Matching Mr. Right(46)
“That shouldn’t be too difficult.” His father stood and then sat behind his desk. Pulling out a yellow legal pad, he said, “Give me the details. Family name, dates, everything you know, and I’ll put my best man on it.”
“I’d like it as soon as possible and I’ll pay whatever—”
His father held up a hand. “No. I’m happy to help. You wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”
Just like that? His dad didn’t even ask him why? Could it really be so simple or would he have to pay in some other way later?
No, he’d have to pay. His dad was a ruthless bastard. He should just go. He didn’t want to owe the man.
But he owed Shelby. And his dad hadn’t hesitated to help.
“Thanks. I appreciate it.” He gave his dad the details and got out of there as quickly as he could. His shoulders and neck ached they were so tied up in knots.
He was drenched in stress sweat, so before he climbed into his car, he yanked his suit coat off and then his tie, tossing them onto the passenger seat. Maybe his father had changed. Maybe it was time to let it go, just forgive his father and himself the way Shelby needed to forgive herself. Move on.
He slid behind the wheel, put his car into gear, and smiled. Even Lisa the whacky lawyer-turned-witch from his blind date had said he couldn’t be happy harboring all that guilt. She also mentioned he was in love with a woman and should pursue her because she’d make him happy. Maybe it was time to let go and be happy again. Was Shelby the woman spooky Lisa had been talking about?
He zipped into traffic and headed toward the café. He was starving after living on Popsicles and chocolate chip cookies for two days. But most of all, he wanted to see Shelby.
She got him. Like no one else.
And she kissed like no one else. Maybe he could wrangle a repeat of that as well.
He dug out his phone and dialed her number.
She picked up after two rings. “Hi, Nick. Are you feeling better or is this another blackmail attempt to gain soup?”
“All recovered. Where are you?”
“Why?”
“I’ve had a lousy morning, please don’t mess with me. Have you had lunch?”
“Recovered, and yet, still grumpy. I have some dating prospects for you, so I need to talk to you anyway. I’m at the café.”
“I’ll be there in five.” He hung up and threw his phone onto the seat beside him.
***
Shelby sighed and put her phone back into her purse. Why did he always do that? Just hang up when he was done talking. He needed to learn some phone manners.
She dug through the dating advice files on her laptop and found an article on phone etiquette. She’d just forwarded it to Nick’s e-mail as he flopped down onto a chair opposite her.
He was obviously upset about something, so she let the phone thing go. “Hi. What sounds good for lunch? I’ll go get it from the back and then you can tell me what’s going on.”
“Meat. I’m starving!”
She laughed. “Of course. Be right back.”
While they ate, Nick told her about visiting his father, but she couldn’t imagine what would be so compelling that he’d asked his dad for something. Nick said it was a favor for a friend. She hoped that friend understood how big a sacrifice he’d just made for him or her. “Okay, so now you’re off-balance because you can’t be mad at your dad for one of the things that pissed you off the most. The leaving your mom a pauper thing, right?”
Nick took a big bite of his meatball sub and shrugged.
“So let’s break this down. You’re still mad at your dad for leaving your mom, making her unhappy, and then ruining your family. And because he asked you to lie to your mother?”
He nodded and took another big bite.
“See the thing is Nick, your mom seems like a really happy person to me. And you have such a nice family it melts my heart, so I’m not sure I can side with you on those two points.” She took a bite of her salad. “But your dad was a real jerk to ask you to lie. I’ll give you that one. And I know you’ll always feel bad for lying to your mom, but she obviously doesn’t hold that against you. So if all that’s left is your dad being a jerk in the moment he probably realized he was busted . . . you might have to find a way to realize he’s just a flawed person. Like, if your mom was an alcoholic, you’d hate her drinking, but you’d never hate her. You couldn’t.”
She wished she could tell Nick how much his dad seemed to have changed. And how hope had filled his mother’s eyes for a brief moment when Edward had suggested they repair their relationship.
Nick frowned as he drained his iced tea. “What pisses me off most, Shelby, is what you said makes perfect sense. And I think I’m ready to move on. So why can’t I just let it go?”