“Oh, sweetheart! You made it!”
“Mother. What is he doing here?”
She feigned innocence. “Oh, did I forget to mention? I invited Nick.”
“Because, darling. I think you two got off on the wrong foot. And I wanted to give you another chance to get to know each other.”
“Oh, no. I got to know him just fine. Trust me.”
“Ah, well, then you won’t mind staying for dinner,” she said sweetly, practically pushing me toward the table.
Before I could argue, Nick turned and spotted me. “Well, look who finally decided to stop avoiding me.”
I clenched my jaw.
Julie, who had been silent up until now, finally scoffed. “Can we eat already?”
My mother clapped her hands together. “Of course! But first, Nick has something to say.”
Nick sighed dramatically, setting down the spatula. “I need to introduce you to someone.”
“Oh, I know Julie,” I said coldly. “I saw plenty of her at the wedding, hanging off your arm while you…”
Nick cut me off. “Not like that. Not what you think.”
He turned to Julie and put a hand on her shoulder. “This is my daughter.”
Julie huffed, rolling her eyes.
“Yeah, yeah. I know I look too old to be his kid, but trust me, I’ve had to live with him for eighteen very long years.”
My mouth opened. Then closed. Then opened again. Nick scratched the back of his neck.
“Yeah, so… My wife passed when Julie was six. It’s been just the two of us since then. And, well…”
He shot his daughter a look. “Someone doesn’t like sharing me.”
“You are annoying.”
“So you weren’t…” I gestured vaguely. “You two weren’t…”
“Dating?” Nick finished for me, laughing. “Hell no. That would be weird.”
Julie made a gagging sound. “Gross.”
Then, she sighed dramatically, dropping into the seat across from me.
“Look, you’re not as bad as I thought,” she admitted. “And honestly, my dad needs to move on already. Anyway. If you can tolerate him, you should go on another date.”
I glanced at Nick, who was watching me with a smug expression.
“See? Even my daughter thinks I’m a good choice.”
Surprisingly, I smiled. Just a little. “Maybe. But first, dinner. I’m starving.”
“That’s the best thing you’ve said all night.”
The conversation flowed easily after that. We talked, laughed, and somehow, against all odds, the tension melted away. I was finally ready to open my heart to a man.