Page 47 of The Claiming Series: Collection 1
I pull a stool up at the bar. It’s bittersweet being back here, seeing him work the bar without Mom. They ran this place together for over thirty years. They raised me here, in the rambling house behind the bar. A lot of things have changed since then.I’vechanged.
“Nancy’s granddaughter, Julia, is a catch,” Dad says casually, placing a mug of coffee infront of me. “You’d make cute babies together, what with your blue eyes and her blonde hair. Don’t remember you ever bringing a woman home to meet your ma and me,” he grumbles. His eyebrows draw together in a frown as he considers his next words. “You know, I won’t think any less of you if you like men.”
I nearly choke on my coffee. Dad is from another generation. Same-sex relationships are a foreign concept to him. He’s not against them. He doesn’t understand them.
“I’m not gay, Pa, but thanks for the reassurance,” I tell him, biting the inside of my cheek to stall my laughter at the look of relief he quickly conceals.
“Guess I want you to have what your ma and I had, Son. She brought me such joy. Memories are all I have now, but they’re happy ones.”
I want to tell him I’m happy as I am, but how can I? I’m not sure I know what happiness is anymore. Fuck, I’m not even sure I know what sadness is. The only thing I feel these days is numb.
I know the worry almost killed him when he got the news I was injured, especially coming so soon after Ma’s death. Getting that phone call saying I was unconscious and being rushed into surgery tookyears off his life. I don’t want to be a burden to him. It’s my turn to make sure he’s okay.
“I’m doing good, Pa,” I lie, summoning a smile. “Even if Iwasinterested, which I’m not, I’m carrying too much baggage and too many scars for most women. Besides, I’ve got a small town to look after now, which doesn’t leave time for romance.”
“There’s always time for romance when it’s the right woman,” Pa says with a wink.
“Anyway, what did you want to see me about?” I ask, changing the subject and reminding him of the reason I stopped by.
“Ah, yes. I wanted you to meet my new member of staff. She’ll be here in a minute.”
I shake my head in exasperation. “Did you not hear anything I said? I’m working, Pa. You can’t call me over because you want me to meet some random woman.”
Dad frowns. “She’s not some random woman. It’s Daisy Jenkins.”
I look at him blankly. “Is that supposed to mean something to me?”
“Maybe not. She grew up here, but she’s agood eight or nine years younger than you. Lived in the house on the edge of town with her mother.”
I wrack my brains. “Chubby, with blonde hair and retainers?”
“When she was twelve, yeah,” he chuckles.
“Didn’t her father take off when she was a kid? Just up and left with some other woman?”
“He did,” Dad says, his mouth thinning in disapproval. “Left Chloe to raise Daisy alone. That’s not a real father, not in my book.”
“So, she’s working here now?”
“Yeah. Moved back from Houston to care for her mother.”
“What’s wrong with her mother?”
Dad shrugs. “Didn’t ask. But it’s the town’s worst kept secret that Chloe Jenkins is an alcoholic.”
Shit. That’s rough. I know plenty of good men who turned to alcohol and drugs after the things they saw and did in battle.
“Sounds like I’ve got a lot of catching up to do,” I sigh.
“Give it time, Son. You’ve only been back in Garland a few weeks,” he points out.
The town practically had a parade when I came back, treating me like some kind of golden boy returned from the war when I’d never felt less like it. The sheriff's position fell into my lap when the previous sheriff retired. I had no intention of running Garland with the same carelessness and disinterest he had. Keeping my residents safe is a responsibility I take seriously.
“Did you interview other candidates or employ the first lost soul that came along?” I ask with a raised eyebrow. “Do I need to remind you that you caught the last person you hired with her fingers in the cash register?”
Dad glowers at me. “Which is why I got rid of her and hired Daisy. You may have forgotten, but this is a small town, and bar staff aren’t exactly thick on the ground. Daisy answered my ad, and I invited her here for an informal chat. She was perfect for the job, so I hired her on the spot.”
I sigh in exasperation. “Did you askanyquestions relevant to the job? Get references?”
