Forever a Father

by Lynne Marshall

  “What’s that?”

  “The list.” Daniel was suddenly grateful he hadn’t written down that last part, about easy lovemaking. Talk about TMI for Dad.

  Sean lowered his brows. “That’s what I taught you to do when you had a problem. Keela isn’t a problem. She’s a person.”

  “But she’s bringing up a lot of problems.”

  “Are you sure you’re not thinking about Kathryn?”

  Good point, Daniel conceded under his father’s scrutiny. All women weren’t like Kathryn, who seemed in retrospect to be more complicated than he’d realized.

  “Let me see that.” With Daniel’s okay, Sean put on his half-glasses and took the list, then focused on the Con side. “Divorced with ex-husband issues.” He paused briefly, taking the first item under consideration. “Has a daughter. Now, see, I’d move that to the plus side, since it gives insight into not only what kind of mother she is, but person, too. In my opinion, she’s great as both.”

  “Another good point.”

  “I’ve made more than one?” Peering above his glasses rims, Sean looked pleased as he took the pen from his shirt pocket and drew an arrow to the Pro column.

  “Been hurt by love.” He lowered the list and looked at Daniel again. “We all have. It’s what builds character. If she lets that keep her from loving again, she’s a fool.”

  Dad sent a not-so-hidden message to him. Got it.

  Like the retired teacher he was, he drew another arrow from Con to Pro, as if he was grading a paper. “It’s a plus, since she’s already gotten that out of the way.”

  “What about the fact she works for me?” Daniel pointed to the next thing on the Con list. “Wouldn’t it be a mistake to get involved with her, because if things don’t work out, she’ll probably leave and I’ll lose her on both levels.”

  “When did you get so negative?” Sean gazed at Daniel as if seeing him in a new and less flattering light. “Kathryn sure did a number on you. Move that to the Pro side, too, because you already know her work ethic. You’ve had lots of time on the job to get to know the kind of person she is. And who wouldn’t want to get involved with a great guy like you?” Spoken like a proud father.

  Nothing like a little flattery to build a guy’s confidence. Beyond that, Dad was making too much sense. But then, Daniel had hoped he would help clarify things that currently seemed just beyond his own understanding. That was why he’d asked him here tonight.

  “So that leaves a very lopsided list,” Dad said. “I only see one reason on the Con side—divorced with ex-husband issues. One to, what, a dozen?”

  “What’re you two yappin’ about?” Grandda was back much sooner than Daniel expected.

  “Daniel’s got lady problems.”

  “No, I don’t.” Well, theoretically he did, but did Grandda need to know he did?

  “Is this about that lovely lass from Éire? Keela?”

  “Yes,” Sean answered, since Daniel’s jaw was stuck in grind mode. The last person he wanted to know what was going on was his meddling grandfather.

  “She’s the one, Danny Boy.” He popped an extra large corn chip covered in greasy, cheesy chili into his mouth and chewed loudly. “If you love her, you’ll find a way around all the little tings.” Only then did he hand the frozen lemonade to Sean.

  More platitudes. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Blah blah blah...

  “So the question is, are you ready for her?” Mr. Smug crunched more, but he’d made his point.

  I do have it bad. And cliché comments or not, they’d both helped him make up his mind. “I’ll keep you posted.”

  “Now, don’t go jumping into anything just yet,” Grandda said, taking Daniel by surprise. What happened to If you love her, you’ll find a way? Not that he had a clue if he loved her or not, since he’d kept her at arm’s length for four months...until he’d hopped into the sack with her last Saturday night. And he’d sure felt something extra special when they’d made love. But he’d been so busy pushing down his feelings for the last year and a half, he’d forgotten what the big L felt like.

  “Court your lady right. She deserves it,” Grandda waxed wisely, waving a corn chip around and dripping chili on his wrist. “Don’t go getting all serious right off. Have a little fun.” He licked off the chili.

  That could be tough with his busy schedule, her working two jobs and having Anna to take care of. “Things are pretty hectic with work and all. For her, too.”

  “Make time. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

  And there it was, the mother of all pat solutions. But damn, it was true!

  “Dr. Delaney?” A slightly out-of-breath high school student had just taken the bleacher steps two at a time. “We’ve got an ankle injury on the sideline.”

  Daniel stood. If he’d been watching instead of chatting, he would have known that. “Be right there.” He gazed at the two men, his mentor and his muse—as in amusing Irish grandfather—and smiled. “Thanks for your help. I’ve got some thinking to do, but you’ve both made great points.”

  “Go with your gut, son,” his father said as Daniel headed down the bleachers.

  Losing Kathryn and Emma may have shredded his heart, but his instincts were still intact. They’d been trying to get him to notice Keela for a long time, and now that he had, well, he’d take both Dad’s and Grandda’s advice.

  * * *

  Later that night he sat on the balcony of the closed hotel restaurant, nursing a beer, thinking and listening to the ocean somewhere out there in the dark.

  Conor had just gotten off work and approached, stripped down to his white T-shirt and sheriff uniform slacks. “What’s up?”

  “Just thinking. Making some plans.”

  “Aren’t you busy enough?”

  “These are personal plans.”

  His “little” brother sat next to him on the creaky bench, looking more like a pro quarterback than a law enforcement officer. “Ah, the complicated stuff.”

  “You got that right.”

  They both sat forward, elbows resting on their knees, and stared into the night. Daniel turned the longneck beer bottle around and around.

  “You want to talk. I’ll listen.”

  He’d gotten enough advice tonight, but maybe he could bounce a few ideas off Conor, since he’d offered. “It’s about Keela.”

  “Your sexy employee.”

  “You think so?” He turned to read his brother’s expression.

  “Are you blind?”

  “No, as a matter of fact I’m not. I don’t know how I feel about my brother noticing her, though.”

  He winked. “Go on.”

  “So Grandda says I need to court her, but that will include Anna, too. I’ve never courted a mother-daughter combo before.”

  “Then think à la carte. Focus on the mom. What’s between you two has to come first.”

  He took another drink of beer. “Her self-esteem took a hit during her divorce. I don’t want to do anything to make it worse.” He was pretty sure he already had by not even attempting to make plans with her since their night in bed. “And I don’t want Anna to feel left out.” Getting back into dating again seemed daunting enough, but adding the responsibility for Anna gave him pause. What was he supposed to do?

  “With my track record of bowing out of engagements,” Conor said, “I’m probably not the right guy to give advice, but be sure to let Keela know you care, and don’t forget it’s the little things that make a difference to a woman. As for Anna, bring her along sometimes, but not all the time. Whatever’s going on is between you and Keela.”

  Daniel finished his beer. The little things. Hmm. That made perfect sense. Between me and Keela first. He stood, shook his brother’s hand. “Thanks, man. I think I know what I need to do now.”

  And it started with leaving his
past where it belonged. Behind him. Finally. Of course, he’d never ever forget Emma; he thought about her every day, and she’d always hold a special place in his heart. But Kathryn had left him. It was finally time he left her, too.

  * * *

  Saturday afternoon, Keela had finished her massages at The Drumcliffe, had gotten paid and was heading to her car when she saw Daniel pull into the parking lot. He honked and waved, so she waited.

  “Hey,” he said, jumping out of the car in jeans and a bright blue polo shirt with the 4Cs logo on it. “Going home to Anna?”

  “Nope, she’s with her dad.”

  That was surprising. “Got any plans for later?” No time like the present to take advantage of an opportunity.

  “Uh, not really. Anna won’t be back until tonight.”

  “In that case, feel like having a late lunch?”

  Twenty minutes later, they sat in the Drumcliffe restaurant, eating the fresh catch of the day, mahimahi, the hotel chef’s special kale salad, with enough added goodies to subtract the “health food” factor, and steamed red potatoes smothered in melted butter and dill weed. Good solid food, but nothing great enough to put the family hotel on the tourist map. Still, Daniel always liked eating there, especially now with Keela.

  “I think it’s great how your mother takes Daisy around the hotel so guests can pet her,” Keela said in between bites.

  “Daisy likes it, too. We’ve been toying with making the hotel pet friendly, to increase business, but Dad’s still weighing the pros and cons.” Which made Daniel think about his own list his father had evaluated and blown off as a nonlist. Sitting across from Keela, enjoying the depth of her breezy blue eyes, he was inclined to agree.

  She looked great in the black scrubs with Drumcliffe Hotel embroidered on them—his mother’s latest bright idea. Her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and she smelled like a combination of lavender and rosemary, which she’d probably used to help her clients relax. He glanced at her hands, wondering about their healing touch. He’d certainly felt it when they’d made love.

  Great, now the tips of his ears were hot.

  He saw movement over her shoulder and couldn’t help but notice Grandda stepping into the hotel lobby. Daniel fought the urge to scrunch down below the top of the booth so Grandda wouldn’t see them. Too late. Grandda waved, his toothy grin a bit broader than usual. But rather than make a beeline for their table, he had the good sense to take a U-turn and head for the pub. Whew. The old guy was wiser than he looked.

  Seeing his grandfather stressed the need for urgency. They’d eaten in the hotel because it was handy and immediate, but at any given time, one of his family members could crash their private party. Daniel needed to move to another venue.

  “Since Anna’s with her dad, you feel like seeing a movie?”

  She worked to conceal her surprise, or was it more of a suspicious expression? “Is this a date?”

  He grimaced. “I’m really bad at this, aren’t I?”

  She reached across the table to squeeze his hand. “You’re doing fine. I just never expected—”

  “Me to finally get my act together and ask you out?” He tried his charming grin and she laughed good-naturedly. “I know, right? Kind of cart before the horse.”

  Then she blushed. Hell, they’d already slept together; it was about time he asked her out. On a real date. Just the two of them.

  “I’d like that. But I need to go home and change.”

  So did he, since they’d intercepted each other in the parking lot, her leaving her new part-time job and him coming back from morning football practice, also wearing a shirt with a logo on it.

  After they’d spent the rest of their lunch deciding which movie to see and where, Daniel escorted Keela to her car. “So, I’ll pick you up in an hour.”

  Her bright smile and pinking cheeks gave him confidence he hadn’t felt in a long time, and he was glad he’d finally asked Keela out.

  Then, riding a high and surprising himself, he kissed her in the parking lot, not caring if every single member of his family saw it. He caressed her jaw and let her know how good she made him feel by kissing her long and sweetly. Mmm, he wanted more, but he had a date to get ready for. When he ended the kiss, she gave him that dreamy look he’d missed all week. Taking her on a date turned out to be the best idea he’d had in a long time.

  * * *

  Three hours later, after enjoying an action adventure movie, they were back at Keela’s cottage. Daniel had held her hand during most of the movie, and she’d gotten used to being near him in a nonwork situation. It felt good to dial things back a bit to a regular, everyday kind of date, after the crazy things they’d done the night of Anna’s birthday. It also felt freeing not to have Anna there, though she immediately felt guilty thinking it, Anna being stuck with her father for the afternoon and into the evening.

  She glanced at her watch; it was almost six. She hoped to spend whatever time they had left kissing him. Standing in the kitchen, in between her attempts to pour iced tea, he caressed her face and kissed her tenderly. She loved it when he did that, but she worried she might pour the tea on their feet if he kept it up.

  Keela’s phone rang, and she reluctantly broke off their kiss to answer.

  Anna was on the line and she sounded excited. “Can I spend the night at Daddy’s?”

  “Are you sure?” Since when had Anna wanted to spend more time with her father?

  “Yes, I like Diesel and we’re going to have pizza for dinner and I get to watch a movie.”

  They hadn’t eaten yet? “That certainly sounds like fun. Okay, then, I’ll pick you up in the morning.” But she needed an explanation for the change in plans. “Can I speak to your daddy?”

  “What’s up?” Ron asked, a moment later.

  No hello, how are you, just what’s up?

  “Just wondering about the change in plans. She didn’t go prepared to spend the night.”

  “She’ll be fine.” Curt, barely tolerating her concerns. What else was new? She prayed he didn’t treat Anna that way, but she’d just heard how happy her child was.

  “Have you got a toothbrush for her? Something to sleep in?”

  “She’ll be fine. Quit trying to ruin the fun.” He practically snarled, and her stomach knotted. Just like old times.

  “I’m not. I’m just being practical.”

  “Is this because you don’t want her staying here?”

  “No, of course not. I’m glad you invited her.”

  “Make sure you’re here on time. We have plans tomorrow.”

  Every single thing about this sleepover felt wrong, but maybe she was being paranoid. Hadn’t Anna seemed happy? No way could she fake that.

  “Okay. I’ll be there by ten tomorrow. Can you put her back on?” The sound of Anna’s sweet voice helped her relax. “Be good for your dad, okay? I love you. And call me if you need me.”

  After clicking off, she looked at Daniel, first fighting anxiety over her daughter with Ron, then trusting he loved her in his own way, and letting go. She studied Daniel’s handsome face, how he watched her with pure desire in his eyes. How special that made her feel. Putting things in a different light, she could think of this as a gift of time. With Daniel.

  “Apparently, I’ve got the night off. How about some wine instead of tea?”

  A few moments later, with a smile on his face, he reached for his glass and tugged her hand, leading her into the living room. She gladly followed. Taking the lead, he sat and pulled her down. She landed on his lap, her white wine nearly spilling over the rim. He hugged her close and kissed her cheek, until she canted her head for a real kiss. That was more like it. A few seconds later they clinked glasses, said “cheers” and, like adults on a date, drank some wine.

  It felt great, too.

  He put some music on his phone, th
en took her into his arms and they danced. Could he be more romantic? The song was slow, and she felt special and sexy when he held her. First, she marveled—when was the last time she’d had an entire night off? Then her thoughts drifted to how she could spend hours dancing like this. She sighed, her cheek resting on his chest as they swayed to a classic love song.

  “What was life like where you grew up?”

  Surprised by his interest, she trusted that he sincerely wanted to know, then opened up and told him about her childhood, and her life in Ireland. He didn’t seem to lose interest, either. Two dances later, they sat on the couch and had more wine and continued to talk freely. No pressure. No time constraints. All so very adult.

  As the hours passed, more quickly than she realized, they spent their time sharing parts of their life stories with each other. The good parts. Childhood, high school, college. Both avoiding the tougher times. Her divorce. His broken relationship he’d vaguely referred to.

  The wine and music did wonders for loosening their lips, helping Keela get to know him better than she’d ever imagined. Seeing Daniel in a new light, someone she was just beginning to unwrap, yet the person who’d captured her interest more than any other man in a long time. He suddenly leaned in to kiss her again, as if he couldn’t breathe another breath unless his lips were on hers...

  She welcomed him gazing into his eyes as he cupped her face, letting him know how much she wanted him, too. The moment stopped time. She soaked in how special he was and how hopeful she felt.

  “Daniel,” she whispered, when he’d ended the kiss and held her tight, loving the warmth of his body. “I didn’t exactly give you a chance to decide last time.”

  She remembered back to how she’d pointed to her bedroom and suggested they take their makeout session from the couch straight to her room. She’d wondered if she’d pressured him, ever since.

  “About?”

  “Sex.”

  “I definitely liked your decision.”

  With her forearms resting on his shoulders, his hands on her hips, she leaned back to look at him, gazing softly, hoping to appear alluring. She smiled with closed lips, then grew serious. “It’s up to you this time.”