"I love you too, Dad," Dani said earnestly.
Had she not told him enough? Was that what this call was about? Dani realized she sometimes took her father for granted. When her mother had gotten sick, he had picked up the slack, being a rock for his children and his wife. So easy going, never asking for anything, she just assumed he knew that he had her complete love and respect. She needed to tell him more. In the morning, she would call her brother and remind him, too.
"I was thinking," she began. "Why don't we meet for lunch tomorrow? In fact, we should start making it a regular thing. There's always a new restaurant opening in town. Once a week we could do our own unofficial food critiques."
"Well, that sounds like a fine idea." There was a pause. "I hope you don't think I called to guilt you into spending more time with me? Not that I'm complaining, and as far as I'm concerned those lunch dates are carved in stone. You're stuck with me now."
"Right back at ya." Suddenly concerned, Dani asked, "Is something wrong? Are you and Mom okay?"
"Well, I've certainly made a mess of this." Terry sighed. "We're fine, healthy as the proverbial horse."
Dani sank back onto her bed, relief allowing her to relax.
"I actually called to invite you to dinner on Wednesday night."
"Since when do you need to issue an invitation? Or do it in such a roundabout manner? Are you having Royalty over to dine? Do I need to break out my formal gown and tiara?"
"Nothing quite so grand," Terry assured her, the humor of the situation evident in his voice. "But if you would like to bring a friend along, your mother assures me there will be plenty of food to go around."
And there it was. She had never known her father to be anything but direct. Yet he had spent the last ten minutes circling around the subject of meeting Alex. It was kind of cute and sweet with a touch of weird all rolled into one. She decided the best course of action was to tease him—mercilessly.
"I'm sure Rose and Tyler would love to come, though you could have asked them directly."
"They're always welcome, of course, but they weren't exactly who I had in mind."
"Hmm," Dani pondered. "I know you don't need me to invite Caleb and his family. They come to dinner at least once a week already."
"Jordanna…"
Ah, the full name. It would seem her father had finally reached the end of his normally long rope.
"Yes, Father?"
"I have always been proud of the fact that I contributed greatly to raising a smart ass, but in this case I'd appreciate it if you'd check the sass."
"It is true you have no one to blame but yourself," Dani responded, tongue firmly in cheek.
"I knew I never should have let your mother talk me into this," Terry mumbled. "After all it was her idea. Why should I have to do her dirty work?"
"Geez," Dani exclaimed. "Why is this so difficult for you?"
"Because this is the first time. You've never been serious about a man before. A mother and father tend to get a little, I don't know, crazed? Maybe that's a bit extreme, but we are anxious to meet him."
"Oh, Daddy." Great, now she was going to go and get teary. The last thing she needed was for Alex to find her in a sentimental heap and then try to explain why. They were still tenuously feeling their way around this budding relationship. It was much too soon for serious.
"I'll ask him but please, treat him like he's just a casual friend who dropped by."
"I'm not going to scare off your beau, Dani."
"I really do adore you, Pops," Dani used a measured tone. "But if you dare use the words beau, gentleman caller or any equivalent, I won't be held responsible for my actions."
"Got it, all Tennessee Williams references are off the table." Now that he'd gotten past the awkward father/daughter conversation, Terry was feeling much more his old chipper self. "Do you think he's read The Glass Menagerie?"
"Goodbye, Dad."
"Wednesday, six thirty. Don't be late."
Dani hung up before her father could make a spinster reference. The man was incorrigible. But she loved him and her mother wholeheartedly. Which was why she was going to invite Alex, get the whole meeting the parents thing out of the way and forget about all the implications. After all, it was only dinner.
"IT'S ONLY DINNER."
"That's easy for you to say. Have you ever had to share a meal with the parents of a woman you're having sex with? Knowing that they probably know you're having sex with her?"
"Okay," Jack conceded. "You've got me there."
Jack had never seen Alex quite so rattled. To be honest, it was hilarious. He was full of questions, each one seemly more panic-inducing than the last. Should he wear a tie? Flowers or wine? Both? Was he supposed to shake her father's hand and hug her mother, or would it be better not to touch the mother at all?
Alex had come to work wondering why he had agreed so easily to dinner with Dani's parents. She hadn't buttered him up first or plied him with mind-altering sex. That had come after the burgers and fries. No, all she had done was ask him. She had even thrown in an it's okay if you don’t want to, it's no big deal either way. Dani had given him an out and instead of taking it, his answer had been, sure, sounds great. And it had until later when he was alone on her couch, trying to sleep. Then the doubts had started to creep in.
"Dani's parents are two of the greatest people you'll ever meet. Think of them as a slightly less bohemian version of my folks."
"Hey, I love your mom and dad, Jack. But I was never involved with any of your sisters."
"Thank the Lord," Jack laughed.
"Point being, I might not have been quite so comfortable around them if I was, you know, with one your sisters."
"Let’s not even go there." Jack lost his smile.
"What do you think, Drew? Is Alex overreacting?"
They were having lunch at H&W's go to place, Mama Joan's. It had some of the best pizza pies Alex had ever eaten and that was saying something from a guy who'd tried them all over the world. Drew was with them, not because they'd had to drag his kicking and screaming body out of his office, but because he had finally come out of his funk. Jack had expected it, though Alex could tell how relieved he had been when one morning, about a week after all the drama, Drew's office door had been open. It might have been a small thing, but it signaled the return of the friendly man Alex had first met.
"How should I know? But I will say this. Take a breath, man. You have three days to prepare. At this rate, your head is going to explode. Though, come to think of it, that would eliminate your problem."
Alex gave Drew a combination thanks a lot and go to hell look.
"Are you telling me that neither of you has ever been in my shoes?"
Jack and Drew exchanged looks, both shrugging.
"Sorry."
"Nope."
"Not even with Tyler." Oh, crap. Why had he brought that up? His brains really were scrambled.
"Relax," Drew said, patting him on the shoulder. "I'm not that fragile. And the answer is no, not even with Tyler. We dated on the QT. Besides, her dad was always so wrapped up in himself, I doubt he would have cared. Her mother? Well, she's sweet but has never been very assertive. I can almost hear her saying you're having sex with my daughter? Well, oh my. And after high school?" He shrugged. "I never got to the meet the parents stage with any of the women I dated."
"You know Rose's situation," Jack chimed in. "No parents to meet."
"How did she handle meeting yours?"
Drew snorted.
"Hey, it wasn't that bad," Jack argued. "In fact it was great, once I got her there. Look, Alex, I get the panic. But no one is going to be gunning for you. I can guarantee the food will be great, the company entertaining. And remember, you wouldn't be in such a freak unless you cared about Dani. That's really what they want to see. Show them that you respect their daughter and everything will be copacetic."
"Copacetic? Really? Where did that come from?"
"Rose gave him some word
of the day toilet paper to help improve his woeful vocabulary," Drew said, tongue in cheek.
"Very funny. If we weren't in public, I would kick you in the area where that toilet paper is most useful."
"So you admit you have some? I'm telling you, Alex, this guy could barely string a sentence together when I met him. Without me, he'd still be trying to pass remedial freshman English."
Alex sat back and enjoyed the friendly banter. It was silly and harmless and had done exactly what they had meant it to do—let him relax. Dani wasn't asking for a life time commitment and her parents weren't planning a wedding. As Jack had said, it was just dinner. No reason to get excited.
"WHY ARE YOU so excited?"
Caleb Wilde watched as his mother rearranged the same flowers for the third time, and that was just since he had been there.
"I'm not excited." Bobbi straightened a piece of silverware that wasn't crooked. She almost lifted it to polish the already gleaming surface but caught her son's raised eyebrow.
"Oh, go help your father with the grill."
Caleb chuckled but did as she asked. His parents had dinner guests all the time, he couldn't understand why this one was so special.
"Give your mother a break, Caleb," Terry said, checking the heat on the gas barbecue. "You should have seen her the first time you brought Anne home."
"I don't remember her acting any different than usual."
"And neither will Dani. By the time she and Alex get here, your mom will be back to normal. But she needs the prep time to get all the nerves out of her system. It isn't every day a mother meets the love of her son's or daughter's life."
"So you're saying she knew even before I did that Anne was the one?"
"We both did." He clapped his son on the back. "It was obvious every time you mentioned her that Anne was different than the other girls you'd dated, and then when we met her, we had no doubt—future daughter-in-law."
This was all news to Caleb, and in retrospect, he was glad he hadn't known. He'd been in enough knots over his feelings; the last thing he would have needed was the added burden of parental expectations.
"But didn't this Alex guy just get to town?" He'd never had to go through his big brother routine at anyone, but there was always a first time. "What do we know about him, anyway?"
"Actually, your mother and I know quite a lot, thanks to some casual digging on her part. But for tonight, all you need to know is that he's a good man and your sister cares about him."
"But—"
"You heard your father." Anne, his wife, mother of his children, and keeper of his heart, kissed his cheek before handing a platter of chicken to his father. "Bobbi is convinced Dani's in love, so we are going to do our bit by acting the perfect married couple."
"We have to act?"
She gave him a sly, knowing smile, the one that had first attracted him—Lord, was it fifteen years ago?—to her. Not that she had fallen into his arms the moment he turned on the charm. That had taken another five years—after she had gone to college and seen some of the world. Anne, his beautiful red haired beauty, had informed him, right after he proposed, that she had always planned on coming back for him. Once they had both gotten some much-needed seasoning.
"What's that self-satisfied smile about?" Anne asked, wrapping her arms around him.
"I was just thinking how glad I am that I have such a spicy wife."
"Am I supposed to know what that means?"
His hand moved to the yet undetectable swell of her stomach, baby number three. He'd been blessed. And he wanted the same for his little sister. So, he would keep an eye on this good guy, and make sure he was good enough.
"It means, my love, that if you had come back to Harper Falls any more seasoned, you would have burned my fingers off."
"MORE CAKE, ALEX?"
Dani's mother was determined to fatten him up, and he was more than willing to let her, but for tonight he had reached his limit.
"It's tempting, Bobbi, but between the dinner and the dessert, I'm stuffed. I can't remember the last time I had a meal like that."
"Is the Army food as bad as they make it out to be in the movies?"
Alex shook his head, smiling at Anne. She, like all the Wildes, had been friendly and welcoming, quickly dispelling all of his misgivings.
"Most of the time we ate well. And because I was stationed in Europe, I was able to sample food at some of the world's best restaurants."
"On a Captain's salary?"
So maybe not all the family was as welcoming as others. Dani's brother seemed to have a problem with him and it had started the moment he had walked in the door. Because he had his own younger sister, Alex understood the man's need to take a few verbal jabs.
"Ow!" Caleb gave his wife a dirty look.
Hiding his smile, Alex answered Caleb as though the whole table hadn't heard Anne kick her husband.
"Not all great food is expensive. You just need to ask the locals."
"Alex has a real ear for languages; he picks them up like that," Dani explained, snapping her fingers.
"That must have come in handy," Bobbi said, impressed. "Did you use that skill for your job or just for fun?"
"Both. Army intelligence. And before anyone else says it," Alex looked directly at Caleb. "Yes, it is a contradiction in terms."
Everyone burst out laughing, including Caleb. Awkward situation averted.
The rest of the evening passed smoothly, and when Bobbi loaded him with a shopping tote full of leftovers, Alex figured he had passed all tests with flying colors.
"My mother was born with the need to feed. You can't eat at her house and get away without something." Dani leaned over and looked in the bag. "Wow, I'd say she emptied the fridge for you."
"Don't tease your mother, not even when she can't hear you."
"You miss your parents." It wasn't a question.
"It never goes away."
They were in Dani's car, Alex deciding not to risk showing up on his motorcycle. When you're trying to impress your girls parents, you don't take a chance on something as polarizing as a bike. Most people love them or hate them, very little in between. Figuring better safe than sorry, he'd parked at her place.
"I'm sorry." Dani took one hand off the steering wheel, reaching for his. "I can't imagine not having either of my folks around, but to lose them both at the same time? I wish…"
"What?"
"I know it's silly, but I wish I would have known." She pulled her car to a stop a couple of blocks from her house, turning to him. "I wish I could have been there for you, held you when you cried."
"I didn't cry."
"Oh, Alex," Dani reached out, taking him into her arms. "Do you want to? It isn't too late."
"I think it is." He held on, absorbing the comfort she so generously offered. It wasn't that he was too manly; crying would have felt good—right. At the time, he hadn't let himself break down, there had been too much to do. By the time he'd settled everything, he had moved from active grief to numb and then the missing.
"If you change your mind you'll let me know?"
"You and no one else."
The car moved on, the occupants unaware that their private moment had been observed. He liked watching, listening, knowing that soon he would take it all away. It was only a minor annoyance that they had found his listening devices. It had always been a possibility. He didn't need to know what they were saying, what they were planning. He was smarter, always had been. He wanted them to think they had all the time in the world. That way, when he took it, when he watched as Alex Fleming's world crumbled around him, the victory would be that much sweeter.
He put away his night vision goggles, in a case with all his other toys. Soon, he thought, rubbing the scar that ran down the side of his face. Soon.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
"MISS WILDE, MISS Wilde."
Dani halted, midstride and glanced behind her. A woman in a light blue, wool suit and stiletto heels was running her way waving
her free arm frantically. Dani had a flash of déjà vu. The question was, what Pandora's box was the woman going to thrust at her this time?
"Ms. Nessmith. I'd advise you to watch your step, but you seem like a woman who is used to maneuvering in heels."
The woman, though slightly out of breath, was able to laugh. Dani had to hand it to Regina Harper, her assistant somehow managed not to have a hair out of place or a sign of moisture, even in the middle of an August afternoon. Dani was dressed in shorts and a thin t-shirt and she could feel a thin layer of damp starting to form on her back. Maybe a lack of sweat glands was a job requirement.
"I'm sorry to be chasing after you again, but Mrs. Harper was insistent that I get in touch with you today, no delays."
"Well, here I am." Sweat or no sweat, Portia Nessmith looked like a woman who could use a cold glass of something.
"Come in out of the sun and join me." Dani pulled the protesting woman with her through the doors of A Tall Drink of H20, the cool air rushing over them.
"Oh, I really shouldn't."
But she let Dani seat her in one of the booths, her breath rushing out in relief. They ordered two lemonades and a piece of cheesecake to split. Again, Portia protested, but it was only half-hearted.
"To tell you the truth, this is the first time I've been off my feet all day. The closer we get to the actual Centennial Celebration, the crazier our schedules."
"It would have been easier if it were planned for earlier in the year instead of December," Dani observed. "Not even Mrs. Harper can control the weather."
"Don't be so sure," Portia muttered before she could catch herself, her eyes widening in horror. "I didn't mean that how it sounded."
"Sure you did." Dani laughed. "But don't worry, no one is going to report this conversation back to your employer."
The last time they met, Dani realized she hadn't had the time to take a good look at Portia Nessmith. She appeared to be in her early fifties and maintained a nice, trim figure. Her hazel eyes were clear though a bit tired looking, and if she worked for Regina much longer, Dani was afraid the woman would find the haggard lines around her mouth start getting deeper and deeper. There was a reason the job had such a high turnover rate; Regina either fired them or they burned out. Portia looked like she was close to the fizzle stage.
If Tomorrow Never Comes (Harper Falls Book 2) Page 23
