Page 23 of Someday You Learn

Hopefully, he’ll humor me and support me yet again, just like he did on the plane.

“Let’s all have dinner together in a few days,” I suggest, carefully keeping my voice casual. “I’m seeing Parker tonight, so I’ll make sure he’s free sometime this week, and then you can ask us both whatever you want.” My smile is making my cheeks burn, but I need some time to get my ducks in a row.

“Fine. But that boy has a lot of explaining to do. You both do.”

I give his hand a gentle squeeze. “Don’t be too hard on him. He respects you immensely, Dad. And…I love him.” I reach out to smooth his graying hair as I swallow down the lies that keep spewing from my lips. “If you think about it, our relationship is what brought me here. You can’t be mad at him for that.”

My father glares up at me from his seat. “I can be as mad as I want, June.”

“Your grumpy old man is showing,” I tease, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of his head.

He clasps my hand before I can get too far. “I am happy to have you home.”

“This isyourhome, Dad. But now, it’s going to be mine too.”

***

When I walk back into Catch & Release a few hours later, the restaurant is starkly different than before. There’s a line of people out the door waiting to be seated, every table and booth is filled, the bar has not one empty stool, and servers are hustling to deliver food and drinks. Nautical décor is everywhere, with fishing nets hanging from the corners and metal anchors adorning the wood-paneled walls. There are anchors everywhere, actually. Must be a thing in this town I missed the first time I visited.

I’ve read about small towns and I’ve certainly watched my fair share of Hallmark movies, but nothing could have prepared me for what it feels like to actually be here right in the middle of quaint, small-town reality.

Dallas sees me from his spot behind the bar and heads over, his smile welcoming despite how we met earlier. “Cashlynn, good to see you again.”

I hike my purse up higher on my shoulder, smirking at him. “Are you sure about that?”

He chuckles. “Well, you certainly took us all by surprise this afternoon, but I have a feeling this will all work out for the best.”

“That’s pretty optimistic of you, but I’m glad someone feels that way.”

He motions for me to follow him. “Parker is waiting in the back. I’ll show you the way.”

When I texted Parker to arrange when and where to meet, he suggested coming back to the scene of the crime—well, one of them, at least. Since it’s his brother’s place, he assured me he’d put us somewhere we could speak candidly and privately to sort out the mess I dragged Parker into.

Dallas leads me to a back room, secluded from the bustling restaurant. “We use this room for staff meetings and large parties, but you two have it all to yourselves tonight,” he says as we step inside.

Parker’s alone in a booth in the far corner, staring at his glass, fingers trailing through the condensation. His glasses are perched high on his nose, and his gaze is intense and pensive, his mind clearly miles away.

God, he’s so hot, in a nerdy-doctor-with-muscles kind of way.

That rush I felt when I met him on the plane comes back to me now that my heart isn’t running a freaking marathon along with my mind like it was when I was racing to find my dad earlier.

His light brown hair is cut short and tousled messily on top. He’s wearing a solid black T-shirt that clings to his biceps and the muscles that I know he’s hiding underneath. He’s got on a pair of snug jeans and a pair of brown boots that make him look way more rugged than he did earlier.

He looked so different at the clinic, in a burgundy button-down, gray slacks, and his white lab coat. My dad insists the staff always look the part—sharp, professional, and ready to tackle anything.

It’s adorable how seriously my father takes his job, and after hearing his stories over the years that included the man I owe an explanation to, I know that Parker is very much the same.

Yet another detail I have to admit to this man tonight.

“I’ll leave you two to it.” Dallas gives us a nod and disappears, leaving me standing there, waiting for Parker to acknowledge me. But his eyes remain locked on his glass.

“Hey.” I should have thought of something more clever than that, but honestly, I’m at a loss for words right now.

Funny. You had no problem coming up with all kinds of words out of thin air earlier, Cashlynn.

Parker doesn’t look up as he speaks. “How the hell did I not know that you were Dr. O’Neil’s daughter? I thought her name was June.”

“Okay, so we’re jumping right in then…” I slide into the side of the booth opposite him.

---