Sienna, read with Sia and showered his two little girls with love.
When his friends, a rough bunch of blokes, came over Frank would ensure their behaviour matched what he believed his princesses deserved. Several men were admonished for their language and one thrown out for daring to disparage women.
Sia had so adored her father then, it had been pure instinct to step in and save him. An instinct that over time had slowly destroyed everything between them.
Guilt had ridden Frank Collins hard. He’d turned to drinking to dull it but all that had done was harden the guilt into bitterness and hate.
Sia couldn’t forget the father she’d once had — the father she dreamed of having again.
Desperate to bring about that closeness, she decided to continue the conversation. “The Lansings are lovely people, Dad. They’ve forgiven me the slight against them. There’s nothing to worry about in me seeing Todd.”
“You know the Lansings?” Frank screeched.
Sia glanced at him. His face was pale, his eyes wide. Fear, again.
The Lansings scared him?
“Maria is in my art class,” she said. “I’ve been helping her since the stroke. And Paul —”
“No.”
“No?”
“You won’t see any of them any more.”
So it wasn’t that Todd was a potential boyfriend — it was that he was a Lansing. “Dad —”
“I said no. I’m your father. You’ll do as I say.”
Every cell in Sia’s being rebelled against the idea of her father telling her what to do, but she couldn’t just come out and say so. “Dad —“
“So help me, Sia, if you weren’t driving I’d thump some obedience into you. You will do as I say.”
Sia couldn’t respond. She was stunned by the ferocity of her father’s feelings on the matter.
Feelings that did not make a lick of sense.
The drive was completed in silence. She took Frank to the station, where he sullenly signed the forms and swore to be there at nine, one and five every day. At home, Frank decreed that Sia was going to call all his friends and invite them over that night for a party to celebrate his release. Then he went to have a nap.
The first person she called was Todd and the sound of his deep voice instantly calmed her.
“I hope you’re calling with some good news.”
“Yes and no. Dad’s home.”
“He got bail?”
“Yes. He’s got to wear an alcohol bracelet so he can’t drink, he has to go to the station three times a day, can’t leave home between eight pm and eight am, plus he can’t leave Oberon until the day of his trial.”
“I hope for your sake he sticks to it.”
“He will,” Sia said. “So that’s the good news. The bad news is you.”
“Ah. He’s still not warmed to me and so you won’t be warming me?”
Sia smiled. “I’m afraid not. And not just you — I’m banned from all Lansings.”
“Really?”
“It’s strange. He’s never in his life banned me from knowing anyone. And the look on his face. Without hearing it directly from him, I’d say he’s scared of you all. But I don’t understand why.”
“Perhaps he’s worried you’ll tell us the truth and then it will spread through the town.”
“Then maybe if I tell him that you know but you aren’t going to tell, he’ll be okay.”
“I’m game for anything that gets me to see you again sooner rather than later.”
Sia shook her head. “You really are good for my ego.”
“I’m going to be good for other parts of you too.”
“Are you sure it’s in your best interest to talk yourself up like that?”
“Since talking is the only outlet I’ve got at the moment, I’ll take the risk.”
It was ridiculous, that her father’s prejudice was keeping her from the first man who’d ever made her blood run hot with some well-directed words.
“Why isn’t this easy?” she said.
“The worthwhile things seldom are.”
“I’ll keep working on Dad, see if I can’t turn him around.”
“And I’ll keep working on you to sneak around behind his back.
When his friends, a rough bunch of blokes, came over Frank would ensure their behaviour matched what he believed his princesses deserved. Several men were admonished for their language and one thrown out for daring to disparage women.
Sia had so adored her father then, it had been pure instinct to step in and save him. An instinct that over time had slowly destroyed everything between them.
Guilt had ridden Frank Collins hard. He’d turned to drinking to dull it but all that had done was harden the guilt into bitterness and hate.
Sia couldn’t forget the father she’d once had — the father she dreamed of having again.
Desperate to bring about that closeness, she decided to continue the conversation. “The Lansings are lovely people, Dad. They’ve forgiven me the slight against them. There’s nothing to worry about in me seeing Todd.”
“You know the Lansings?” Frank screeched.
Sia glanced at him. His face was pale, his eyes wide. Fear, again.
The Lansings scared him?
“Maria is in my art class,” she said. “I’ve been helping her since the stroke. And Paul —”
“No.”
“No?”
“You won’t see any of them any more.”
So it wasn’t that Todd was a potential boyfriend — it was that he was a Lansing. “Dad —”
“I said no. I’m your father. You’ll do as I say.”
Every cell in Sia’s being rebelled against the idea of her father telling her what to do, but she couldn’t just come out and say so. “Dad —“
“So help me, Sia, if you weren’t driving I’d thump some obedience into you. You will do as I say.”
Sia couldn’t respond. She was stunned by the ferocity of her father’s feelings on the matter.
Feelings that did not make a lick of sense.
The drive was completed in silence. She took Frank to the station, where he sullenly signed the forms and swore to be there at nine, one and five every day. At home, Frank decreed that Sia was going to call all his friends and invite them over that night for a party to celebrate his release. Then he went to have a nap.
The first person she called was Todd and the sound of his deep voice instantly calmed her.
“I hope you’re calling with some good news.”
“Yes and no. Dad’s home.”
“He got bail?”
“Yes. He’s got to wear an alcohol bracelet so he can’t drink, he has to go to the station three times a day, can’t leave home between eight pm and eight am, plus he can’t leave Oberon until the day of his trial.”
“I hope for your sake he sticks to it.”
“He will,” Sia said. “So that’s the good news. The bad news is you.”
“Ah. He’s still not warmed to me and so you won’t be warming me?”
Sia smiled. “I’m afraid not. And not just you — I’m banned from all Lansings.”
“Really?”
“It’s strange. He’s never in his life banned me from knowing anyone. And the look on his face. Without hearing it directly from him, I’d say he’s scared of you all. But I don’t understand why.”
“Perhaps he’s worried you’ll tell us the truth and then it will spread through the town.”
“Then maybe if I tell him that you know but you aren’t going to tell, he’ll be okay.”
“I’m game for anything that gets me to see you again sooner rather than later.”
Sia shook her head. “You really are good for my ego.”
“I’m going to be good for other parts of you too.”
“Are you sure it’s in your best interest to talk yourself up like that?”
“Since talking is the only outlet I’ve got at the moment, I’ll take the risk.”
It was ridiculous, that her father’s prejudice was keeping her from the first man who’d ever made her blood run hot with some well-directed words.
“Why isn’t this easy?” she said.
“The worthwhile things seldom are.”
“I’ll keep working on Dad, see if I can’t turn him around.”
“And I’ll keep working on you to sneak around behind his back.
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