“By the time I got back to our dorm, your dad was gone, moved out, and barely stuck around to collect his diploma. Never said a word to me again after that day.”
“He never tried to even contact you. Not ever again?” Rachel asks, and I remember the lawsuit but wonder if I should tell her that part.
“I did hear from his lawyer. Someone else from college.”
Rachel’s brow creases.
“Your dad wanted to sue me once he found out I’d made a success of things a few years later. Claimed I ‘stole’ his design ideas from our shared project and used it in my first major solo contract,” I tell her, still shaking my head in disbelief as I remember those days.
“And did you?” she asks.
“No,” I tell her, as clear a conscience today as back then. “I was inspired by your dad’s work, but I never copied it. There’s a big difference.”
We sit in silence for a while. I look at the photo, wondering just how quickly times passed by. I’ve spent over twenty years working non-stop, almost letting my whole life pass me by in the process.
“You will stay?” I ask her, double-checking. “I’ll talk to your dad if you want, you’re an adult now. You can do what you want, stay where you like.”
She nods slowly, but I know we’re both reluctant to open the dad door.
I don’t want to hurt David a second time in this life, and I know Rachel doesn’t want to hurt him either. But if it means we can get on with our own lives, we have to do the right thing and tell him.
We both shift uneasily at the thought and the phone rings, both of us leaping up to race and get it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Rachel
Conor’s way taller than me, so he’s back in the office in three strides as he grabs the phone.
Neither of us really want to talk about having ‘the talk’ with my dad, but if he thinks I’m missing then I guess it has to happen sooner rather than later.
I watch Conor’s face light up as he answers the phone.
“You have? Where?” he asks excitedly, giving me a wide-eyed look as he smiles broadly.
“What!” he asks suddenly, his face dropping.
“See if you can call it off, I’m on my way over. I should get there before anyone else anyway,” he adds, quickly hanging up and ordering me to get my boots on as he rushes to search for his own.
“What is it?” I ask, wondering why he went from happy to worried so fast.
“It’s Valentine, he’s at your house,” he calls out over his shoulder. “Those movers called animal control. Said there’s a wolf in the backyard… We gotta get there before they do, before they do anything stupid.”
I’m right behind him, and in seconds flat we are peeling out of his driveway, racing back to my dad’s house.
Not my house anymore, I’ve already decided that much.
I ask Conor the obvious, stupid questions and he’s very patient with me.
“My favor from city hall,” he remarks, taking a corner way too fast and skidding on the icy road. “I told them to call me the minute they heard anything remotely like Valentine coming across the wire.”
A wolf in a suburban yard. That sounds like Valentine alright. The nearest actual wild wolf would be a hundred miles away.
“I just hope we get there before they do,” he groans, putting his hand over mine when I press it to his leg while he drives.
“We’ll make it,” I hear myself telling him. And I mean it.
More than just making it in time to get Valentine back too.
We’ll make it every other way too, things will work out. I know they will.
Just gotta break a few eggs to make that omelet, I tell myself.
I’ve never seen Conor so worried, except when he realized Valentine was missing. He never lets go of my hand though, not until we pull up out front of my dad’s house.
The removal couple is in their truck and once my dad hears a car he comes rushing out. Confused at first, but he cries out in relief once he sees me.
“You get Valentine, and I’ll deal with my dad,” I tell Conor, who waits until my dad’s hugging me before he slips from his car, around to the rear of the house.
“Where have you been?” My dad asks. “I’ve been so worried, I even called the police to report you missing. There’s some wild dog in the yard and these guys won’t move or pack a single thing until it’s gone, so I called the animal control people,” he explains, ushering me inside. “Get inside will ya, I think it’s a wolf. No telling what the hell it’ll do.”
I play along with dad, giving Conor some extra time to get a hold of Valentine, who I hear excited bark and whine once he sees his master.
He’s been here, waiting for me, I know he has. But where else had he got to? Peering out the kitchen window, watching Conor hugging and petting the wild wolf in the yard before he clips a leash on him and leads him back to his car, I wonder just what secret life Valentine might really be hiding from us all.
Dad’s fixing some coffee, relating his own version of events since he woke up from his much-needed sleep.
“I don’t think I’ll ever sleep again,” he says, over-exaggerating everything.
“Who drove you here?” he asks thoughtfully, moving to the front of the house to look. “Your new boyfriend?” he says, turning to mouth the word sorry as soon as he says it.
“Dad,” I interrupt him, leading him back to the kitchen. “We need to talk. About the move. About me,” I hear myself saying, surprising myself and my dad with some authority in my voice.
Dad sinks back into his seat, groaning a little before he forces a kind of knowing smile.
“You’re not coming with me, are you?” he asks, point-blank.
I feel shocked but relieved. Could he know everything already? Maybe Barbie realtor filled him in. Maybe Conor already said-
“I knew once you said you’d met someone, sweetie. I’m your dad. It’s my job to know these things.”
I force a grin of my own, realizing how much he knows without actually knowing any of the details.
Yet.
I take a breath and swallow hard, hoping once I tell him he’ll understand.
“Is it a boy from college?” Dad asks. “You’ve been seeing him a while, huh? Just couldn’t bear to tell the old man you were finally ready to try going out on your own, that it?” he probes me, a proud look in his eyes.
Almost relief.
“I knew the right boy would come along for you, Rachel. You just have to be patient with these things-”
“Dad?” I interrupt him. “It’s not a boy from college, and no, I won’t be moving upstate with you, I’m sorry. Sorry, it’s short notice and just… Just sorry is all,” I end up whispering, trailing off.
“Honey, it’s alright,” he says consoling me, putting his arm around me, making me feel worse by the second.
“If you wanna try living on your own, I’ll do everything I can to help. Although, your timing does suck,” he jokes.
“You might have told me sooner, saved us all some headaches,” he says, wagging a finger at me and kissing the top of my head.
“So who is it?” he asks, turning to see who’s huge silhouette’s blocking the daylight through the screen door.
“You?” he whispers hoarsely, disbelief in his voice.
“You?” he says again, stepping closer toward the door, his head at an angle as he looks back at me briefly, figuring it all out in a second but not wanting to believe any of it could be remotely possible.
Conor being Conor, doesn’t wait for an invite. He steps inside and looking past my dad to make sure I’m alright, he tells him to his face.
“David. Rachel was with me today and all of last night. I didn’t know she was your daughter, that’s the truth.”
Dad spins around, looking at me like I knew he would.
Hurt, confused. Not even wanting to hear what he knows is true deep down now that he’s seen Conor in the flesh, seen the look in my eyes
.
“How-?” he starts to ask, and it’s my turn to speak.
“I found Conor’s dog yesterday, Dad. Valentine. The dog you think’s a wolf, he must’ve got out again and come here, followed me home once I left.”
Dad’s eyes narrow, his hands curling into fists but his back starts to sag like he can’t even keep himself upright.
“I didn’t even know you and Conor knew each other, Dad. It just happened, but I know I love him. I’m gonna move in with him. Be with him,” I add, giving a little smile to Conor as his eyes fix on me, the look of pride and love in his eyes making me feel stronger by the second.
“It’s a lot to take in, David. But I want to help you, I don’t want you to go upstate, work for some two-bit foreign design company,” he says sincerely.
He takes a step closer, his hand out to clasp my dad’s shoulder, but it’s too late.
Dad’s already swung out at him, a full right hook to the face, making me scream out loud.
I rush over to Conor, but his hands up to stop me.
“I guess I deserve that much,” Conor says, running his hand across his jaw, unhurt.
My dad’s nursing his crumpled hand, tears in his eyes as I decide to get some ice for him instead of Conor.
“David, please. Take a seat. We need to talk, need to get through this like adults,” Conor says, his deep, professional tone the voice of reason.
I get dad some ice in a towel and some coffee for them both, leaving them to talk things through while I go deal with the movers who I can see have found out just how friendly the neighborhood wolf really is.
Valentine’s in the back of Conor’s car, the window down and his leash attached to an anchor point.
“That oughta hold you for a while,” I tell him, kissing his nose before he licks my face, barking loudly in agreement, his huge tongue wagging with excitement at seeing Conor and me together again.
“Guess we can get back to work,” the movers say, apologizing for overreacting.
“Maybe just come back tomorrow?” I suggest, telling them I’ll make sure they get the full rate for both days.
“Bit of a change of plans anyway,” I explain. “My stuff will be staying here after all.”
They don’t seem to mind, neither does animal control when they get there and I explain the situation and I don’t mind waiting a while so dad and Conor can talk.
He’s not slapping Conor on the back once they come out to the car, but at least dad’s not trying to hit him either.
“They left already?” Dad asks, sniffling, still looking a little emotional.
“Uh, yeah, I told them to come back tomorrow,”
“Oh,” he says, looking at his feet.
“I’ll take care of it,” he adds, looking up. “I’ll take care of everything on this end, Rachel.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Conor
“Just tell me, please?” she begs, pawing at me from one side as I feel Valentine doing the same from the other.
It’s the first time I’ve had Valentine in my bed ever, and I can already tell it’s just how it’s gonna be from now on.
He didn’t wait until I got downstairs like usual. As soon as he heard us talking, he pushed his way into our room and up onto our bed, licking our faces good morning.
Valentine’s Day.
The thought makes me laugh, but I’m more concerned about our privacy from now on.
Rachel isn’t bothered and wants to know. Needs to know just what I said to her dad to make him suddenly not so crazy about the two of us being together.
“I don’t wanna talk about it, Rachel,” I croon, leaning back and putting an arm around my two favorite people.
Valentine nuzzles into my side, while Rachel hits me in the ribs playfully, demanding to know just what went down yesterday.
“We’ve got a big day ahead of us,” I warn her thoughtfully. “Breakfast in bed, lunch in a rose petal filled bath. Then dinner. But that’s supposed to be a surprise,” I tell her, giving her a wink.
She gasps with excitement, anticipation. But I haven’t even asked her yet.
Not officially.
“You will be my Valentine, won’t you?” I ask her, leaning over to kiss her.
“Maybe,” she says, acting coy and avoiding my lips as she looks up at the ceiling, her arms folded.
“Maybe?” I ask, feigning hurt. “Maybe I was asking my dog!” I retort.
Valentine whines, groaning as he tries to get back to sleep, pulling the covers over himself already.
“Of course I’m your Valentine,” Rachel says softly, kissing me with those sweet lips, looking up at me with those deep blue eyes.
“I’ll be your Valentine today, and every day from now on if you want,” she adds.
“Oh, I want,” I remind her, a hand sliding under the covers and showing her just where and how much of it I want.
She shivers under my touch but gripping my hand she asks me firmly, just one more time.
“Are you gonna tell me or not?”
I sigh loudly, knowing I have to tell her if I’m gonna get my first Valentine’s gift of the day. That sweet surprise between her thighs.
“Alright, alright,” I complain, giving in.
“If you must know, I offered your dad a partnership. In our new firm.”
“A partnership?” she asks, wide-eyed and sitting up, distracting me when her chest spills out over the covers, which I start to busy my hands with.
Slapping me playfully away, she has her twenty questions already lined up, I can feel it.
“You mean, like a business partnership?” she asks, sounding way more excited than her dad was when I suggested it.
“Fifty-fifty, straight down the middle. I’m a little tired of being hunched over plans all day, Rachel. And your dad’s the best there is, he’s what inspired me to even want to be an architect, but don’t tell him I said that,” I tell her, grinning and winking again.
I already told him anyway, and everything I probably should have all those years ago and probably would have. If only he’d stayed long enough.
“But, today’s all about us,” I remind her. “And Valentine, of course. I want us all to have a day with just us, filled with love, romance, and being spoiled rotten. How about it?” I ask her, kissing her nose and hearing Valentine start to snore.
“I’d love that,” she tells me. “But I think Valentine’s already happy with his present, being home again. Claiming his spot on the bed,” she giggles.
“Oh no,” I announce, pretending to get firm. “He’s not sleeping on this bed, no way. It’s a one-off treat, just for today,” I remind them both.
Rachel pouts and Valentine whimpers in his sleep, his feet twitching under the covers.
“Please, can he?” she asks, and I know she’s asking for him.
“Well, maybe only after we’ve… Y’know,” I concede, my best attempt at compromise.
“You’re the best, Conor. I mean that,” she says, getting serious for a second, telling me what I’ll never grow tired of. Not ever.
“I love you, Conor. I love you more than anything,” she whispers, nestling down to snuggle against me, her chest pressing into my side as she starts to draw circles on mine with her fingers.
“I love you, Rachel. And from now on you’re my queen and this is our castle,” I tell her, pinching myself that a man could be so happy in just a few short hours, only two days before I was so unsure of anything to do with finding love. Now I’ve never been more certain of anything in my whole life.
It takes some doing, getting them both to keep still and stay in bed, but I fix a full breakfast that we all enjoy sitting up together in what I used to think was a bed too big for me.
Being a big guy, I need a big bed, but with a dog and a woman, it feels snug. Almost crowded.
Almost.
Clearing the plates and letting Valentine out, I watch him like a hawk until he trots back in sheepishly.
“I’m watching
you closely, buddy,” I warn him, still rattled he might run off again. Not even minding when he skulks back up the stairs.
There’s a buzz at the door, but it’s no problem today. I know what it’s for.
I hurry to open the front door, putting a finger to my lips and hoping Rachel doesn’t hear them.
“Just in here is fine,” I whisper, watching as the delivery elves give me knowing looks and smile approvingly as I tip them heavily on their way out once they’re done.
The last to leave doesn’t look so impressed but hands me the little box with a frown and a nod before leaving too.
I give a little smile, of satisfaction once I check it’s just as good as promised before tucking the little box into my bathrobe pocket.
It took a little doing, but once everyone was finally asleep last night, I gave my laptop and platinum card a little workout.
It feels good to see some money being put to use for once and taking a couple of bunches of red and white roses from the huge rows just delivered, I make my way back upstairs.
Sleeping beauty isn’t what I expect, but given the amount of steak I fed her for breakfast, I’m not concerned she’s napping again.
It gives me time to get her bath ready across the hall, with half the petals from the roses to lead a trail to it, the other bunch next to her for her when she wakes up.
Running her bath, and giving it some more thought, I wonder if our dinner reservation can’t be changed to home delivery.
I don’t want Valentine to miss out either. And after all, it’s as much his day as ours now that he’s back home again.
Running my hand through the bubbles and warm water, I sense her in the doorway, nothing on.
My new favorite outfit of hers.
Without a word, I take her by the hand and help her into the huge tub, making sure she lies back and gets comfortable, pulling a relaxing eye mask over her eyes.
“You joining me?” she asks, peeking out from under the eye mask.
“I want to spoil you first,” I tell her. “I’m no spa manager, but I can try,” I admit.
Lost And Found: An Instalove Possessive Age Gap Romance Page 11