16. Oliver

Chapter 16

Oliver

A fter a couple of weeks, I was finally getting the ins and outs of running a bar. I had to admit that I missed Lexie, since she had a couple of days off to work at the grocery store during the busy season. I thought about calling my grandmother, asking how she was doing, but I figured that would be too obvious.

My grandmother could be nosy.

I was beyond surprised when my father walked in, looking around at the things I'd added—more pool tables on the far side, a few more TVs, dartboards, and another bar upstairs.

He whistled low in his throat as I approached him. "This place is more than just a dive bar now, Ollie."

I flushed with pride. "You really think so?"

"I do," he said quietly.

"Can I get you something?' I asked hesitantly, not sure if he was drinking again or not.

"A ginger ale would be great."

I let out a breath of relief. I didn't want Dad getting drunk and sloshy at my bar. I hailed Krista and she made him a ginger ale with lime, sliding it across to him with a smile and a wink.

Dad blushed a little. Krista was way too young for him, but she was a bit of a flirt.

Thankfully, Lexie wasn't like that on her shifts. She was polite and efficient, but she didn't take up a lot of time talking to customers like Krista did. Though that was part of what made Krista such a good bartender, I was glad that Lex didn't do that, because I was pretty sure my blood pressure would be through the roof if she flirted for tips.

"How's everything going?" Dad asked as I sat down next to him at the bar.

"It's going great. Already turning a profit," I said proudly. "Of course, I'm still paying for the renovations, but..."

"Of course," he said. "It seems like you're drawing in a lot of tourist business."

"That's the plan."

He smiled. "I'm proud of you, son." He paused for a long moment. "Have you spoken to your mother recently?"

"Sure." She didn't mention you.

"Is she… how is she?" he asked hesitantly.

I plastered on a fake smile. "She seems to be doing great, Dad."

"Good." He cleared his throat. "That's good."

Lexie walked through the doors, and when I looked up to see her coming, I winced and excused myself from the bar.

I rushed toward her, not wanting Dad to know she was working here.

"What are you doing here?" I hissed.

She blinked at me. "Picking up my paycheck? Why?"

"I would have brought it to you. "

"Gillian gave me a ride."

I hurried to the office to grab her paycheck, bringing it back and pushing it discreetly into her hands.

"Why are you in such a hurry to get rid of me?" she asked. I winced once more as my father walked up to us.

"Nice to see you again, Alexandra," my father said flatly. Lexie's eyes met his, her own widening in surprise.

"You too, Mr. Stanhope," she replied flatly.

After that, she turned tail and scurried out of the bar. I watched her go and sighed.

"What was she doing here?" Dad demanded to know.

I sighed. "She works here, Dad."

"You gave your ex-girlfriend a job?" he asked incredulously.

I shrugged, feeling defensive. My shoulders stiffened. "I needed a back-up bartender. She needed a job."

"She's already working for your grandmother," he stated in an accusatory manner, and I stared at him, shocked. She was my maternal grandmother, so I was surprised he knew that. Perhaps he saw her during one of her shifts at the store.

"Why does it matter, anyway?" I huffed.

"Because, Oliver," he said in a low tone as he followed me back to the bar, "I know what she did to you. I don't want you to have to go through that again."

"I won't," I said flatly. "That's all water under the bridge." Why did I keep saying it like that? It was like a mantra I was using to make myself feel better about… everything to do with her.

"Is it?" he asked softly, looking at me intently.

I rolled my shoulders around, feeling suddenly tense. "It is," I said firmly. "There's nothing to worry about."

I wasn't actually so sure about that.

My father was right, of course. I'd been hooking up with Lexie and everything was starting to get confusing all over again. I hated the way it felt—the yearning when I wasn't with her all the time, the jealousy that bubbled up whenever I thought of her dating someone else.

I couldn't ask her to be exclusive yet there was no part of me that wanted to end it. I only wanted more of her as time went on.

I knew I was playing with fire and expecting not to get burned.

Dad kept looking at me like he didn't believe me.

"Do you want another ginger ale?" I asked, clearly trying to change the subject. He sighed heavily.

"You are more than capable of making your own decisions, son, but just remember what it was like before."

"How could I forget?" I snapped.

My father looked away, and guilt washed over me. I'd blamed him for a long time, deep down, because he was the one that told me the truth about Tristan and Lexie. It wasn't his fault that it happened but having him tell me had been a serious blow.

"Dad, why didn't you like her? You were always so hard on her, but when things were good, she made my life have meaning." I eyed him carefully, trying to glean information from his stoic expression.

My father sighed. "She distracted you, son," he admitted. "You were crazy over her and you guys were just kids. I was afraid that she'd get pregnant and you'd forget about all your plans. And… she was just… flighty, you know? Unfocused."

I did know, actually. She was still doing that stuff to me. She was always scared of commitment. I knew her family hadn't taught her much about stable relationships, but it had always hurt that she couldn't be direct with me about her plans for the future. It had hurt that she didn't even try to explain what happened with Tristan.

But I also knew that I had been a hothead and that I hadn't really given her a chance to explain anything to me. I had just assumed the worst about her, like my dad had. The thought made my stomach roll. I had been an ass, and I was just now realizing it. But that didn't mean I had to forgive her for cheating on me, or up and vanishing one day without a word.

"Look," I said. "Krista's got this handled. Why don't we go somewhere to eat?"

Dad shook his head. "I've got steaks marinating at home."

"Well then, you can cook for me," I said, a slight smile slitting his face.

"If you're sure you're not needed here…"

"I'm sure," I said quickly, throwing a sloppy salute at Krista. She smiled, nodding. I knew she'd call if she needed anything.

I followed my father back to his place. Upon entering, I noticed it was suspiciously clean.

"Did you hire someone?" I asked.

He snorted. "No. I can clean up after myself."

I was surprised but also proud. Especially since it seemed obvious that he'd quit drinking. He didn't exactly have a problem, but he certainly leaned on it too much when he and my mom split up.

"You seem to be doing great, Dad. Have you thought about getting back on the market?"

He stared at me. "You're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting."

I laughed. "Why not?"

"Your mother and I?— "

"Have been separated for nearly a year," I interjected gently. "Maybe it's time to move on."

My father went quiet, and I almost felt bad about bringing it up. "I'm just not ready, Ollie."

"I understand."

He looked at me sideways. "Does this mean that she's moving on? Seeing someone else?"

I groaned. "Dad, don't do that. Don't jump to conclusions."

He sighed. "I know it's none of my business, but I can't help wanting to know."

"I honestly don't know, Dad. She's kept to herself for the last few months. I haven't heard anything."

He headed to the kitchen and grabbed the steaks before going to the patio and tossing them on the grill. While he grilled outside, I made the baked potatoes and vegetables inside.

By the time it was all done, my mouth was practically watering.

My steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare, and I moaned when I put the first bite in my mouth.

"It's good, right?" my dad asked, smiling, and I nodded, slicing once more into the delicious piece of meat.

"You've always been the grill master."

He chuckled. "Your mom always thought so."

There it was. The silence after he said that was awkward and uncomfortable. The thing was, everything always came back to Mom whenever I hung out with Dad. No matter what it was we were talking about.

And it wasn't like I could easily change the subject. What was I going to tell him? That despite how he'd warned me that she was unfaithful years ago, I was sleeping with Lexie again ?

That wouldn't go over well.

And maybe Dad was right. Maybe I was being stupid about this whole thing.

"What do you have for dessert?"

He grinned. "Ice cream."

"Vanilla?" I asked, wrinkling my nose.

"Chocolate for you," he pointed out. "I keep it just in case you come over."

I was a certified chocoholic. I hurried to the freezer, making my dad a bowl of vanilla and a bowl of chocolate for myself.

We chatted idly about my dad's retirement, fishing, golfing, and my new ownership of the Pig. It was nice being able to just chat with him without him asking a million questions about Mom.

She didn't wear her heart on her sleeve like Dad did. She often kept to herself, even when she might need someone to lean on.

After helping clean up, I hugged my father goodbye, promising to be in touch again soon, then headed to my mother's house to pick up Trent. When she came to the door, she looked a little flustered.

"Oh no, has he been a hellion?" I asked with a chuckle.

She frowned. "Of course not. He's always an angel."

"You look tired, that's all."

"That's not a nice thing to say to a lady," she huffed.

I reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "Mom, if you need to talk?—"

"I'm fine," she replied quickly, gathering Trent's things and placing them into his bag before pushing it into my hands.

"All right," I said as I turned to put his bag in the car. When I returned, she was holding Trent, who was fast asleep.

Disappointment rushed over me. I was hoping he'd be awake so we could watch a movie or something. With the hours I'd been working lately, I hadn't been able to spend as much time as I'd like to with him.

Maybe after tourist season, things would calm down.

I took Trent from Mom before kissing her on the cheek and whispering a thank you and a goodbye. I placed him gently into his car seat, made sure he was secured, then headed home.

As I pulled into my driveway, I noticed that Lexie's light was on, even though it was nearly eleven. My first thought wasn't that she had company, but that maybe she couldn't sleep. I supposed she was getting used to bar hours, too.

I ached to go to her.

I was getting in too deep.

The problem was, I didn't know how to stop it.