A Rose in Shadow

Chapter 83

While his mom whisked Samantha away immediately when they entered the house, Adam followed when his dad motioned for him to join him out in the workshop.

"I could use your help with this filter" he said as he grabbed a wrench and led Adam over to the tractor that was parked off to the side.

The workshop had a loft ceiling, wooden beams crisscrossing from one side to the other and here and there, pieces of plywood lay across them to form shelving for building materials or boxes that needed storing.

Grinning, Adam gave his dad an amused look. "You need help with a filter?" At his dad's cocked eyebrow he continued "You have done all of the repairs on this tractor since you were nine years old" he crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head.

"You could fix this thing in your sleep. What's up, Dad?"

"Nothing's up" Keith answered gruffly and stuck his head under the tractor's hood to work on the supposed troublesome filter. Adam walked closer until he could stand hip to hip with his dad and decided to wait him out. Keith McCabe might move at his own pace but he always moved. One just had to be patient.

"I was just hoping that you would talk to me a bit about your girl" he shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly without making eye contact and kept fussing with the filter.

Surprised, Adam leaned a hip against the tractor. His whole life his dad had never been interested in getting to know any of the girls he or his brothers had been involved with. Then again, Samantha was the first girl that he had actually brought home to meet his family like this.

"Really?" he asked.

Huffing, Keith stood up and looked straight at Adam. "I can see that you aren't going to make this easy on me, Detective" he said sarcastically and rolled his eyes.

Adam laughed. "What is it you want to know? And should I ask why you want to know? I'll be honest Dad; you are not usually interested in my love life."

Keith turned back to work on the filter because he had always found it easier to talk to his boys when he had something to do with his hands.

"Maybe because even I can tell that Samantha is special. You've never lived with any of your other girlfriends. Hell.." he paused, "Could they even be called girlfriends? We never met any of them".

Adam took an unconscious step back in surprise before shaking his head.

His dad paused his repairs and gave him an expectant look. "Well? Am I wrong?"

"No" he stopped to gather his thoughts. "You are definitely not wrong Dad. I just had this same conversation with Mom."

Sensing that a father-son moment was coming, Keith straightened up and leaned his own hip on the tractor to face Adam, expectantly.

"I'm in love with her".

Keith searched Adam's face for another moment before nodding. "Yeah, I knew that" and turned back to the filter.

"That's all I get?" Adam asked incredulously.

Looking up with a grin "I'm happy for you, son. I really like that one. I'd like to keep her around".

Shaking his head at the way the conversation had turned, Adam went over to the work bench to grab the proper wrench.

"Try this one, old man" and laughed when his father replied with a few expletives.

"Do you kiss my mother with that mouth?"