Flipping back and forth between the two pictures, he tried to make sense of it. Nothing made sense. It had to mean something. It just had to. But what?
His dad walked in. He looked surprised, but then happy. "I'm so glad to see you in here, looking at those. Are you getting inspired to learn more about our legal system?"
William closed the album, afraid that his dad would figure out what he was doing. But how could he figure that out? He had spent over fifty years looking at those and never mentioned seeing the hiding girls. "Yeah. Something like that."
"Why don't you get cleaned up, and I'll have Sally get some lunch started?"
"Okay." William put the album back in its place, and went to his room without a word. He picked up his iPhone to look through the pictures of Clara. Just as it went to the first picture, it rang, showing her number.
He took a moment to shake off everything he was feeling from those old pictures. "Good morning, beautiful."
"Morning? Is it still morning? You must have had some good sleep." He could practically hear her smiling, which further melted away whatever strange feelings lingered. Anything the pictures might have meant, they had nothing to do with her. How could they?
"I suppose I did. It sounds like you're rested."
"I am. I miss you."
"Me too. I want to see you." Should he tell her about the pictures? Probably not over the phone.
"Does your dad have your schedule packed?"
"So far as I can tell. He's taking me to his office after lunch, and I have no idea how long that's going to take."
"That's a bummer." The disappointment in her voice was undeniable.
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? Just think of how happy we'll be to see each other."
"When?"
"Hopefully soon."
She sighed. "Maybe you could see about having me over for dinner. That way they could still spend time with you and so can I. Besides, I haven't officially met them yet, and wouldn't you say it's about time?"
"Yes, but you don't know them. I can't just—"
"What's the matter? I don't embarrass you, do I?"
"What? Are you kidding? I couldn't be prouder to be seen with anyone else. You're gorgeous and smart, not to mention funny and sweet. You're practically perfect."
She laughed. "Practically?"
He grinned, having all but forgotten his concerns over the pictures. "No one's perfect."
"I thought you were. Now I have my doubts."
William laughed. "After spending all the time with me that you have, I would think you would know how far from perfect I am."
"You're pretty close. Introduce me to your parents, and then you will be."
"Can you wait another day? I need to figure out how to tell them that I'm even seeing someone. They don't approve of us seriously dating while in school. You know that."
"Oh, come on. You're an adult now. You're the most responsible guy your…our age. Isn't it time that your parents respect that?"
"I don't know…."
"How can you not? I see you on campus. Even when you speak with your professors, you command their respect. What is it about your parents that turns you back into a kid?"
He didn't want to admit that she was right.
"You know what it reminds me of?"
"No, but I have a feeling you're going to tell me."
"You took basic psychology. Remember those dogs that wouldn't jump out of the box even when they could?"
"Do you mean the ones that had been in a round of tests where they were shocked and couldn't get out no matter what?"
"Yeah. Then they were put into another set of tests by a different scientist, and they were easily able to get out, but they just lay down and took the currents."
"So, you think I'm experiencing learned helplessness?"
"Something like that."
"I'm not a dog, you know."
"You don't have to tell me. Just tell your parents you've found love. They can't make you fall out of love. They're just going to have to deal with it."
He sighed. "I suppose you're right."
"Suppose? You know I am. Especially if you meant what you've been talking about lately."
William had been hinting at marriage for a while, though they hadn't actually talked about it outright. He was so in love with her and couldn't imagine life without her. Whenever he thought about his future, she was always there by his side. Even though she seemed to feel the same way, he couldn't stop wondering if she would wake up one day and realize that she was so hot that she could have any guy she wanted, including ones who were much better looking than him.
"No comment?"
"I was just thinking about how much I love you."
"Good answer!"
He chuckled. "Well, it's true. Anyway, I'll find a way to bring it up with my parents. My dad's going to be the tough sell. According to him, he didn't even look at girls until he held his law degree."
"Then he's a liar."
"Tell me what you really think," William joked. "Don't hold back."
She smiled. "Seriously? What guy doesn't look a girl until his mid-twenties?"
"All he cared about was following the family tradition."
"You still can't convince me that he never even went on a date until then."
"When you meet him, you'll see that's what he cares about most."
"At least I'll get to meet him. Tomorrow, you said?"
"Did I?"
"You said to give you a day."
There was a knock on his door. "Get in the shower already! What are you doing in there?" called his dad.
"Coming!"
"You have to go?" Clara asked.
"Yes. Lunch is being prepared."
"It's being prepared? You have servants?"
"We have a housekeeper."
"In Delphic Cove? Hey, wait a minute. Don't tell me you live in that really rich, gated neighborhood? That would explain your driver. I didn't think about that at the airport. I was too focused on you."
William sighed. "Are you surprised?"
"Only because you never mentioned it. Why didn't you?"
"I didn't want to seem like I was bragging."
"Hey, I grew up with servants too."
"Speaking of things not previously shared."
She sighed. "Well, I did tell you my family has money. You know that's how I was able to go to England with you."
"It sounds like we both have some interesting stories to share. But I can hear my dad pacing out there, waiting for me to get ready for lunch."
"Call me later."
"I will. I love you, Clara."
"And I love you."
He ended the call, and sat there for a moment, wishing he could join her for the day instead of his dad. That was never going to happen. He grabbed some clothes from his closet, noticing that everything from his luggage had been put away for him. He actually missed picking up after himself back at school.
William got ready as fast as possible and then joined his dad for lunch.
Will gave him a funny look. "What's on your mind, son?"
"What do you mean?"
"I can always tell when you're nervous."
He frowned. He had wanted to slip dating into their conversation naturally, but nothing was ever really natural when his dad was involved. "I was just thinking about something."
"What?" Will took a bite of bread.
"Would it really be so bad if I dated someone?"
Will's face froze, staring at his son.
"What would be so wrong with having a love interest?"
"You're in school. That's what you need to focus on. Girls will distract you and keep you from getting the best education you can."
William sat a little taller. "How would you know?"
"Because I never even looked—"
"At a girl. I know. But that doesn't mean I can't."
Will put his bread back onto the plate, and pressed his hands against the table,
staring at William. "Don't tell me you've already got a girl that you want to date?"
"And what if I do?"
"Forget about her."
"I can't."
"Oh, yes you can."
William took a deep breath. "I was seeing her all year, and my grades never slipped once. You've seen my grades."
"You've been seeing someone all year?" He furrowed his eyebrows. "How dare you?"
"Because I love her." His heart was pounding so loud he almost couldn't hear anything else.
"You love her? You don't even know what love is at your age! It's called lust, and it will do nothing except get you into trouble."
William clenched his fists under the table. "I met her before I even went over there. We've actually been seeing each other since I was in high school. My grades were flawless then, too."
"Just how long have you been seeing this girl?"
"Do the math. We met my senior year."
Fury covered his face. "So, you're serious about her?"
William nodded.
"How serious?"
"Serious enough that I would like her to come over for dinner and meet everyone."
"I suppose you're thinking about asking me for your great-grandmother's ring, aren't you? Is this why you're bringing this up?"
"Actually, I do hope to marry her, but that's not why I want you to meet her. I just want you to see the wonderful person that I'm in love with, who hasn't hurt my studies in any way."
"I suppose we'd better meet this girl if you're that serious about her." He sat back, looking slightly less angry.
Chapter 6
CLARA WAS WATCHING a marathon of Natalie's favorite show when her phone rang. She excused herself as soon as she saw that it was William.
"Did you finally get away from your parents?" she asked, making her way to her room.
"Not exactly, but if you're free at six, then you're welcome to join us for dinner."
"You told them about me?"
"Yes. They're eager to meet you."
"Really? What did they say?"
"Well, they were surprised, to say the least. Since I had kept my grades up all this time, they never suspected anything. My sister has had several boyfriends, but they've always been able to figure her out because of test scores. They want to meet the girl who was able to win me over."
Clara grinned, almost feeling giddy. She couldn't remember the last time she had been so excited. She knew how his family was, so she had always tried not to take it personally that he wouldn't tell them about her, but even so, she wanted him to. Now he had. "I can't tell you what this means to me. What should I wear?"
"Whatever you want. I'm sure you'll look great. You always do."
"What I mean is, are jeans too casual? Should I wear a dress?"
"A dress would be perfect. But, how do I put this? Something a little less…flashy than what you normally wear."
"I can do modest, William. I usually just choose not to."
He let out a sigh of relief.
Clara laughed. "Don't worry. I can handle parents. The Fergusons love me, and have since day one. So, I should be there around six?"
"We're eating at six. The driver will arrive to pick you up at five-thirty."
"You won't be the one picking me up?"
William sighed. "They're not going to let us be alone together. At least, not yet."
"Oh, right. I forgot about this being junior high."
He laughed. "You know they're not like typical parents. Sorry."
"No need to apologize. If they were typical, you might be typical, and I wouldn't want you any different from the way you are."
"I'll take that. I wish I could talk with you longer, but my dad's got some law books he wants to go over with me."
"Sounds like fun. I'll be ready at 5:30. Anything else I should know?"
"I don't think so. I'm sure they'll love you, but not as much as I do."
"I should hope not! I love you too."
She ended the call and went back to the living room.
Natalie raised an eyebrow. "What's going on? I've never seen you so happy."
"He finally told his parents about me."
"For real? You're not the secret girlfriend anymore?"
"Nope. I'm going over there for dinner."
Natalie smiled. "That's awesome." She held her hand up, and Clara gave her a high five. "Forget about these shows. We need to celebrate."
"Celebrate?"
"Time for a mani-pedi."
Clara grinned. "You're a true friend."
"What time do you have to be ready?"
"I've got a few hours."
"Hmm. You're going to want to get back here and do your hair too. We'd better skip the place where the hot guys do your nails. The line is always way too long. Let's just hit the place at the strip mall. They actually do a better job."
"And cost half as much."
Natalie laughed. "True. Let me get my purse from my room, and I'll meet you at my car."
When they were getting their nails done, they talked about their guys and caught up. Natalie's eyes lit up when she talked about her wedding plans. She even pulled out her phone and scrolled through pictures on Pinterest. She had every little detail planned out, and was excited about each one.
Clara couldn't help wondering about her own wedding as Natalie went on and on. Would she have one? Now that William was actually telling his parents about her and having them meet, could that mean he wanted to take it to the next level?
Not that she was expecting him to pull out a ring that night, but what if he did propose soon? Even though she wanted him to tell his parents about her, part of her had been relieved, because then she was off the hook with her secret. Would he be open to accepting it?
None of the others had, but he was different. He might even truly be the one. She sighed.
"It's gorgeous, isn't it?" Natalie asked, obviously thinking that Clara was sighing at the flower arrangement on her phone.
Clara gave a weak smile. "Never seen anything more beautiful."
Natalie's smile faded. "I wish Alexis was here. She would love all this stuff, and it's just not the same with her gone. I know she's not coming back, but it sucks."
"Maybe she will come back."
Natalie gave her a doubtful look.
"She might. You never know. I'm sure if she hears about you getting married, she would find a way to support you."
"I don't think so." She shook her head. "I don't want to think about my sister anymore. Did I show you what I found for the something blue?" She scrolled through the images, stopping at a jeweled hair clip. "Isn't it perfect?"
"It's stunning." Clara smiled. "How are you going to style your hair?"
Natalie's eyes lit up. "I have an entire board full of hairstyles."
"How did people ever manage to have weddings without the internet?"
"I know. Right?" She scrolled through her phone, stopping at the right board. She showed Clara hundreds of hairstyles. It nearly gave her a headache to look at all of them.
"Do you have a favorite?"
"I wish. I might just show the board to the stylist and let her pick. I can't decide, and even when I think I have one picked out, I always find twenty more."
"Maybe you need a break from looking at all the pictures."
Natalie shook her head. "This is going to be the best wedding that Delphic Cove has ever seen."
"I believe it. So, where is Braydon? I haven't even seen him since the party in the woods."
"He's so busy at the steel factory. His uncle wants to retire and travel the world, but he can't until Braydon can take over for him. There's a lot to learn, and it wipes him out. Did you notice how tired he was?"
Clara thought about it. "I suppose. He was pretty happy to be with you, though."
Natalie beamed. "He says he can't wait until the day he comes home to me after a long day at the factory."
"Have you guys thought about moving in together? Yo
u're engaged, you know."
Her eyes widened. "Are you kidding? Move in before getting married? This is Delphic Cove. People don't do that, even though the rest of the world does. Well, I guess in the poor section of town they probably do. But not around here. Everyone who grew up here goes one of two ways. They either move away and live the wild life or they stick around here and live like it's the 1960s or something."
"You mean the fifties. It was the sixties when everything began to really change."
Natalie rolled her eyes. "Whatever. My point is that we can't move in together yet."
"Do you at least have a date?"
"I didn't tell you?"
"No."
"We're getting married at the end of the summer. The weather will still be nice and the colors will start to turn the deeper fall colors. It's going to be beautiful."
"I hope I'll still be here."
"Me too."
Natalie's manicurist looked at her. "Time for your hands."
She put her phone away and then looked at her feet, wiggling her toes. She looked over at Clara's feet. "Oh, nice. I like the palm trees."
When they were done, they admired their nails as they walked out into the hot sun.
Clara held out her fingers. "I guess we'd better get back to the house so I can figure out what to wear."
"What do you think you're going to wear? Something parent-approved?"
"Yeah. He told me not to dress flashy."
"Hmm. Any ideas?"
"I was thinking a dress, but I don't know which one."
"A dress is perfect. You can show off all your nails. Well, if you need something, I have the perfect one. We're about the same size."
"Let's get back to the house and see it."
Chapter 7
WILLIAM PACED THROUGH the front room, looking out the windows each time he passed one. When was the driver going to arrive with Clara? He had wanted to go with, but his dad had insisted that he stay. What was he afraid of? That William would impregnate Clara on the car ride over, two feet behind the driver?
He couldn't help smiling at how his parents would react to finding out that they had been staying together while he went to school. They would both have heart attacks.
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