I strode down the hall, through the kitchen, and into the living room. Nothing had changed, but then I hadn’t expected it to. He was sitting in his favorite chair, his dog Bess beside him.
He looked our way, taking me in before glancing at Addie, then back to me. “You’re here, then.”
“You didn’t show last night.”
He patted Bess. “She’s been feeling under the weather. Stayed home to keep an eye on her.”
“Right, well, I thought I’d come home. It’s been a while,” I said.
“Yeah, and whose fault’s that?” he said and rested his hand on Bess. His gaze returned to Addie. “This your girl, then?”
He couldn’t help but get in a fucking dig. I ignored it. “Yeah, this is Addie.”
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Addie said, offering him a dazzling smile.
He nodded. “What do you do, girl?”
“She has a name,” I said.
Addison rested her hand on my back, and the tension growing inside me momentarily paused.
“I own a café. I love food, to cook it and eat it,” she said with a sweet laugh.
And fuck me, the old fucker’s lips actually twitched.
“We were sorry you didn’t make it last night, but I put some food aside for you. Riley made a delicious cake, and Freya’s potato salad was amazing.”
He took her in for several seconds and the silence dragged out. I opened my mouth to say something—
“Cash’s woman knows how to make a fine cake all right,” he said.
Addie grinned. “That she does.”
“Goes good with a strong cup of coffee,” he added.
“How about I go get the food from the truck and make us one?”
Dad sniffed and patted Bess again. “That’d be all right.”
“Don’t need to wait on us, Adds.” I grabbed her hand when she turned to leave.
She looked up at me. “I’m happy to do it. Besides, I’d kill for a piece of cake.” She gave my hand a squeeze and walked away, giving us some privacy. The last thing I wanted was to be in a room alone with him. I wanted her back instantly.
“She from that town you took off to?” Dad asked, drawing my attention back to him.
“One near it. Rocktown. Work took me there.”
He grunted and shook his head. “Same old Levi, can’t sit still.”
I shoved my hands in my pockets so he didn’t see me ball them into fists. “I lived in the same town for twelve years. I moved for work.”
“Work? Drawing pictures on people isn’t work. Using your hands to build something, grow something, hunt something, that’s work—”
“Not here to rehash the same shit all over again,” I said, cutting him off, something I never would have done when I was a kid.
“Then why the fuck are you here?” he bit out and stood.
He was a big man, always had been, and apart from being a little soft around the middle, he was still in good shape. Walking all over these mountains had kept him fit. But if he was trying to intimidate me, he should know that shit didn’t work. I got my size from him, but I was bigger. I had been since I was sixteen.