Page 99 of Beat around the Bush
My dad was standing there in a button-down with ironed slacks, staring at me while I stood frozen with my hand held above a bag.
“Oakley,” he started.
“Dad…” The word was barely a whisper. “What are you… What are you doing here?”
My dad looked around from where he stood, taking note of the store. “I came to talk to you.”
“You came all the way to Bell Buckle just totalkto me?”
His eyes landed back on me, my arm now lowered to my side. “You’re my daughter, Oakley. I wanted to make sure you were okay. You weren’t texting-”
“Dad, this is Jacey, my coworker,” I interrupted. We didn’t need to have a heart to heart in front of her.
My dad looked at Jacey like he was just now noticing she was here, standing midway between us behind the register.
“Hi, Mr. Rae,” she greeted awkwardly.
“Hello, Jacey. Nice to meet one of my daughter's coworkers. And see the place she’s working at for the first time. Oh, and the town she’s now living in,” my dad said, with a little more annoyance behind the words than he should have for showing up here unannounced.
“If you guys want to talk, you can use the office. I’ll just close up the store in five minutes and be out of your hair…” Jacey offered hesitantly.
I swallowed, trying to ease the frustration from my voice. “Sure. Thanks, Jacey. Dad, let’s go.”
I gave Jacey an apologetic look before turning on my heel and walking to the back, my dad on my heels.
As soon as we entered the office and I had the door closed, I whirled on him. “What are you doing here?”
His shoulders fell slightly, like the tension was easing at seeing that his little girl was okay. “I want you to come home, Oakley.”
I crossed my arms from where I stood in the middle of the office. “We’ve talked about this. No.”
He let out a sigh as his eyes trailed to the ground. After a few seconds of silence, he lifted his head. “Your mother and I made up.”
My brows furrowed in confusion. “Made up? Like, got back together?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think I can get back together with your mother after what she did to me, but we’re being civil about things now. Making it a clean divorce, no drama. We just want our little girl back home.”
I dropped my arms, coming around the back of the desk to plop down in the chair. I stared at the keyboard, letting all the possible scenarios run through my head.
“I can’t just leave Bell Buckle, Dad,” I said.
“Why?” He took a seat in the chair on the other side of the desk.
“Because there are people relying on me here.”
“Like who? This little hillbilly shop needs you?”
My spine straightened. “They’re not hillbillies.”
He shook his head, clearing the word from his tongue. “Then who, Oakley?”
“My boss,” I spit out.
His forehead creased. “I’m sure your boss can hire someone-”
“He’s my boyfriend,” I said, the words spilling from my tongue before I could stop them. Admitting it out loud to him was scary, but it also felt good.
My dad froze, his eyes trained on me. “Your boss… is your boyfriend?”
