My father hadn't seen me since I left his house a disarray after running from Rick. So much had changed since that day. After telling my father about my pregnancy, even he jumped on the 'keep Amy safe' bandwagon.
I didn't schedule any customers until after ten so that we could deal with getting the locks changed and working with the security company. I had even considered going with a new company altogether, but when I explained my situation they said they would make sure that my ex never stepped foot into my salon again. Trust me when I say that if I never saw that lying, cheating, bastard again, it would be too soon.
While waiting for the security company to get finished, my father and I sat around eating donuts that he had gotten for us. I started licking all of the chocolate off the top of the one in my hand. He started to laugh. "You know, you used to do that when you were little."
I laughed and looked down at the donut. "It's the best part."
He chuckled some more. "Your little half-brother does it too. I reckon it's in our genes. You know, the boys have been talking about you like crazy. Maybe, if you're okay with it, you and Conner could come over for dinner one night this week. I never approved of your choices in men, but that boy is good for you. I can tell his intentions are good."
"You obviously haven't seen his tattoos."
He laughed again, but I knew he hated tattoos. "Yeah, I stopped judging people for those reasons a long time ago. My wife has several tattoos, so I really can't use that as an excuse anymore. Unless he has Satan on his body somewhere, I really don't care about them. I can tell he loves you. He wants to keep you and that baby safe. It's all a dad can ask."
Of course, my mind went straight to Conner. Underneath of his tough appearance was a beautiful man that would risk his life for me. I knew that was how my father saw him. It probably didn't hurt that he called my father 'Sir'. "He's glad that you and I reconnected. Family is very important to Conner."
"Good. He's got some major responsibilities now. I hope he continues to impress me. Speaking of which, have you two thought about where you are going to live once the baby is born. Four and a half months are going to come faster than you think."
This was a hard topic to talk about. I'd only been free from Rick for a week. As much as I looked forward to a future with Conner, we hadn't set anything into stone. I didn't think he was going to leave me, but aside from him saying he was going to build us a house, I didn't know a when or how he was going to afford it. "He's planning on building a house on a piece of family property. In the meantime, we are going to stay with his sister and her family."
"It's hard living with people. Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Dad, Miranda is my best friend. She would tell me if it was a bad idea. Her and Conner are very close too. There are places we can go to stay out of their way. I'm sure Conner is thinking the same thing as you are."
He shook his head and looked right at me. "I just want my grandson to have a good home to come home from the hospital to. If you need money, all you have to do is ask. I know that you are going to have legal issues soon and I plan on being there every step of the way. The sooner we can get that asshole out of our lives, the better."
I took a long drink of my juice that he'd got me. "I concur. I'd be happy if I never saw him again."
He stood up and walked over to Miranda's station. I watched him eye up her picture. "This is Conner's sister, huh? She's a pretty girl."
I started laughing. "Too bad your both married, huh?"
He chuckled and looked around the room. "Yeah, too bad. This old man still has some moves though."
I knew he was teasing, but I didn't want the visual of my father getting freaky. "Eww, Dad, please!"
The guy from the alarm company walked in and cleared his throat. "You are all set on our end. The new security pin is what you requested and the authorized names have also been changed with a passcode for each person. I just need you to sign this paper and you'll be good to go." He handed my father the paperwork and I watched him sign everything. He waited for the man to leave before he turned to talk to me again. "Now, we just need that locksmith to get done and you will be all set, sweetie. I know I will sleep better at night knowing that this is taken care of. I can't believe that man kept us apart for all those years. You let me get my hands on him and there won't be any court date to attend. I will bury that son of a bitch so far down that they will never recover the bones."
"Dad!"
"I'm sorry, I just hate what he's done. He not only hurt you, but he stole from us both. This salon has been yours from day one, but you don't have a penny saved. I know there is money somewhere. I've got some people I know looking into him. We're going to figure this out and when I do, I will nail his ass to the wall."