39. Kylies Dad

Chapter thirty-nine

Kylie's Dad

" H oney, your phone is dinging." Kathy calls from the kitchen.

"I'll get it in a minute. The steaks are almost done." I flip the steaks on the grill before sneaking a drink of my beer with my back to the house. As I go to set it down, I notice the label peeking out. I adjust the cozy higher to camouflage the bottle in case Kathy checks on me.

The last time I had a beer, she yanked it out of my hand and poured it out in the sink while I stood there in shock. I haven't gotten the all clear yet, but I have a feeling when I do, she's going to cut down on my consumption. Not that I drink all that much—I just think she's not over her fright from my cancer diagnosis. To be frank, neither am I. I have to do better, but life isn't worth living if I can't indulge a little here and there.

Sneaking a glance at the house, I turn and finish off the beer before sticking it in the bushes. I remind myself to come out here after Kathy goes to bed tonight to collect the bottle and take it to the trash can in the garage.

The steaks are ready, so I pull them off the grill and onto the platter. I've been looking forward to these since Kathy has cut back on our red meat consumption.

I sigh. It's not like I had a heart attack.

All three steaks are grilled to perfection. Seeing the third has my mind wondering about Kylie. I made one extra just in case she surprised us with a visit. She hasn't been stopping by like she used to, and I miss having her here. I can't stop the sneer when I think about the reason for her infrequent visits.

How the hell my daughter ever got on Luca Morelli's radar is something I will someday figure out. I can't see him being at the college for any reason and it's not like my girl goes out and parties.

They don't fit. He's too … dark. My baby girl is all that is good and for him to think he deserves her makes my blood pressure skyrocket. My only hope is she'll tire of him. And soon.

Shaking my head, I turn the propane off and close the lid before taking the plate to the enclosed porch. With this nicer weather, that's where we've been eating most nights.

"That smells wonderful." Kathy kisses me on the cheek before walking around me to set down the green beans and mashed sweet potatoes. The rolls are already on the table with the butter and the pitcher of iced tea. The sweet potato recipe she found is delicious, but I mourn the loss of regular mashed potatoes.

I move to pull Kathy's chair out for her, then kiss the top of her head before taking a seat.

"You've made extra again." Kathy gives me a sidelong glance with a smile as she dishes the food onto our plates. "I miss her too, you know, but she's finally behaving like a woman her age. I love that she's dating and going out and having fun."

"Hmph. Did she have to pick a guy so much older than her? With thousands of boys at that college, why couldn't she have picked one of them?" I frown down at my steak, putting too much pressure on the knife, creating a high-pitched squeak as my knife scrapes against the plate.

Kathy chuckles. "Did you forget you're older than me?"

"Five years, Kathy. Not eight. At her age, that's a bigger gap than you think." I wave the knife around as I punctuate my meaning.

"Honey, our daughter is an old soul. She would never tolerate any of those boys her age. She deserves a man who has it together and will treat her like a princess. Which is why I'm thrilled he was just as upset about her car as we were and bought her a new one."

If there's ever a time for a record scratching moment, it's now. I stop cutting the steak and snap my gaze to Kathy, not believing what I just heard. If she wasn't concentrating so hard on her plate and avoiding my gaze, I would've thought I heard her incorrectly.

When she finally looks at me, she laughs and nudges my chin closed. "Now, honey, this isn't anything to be upset over."

I drop my fork and knife onto my plate with a clatter and sit back in my chair and stare at my wife as if she's lost her mind.

Kathy leans in with a pleading look. "This is a good thing. He's protective. He didn't want her in that run down car anymore than we did." She pats my hand before righting herself and goes back to cutting her steak. "It's actually really sweet of him."

I was speechless until she said that. "Sweet?" I sputter loudly. "They've only been dating a minute, and he buys her a car? That's not sweet, that's—that's control!" I scoot my chair back and pace next to the table. "Who buys a car for someone they just started dating?" I whip around to look at Kathy, putting my hands on my hips. "Did she accept it?"

Kathy sighs in exasperation. "Sit down. You're overreacting. And yes, she did—wait!" Kathy holds her hand out, stopping me from interrupting. "She only accepted because apparently he's as stubborn as you are and refused to take the car back. In fact, he towed her old car to the junkyard. What did you expect her to do?"

I grudgingly admit that was smart of him.

Grumbling under my breath, I sit back down and resume cutting my steak. We eat in silence for a good five minutes before my curiosity gets the best of me. "What did he buy her? It better not be some fancy sports car that will get her killed."

Kathy avoids my eyes. "No, he got her a very reliable SUV with a lot of safety features." She's still not looking at me, so I can only assume she's afraid to tell me what it is. And the only reason for that is it must be really expensive .

Resigned, I push. "What is it, Kathy?"

"Oh … ah, I believe it's a Range Rover." Again she says without looking at me as she picks up her glass to take a drink.

"Damn Morelli." I mumble before shoving a piece of steak into my mouth.