Chapter 8 - Sibling Rivalry

The waitress brought their drinks and they placed their orders. Clint made a suggestion as to what he thought were a couple of the best dishes, and she ordered based off his recommendations. He filled her in on his work, as they waited for their food. He was in construction, but he also owned a small warehouse where he made furniture and wooden sculptures. He liked to create with his hands, and he spent what little free time he had making pieces for family and friends. One day he wanted to enter a craft show and see how people took to his creations. It was a dream of his to live off his woodwork earnings one day, as it was for her to do with her photographs, but for now, being a single dad kept his hands full. "I do appreciate you being able to watch Abigail when I have to work late. My parents would do it, but I prefer her to be home around her toys and stuff. It makes it easier to settle her down when I do get home to finally feed her and get her ready for bed."

"I can understand that. Abigail is a sweet child. She's so funny in her mannerisms and is always cracking me up. It's amazing what you do with her all by yourself."

He bowed his head slightly, a sad expression darkening his brows. At first, she thought she made a wrong comment, but then he smiled and thanked her. "I do what I can. I wish it could be more. She deserves both parents, but that wasn't my choice."

Aimee wrapped her hands around her glass of tea, just to have a place to put them in order not to tear up her napkin in her nervousness. She couldn't believe someone turning their back on a child. "May I ask what happened?"

He shrugged, his eyebrows lifting slightly as he did. "Bonnie never wanted to be a mother. She told me that from the get-go. I was young when we started dating, twenty-two. After about two years, she finds out she's pregnant. At first, she wanted to abort the baby, but I convinced her we could make a go of being a family, and so she decided to keep her. I suppose I was hoping that once she held Abigail in her arms, she would change her mind." He sat forward in his chair, his fingers laced together as he rested his elbows on the table. "She didn't last a month. From day one, she made it obvious that I was the one responsible for Abigail. I'm the one who wanted her, so I would be the one who took care of her. All Bonnie wanted was to party and do as she pleased. It was the reason she never wanted kids to begin with. She didn't want the responsibility. She wanted to come and go and do as she pleased when she pleased. She didn't comprehend that children need someone to be there for them. Bonnie never intended to be that type of parent.

"So, she would go out with friends and pretend she was single and not a mother with a child crying for her at home. Two years, I lived like that until I had the guts to finally call her out on her behavior. I was fed up with her coming home drunk and never knowing who she was out with or what she was doing. Oh, there were great moments when we seemed like the perfect, normal family. It wasn't all bad. Yet, when Bonnie wanted to do something, she wasn't going to allow anything such as having a daughter at home stop her from doing it and it didn't matter if we could find a babysitter or not. She went out and I stayed home. One night she came home drunk and I noticed that it was some guy I didn't know who dropped her off. When I questioned her about it, she refused to discuss it. She said it was none of my damn business. Of course, I told her I wasn't having my wife brought home by strange men and that's when she said she was tired of playing family, packed her bags, and left. We haven't heard from her since. It's been almost a year."

Aimee shook her head, her heart aching for both him and Abigail. "I just can't imagine ever abandoning my child. I mean, it sucks she left you, but couples split up all the time. But to leave your own child? Who could do that?"

He shrugged. "I hate it for Abigail, but, really, I'd rather she left then than wait around and be a bad influence on my daughter. Abigail is better off without that particular woman for a role model."

Aimee's heart still ached. It was a shitty thing to do to someone, and from what she knew of Clint, she found it even harder to believe someone would do that to him. He was a great father; a great man. Who wouldn't want to hold onto that?

The waitress brought their food and the conversation lulled while their meals were placed on the table. A couple walked hand-in-hand along the beach, and Aimee felt envious of their bond. She wished she had someone in her life to do things with like that. She glanced across the table as Clint told the waitress, "Thank you." She thought back to Karla's words about people with ulterior motives. Did Clint think of this as a real date? She wished she could just ask him, but she would feel like an idiot if he said no. She wanted to do like they did back in school and send him a note that read, "Do you like me? Check yes or no." Then she wouldn't have to see his face when she found out his answer.

He glanced up at her. "What?"

"Huh?" She panicked. What had her face looked like while those thoughts ran through her mind?

"You seemed lost in some deep contemplation," he said with a slight laugh.

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking of something Karla said about ulterior motives before I left."

"Oh? Do you have one?" Was that hope in his voice or just wishful thinking in her head?

"What?" Her eyes widened in shock, and her heart raced as if she was caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "No. No, definitely not." She took a deep breath. "Actually, she thought you had one tonight. I told her this was just a thank you dinner, but she said you were trying to get a date without actually asking for one."

He smiled at her, as he lifted his glass and took a sip. He acted like he was thinking over her words and then nodded as he set the glass back on the table. "Well, I was just asking you out to say thank you for watching Abigail, but to be honest, a real date wouldn't be such a bad thing in my mind. It would be nice to have someone to do things with once in a while. Perhaps, we can do this again? If you want to, that is. No pressure."

Aimee stared at him. Did he just ask me out?