Chapter 42

DIANA

After catching up on laundry and giving my little house a good dusting after being away for two weeks, I grabbed my keys to head over to my parents' house. I wanted to take them the gifts I bought for them and let them know I was home. I hoped to tell them about all the sights I got to see. Assuming they even wanted to talk to me after the heated argument at the country club. I knew that I needed to make things right with my dad, to mend the rift that had formed between us. I didn't like being at odds with him.

When I pulled up in front of the house, I saw my father out in the yard, tending to the lawn. My mother's car wasn't in the driveway. I imagined she was with her friends or one of the many groups she was a part of. I had hoped she would be home to act as a buffer between me and my father. But it was just me and him. He looked up from the rose bush he was pruning. There was no escape. He saw me. If I left, it would be way too obvious.

I parked the car and got out, walking over the walkway he had obviously recently cleaned. As the mayor, it was important his yard was immaculate. He had to set a good example. He always said he wasn't going to take the lazy way out and hire a landscaping company. He took a lot of pride in having one of the best yards in town.

"Hey, Dad," I called out, carrying the bag of goodies I brought along.

He straightened up, wiping his brow with the back of his hand before returning my smile. "Hey, sweetheart," he said warmly. "What brings you over here today?"

I held up the bag. "Brought some gifts from my trip." I tried a smile, hoping my nervousness wasn't too evident.

His gaze fell on the bag in my hand, his expression softening a little. "That was thoughtful of you, Diana."

I made my way over and handed him the bag. With some surprise, he started rummaging through it. Chuckling, he pulled out a silly snow globe with pyramids inside. It was so ridiculous I had to buy it.

We sat in silence for a while before I finally summoned the courage to bring up the topic that had been on my mind since our argument.

"I was hoping we could talk," I said softly, my gaze dropping to the ground. "I'm sorry about the argument at the club. I shouldn't have lost my cool like that."

My father's expression softened even further. His eyes filled with understanding as he reached out to squeeze my shoulder gently. "It's okay, Diana," he said, his voice gentle. "I understand. You needed to say those things, and I'm glad you did. I sometimes forget you're a young woman and not my little girl. Your mother says I have to learn to let go. We've raised you. I think we've raised you very well. I have to trust you're going to do the right things."

I let out a sigh of relief, the tension easing from my shoulders at his words. I had been afraid that he would be angry with me, that our argument would drive a permanent wedge between us.

"I shouldn't have lost my cool at the club," I said. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you."

"I'm sorry too," my father said suddenly. "I shouldn't have overstepped, shouldn't have tried to run Hudson out of town like that. I was just worried about you, that's all."

I looked up at him, surprised by his admission. In all the years I had known him, my father had never been one to apologize easily. But now, as he stood before me with a look of genuine remorse on his face, I realized there had been a change in our relationship.

"It's okay, Dad," I said. "I know you were just looking out for me. But I need you to trust me, to trust that I know what's best for myself. I'm not going to go out with anyone that's dangerous or completely unhinged."

He nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. "I do trust you, sweetheart," he said softly. "And I'm sorry if I ever made you doubt that."

"Where's Mom?"

"Garden club," he replied.

"Why don't I make us some lemonade?" I suggested. "You need to take a break. You're looking a little red."

He chuckled. "I'm fine."

"I'll make lemonade and I'll tell you all about the pyramids," I said.

"That sounds like a good plan." He smiled. "I'm going to finish this rose bush."

I nodded and headed inside, the tension that had been coiling in my chest slowly unraveling. As I filled a glass pitcher with water from the faucet, I glanced out the window over the sink. My father was back at his rose bush, carefully trimming and making sure the bush thrived.

I added the powdered mix into the pitcher and dumped ice cubes in. The aroma was tangy and refreshing. It filled the kitchen and reminded me of lazy summer afternoons when my mother would make us lemonade while my father grilled in the backyard. Those days were so much easier. Everything felt so much harder. Every decision mattered. Every decision had consequences that rippled through all aspects of my life.

I carried the lemonade, glasses, and some of my mom's homemade cookies out to the patio. I went back out front to insist my dad take a break. He wasn't getting any younger and I didn't want him pushing himself too hard.

"Break time," I said. "You need to get out of the sun."

We walked around to sit on the patio in the shade. I poured us each a glass and settled in. There was still some tension between us, but it didn't feel as serious as before.

"So, tell me about this trip with Hudson," my father said finally, breaking the uneasy silence that had settled over us.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for his reaction, and I launched into the story of my time with Hudson. I told him about the private jet and the luxury hotels, along with the historical sites. And I wasn't going to give him details about the vacation, especially not about the fact we shared a bed.

"You're saying all the right things, but I can see by the look on your face it wasn't all good," he said quietly.

That was the problem with being so close to my father. He knew me too well. "I guess, well, maybe you were right about Hudson."

I watched as my father's expression darkened. His disapproval was evident in the furrow of his brow and the tight set of his jaw. "What happened?"

"Nothing. Not really. He's just not quite what I thought."

"He's not good for you, Diana," my father said finally, his voice heavy with concern. "I don't like the way he treats you, the way he flaunts his wealth and expects you to go along with it. He doesn't even know you and you don't know him, but you went around the world with him. That's not like you, Diana. You're smarter than that."

I felt a surge of frustration welling up within me at his words, but I pushed it aside, determined to defend Hudson, even in the face of my father's disapproval. "He's not like that, Dad," I said defiantly. "He's kind and generous, and he makes me feel valued, cherished, and worthy of all the attention he's showering me with. He's just got some issues. A bad habit I guess you could say."

"And just what might this bad habit be?" my father questioned.

"He tends to get carried away with alcohol," I finally admitted, nervously stirring my lemonade with a straw. "It only happened once, but I didn't like it."

My father's face hardened at those words, his mouth a thin line of disapproval, his eyes flickering with a hint of anger. "That's more than a bad habit, Diana."

"Dad, it's not…" I began to argue, but the stubborn look in his eyes told me there was no winning this one. I decided to change tactics. "He usually has it under control. I think—I think he just got back into his old habits, and it happened."

"And you believe him?" my dad asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"Of course, I do," I said a touch defensively. "I believe in him."

He sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead as if warding off a headache. "Diana, you're an adult and you can make your own choices, but please do remember that promises are easily made and not always kept. You can't fix everyone, although heaven knows you try."

"He has been fine this whole time," I said. "It was just the way he's used to living. I don't think it occurred to him that he was falling back into his old ways."

My father sighed, shaking his head in resignation. "I know you care about him, Diana," he said softly. "But you have to be careful. Men like that, they love-bomb you, make you feel like you're the center of their world, and then they pull the rug out from under you when you least expect it."

I frowned, processing his words. Was my father right? Was Hudson too good to be true? Or was I just being paranoid, letting my fears get the best of me? He had shown me weeks of good and then there was a minor misstep.

"I don't think that's what's happening with Hudson," I said. "I believe his feelings are genuine, that he cares about me in his own way. But I also know that the old version of him still exists, that he's still battling his demons."

My father nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Nobody's perfect, Diana," he said gently. "But you have to ask yourself if you're willing to accept him, flaws and all. Is he worth the risk?"

I sighed, feeling the weight of his words pressing down on me. Was Hudson worth the risk? Was I willing to bet my heart on someone who might ultimately let me down? I knew that there were no easy answers, no guarantees when it came to matters of the heart. I didn't even know if that was what Hudson wanted. This could all just be a stopover for him. He came to Cold Springs to get a little peace and quiet and now that he had it, maybe he was ready to return to his old life.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"How do I know what?"

"How do you know if someone is worth the risk?" The question wasn't really meant to be answered. It was just on my heart. Was I thinking about chasing a man that didn't want to be chased?

He took a deep breath, and I saw something soften in his eyes as he looked at me. "You know, Diana, love isn't a science. There's no formula, no definitive test that can tell you if someone is worth the risk. Sometimes you just have to follow your heart and trust that it's leading you in the right direction."

"But what if it's not?" I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper. What if I was so smitten with Hudson that I couldn't see things clearly?

"Then you learn from it," he said simply, reaching out to gently squeeze my hand across the table. "I would love to protect you from every heartbreak, but I suppose it's inevitable it will happen. You are going to realize that just maybe your dad was right."

"Dad," I sighed. "It isn't that I don't think you're right. It's just maybe you are judging a book by its cover. You see Hudson one way. You don't see all the good he does. He is a good man. He just doesn't make it so easy for everyone to see."

"I understand that, Diana," my father said, his voice filled with patience. "And in no way am I disregarding his positive attributes. I'm merely saying that only seeing the good in a person can often blind you to their shortcomings, making you vulnerable."

"I know it's not perfect," I said, my voice hitching slightly. "But then again, what relationship is? If I am ever going to fall in love, I have to be prepared for all the uncertainties that come with it."

He nodded. I could still see the hesitance in his eyes. I wasn't sure he would ever like Hudson or approve of him. He was older and wiser, and he probably knew better, but I couldn't just turn off the way I felt about Hudson.