Page 69 (1/2)
“Have you eaten?”
“No, but I have to get back—”
“You ain’t even gonna let your old uilt “Sure I’ll let you buy… As long as it’s Mexican”
He scowled “That’ll work”
Her father hadn’t argued or insisted on eating at the restaurant of his choice? That was different
Maybe he was different
They walked together, her fathernews in his life
After they were seated with ia studied Robert Hotchkiss as he slipped on a pair of reading glasses
It’d been two years since she’d seen him when he’d shown up in Dallas, out of the blue He didn’t look ray hair Salanced up with a small smile “Whatcha havin’?”
“The beef enchilada platter What about you?”
“Steak is probably the safest, although ia sreen shit for years”
“She finally did develop my taste for all the different ways she could cook beets”
“My borscht never tastes as good as hers”
“Your s I miss about her”
The waiter served their drinks—iced tea for her, a beer for her father—and took their order
They snacked on chips and salsa The restaurant had typical Mexican décor—piñatas hanging frohtly colored wall Plastic cactuses scattered throughout Mariachi hts draped fro of your mother… I talked to her the other day”
“I heard”
His bushy eyebrows rose “What’d she say about ar in her tea “She’s coht? She didn’t mention it to ularly”
He honestly looked perplexed “Why? Irina was liness of your divorce…”
“Look, Georgie, after RJ…everything got way out of hand I never expected…” He sighed “It’s cos But I’ue Changing the subject would be the safest way to finish this lunch “What’s this big news you onna retire”
“Really? When?”
“Soon as the paperwork is sorted out I sold the hog farm to a corporation outta eastern South Dakota Shockedany younger”
“You just turned sixty-eight, right?”
“Yep That sounds old to a twenty-eight-year-old, huh?”
It did sound old Her dad had been forty when she and RJ were born and herher childhood she hadn’t noticed the eighteen-year age gap made a difference in her parent’s relationship But she wondered if that hy she’d never dated older men