“He said he did,” I said. “He said he couldn’t leave work, and he always apologized and bought me consolation gifts. But that wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted him to show up.”
“You never had a family vacation here?”
I dumped the hash into the skillet and began to stir. “He came maybe twice. Every other year, he would promise to come but back out at the last minute. I’d be on the phone with him, begging him to come see me, and he’d always say, ‘Tomorrow for sure, Leigh.’ He’d say that every day until the last day, when I’d be coming home tomorrow, and there wasn’t any more time.”
“That sucks,” said Griffin.
“But he was awesome to you,” I said. “That’s why you’re so loyal to him. That’s why you protect me.”
“You know, I have a confession to make. And I hope you’re going to forgive me afterwards, because it makes me sound a little creepy.”
“Creepy?” I said.
“I saw you one day,” he said. “Back before I left Op Wraith.”
“Me? How?”
“You must have come to see your dad for some reason. It was his birthday, I think.”
“Oh yeah,” I said. “I was determined to have dinner with him. So I came to his office. And he was mad.”
“I wouldn’t have been there normally, but I was in a briefing with some of the big guys, and they wanted me to come to their offices instead of coming to me. I saw you arguing with the secretary on my way out. You were so adamant that you were taking your father out. I remember you standing there, your hands on your hips, yelling that he worked too hard, and he needed to take a break, and that it was his birthday for God’s sake.”
I remembered that. It had been a few weeks before my car accident with Eric. “I didn’t see you.”
“Well, I said it was kind of creepy. I hid and watched. I wouldn’t have had anything to say to you. You were so together and pretty.”
“I was?”
“I guess I kind of got a little crush on you. I could tell how much you cared about your dad. And I knew that anyone who cared that much was good deep down. And it didn’t seem like anyone around me was good at that time. I felt like I was surrounded by soulless people.”
I smiled at him. “It’s not creepy. It’s sweet.”
He got up and came over behind me, winding his arms around my waist. “You’re only saying that because you happened to like me back. If you hadn’t, then I’d be creepy.”
I leaned into him, enjoying the way his body felt wrapped around mine. I stirred the hash. “Maybe, maybe not.”
“Anyway, it wasn’t just about your dad. He did help me and Beth, and I do owe him. But you always intrigued me. I wanted to know you.”
I turned my head to get a look at him. “If that’s true, then why were you completely against being involved with me?”
He kissed my neck. “I wasn’t against it.”
“What?” I disentangled myself from him, facing him, my hands on my hips. “I seem to remember someone going on and on about how it wasn’t appropriate and how I would ‘distract’ him.”
“Oh,” he said, grinning. “That stuff.” He shrugged. “Well, I meant it. I wasn’t trying to come here and move in on you while I was trying to protect you. It seemed sleazy.” He pulled me against him again. “And you are distracting, you know.” He rained kisses down my jaw.
I giggled. “But you knew I was into it. I kissed you.”
He lifted his head and gazed into my eyes. “You’re pushing again, doll.”
“Pushing?” I didn’t know what he was talking about.
He heaved a sigh and turned away from me, going back to the breakfast nook.
“Griffin, what the hell?” He was moodier than a teenage girl sometimes, I swear.
“You scared me,” he said, tracing the wood grain on the table. “I hadn’t... You weren’t the first girl to try to kiss me since high school, but you were the first girl who kissed me, and I liked it.”