Afterward there were hugs, and Mom told a large crowd about my talk with Mrs. Gage, how I had invoked old Angus, then finished by saying, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a debut to make!” Everyone died laughing and this remark enshrined me as a folk hero in Bluebonnet lore.
Zach and Julia congratulated me, and Julia held on to me fiercely.
“I am so proud of you!” Julia said.
The first dance was always dads and daughters. Out on the dance floor, Dad put one hand on my shoulder, the other on my waist, and we turned slowly to the music.
“Did you grow taller?” he asked.
“These are three-inch heels!”
“Where did you learn to walk in three-inch heels?”
“I’ve learned a lot of things in the past few months,” I answered.
“Me too. Was it as bad as you thought?”
“No.”
“Good, because I never, ever want to make you unhappy.”
“You could never make me unhappy, Dad.”
As the song ended, Andrew appeared beside Dad.
“May I?” Andrew asked formally. Dad nodded and gave way. Andrew held me and we began to dance.
“I’ve been thinking about something,” I said a moment later.
“What?”
“Well, if I’m in Dallas, and you’re in New York, how are we ever going to see each other—Skype?”
“Actually,” he said, “I’ll be spending a lot of time down here in the next year or so.”
“Why’s that?”
“I have a new venture. I’m developing a historic ranch in Texas.”
I stopped dancing and put my hands on his shoulders.
“You’re joking, right?”
“I told you I like to recycle historic things. I’m buying the Aberdeen.”
“Shut the front door!” I said, and whacked him on the arm with my cast.
“Your dad showed me Hank’s plans, and I thought, why not do it that way?”
I found my dad’s face in the crowd, and he nodded. Andrew now put both hands around my waist, and pulled me toward him. It was . . . comfortable.
“But don’t think I did it just because I like you, or out of charity. I’m gonna make some serious money on this.” He noticed the worry on my face. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s just—look, I’m worried about my dad. What’s he gonna do now, without a job?”
“Oh, he’s got a job.”
“I don’t understand.”
“That’s the best part,” Andrew said. “It’s the one thing Hank missed. You wall off a chunk, keep part of the historic cattle ranch at the center of the whole thing, but scaled down—fewer horses, fewer cows, no expectation to make money. It makes the whole thing authentic, and you keep the historic designation. The development really will sell itself.”
I had been horrible to this man. I had insulted him, been rude to him, humiliated him in the tabloids. He’d seen me at my worst, with all my defenses down, and he still liked me. No, he said he loved me. I knew I could be myself around him, and it gave me hope. I put my head on Andrew’s shoulder and we began to dance again, and other couples joined in: Mom and Dad, Julia and Zach, Uncle Dan and Aunt Camille, Abby and Hunter, all the other moms and dads.
I saw them all, maybe for the first time, as they really were: complex, flawed, human, and beautiful. Mom could be manipulative and demanding and still have my best interests at heart. Margot could dress like a gnome and still have great taste in clothes. Andrew could be awkward and disgustingly rich and still be an amazing guy. I could be a tough jock and rock a ball gown.
I’d been so worried that making my debut would change me, but here I was, at the end of it all, and I was still me. Only better.
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