Page 75 of Everything We Left Unsaid

We settle on Rosie’s because it’s close and familiar, and the parking lot is nearly empty so it won’t take long to get our food. We’ve just received our drinks when I feel a large shadow towering behind me.

“Fwip!” Chloe caws and I freeze, my bones turning to ice.

“Chloe Bug!” a deep masculine voice booms from above me. He rounds the table and leans down, pressing a kiss to the top of Chloe’s head. My hand clenches around my glass of water, gripping it so tight I fear it may shatter. Abby’s uncle stares down at me with an unreadable expression. The man who kicked me out of this very restaurant minutes after arriving back in town just greeted my daughter with mutual affection. I swallow back my ire and remind myself that he didn’t know the whole story when he yelled at me – no, roared at me – to get out of his bar. He thought he was protecting my girls. I can’t hold that first encounter against him.

“Jacob.” He nods curtly. Abby shifts uncomfortably in her seat, her eyes filled with uncertainty.

It’s time to be a man. Time to show him who I really am, his previous judgment be damned. I rise slowly as not to alarm him or cause him to feel threatened. “Phillip,” I acknowledge politely and offer my hand, my eyes never leaving his. His arm, tan from hours spent in the sun and covered in a thick layer of fair colored hair, reaches out to grasp it. He shakes my hand, his grip firm, but not menacingly so, his eyes locked on my face, his jaw unmoving. He doesn’t crack a smile. He doesn’t blink. He simply assesses. Something unspoken passes between us and I feel the moment I earn his respect and forgiveness.

“I believe I owe you an apology,” he states, releasing my hand.

His words stun me, and I force my features to stay relaxed. “It’s okay. I understand now why you said what you did.”

“No,” he asserts, and I bite back an argument. “I treated you discourteously and had no right to do so. For that, I’m sorry.” His voice never changes, his face a tight mask concealing his emotions.

“Apology accepted,” I say and reach for another handshake, sealing the deal on our reconciliation. His mask slips a bit and his face and shoulders relax infinitesimally, betraying his cool, unaffected facade as he returns my handshake. He releases me and moves to Abby, pulling her into a big bear hug. He whispers something in her ear and she nods before he leaves our table.

“What was that all about?” I ask once we’ve settled back into our chairs.

“Oh, nothing,” she replies with a wry smile. “I think he likes you,” she offers teasingly.

Let’s hope she’s right. He’s a big man and kinda scary when his anger is aimed at you.

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