When we were inside with the door closed, my father gestured to the leather sofa. “Take a seat.” If only he knew how much action this sofa had seen.
Lila and I sat side by side but not so close that we were touching while he stood across from us, arms crossed and legs spread slightly in a show of dominance that told us he was the authority figure with all the power. I hadn’t assessed the climate yet, so I wasn’t sure what would fly and what wouldn’t.
“You two have put me in an awkward position.”
Couldn’t argue with that, so I kept my mouth shut. He didn’t sound angry but he didn’t sound happy either.
“I’m sorry,” Lila said. “I never meant to disobey you or break your rules...” Her voice drifted off and her eyes lowered to her clasped hands in her lap.
“I was a teenager once too, believe it or not.” He chuckled under his breath. My brows shot up to my hairline. Was he actually going to give us a free pass? “And that’s why the rules are in place. How long have you been sneaking into her room?” he asked me.
I could lie and tell him it had been a one-off but I doubted he’d believe it. His eyes were narrowed on me, waiting to catch me in a lie. He knew the answer and this was a test. I knew from experience that lying to his face would only anger him. Whatever punishment he planned to impose would be doubled.
So I answered honestly.
“Since September.” He relaxed his stance and nodded like I’d confirmed something he’d suspected all along.
“There will be no more sneaking into each other’s bedrooms. Not as long as you’re both living under my roof. Is that understood?”
“Yes,” Lila said quickly.
My dad’s gaze swung to me. Reluctantly, I nodded. “Got it.”
“Having said that, I do remember what it’s like to be eighteen.” He exhaled loudly and rubbed his hand over his jaw, looking conflicted. “But like I said, you’ve put me in a bad spot. Lila is our responsibility. We promised your mother we’d look after you and treat you as one of our own,” he told her.
Lila gave him a sad little smile. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
He held up his hand. “No need to thank me. We’re happy to do it. You’re like the daughter we never had.”
Her eyes welled with tears and without thinking, I moved closer and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. She leaned into me and wiped her eyes to keep the tears from spilling. I hated to see her cry. Hated to see her sad. But I knew holidays were especially hard for her.
“Your mom knew you and Jude were in love. Maybe even before you two figured it out,” my dad told Lila, his voice softer than I’d ever heard it. He didn’t want to upset her.
“What did she say?” Lila’s eyes glittered with unshed tears, her voice so hopeful, always desperate to hear anything that her mom had shared with us.
My dad smiled, and it softened his features, making me wonder why he didn’t do it more often. “She said that Jude is worthy, and she knew he was going to grow to be a good man.” I thought I heard a hint of pride in his voice but I couldn’t be sure. My mom doled out the unconditional love and praise, playing the role of good cop to my dad’s bad cop. “Your mom seemed to think you’d be perfect for each other. And my wife agreed.”
I’d never heard any of this. It wasn’t something my dad had ever shared with me, and I doubted that he would have if Lila hadn’t asked. But the fact that Caroline put her trust in me made me even more determined to be the best man for Lila.
“So maybe you can both appreciate the predicament I’m in.” He scratched his head like he was truly puzzled.
Quite frankly, I couldn’t see the problem. I wanted Lila, she wanted me. We were in love and sex was natural. What was the big deal? But I wasn’t stupid enough to voice that.
“So now what?” I asked, putting the ball back in his court. Let’s get this over with and enjoy our Christmas. A few hours more sleep would be appreciated too. Meanwhile, I was already planning how I was going to get around whatever rules he decided to enforce.
“You have two younger brothers sleeping right across the hall from Lila. Jesse is only thirteen. I don’t want him getting the wrong idea, thinking that your mother and I condone this behavior.”
“Speaking of mothers, why in the world wasn’t I invited to this meeting?” my mom asked as she walked into the barn, clearly annoyed that she’d been left out. She was wearing flannel pajama bottoms and my dad’s fleece jacket. She wore the same ugly, tan shearling-lined boots as the ones on Lila’s feet. They were all the rage and girls claimed they were like walking on a cloud.
“Patrick.” She quirked her brow at him. “Would you mind explaining why you didn’t wake me up?”
“It was early.” My dad looked visibly uncomfortable and I coughed into my fist to cover up my laughter as he squared off with my mom. Sometimes he was so overpowering that I didn’t notice how strong my mom could be when the situation demanded. She chose her battles wisely, I suppose. “I didn’t want you to lose any sleep over this.”
My mom planted her hands on her hips. “I’ll deal with you later,” she told him before turning to face us with a bright smile and a cheery voice. “Merry Christmas.”
Lila and I wished her a Merry
