Chapter 9

9

GILLIAN

" I 'm in love."

I made that announcement to my dad as I sat in the passenger seat of his SUV, my swollen ankle on the floorboard in front of me. I'd woken up at seven a.m. and limped my way out of Kane's cabin, hopping around until I got cell phone reception. I managed to get one bar. It had probably been a good fifty steps from his front door. Fifty awkward, somewhat painful steps.

When my dad showed up, I limped my way to meet him at the winding road leading down from this mountain. It was on the other side of Kane's cabin from the hiking trail, so it had required a good one hundred or more steps, but I'd made it.

"You're in love," Dad said, glancing over at me. "With whom?"

"His name is Kane. He lives in a cabin near where you picked me up."

"You didn't even tell us you were coming to town. How long have you been here?"

"I just came here for the weekend," I said. "I was hiking."

Shit. I should have come up with a lie. I saw the way my dad's features hardened at those words, and it hurt my heart. I didn't want to upset my parents.

"You were hiking? Is that how you hurt your ankle?"

I nodded. "I stepped into a hole. It's a long story. Kane helped me. We fell in love, and the rest is history."

It sounded ridiculous, even to my own ears. Especially since, as far as my parents knew, I'd never even dated.

"Did you sleep with this boy?" Dad asked.

Oh, for the love of God. "Dad, I'm twenty-three years old. Kane is a man, not a boy."

"But you made a vow," Dad said. "You even have a purity?—"

His voice broke off as he looked to the right and spotted my right hand. My arms were crossed over my chest, so my bare ring finger was within view.

"Where's your ring?" he asked.

"I'm not twelve. I'm a smart woman who knows what she's doing, and I'm in love."

Did I need to keep repeating that? I certainly didn't want to give him details about my sex life. I still couldn't believe I actually had one.

"So this man is going to marry you?" he asked. "I sure hope you used protection. You don't need to ruin your life with a baby."

I glanced over at him. "Is that how you and Mom saw it? Having a baby ruined your life?"

They'd gotten married pretty young and had me a couple of years later. In fact, Mom was my age when she had me.

"You were the best thing that ever happened to us," Dad said. "I'm not talking about us. I'm talking about you. You have your whole life ahead of you—a career, living on your own in the city. We're really proud of you, you know."

He'd come to the parking lot where I'd left my car yesterday afternoon. Stopping at the entrance, he looked over at me, his earnest expression making it clear he meant every word he was saying.

He'd never told me that. I couldn't believe in all my life my father had never said those words. And I also couldn't believe how much they meant to me.

"Thank you," I said. "And I have a great job, but it's not exactly what I dreamed I'd be doing."

It paid well, so that made it pretty impossible to quit. The type of work that would make me happiest was at the lower end of the pay tier, and I needed to be able to pay my bills.

"What do your friends say about this new man?" he asked as he pulled into the parking space next to my silver sedan.

He was talking about my high school friends. The whole reason I'd come here was to impress them. To try to be more like them.

But I'd woken up this morning with a new perspective on things. It seemed weird all of a sudden to tell them I'd given up my virginity. And if I couldn't tell them that, I certainly didn't owe them proof that I'd followed through on the dare they'd issued.

None of it mattered anymore. The app. The friends judging me. Me judging myself. It all seemed like a different life. A life I was no longer living.

"I have new friends," I said. "My roommate, for one, and my other college friends. They're a better fit for me, and I'm sure I'll make new friends here in town when I move back."

Dad's eyes widened, and a smile broke out over his face. This wasn't going at all like I'd expected. I figured he'd be disappointed in me for losing my virginity. Maybe even angry. Mom, too, but she always went along with whatever Dad said, so if he was okay with all of this, she would be too.

"You're moving home?" he asked. "Is that because of your new boyfriend?"

I shook my head. "I wanted to come back, anyway. It just worked out that the man of my dreams happens to live here now."

Dad shifted until his body was aimed toward mine and said, "Your mom and I only want what's best for you. I know we were strict, but you were always a good kid. You're still a good kid."

I wasn't a kid, but I knew to my parents I always would be. "Thank you," I said, giving him a heartfelt smile. "You were good parents. Sometimes you just have to let me learn things the hard way, though."

"Well, if this guy breaks your heart, I'll kick his butt," Dad said. "You can bet on that."

Kane wouldn't break my heart. There'd been a moment right before we drifted off to sleep that I was sure he was going to tell me he loved me. The look in his eyes told me all I'd needed to know. This was the real deal.

"So where exactly are you heading now?" my dad asked. "You can come back to the house. We'll make you pancakes. Invite your boyfriend."

I liked the sound of the word "boyfriend." Husband would sound even better.

I shook my head. "Thanks, but I'm going to drive up to the cabin. I just wanted to let you and Mom know what was going on."

My plan was to get back before Kane woke up. Having Dad come get me seemed like the quickest way to break the news to them. It felt like something that couldn't wait.

"Do me a favor," Dad said. "Get that ankle looked at."

I nodded. "It's a deal. I'll have Kane drive me to urgent care today."

As I limped over to my car, tossing the backpack in the back seat, I thanked God my left ankle was the one I'd injured. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to drive. And I'd have to drive back to Bozeman to get my laptop sometime this weekend so I could be ready for work on Monday.

I'd figure out all the other logistics later. Or Kane and I would figure them out…together.