Page 58 of All Autumn
From as far back as I could remember, I’d been told I was the spitting image of my mother, and I used to love that. Not so much anymore. I never wanted to look in a mirror and see eyes that had lost their light like hers had, even now with my father home. Her eyes were dull and joyless because she knew there was a time stamp on his being back home. There always was.
“We sure wouldn’t have, sweets,” my dad answered, giving her that easy smile that charmed all the ladies.
Darlingandsweets, their pet names for each other… Well, until the fighting started again, and then it would be words likejackassandcold bitch. Connor moved his hands up to my shoulders, his thumbs massaging my tense muscles. I leaned my back against his chest, needing his touch.
“Mr. Archer, Mrs. Archer,” he said, “it’s nice to see you. It’s been a while.”
My dad nodded. “Too long. Looks like you and your brother are doing well. Every time I turn around, I see a new log house going up with one of your ‘Built by the Hunter Brothers’ signs in the yard.”
He hadn’t addressed Connor by name because he’d never been able to tell the twins apart, even after I’d told him countless times about their earrings. I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut again because I knew what was coming, and when Connor’s thumbs stilled, I knew he did, too.
My dad made a decent enough living buying run-down homes, fixing them up, and then selling them. For a while now he’d been after Connor and Adam to partner with him so he could buy more expensive homes to resell. He wasn’t one of the twins’ favorite people, not only because of the way he treated my mother but more so because of how he kept forgetting he has a daughter. Like now. We’d been standing here for five minutes and he’d yet to acknowledge my existence. I should be used to that by now, but it still hurt.
If you asked me to describe my relationship with my father, it would be me doing stupid things to get his attention and him forgetting he had a daughter except on the holidays when he gave me money to spend. What I clung to were the early years when I knew for a fact that he loved me.
“Hi, Dad,” I said belatedly, getting wound up because he’d yet to say a word to me.
His gaze landed on the arm Connor had around my shoulders. “I could bring a lot of business to the Hunter brothers, don’t you think, baby girl?”
It’s great to see you, Autumn. How are you, Autumn?Those are things he could have said to me, but obviously I was of more use to him as a means to get in with Connor and Adam. Conner pulled me closer, probably knowing I was about to lose it.
My father was a self-centered man. Everything was always about him. I knew this, so why did I still let him get to me? Connor’s touch calmed me, and I swallowed the biting words on the tip of my tongue. They would accomplish nothing.
“Hey, guys,” Jenn said, jogging up to us, her timing totally awesome.
My dad frowned at Jenn, then said to Connor, “We’ll talk later.”
Connor didn’t answer.
I hugged Jenn. “Hey, yourself. Where’s Dylan?”
She rolled her eyes. “Where do you think? Traffic control, crowd control, Mary control, or at least attempting that one.” She laughed. “The woman’s driving him crazy.”
Beau barked, getting her attention.
“Well, hello there, sweet boy.” She knelt and scratched his muzzle, getting a lick on her chin. Beau loved Jenn. Actually, he loved everyone except my parents, and around either one of them—or both when they were together—he tended to stick close to me, staying quiet. I think he always picked up on my tension when I was near them.
When Jenn stood, she smiled at my parents. “You must be so proud of your daughter.”
Jenn also didn’t like my parents much, having comforted me through the years when I’d cry on her shoulder because my dad had left again. But she was always respectful toward them, more so than Connor and Adam were.
“Of course we are,” my dad said. He smiled at my mom. “I think Melinda filled up her phone with pictures of Autumn riding with Senator Blanton.”
Mom giggled. “I did.” She glanced at Jenn. “Did you see the way he looked at her? I’m sure he’s interested in her. Here, I’ll show you.” She fished in her purse, then brought out her phone.
Connor’s fingers tightened on my shoulders.
“Um, I’ll look at them later. Connor and I have a meeting with Mary we’re already late for.” I grabbed Jenn’s hand. “She wants you to attend, too.”
“Right, the meeting,” Connor said. “Enjoy the rest of your day,” he said to my parents.
“Bye.” Jenn waved to them as I pulled her away.
Beau tugged on the end of his leash, apparently as anxious to get away from them as the rest of us. Maybe I should feel guilty for taking off and not spending more time with them, but I was done with having guilt trips where my parents were concerned.
“Did you know they were back together?” Jenn said once we were out of hearing range.
“Nope. But I’m usually the last to find out.” They’d be reconciled anywhere from six months to a year before my father fell madly in love with the next woman.
