Free Scarlet Awakening (Sweet Secrets #2) by Taylor Henderson

“We do really miss you, Dad.”
    He ran a hand through his hair, which was now significantly grayer than it had been at the start of the year. All of the stress of going through a divorce must have sped up the graying process. “I can see if I can move your flight back to a week earlier if you want?”
    Ella laughed and shook her head. “That would be so unfair to Mom. She won’t see us a lot next school year. We’ll all be fine. It’s only a few weeks, and it’s really nice getting to see Mom, and Grandma and Grandpa.”
    He sighed deeply. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s just so lonely around here with you girls gone. I’ve been picking up extra hours at work, and it’s taking a toll on me. If it weren’t for Rose, I’d be having Chinese take-out and frozen dinners every night.”
    I smiled. Violet’s mom, Rose Forrester, had promised me that she wouldn’t let my dad be lonely while Ella and I were away. She felt awful about the fact that my parents were separated, and that we were leaving for the summer. When I first told her about him being alone while Ella and I were on break visiting our mom, she had instantly had Mr. Forrester befriend my dad. Apparently now she was making sure he got a proper meal at night. “Does she drop food off for you?” I questioned.
    He shook his head. “No, she and Tim invite me to dinner nearly every night though. After dinner she makes me wait for her to pack up some leftovers to take home with me.”
    I smirked as I thought of him taking home leftovers from the Forrester household. Mrs. Forrester was a health nut, while my dad liked his food like Ella did—extra greasy and dripping oil. Mrs. Forrester took wheatgrass shots daily, while my dad had probably never even seen wheatgrass in person before.
    As if he had read my mind, he patted his gut and said, “I think I’m losing weight from all of the healthy dinners she makes. I didn’t know eggplant could be prepared in so many ways. She made eggplant lasagna a few nights ago and it was actually good! I was pleasantly surprised.”
    Ella made a sour face. “That sounds disgusting.”
    “Don’t knock it ’til you try it,” he countered.
    “I think I could go my whole life without trying it, thank you very much.”
    I rolled my eyes. She was picky when it came to certain vegetables.
    “Anything else interesting happening with you?” I asked. “Dating anyone while the kids are away?”
    “When the kids are away, the parents will play,” Ella chorused. “Isn’t that a saying?” She frowned, thinking about the phrase.
    “It sure is,” Dad answered.
    Ella pursed her lips in thought for a moment before she said, “In this case, it would be ‘when the kids are away, the newly divorced parental figure will play.’” She winked at Dad, who shook his head and chuckled.
    “That may be a saying, but it doesn’t mean that said parent actually has time, or even is ready for the dating world. It’s been so long that I wouldn’t even know what to do on a date.” Dad ran a hand through his hair and looked slightly scared. He didn’t know how to be single yet.
    Ella shook her head and laughed. “I can give you some pointers if you need them, Dad.”
    He widened his eyes in horror. “I think I’ll pass.”
    Ella shrugged.
    Dad tugged on the collar of his night shirt uncomfortably as he said, “The closest that I’ve come to dating recently is when Tim and Rose tried to set me up with Rose’s sister, Heather, earlier this week. I wasn’t interested.”
    “Awkward,” I muttered. I’ve seen Mrs. F’s sister. She’s very pretty, but she isn’t even in my dad’s age group. She recently turned thirty, and my dad is in his late forties. She’s not even old enough to be my mom.
    “They really have a thing for natural names in their family, don’t they?” Dad added with a laugh.
    Ella counted the names off on her hand. “Rose, Heather, Violet, Lilly. Sure seems like it.”
    A giggle erupted from my