Page 7 of Snowed In with My Best Friend's Dad

I knew society still suggests that people should wait until marriage before they have sex, but let's face it, that practice ended long ago for most people. At the very least, it was suggested that love and affection be involved when having sex, but I determined that I lost my virginity in the best way possible. I handed in my V-card anonymously, getting the deed out of the way without having to be self-conscious about my inexperience, causing a potential suitor to change their mind about me. Also, I’d done it with a man who clearly had a great deal of experience and, therefore, made it all that more enjoyable. Even the soreness I felt today was tempered by the memory of the pleasure I'd had last night.

I looked over at my phone alongside my bed, noting it was eight o'clock in the morning. Lindsay and I had made plans to leave for the cabin around noon. That gave me time to get cleaned up and packed for the trip, plus fit in a quick visit with my father before we left. I’d just finished putting the clothes in my bag when I got a text from Lindsay.

Sorry,Mira. I'm stuck at Liam's. Do you mind if we head up to the cabin separately? I'll meet you there at the regular time.

I grumbledas I sat on the edge of my bed. It would be weird to show up at the cabin on my own. Already, I felt like I was intruding on her family holiday, no matter how much Lindsay told me she wanted me there.

"I need a buffer between me and my dad. He's the greatest guy in the world, but I don't want to spend my vacation hearing how disappointed he is that my grade point average has fallen."

Normally, I didn't like to be late, but in this case, I thought I would delay my departure time so that she would already be at the cabin when I arrived because it would be even weirder if I got there before her. I'd never met her father before, but I couldn't imagine any parent wouldn’t think it was weird to bring a roommate home for the holiday.

I texted her back that I would meet her there and then bundled up and grabbed my purse to head to my father's house. I drove through the working-class neighborhood I grew up in. Most of the families who lived here didn't quite reach the middle class but managed okay. Most lived paycheck to paycheck, which meant there wasn't a lot left over for things like landscaping and home upkeep. As a result, the neighborhood looked a bit rundown and tired. My father's house was no different, with peeling paint along the trim and part of the gutter hanging detached from the roof.

My father hadn't plowed the driveway or the walkway of snow, so I parked on the street in front of the house and trudged through the few inches of snow to the door. I stomped my feet on the front mat to shake off the snow as I opened the front door.

"Dad?"

"Miranda?" I stepped into the tiny entryway, making a right-hand turn into the living room.

My father was kicked back in his recliner, a beer in his hand even though it was barely eleven in the morning. The TV emanated sounds of sportscasters talking about football.

My father straightened, putting the chair back in place, and stood. "I didn't think I was seeing you for Christmas." He came over to me, giving me a hug.

My father wasn't very old age-wise. He was only fifty-six. But he looked more like he was closing in on seventy. His starting to look old for his age happened after my mother died. When he first started seeing Loretta, he had made an effort with his appearance, but when she left, he went back to not caring.

I had been supportive of his dating, knowing that he was lonely and, left to his own devices, didn't take good care of himself. Unfortunately for my dad, Loretta turned out to be the worst possible choice of companion.

I gave him a hug, noting how I could feel the bones in the upper part of his back. "Have you been eating?"

"When I'm hungry. I thought you were going away for Christmas. If you're planning to stay, I need to call the guys."

I shook my head. "No, I'm heading up to the cabin with Lindsay as planned. But I wanted to stop in and wish you Merry Christmas and see how you're doing."

"You don't have to worry about me, Miranda." His eyes sparkled with amusement.

I took off my coat and headed to the kitchen to make him something to eat. "I can't just turn off worrying about you, Dad."

He followed me into the kitchen and laughed. "I think that is supposed to be my line, kiddo. But I'm doing just fine. The last thing I want is you hovering around me when you have your own life to live." He grinned like the proud papa he was. "My baby girl is getting a college degree. The first one in the family. You're moving on to bigger and better things, and I don't want to hold you back from that."

I rolled my eyes as I spread mayonnaise on two pieces of bread. "Being with family doesn't hold one back." I finished putting together the cold cut sandwich, and then I poured him a glass of milk and handed both to him. "Now eat something. You can't live on beer alone, no matter how hard you try."

He took the plate and glass, setting them on the counter. "I got you a little something for Christmas."

"I thought we agreed we weren’t exchanging Christmas presents."

"It's not big, but I still hope you like it." He hurried out of the kitchen. I picked up a sandwich and his milk, bringing them out to the table next to his reclining chair.

He returned a moment later with a brown sack with handles on it. He gave me a sheepish smile. "You know I'm shit for wrapping. I hope this is good enough."

I laughed. "It doesn't need to be wrapped." I took the bag, reached in, and pulled out a rectangular box. I sat on the couch, putting the box on the coffee table and lifting the lid. Inside was a picture frame.

"People who get college degrees frame them and hang them on the wall. That's for you when you get your degree."

Emotion welled in my chest, and my eyes filled with tears. No matter what else I got this Christmas, this would be the best gift of them all. The gift was the epitome of my father's love and pride in me.

I stood and walked over to where he'd sat in his chair, giving him a hug. "Thank you, Dad. I love it. I can't wait to put my degree in it. Maybe I'll hang it here."

He patted my arm. "Well, I wouldn’t mind bragging about you to my friends by showing them your degree hanging on the wall, but that’s supposed to go in your office when you get a job. It tells everybody how important you are."

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