Walking into his restaurant, smiling, he saw Riley sitting at the bar, drinking what looked like a glass of lemonade but he didn’t know.
“Hey sweetheart, how was your day?” Pacey leant down a place a kiss upon her head, making her smile.
“Okay I guess!” Riley frowned thinking about, the fact Annabelle had dragged her all round her uni, “I met Bradley!”
“And?” Pacey decided to sit down beside her, putting his bag in his lap as he did so.
“I don’t like him!” Riley grinned bitting her straw as she went to drink another sip.
“Is that ‘I don’t like him’ because Annabelle does or ‘I don’t like him’ because you really don’t like him?”
“I really don’t like him!” Riley nodded her head to emphasise her point, Pacey grinned.
“Okay, you know I love you right?” Pacey kissed her temple.
“Yyyyesssss!” Riley brought her hand up to where he had just kissed her and rubbed it in disgust.
“Just for the record I don’t like him either!” They grinned at each other in the only way Witters’ could, in mischief and understanding.
“I know!”
There was silence for a moment as Riley took a sip of her drink and Pacey rummaged through his coat pockets, he smiled when he found it.
“Can I ask you something?” Pacey brought out the object out of his pocket and put it on the bar counter. Riley nodded glancing at the object before looking up at her father. “I know you don’t like Joey very much-”
“Dad I like Joey!”
“You have a funny way of showing it then, because she believes you don’t!” Pacey signed looking sternly at his second daughter.
“I’m sorry daddy!” Riley frowned looking down at her feet that were swinging under her bar stool, “It’s just more fun being mad at her!”
“I’m not mad at you sweetheart!” Pacey placed a hand on her small back and rubbed circles.
“Your not?” Riley looked up in confusion.
“No!”
“But why? I thought-”
“Riley I know you like her, and I know how easy it is and how fun it is to riel up Joey, but Joey knows I’m just kidding around, because I love her and she knows that,” Pacey signed taking his hand back and placing it over his own heart, “but with you, she doesn’t. She doesn’t know that you’re kidding around, she thinks you hate her for wanting to be with me!” Pacey could see Riley was on the verge of tears.
“Oh!”
“Yeah!” Pacey signed putting his bag aside and bring her into his lap and hugging her.
“I’m sorry Daddy!” Riley said through tears that she tried to rub away with her hands.
“I know,” Pacey hugged her tight, kissing her shoulder.
“I didn’t meant to-”
“Hey, it’s okay!” Pacey brought her face away from his shoulder, so he could look into her eyes, “I love you!”
“I love you too daddy!”
“Joey loves you too okay!”
“I know!”
“No more tears okay!” Pacey said brushing a few away with his thumb.
“Okay!” Riley gave a small laugh, looking at her father and taking a deep breath.
“Now,” Pacey turned her around so they were both facing the bar and the object sitting there, “Do you know what this is!” Riley nodded, reaching forward for it and bringing it closer and her father’s hands covered hers.
“Are you going to give it to Joey?” Riley opened it, pulling the elegant but simple looking ring out.
“Yes, but not today!” Pacey smiled watching Riley turn it over and over in her hands.
“When?” Riley asked looking over her shoulder at her father.
“When, the time is right!”
“Oh!” She signed going back to looking at the beautiful ring in her hands, “It’s different from mummies!”
“Yeah, well Joey’s different from mummy. So I wanted to give her something different!”
“Do you still love mummy?” Riley asked reading the inscription on the ring, knowing her mothers didn’t have one.
“Yes, she gave me you didn’t she!” Pacey saw her smile at that making him smile.
“Yeah, but you love Joey differently!”
“Yes!” Riley just nodded, putting the ring back in the box carefully, “Are you okay with that?” Riley smiled with another nod.
“I want you to be happy, and Joey makes you happy!” Riley laced one of her hands with her fathers, squeezing it.
“Only if you’re happy, I’m happy” Pacey squeezed her hand back.
“I’m happy!” Riley laid her head back so was in the nook of his neck.
“Okay!” Pacey paused a moment trying to figure out how to say what he was going to ask next, “I was wandering if you could look after the ring for me!”
“Why?”
“Well, I know I can trust you and I don’t want Joey to find it before I give it to her!”
“Okay!” Riley smiled picking up the little box, “I’ll keep it safe!”
“Thankyou!” Pacey kissed the side of her head and hugged her closer.
“Keep what safe?” Annabelle appeared in front of them, a dish rag in hand, looking suspiciously between her father and her little sister.
“Nothing!” Riley stuck her tongue out at her, putting the box in her pocket before she saw it. Annabelle did the same before looking back her father, rasing an eyebrow in question. He mouthed ‘not now’ in return.
“Why don’t you go put my bag in the office and I’ll bring you something to eat in a moment!” Pacey let Riley jump down.
“Okay!” Riley grabbed the bag before starting to run, then remember the box in a pocket, stopped placing a hand over it and walked the rest of the way. Pacey laughed watching her go.
“You gave the ring to her!” Annabelle accused more than asked her father.
“Yes!”
“Why? She’s only going to lose it you know!”
“No she won’t, I have great faith in her Annabelle!” Pacey smiled looking at her.
“Well don’t come crying to me, when she does!” Annabelle picked up her dish rag and walked away.
