Page 33 of Embody

“I need your advice. As a man, not a dad. Can you do that?”

“Probably not, no. I’m your father first, always, but I’ll try.” He takes a long drink of his Scotch, prepping.

“Suppose when you first met Mom, didn’t know her but wanted the chance to get to know her, and,” I gulp, “Uncle Tate banned you from doing so because she was his best friend. Would you have listened?”

“Shit,” he groans. “I’m gonna need more Scotch, aren’t I?”

“Dad, enough joking around, tell me. Would you have listened?”

He drains his glass, crosses one leg over the other knee, and relaxes his posture… stewing in silence. Finally, he opens his mouth to answer.

“We’re talking about her, aren’t we?” He motions past my shoulder with his head and I turn around to see Bellamy climbing out of a cab in our driveway.

I snap my head back, before she sees me looking, and run a frustrated hand through my hair. “Yeah, we’re talking about her. Brynn doesn’t want me anywhere near Bellamy. Thinks I’m a shallow playboy who’ll only hurt her, thus ruining their friendship.”

“And?” My dad’s tone is even and simple.

“And I agreed. Well, I started off by saying Brynn couldn’t date Ryder either since he was my friend first, but I ended up quickly amending my bullshit and telling her to forget that because it’s unfair and stupid. I still agreed to stay away from Bellamy though.” I pause and look him straight in the eyes. “And then, I kissed her.”

My dad’s head falls back as he laughs, loud and from the gut. “I knew I’d need a refill,” he shakes his head and mutters when he’s done cracking up at my expense. He pulls out his phone and types something then returns his attention to me.

“One thing at a time,” he speaks intently now. “No, I wouldn’t have listened to any ultimatums from Tate,” he blows out a heavy breath; just saying his deceased brother’s name causing him pain, “because that’s a completely different dynamic than two girl- friends. Plus, I had enough to worry about with your Uncle Evan trying to cockblock me. And lastly,” his voice carries a whole new weight, “my brother wouldn’t have done that to me. He was always in my corner, and I his.”

My mom comes walking up, concern etched across her face. “Here’s the drink you asked for,” she hands my dad a full tumbler. (Now I know who he texted). “JT, the girls are swimming in the back, oh and look,” she points, “Ryder’s here too. Why don’t you join them?”

“I’m good here,” I grunt, not evening turning to wave to the swimmers.

“Laney, your children are acting like selfish, callous asshats. Please, have a seat,” my dad pats the cushion beside him and my mom literallyleapsat the invite to be involved in the secret discussion I know has been eating at her since I got here.

“Dad, damn!” I protest.

“Son, to hell with your damn. Hurt your mom’s feelings and see what happens,” he raises a single brow, the right one—his death signal. “Baby,” his hand, like always, audience be damned, finds my mother’s upper thigh. “Your youngest daughter is out of line, calling shots willy-nilly with other people’s lives. And your son broke a promise to her. Albeit a dumb promise he didn’t owe her, he made it, and broke it. Your children are out of control.”

“Mychildren, huh?” She laughs. “That’s fine, I’ll claim them all day…asshat.” She gives my dad a snarky grin. “JT honey, tell Mama what’s going on. I’ll fix it.”

“Oh, I didn’t say I wouldn’t fix it,” my dad grumbles, “but I’m not going to. And neither are you. They’re gonna work this out themselves. I just wanted you informed so you could share in my disappointment of your children.”

“Hey Dad,” I toss out casually, “did I mention I secured the meeting with the head of Investment Acquisitions at Maxwell Trucking?”

“That’s my boy!” He raises his glass, grinning from ear to ear.

My mom and I smile at each other, shaking our heads. I go fromherchild tohisboy in one sentence. It’s actually quite comical, especially because I truly believe he doesn’t even realize how often he does it.

I can hear the squealing and laughing from the backyard, loud enough to be heard overT-Shirtby Thomas Rhett, my current favorite song, playing on the stereo. Which only wriggles under my skin worse.

“I’m waiting,” my mom’s insistence interrupts the vision of Bellamy, inmyt-shirt, dancing in my head.

I take a deep breath, huff it out slowly through my nose, and tell her everything I just told my dad. He makes a few deep, growling noises at certain parts while she gasps, and when I’m done, we all just stare at each other for a few minutes.

Tears start to well up in my mom’s eyes and her bottom lip trembles, which of course causes a vein to pop out on my dad’s forehead. “Baby,” he pulls her into his arms, “who am I grounding? Spanking? Taking their car? Tell me and it’s done. These kids do not get to make you cry, dammit!”

“It just hurts my heart that Brynn would think that,and say that, to her brother. I thought our kids were each other’s best friends,” she sniffles.

“Mom, we are, and she apologized. She really did feel terrible about it, but let’s face it, she wasn’t that far off the mark. I’m not known for long-term relationships. Don’t be mad at Brynn, that’s not why I talked to you guys. I just need to know, should I see if there’s something with Bellamy or honor Brynn’s wishes?”

“Both,” my parents say at the same time, then share a laugh.

“How the hell do I accomplish both?” I ask. “They’re completely opposite things. Not seeing how that’s possible.”

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