Back to the Drawing Board by L.L. Collins Read Free Book Online

about, I understand.” She leaned over and pressed a kiss to my cheek, then kissed my dad before walking into the kids’ room to get them ready for the beach.
    Silence settled over the room as I stared at Logan’s peaceful face, wishing I could rewind time and make a different decision while at the bar. “He’s gotten so big. How’s he doing?”
    My dad laughed. He knew what I was doing. “He’s a great baby. Kind of has to be when you have two other demanding siblings. He’s the perfect end to our family.” He looked at me, studying me for a moment. “Carter, what is bothering you? What happened?”
    I took a deep breath, still avoiding my dad’s gaze. “I think I screwed up, Dad. Badly.” He waited, not saying a word, for me to continue. I lifted my eyes to meet his, trying hard to keep my composure. “This is hard to say.”
    “I’m sure whatever it is can’t be worse than things I did when I was your age. Let me help you, Carter. I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think it is.”
    Or it could be worse , I thought.
    “So I told you I met Julia, Mr. Gibbons daughter. She. . . . she’s gorgeous, Dad. I don’t just mean a pretty girl that turns your head on the street. She’s much more than that. When she walked into that room in my interview, I lost my entire train of thought. Here I am, this college graduate interviewing for the most coveted spot in the industry, and I lose my mind over his daughter .”
    My dad laughed. “That’s it? That’s what has you so torn up? Carter, please don’t stress about it. I sure as hell know a thing or two about being all twisted up over a girl.” He indicated the room where my mom could be heard talking to the kids. “My whole life, son. Every single day. If you get the job and have to work with her, well, you’ll have to see. It may just be that you were meant to be there and meet her.”
    “That’s not it,” I explained, wishing that was all it was. “After the interview, I went to a sports bar to keep my mind off the stress of everything. She showed up there. We had drinks together. Many drinks.” I paused, allowing the implications of that to settle. A ripple of concern passed over my dad’s face, but he didn’t respond. “I knew I shouldn’t be there with her, but there was something so sad about her, sitting there with me. She begged me to stay, Dad. After a few hours, she wasn’t in any condition to get home herself. I asked her where she lived, but she was kind of out of it. So I took her back to my hotel since it was just a few blocks away.” I stopped, closing my eyes at the frustration of not knowing what the hell I did after that.
    “I told her I’d sleep on the couch. She drank some more, but even though I just met her, I knew that it wasn’t like her. Something was bothering her, and I wanted to be there for her even though I knew it wasn’t a good idea. Last thing I remember is sitting on my couch where she climbed on my lap and asked me to take it away for one night.”
    My dad sat up, his elbows resting on his knees as he listened. “The last thing you remember ?” My dad’s always been honest with me about his drinking problem and the years he wasted at the bottom of a bottle trying to get over losing my mom.
    “I know,” I answered. “But that’s not all. So I woke up this morning and was in bed with her, Dad. We didn’t have any clothes on, neither one of us. And I have no idea what happened, if anything. I was so embarrassed and scared, I left without waking her up. She left me a voicemail while I was on the plane that nothing would change for me with the job. I don’t think she remembers either, and this whole thing scares me to death. What the heck did I do? After all I’ve worked for!”
    “Carter,” he began. “First of all, it sounds like she’s just as embarrassed about this as you are. If she says it isn’t going to be a factor in you getting the job, then you need to believe her. However, what I’m