Page 23 of A Simple Love

“I own a home and a booming business. I’m honest and hardworking, and I care for Victoria more than you could ever imagine. I’ve loved your daughter for years, waiting to make sure I could live up to your expectations and feel good enough to pursue her.” I lower my voice when I make my final declaration. “But guess what? She’s an adult and can make her own decisions about who she chooses to date, whether you like that or not. So go ahead and hate me all you want for what my father did and how he behaved, and who you think I am because of him. But I am nothing like him, and when you lose your relationship with your daughter over the man she loves in return, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.”

My chest is rising and falling from the sharp breaths I’m taking, the adrenaline coursing through my veins firing rapidly and sparking intensity everywhere it travels. I know that Victoria loves me just as fiercely as I love her, even if she hasn’t voiced it. But the idea that her dad could never change his mind about me, makes me realize that this could be the future of our relationship, strained and worrisome from interactions and disapproval from her father.

Frank just stands there, his hands now shifted to his pockets, hiding his emotions and response at my speech behind a stoic face. He doesn’t move for what seems like forever, freaking me out to where I’m about to poke at him to make sure he’s still alive.

“Your daddy used to work with me…. Did you know that?” He asks calmly, his voice five octaves below the level it was earlier.

I nod. I imagined that’s where his distaste for him resulted from. My dad worked at the farming equipment factory for about six months before he finally lost his job. The factory is about a forty-five-minute drive between Hopetown and Omaha, but it employs over five-hundred people and pays a decent wage. My father was ecstatic at the prospect of good money, which he pissed away the second he got his hands on it. The casino and the bar saw more of his paychecks than my family ever did.

“I’m sorry, Mike. Your dad was a piece of shit, and most of the time, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“I get that,” I reply, also lowering my voice down this time. “But it’s not fair to me to hold his mistakes against me, and it’s not fair to Vic.”

He nods in understanding. “It’s hard watching my little girl dating. I only want what’s best for her, you know.”

This version of Frank Baker is one that I’ve been waiting to talk to. Why couldn’t I have stood up for myself sooner? Finally putting him in his place was the key to unlocking his anger and letting rationality come through. Of course, five years ago I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, so who knows how this conversation may have gone then.

“I understand, Mr. Baker. I only want what’s best for her too. And I want to offer her the world. But I need you to give me a chance. Stop trying to run her lifeandrun me out of it.”

“I’ll try,” he replies, running his hand through his thick head of gray hair. “But I have to say, she seems to have taken a liking to that Paxton boy too, just so you know.” His confession makes the relief I just felt at seeing eye-to-eye with him finally, immediately sink in a pit of despair in my stomach.

“I understand. But believe me, I’m not letting Victoria go without one hell of a fight.”

He reaches out to shake my hand, a nod between the two of us solidifying some sort of a truce I imagine, at least for the moment. No other words are spoken before he turns towards his house and I hop into my truck and make my way home.

This whole situation just keeps throwing me for a loop. One minute I feel like I’m on cloud nine, the next I feel six feet underground. The fact that I was able to come to some sort of understanding with Victoria’s dad is huge though. Hopefully, it will stay that way and I won’t have to tell her that her dad is the reason I stood her up all those years ago. But then his confession about Ben sets me back down off the pedestal I felt I was climbing. I know Ben is still an obstacle, one I will have to be just as patient with if I will finally secure Victoria as mine. This fight is proving to be more of a roller coaster ride than a battle, and I hate roller coasters.

Chapter 15

Victoria

“I can’t believe this is your last day working at the diner, Vic.” Hayley wraps her arm around my neck as she pulls me in for a hug. I just walked into the diner to start my last shift and she’s already crying.

“I know, Hayley. It came faster than I thought, but this is a good thing.” I’m trying to console her, placing my hands on both of her shoulders. But the truth is, I think she’s more upset about me leaving than I am.

Don’t get me wrong, I am beyond grateful to Hayley and her dad, Mark, for giving me a job and being so flexible with my school schedule over the last seven years. And Ruby’s diner has become a home away from home since when I wasn’t at my house or at school, I was here. But I am SO ready to start teaching. The change is scary, but I know in my heart, teaching is what I’m meant to be doing. My classroom will become my new home, my students my new responsibilities. I’ll miss going home with money in my pocket each day and working alongside one of my best friends, but that’s about it. I keep trying to focus on all the new and exciting parts of my impending dream career versus sulking in the sadness of leaving my first and only other job.

“Pauline already left me last year and now you’re leaving me,” she cries dramatically, throwing herself in my arms this time. I know she’s just trying to pile on the guilt, but I’ve been working towards this new job for years, so she knew this was coming. Pauline leaving the diner to co-own BJ’s Bar & Grill blindsided her a bit more, I think.

“I know, Hales,” soothing her back with my hand as she shudders in my arms. “But it’s not like you will never see me again. Let’s just try to have fun today and you can sulk more this weekend when we get together for girl’s night. Today we are going to have fun, and tonight we are celebrating at BJ’s, and I’m not going to have you crying the entire time.” I pat her on the shoulder after releasing her, turning eagerly to make my way to the back of the diner to store my purse before I start my last shift as a waitress.

The day goes by quicker than expected, most of my regular customers stopping in to wish me good luck and deliver a few cards and gifts. Hayley cries only two more times before I clock out at the end of the day, which is less than I thought she would this morning. I rush home to change and meet everyone at the bar, eager to have a few drinks and enjoy a night free of responsibility. Heck, I don’t even have to set an alarm for tomorrow. Maybe I can stand to have a little fun.

When I arrive, Tyler and Dean are already sitting at our usual table in the back corner, and Pauline is behind the bar, her bar towel thrown over her shoulder, a move that has quickly become her signature. She had to work tonight, but at least she’s here and can still celebrate my new beginning with me.

“Miss Baker, the new teacher in town is here, everyone!” She shouts over the noise, granting me with hoots and hollers of celebration from the larger than normal crowd for a Thursday night. I take a bow in jest, then sit on a stool across the bar from her.

“Thank you for that unnecessary display of attention,” I chide as Pauline slides a drink my way.

“This one is one the house, girl. Congratulations! How was your last shift at Ruby’s?” Pauline wipes down the bar in front of her and fills a few drink orders while she talks to me.

“Well, aside from Hayley crying three times today, it was actually pretty pleasant.”

“Only three times?” She asks while sliding a beer across the wooden surface to a customer. “She cried five on my last day.”

“Well, she must love you more than me then,” I joke with a wink as I take a long sip of my rum and coke.

“What’s not to love? I haveplentyto love right now,” she gestures down to her growing belly. “I still have a little less than two months to go, and I swear, there is no more room left for this kid.”

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