy as much as I did, and she knew Daisy didn’t let things go when she decided it was right.

“She will. She’s been great. Especially since I know she’s busy, too.”

“But she loves you and will do anything to help you.”

“I know. I’ve talked to a few contractors, but we’re limited on what can be done right now because of the weather. As soon as spring is here, we’re going to jump on everything and really get moving.”

“That’s a good idea. Is there anything we can help with? I can clean. Amelia mentioned a trailer?”

I gagged at the thought of the trailer.

Mom laughed. “That’s pretty much what she said. Tell me about the rest of the site.”

I jumped in, detailing everything we had, everything we planned, and all the ideas I hoped to get to one day. By the time I finished talking, Dad was asleep again, and I needed to get home if I was going to get any sleep.

But I left feeling better, and that was the whole reason I went home.

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