He narrowed his eyes. “I put you to shame and you know it.”
“That’s because you can’t sit still and relax. I can exercise like the next person in the family but not to the point of needing to get off my butt if there was a game on. I suppose that is what makes you two such a good fit. You can tell how athletic she is.”
“Everything is a competition with her.”
“Does that bother you?”
“No. It’s all in good fun,” he said.
“Which is what you always wanted out of a relationship. Be happy and enjoy it. You’re overthinking this way too early.”
“You’re probably right.”
“I know I am. Don’t you have dinner tonight with your parents?” Sam asked.
“Shit. I forgot. How did you even know that?” he asked, standing up. He looked at his watch and still had time. He’d already showered so he could just drive there now.
“Your mother was talking about it on Saturday. You know our mothers are big into our individual nights with them.”
“But it’s with Dani now,” he said to Sam.
“And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
* * *
Adriana had just changed into her yoga pants and was rolling her mat out when her phone rang. She looked down to see it was her father calling her.
“Hi, Dad.”
“Hi, sweetie. How have you been? I haven’t talked to you much lately.”
Had it been that long? She normally talked to him at least once a week, but she’d been busy over the past few weekends spending time with Wyatt so that thoughts of her father and visiting him had gotten lost.
“Sorry. I’ve been busy and I’m on call this week.”
“Busy is good. What have you been doing? Am I interrupting you now?”
“I was just going to do some yoga, but I haven’t started. I’ve always got time to talk to you. As for what I’ve been doing, just stuff.”
“Stuff, as in…? You aren’t getting into trouble are you?”
She laughed. That had been a running joke with her father when she was growing up. She’d go outside to play or find something to do and he’d always want to know if she was getting into trouble. She never did. For the most part she was a good kid. Or liked to think she was.
Being the other woman wasn’t anything she’d ever thought she’d be or do. Just the opposite actually.
She had morals and ethics and that smashed every single one of them to pieces knocking her down several pegs.
“Never that,” she said. “I’ve been hiking and riding my bike, going to an outdoor concert.”
“Not alone I hope,” he said. “You’re new in the area and you shouldn’t be alone at times. I worry about you.”
Now came the time when she had to decide if she was going to tell her father what was going on. That she was dating Wyatt Fierce.
She suspected he’d be fine with it. He’d just tell her to be careful.
She’d told Wyatt she wanted to keep things quiet, but if his whole family knew, she was wondering if maybe Carolyn Fierce said something to Maggie about her being at the family picnic over the weekend.
If her head had been on straight she would have called her father and told him herself. Now she might be backpedaling.
“No. I’ve been doing all these things with Wyatt.”
“Wyatt Fierce?” her father asked. He didn’t sound like he was aware of anything.
“One and the same,” she said. “Maggie asked his mother to tell him to show me around and he has been. It’s been a few weeks and, well, we’ve gotten close.”
“Close as in dating?” he asked.
“Yes. Do you have a problem with that?”
There was silence on the other line. “Not at all. I just worry about you. You were so hurt and hard on yourself over what happened in California that I’m shocked to see you dating someone else. Another doctor on top of it. Does Wyatt know why you left?”
“I’m shocked myself. I guess he grew on me as it did start out as friends. That was my idea going in. He’s nothing like Spencer. Not in the least. They might both be doctors, but that is all they share. Wyatt knows I left because of a bad breakup but doesn’t know a lot of the details.”
“Nothing at all?” he asked.
“No. Not that it was someone I worked with. Not that it was a doctor. Not that Spencer was married and I was too stupid to see it.” She paused for a minute. “Mom called me a week or so ago and said Spencer called her looking for me.”
“I hope to hell your mother didn’t give him your new number.” She knew her father had her back. Always.
“She said she didn’t. Since I haven’t heard from him, I’ve got to assume that is true. She tried to say I should hear him out. That there are two sides to every story.”
Her father snorted on the other line. “No comment.”
“I hung up on her, Dad. Don’t worry. She knows how I feel about it. I don’t know why she even had to tell me he was looking for me.”
“It bothers her you’re such a good person. She’ll never understand you.”
“No,” she said. “But that’s her problem. Not mine.”
“Don’t change who you are, Adriana. Not for your mother, me, or any man. Do you hear me?”
“I hear you. Don’t worry. I am who I am and I’m proud of it.”
Even if she wasn’t always so proud of her actions.
25
After This Weekend
“Right on time,” his mother said when he walked in the door. “Dinner will be done in a few minutes. Grab a beer and have a seat.”
“I’m on call. No drinking,” he said. “I’ll just take a water. Where’s Dad?”
“Right here,” his father said, walking in in shorts and a T-shirt. “I’ll take a water with you. Smells good in here, Carolyn. What
