Page 54 of More Than Words
I tried not to laugh.They really did have the cutest dynamic.
“I’m so jealous that you’re decorating so early,” Quinn said to me.“Dad won’t let us put up decorations until December first.”
“At the earliest,” Ethan said.
“You could help me, if you like?”I extended the invitation without a second thought.“It’ll be fun.We can put carols on and everything.”
“Really?”Quinn jumped up from her stool.“Yes.Please.Can I, Dad?”
Ethan leaned back on the bar, looking between us.“I mean, only if I can help, too.”
Quinn blinked at her father as if she didn’t recognize him.“You want to decorate for Christmas?Like voluntarily?”
He shrugged.“Someone needs to hang the lights from the ceiling.”
I swallowed back the urge to let him know that I’d been able to do that just fine on my own for years.Truthfully, having them both help me decorate would be fun.
The look Quinn gave her father was equal parts suspicious and surprised.“You hate all the twinkling lights.”
“I never said Ihatedthem,” he said.“Besides, maybe I’ve evolved.”
Quinn looked at me again, and then back at her father, as if trying to work out a problem.Finally, she shrugged.“Okay, but I get to put the angel on the tree.”
“Deal.”I smiled.“Only it’s a star, made from old book pages.”
She clapped in delight and gave me an impulsive hug.
I squeezed my eyes shut against the wave of emotions that took me off guard and hit too hard, because this was starting to feel dangerously close to something that could be very real.
Ethan
“So what’s up with you and bookstore lady?”
I almost choked on a piece of chocolate chip, salted caramel cookie, but somehow managed to recover.
“Delaney,” I corrected Quinn, careful to keep my voice even.
“That’s what I said.”She rolled her eyes and tucked her legs up under her on the couch.On the screen, there was some sort of dance number about how Ken was enough that I pretended I was deeply interested in.“So,” she said, pushing the issue.“What’s the deal with you two?”
I sighed and sat back on the couch.I knew my daughter well enough to know when she wasn’t going to let something go.Truthfully, I was surprised it had taken her so long to bring it up.I hadn’t missed the suspicious looks she’d been giving Delaney and me at the brewery earlier.
“There’s no deal.”
“I thought we didn’t lie to each other.”
I blinked.It wasn’t technically a lie.Truthfully, Delaney and I hadn’t discussed what it was between the two of us.
Still, my daughter was sharp.
“It’s not a lie,” I answered truthfully.
Not surprisingly, Quinn wasn’t satisfied with the answer.I couldn’t blame her.
“Dad,” she groaned and sat up, twisting her body away from the screen so she faced me head-on.“I’m not a little kid anymore.You can tell me what’s going on.”Before I could say anything else, she continued.“And I’m not one of those kids who’re secretly hoping their parents get back together so they can have a big, happy familyChristmas or something.”
“You’re not?”I grinned.
Quinn tossed a pillow in my direction.“You know I’m not, Dad.”Her voice dropped when she added, “I know you and Mom…well, I see how different it is now.”
