Frost's Touch (Book One of the Eternal Warmth Trilogy)

XVIII. Open Windows

      “Are you guys ready to order?”

      Iana looked at her father to see if he was thinking what she was thinking, he nodded.

      “Can we please have two spicy cheese burrito pies with a bowl of sour cream and lettuce?”

      “Coming right up!” With that, Cindy, turned and dashed back to the kitchen.

      But not without looking back at Iana’s dad one more time.

     “I told you.”

     Tyler was filled with pride at his daughter. Believe it or not, even though he shut down, his still watched his daughter over the years, and saw loneliness, pain, loss, but couldn’t get out of the black abyss he called his purgatory.

      She truly looked happy now, though she was stuffing her mouth with her burrito pie.

     Iana reminded Tyler so much of her mother. If his wife, Chelsea were still alive, Iana would be a younger version of her. The only difference was skin color, hair, and eyes, she got her skin color from himself. His Native American genes passed on the dark hair, and golden skin to her, though her skin was more a vivid golden then his.

      She truly looked beautiful, shimmery brown hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, and Tyler was amazed by how much she’d grown.

      When she was at her full height, she was to his nose, and he was 6ft 4.

      He remembered when she was three, and she barely reached his waist. How she would tug on his jacket when they were out and about because she was too shy to talk. He would chuckle, and say, “yes little one.”

       She would make him bend down to whisper in his ear, whispering things like, “can we go play at the park?” “Ice cream?” And his favorite, “I love you Daddy.”

       So when she said the first three letters the morning before, his torn heart mended a little.

       Tyler looked back down at his daughter, seeing her eyeing his food, which he only ate half of. Her plate was empty. Literally empty. Like, no food, sauce, or crumbs.

      “You’re still hungry?” He asked, awed. How such a limber and skinny girl could eat as much food that she already ate.

      Iana shrugged, “I get these phases where one day I can only eat a half a sandwich, and another where my stomach is grumbling all the damn time.”

      She blushed when she cursed, and Tyler laughed at his daughter.

      Not only has she grown, he thought wryly, she also has a larger vocabulary.

      Mumbling about how she has a bottomless pit of a stomach, (which made his daughter glare at him) he pushed his half eaten plate towards her, and she immediately dug in.

      As his daughter was finishing, Tyler stood up, earning a question glance from Iana, and walked over to the cashier station where Cindy was placing an order on the touch screen computer.

      Tyler waited for Cindy to finish, when she did, she looked up at him shocked to see him there.

      Tyler shuffled his feet, “I was wondering-“

      “Yes.”

      “What? I didn’t even ask the question yet!”

      “Yes,” she smiled, “I will go to dinner with you.”

      With a relieved sigh, he smiled back at her, before taking a napkin to write down his number.

       “Here,” he said, “just call this number and tell me when you’re off of work.”

       “I’m actually done with my shift in fifteen minutes.”

       Excited, he grinned at Cindy, “then, would you do me the honors of going on a,” he looked down at his watch, seeing it was almost two, “a seven hour date with me?”

       “I would love to.”

       He gave her one last smile before handing her the napkin and walked to the booth that, Iana was no longer in. Tyler looked around the diner, until he saw Iana through the windows by his car.

     She was talking to herself.

     Pushing open the glass door, he walked slowly toward the back of the parking lot where his car was. The closer he got, the more clear his daughter’s words were.

      “Jack!” She huffed, stomping her foot and crossing her arms, “I need to tell him. I’m going to raise suspicion over time if I don’t tell him.”

      She seemed to be listening to the answer Tyler couldn’t hear.

     Iana only seemed to get angrier, “Jack, what are we going to do if he catches me. I can’t leave. I just got him back.”

     A sudden cold gust of wind blew over the lot, and Tyler looked at his daughter, who had a guilty look over her face.

     “I’m sorry Jack. Please don’t be mad!”

    Tyler didn’t notice he stopped walking until Iana finished talking, and continued to walk towards he was at his car.

     “Who’re you talking to?” He asked, looking at his daughter curiously.

     “Nobody,” she said quickly, and she blushed, “just… talking to myself.”

     Tyler let the lie go for now, but sooner or later, he would figure out what was going on.

     By the time the car stopped in the drive way, Iana’s body was racking with shivers.

     “Honey, are you okay?” Tyler asked, worry evident in his voice.

     His daughter nodded, but the pained expression on her face gave away her true emotions.

     “Just cold.” She said.

     The only problem was when Tyler looked at his daughter’s attire; he saw she was wearing a sweat shirt and thick jeans. No way could she be cold in that.

      An annoying thought was trying to squeeze into the forefront of his mind, but Tyler pushed it away, and promised himself to think of it later.

     Turning back to Iana, he said, “I asked Cindy on a date. I’m going to pick her up in a couple minutes. And I won’t be back until at least ten.”

      His daughter was still shaking, but acknowledged him. She got out of the car and walked up the porch steps into the house. He watched her until the door was closed. He took the car out of park and slowly drove away from the house.

      Tyler didn’t see Iana’s window open as he left.