Daddy’s Kilted Friend

by Callahan, Kelli

  I felt a twinge of concern when I realized who was on the other side of the phone. It was one of the jobs Lachlan applied for—but one that had already turned him down. I really didn’t have any choice but to eavesdrop on their conversation because I was sitting in the car. It sounded like Dean Stevenson wanted to meet with Lachlan, and there was a lot of hesitation in Lachlan’s response. My stomach twisted into a knot when they finally agreed on a time and a sensation of dread shot through me when Lachlan finally ended the call.

  “He wants to talk to me about an opening…” Lachlan looked over at me. “To work at the college for the rest of the semester and possibly take over the class full-time after that.”

  “That’s good news, right?” I tilted my head in confusion.

  “It would have been before I met ye.” He sighed. “I don’t know if it would be a good idea for me to become a professor at yer school.”

  “What if you’re honest about our relationship from the beginning?” I raised my eyebrows. “They’re not going to put me in your class if they know we’re dating.”

  “It could still make things awkward for ye—to be dating a professor at the college—especially considering our age difference.” He put his phone down and sighed for the second time.

  “I don’t care if it’s awkward.” I reached over and squeezed his hand. “You don’t have to give up your dream just because you met me.”

  “It’s not like I have been dreaming about this my whole life, lass.” He shook his head. “I taught a few classes in New York and felt like it was my calling—I can make more money somewhere else anyway.”

  “But if it’s your dream now, then you shouldn’t just turn down the opportunity.” I squeezed his hand a little harder.

  “I’ll think about it, lass.” He exhaled sharply. “Ye need to get to school—ye don’t want to be late.”

  “Yeah…” I let go of his hand and opened the door. “Will you text me once you decide?”

  “Aye.” He nodded.

  I understood Lachlan’s hesitation, but I didn’t want him to give up on something he cared about because of how it could affect me. He was hesitant to even text me after we met, much less go on a date, because of our age difference and the fact he wanted to be a professor at my school. I didn’t think the fact we eventually pushed past that meant he was giving up on the job he wanted.

  My stomach was twisted into a knot when I walked through the door of the Pi Beta Phi house, and as soon as I got to my room, I got a text alert telling me that my first class had been cancelled. I immediately ran to the window to see if Lachlan was gone, because it meant we could spend a little more time together, but his car was nowhere in sight.

  Damn. I wish this message would have come through a few minutes earlier.

  “Hey, did you see this?” Rachel walked into my room and held up her phone.

  “Yeah.” I nodded and remembered that we had our first class together. “I guess we get the morning off.”

  “I need to catch up on a few assignments for my afternoon class anyway, so this is a blessing in disguise.” She shrugged.

  The pledges that shared my room had already left for class, and since I didn’t need to rush, I waited on my shower until a few of my sisters had finished with theirs. It was the first weekday morning I had gotten to spend at the sorority house, and I was surprised to see that so many of the senior girls managed to avoid the earlier classes. Kira was still asleep, and Mallory was stirring, but she barely said a word to me as she walked downstairs to get a cup of coffee.

  I kind of wish my class had been cancelled on any other day but this one—I’m going to spend my time dwelling on my discussion with Lachlan.

  Everything had been perfect with Lachlan since he rescued me from the sorority party. We got so tangled up in the desire that took center stage that we never really addressed the complications that could pull us in different directions. He had those hesitations from the beginning and managed to overcome them, but I didn’t realize it meant he was giving up on his dream—whether it was a dream he had his entire life, or for five minutes, that didn’t matter. It was something he wanted, and I was standing in the way of it.

  I hate this feeling.

  “Did your first class get cancelled too?” Mallory walked into my room with a cup of coffee in her hand. “Rachel said hers did.”

  “Yeah, we’re in the same class.” I looked up at her and nodded.

  “Cool, well since you’re here. Maybe we can talk.” She pushed the door closed.

  “Am I in trouble?” A wave of concern shot through me.

  “No, not at all.” She sat down on the edge of my bed. “I’ve been thinking about what you said the other night, and I’ve decided that you’re right. When I take over the sorority next year, we are going to do a lot of things differently.”

  “The pledges will love that.” I smiled, mostly because I was relieved not to be in trouble.

  “Recruits.” She patted my knee. “We’re not calling them pledges anymore.”

  “That’s what Kira said to me during rush week.” I stifled a laugh.

  “I know, but old habits are hard to break when you don’t want to do it in the first place. I do—so things will be a little different.” She nodded. “You’ve been a positive influence since you moved in, even on Kira, which I didn’t think was possible.”

  “Maybe she’s just mellowing out since it’s her last year.” I shrugged. “Either way, I’m glad to hear that things will be changing a little bit when you take over.”

  “It’s more than mellowing out. Most of the pledges—sorry, recruits—that come through here are just looking to keep their head down and make it through the process. You challenged the process, and I admire that.” She patted my knee again. “I shouldn’t be telling you this so soon, but I’m going to be selecting you as my Little Sister in the sorority. That means you’ll be working with me after I take over.”

  “Wow!” I pretended I didn’t already know, but it was kind of surprising to hear Mallory actually say it out loud. “I’m honored.”

  “I’m the one that’s honored. We need more girls in the sorority who aren’t afraid to say something when they feel like the way we’ve always done things isn’t right.” She nodded. “We don’t want to be the sorority that’s stuck in the past. That’s how you become a part of the past.”

  Mallory hugged me before she left, and I started gathering my things for my second class. It seemed like things were headed in a positive direction with Pi Beta Phi, but that wasn’t my biggest concern. My biggest concern was Lachlan and the fact he could turn down something he had dreamed about because of our relationship. I had no idea how to prevent it, but I didn’t want that to be something he regretted later. I would always be the central focus of it, and the reason he walked away, which didn’t sit well with me. There were going to be enough complications with our relationship as it was due to the age difference and the eventual discussion with my parents—if something did pull us apart, then everything we shared would be soured by his decision.

  There has to be a way to change his mind…

  Chapter Eighteen

  Lachlan

  My meeting with Dean Stevenson was in the afternoon, so I had plenty of time to dwell on my decision before I made it. I got to do that in an empty house since my uncle wasn’t home—apparently, his date turned out to be more than a one-night stand. I had no idea how any woman could put up with him for very long, so I didn’t think it would last, but at least he wasn’t sleeping the day away in his own bed for a change. I had more important things to worry about anyway, and the silence was exactly what I needed.

  If I take that job, it could be a total disaster.

  Ending my relationship with Amelia wasn’t an option. I knew that the first time I tasted her lips and felt her burrowing into my soul. It didn’t matter if we had been together for a day, a week, or a decade—I knew what I wanted, and I was willing to sacrifice anything to make sure we stay
ed together. I fought it as long as I could, but the reality was that I was struck down the first time I laid eyes on her.

  My chances of becoming a professor at her school ended the night I walked into the sorority house and rescued her. Maybe I didn’t realize it then, but that was the moment everything started to change. The frat guys and sorority girls might have been inebriated in a variety of ways, but they were far from blind. It would only be a matter of time before someone realized the professor standing in front of the class was the same guy who showed up at the Pi Beta Phi house—and kept coming back—to pick up one of the girls that lived there.

  The rules may not prohibit me from dating a student if she isn’t in my class, but people will still talk…

  I couldn’t have it both ways. I left New York City with the intention of becoming a professor, and if I had gotten that job before I met Amelia, then I would have resisted temptation. Fate threw me a curveball, and it was the best one that had ever come my way. I was no longer scared of falling in love or living an unfulfilled life like I had when I was a Securities Broker. Amelia wasn’t greedy like the last woman I trusted with my heart, and she wasn’t going to push me away because I had a dream that didn’t involve making a lot of money.

  She’s content with me on every level—she doesn’t judge or expect anything except who I am. She’s the kind of lass any sensible lad would marry…

  Our relationship would always have complications. I wasn’t blind to them. Her life was just beginning, and I had already lived part of mine. I didn’t feel like it was a good idea to throw in a student-professor relationship on top of the layers that were already going to be difficult. I still hadn’t met her parents—well, since we had been together. I was going to have to look David Hartley in the eye and tell him that I loved his bairn. His reaction could gut our relationship and tear it apart at the seams—keeping it together after that would be rough, but I was up for that challenge.

  I’d walk through fucking fire to hold her in my arms.

  “Fuck it.” I walked into my room so that I could change clothes, talking to myself because it sounded better to hear the words out loud. “I know what I have to do.”

  * * *

  I made my bed, and I was going to sleep in it, with Amelia by my side, and no complications that could interfere with what we had. I promised her a text message once I made my decision, so I sent it before I headed to the university. I could have handled it with a phone call, but Dean Stevenson had done everything in his power to look out for me after the job he offered me fell through. I owed him a face-to-face meeting and an explanation for why I couldn’t step up when he needed me to.

  It took me a few minutes to find a parking spot once I arrived, and I was still a few minutes early, so I sat in my car once it was turned off. My decision was made, but I hadn’t fully digested it yet, and I took the time to let it settle into my stomach. I was at peace with the decision, more than I was at peace with having to tell Dean Stevenson that I wasn’t going to be able to help him out. There was no way to make that part feel better. I finally opened the door, stepped out of the car, and started walking towards the building.

  “Lachlan!” Amelia’s voice echoed behind me, and I turned to see her approaching.

  “What are ye doing here?” I held up my hand to block out the sun. “Shouldn’t ye be in class right now?”

  “I knew you were on your way to see the dean. There’s no way I would have been able to focus.” She shook her head. “Don’t do this, Lachlan. I’ll drop the class, so there is absolutely nothing you have to worry about.”

  “Drop the class?” My eyebrows show up in surprise.

  “Yes, I know which professor he’s going to have you replace. My first class of the day is with him.” Amelia sighed. “It’s an elective, so it’s not a big deal, and this is your chance to get your foot in the door.”

  “What happened to the professor?” I tilted my head inquisitively.

  “It was some sort of family emergency.” She shrugged. “People are saying he won’t be back, so it may be more than that. Either way, this is the job you want. Please don’t turn it down because of me…”

  “If I take this job, things will be very complicated.” I looked down for a moment. “Yer still a student here, even if yer not in my class.”

  “Who cares?” Amelia put her hand on my arm. “I don’t—why should you?”

  “Maybe yer right,” I exhaled sharply.

  “I am.” She took a step closer to me. “Besides, wouldn’t you like to be right here on campus so you can keep a close eye on me all of the time—Daddy?”

  “Well, when you put it like that…” A half-smile formed on the corner of my lips.

  “Just be honest with Dean Stevenson.” She squeezed my hand. “If he’s willing to hire you after you tell him about our relationship, then we’ll be fine.”

  “Okay.” I nodded and immediately pulled her in for a hug. “Thank you.”

  Amelia took all of my concerns, crumbled them into a ball, and threw them into the trash. They still existed. I remembered them. I just couldn’t justify holding onto them when she was pushing me in the opposite direction. I was humbled by her maturity and hoped she didn’t regret her decision when it eventually came out that we were together. There was one person that would know from the start—and a chance he could decide he didn’t want to hire a professor that was already involved with a student. It was a risk, but that part was up to him.

  * * *

  “Hello, Mr. Kinnear!” Dean Stevenson stood up and extended his hand when I walked into his office.

  “Nice to see you again, Dean Stevenson.” I shook his hand and sat down.

  The conversation was brief—a lot briefer than I expected. He offered me a temporary position replacing the professor that Amelia mentioned and promised that he would find a place for me after the term was over, even if the professor did decide to return. He still believed that the professor I was originally supposed to replace would retire sooner rather than later, and that was the class he really wanted me to teach. I shocked him when I explained the one complication—to him, not to me.

  After contemplating it for a couple of seconds, if that, he decided it was something he could work around if Amelia was willing to drop the class. He even offered to let her enroll in another class so she wouldn’t miss the credit since it was an elective. I got the impression I wasn’t the only professor at the university who was dating a student, and it didn’t sound like the others had been as forthcoming with the relationship as I was. We shook hands to end the meeting, and he sent me to human resources to fill out my paperwork. They had most of my information on file, so after a few signatures were inked, I was an employee.

  “Is it official?” Amelia was waiting outside of the building as soon as I exited.

  “I’ll have a name badge next week.” I nodded and smiled.

  “How do you feel about it?” She tilted her head slightly.

  “A lot better after we talked.” I glanced towards my car. “Are ye done with yer classes? I could give ye a ride to the sorority house.”

  “Yep.” She nodded quickly. “I actually have a couple of hours to kill if you can think of something we could do.”

  “I could think of a few things.” I motioned for her to follow me to the car. “We don’t have enough time to go to the cabin though…”

  “Is your uncle home?” Her lips spread into a grin.

  “Let me find out…” I reached for my phone.

  A quick message to my uncle confirmed that he wasn’t at the house. He was still hanging out with his date—he called her his girlfriend, which made me blink a couple of times to make sure I read the message right. Not only did I have a new job, but I wasn’t going to have to wait to see Amelia again.

  “Do you think this counts as the first big obstacle in our relationship?” Amelia looked over at me once we made it to the car.

  “The first?” I raised an eyebrow. “I think the first
one was ye trying to convince me to text or call…”

  “Oh, it was a relationship then?” She grinned.

  “I mean…” I laughed under my breath. “I knew what I wanted. I was just being stubborn.”

  “Just like today?” Her grin got a little wider.

  “Aye.” I nodded in agreement. “I guess ye will learn that I can be a bit hardheaded at times.”

  “Then it’s a good thing you have me to point you in the right direction.” She reached over and squeezed my hand.

  “I thought I was the one that was supposed to be pointing ye in the right direction.” I winked at her. “I’m yer Daddy, after all.”

  “I think it goes both ways.” Amelia leaned her head on my shoulder.

  It really did feel like we had overcome our first big obstacle, and I knew there would be more, but we had found a way to make things work. The only thing that really mattered was that we faced them together and didn’t lose sight of how much we meant to each other. She was a dream come true and the best thing that had ever happened to me in more ways than one. I planned to spend the rest of my days, proving how much I appreciated the beautiful lass that stole my heart.

  I’m sure I’ll be wearing my kilt on quite a few of those days…

  Epilogue

  Amelia

  Six months later

  The stumble that put Lachlan in a classroom wasn’t the only thing that we had to step over in order to make our relationship work, but after that day, we truly became one unit with a shared future as our primary focus. We were always busy with things that were going on in our own lives, but we always made time for each other. Whether it was stolen moments or weekends at the cabin, they were always explosive. The days turned into weeks, then the weeks turned into months, and we celebrated our six-month anniversary over a holiday weekend—three whole days locked away in the cabin with nothing to distract us.