College Daddy: A Single Dad Romance

by Amber Heart

  Chapter 21

  Rosalie was surprised when she left her classroom to find Eric waiting for her with a wrapped present in his hands. His grin was so infectious that she found herself smiling back at him before she even knew what made him so happy. She barely got close to him before he grabbed her bag from her and shoved the present into her hands.

  “What’s this?” The gift wrapping had books and characters from fairy tales all over it, and that immediately told her it was from Barnes and Noble. That made her heart race. It was her favorite store, so she was pretty sure that whatever was inside, she would instantly love.

  “Open it.” He refused to say anything to tip her off, but it was easy to see that he was bursting at the seams for her to do it. Keeping the secret was killing him. She tore into the paper and froze. It was a wedding planner. A book to help her step by step organize her ideas and come up with what she wanted for her day to be as special as possible. She looked up at him, shocked. She didn’t know what to say. “You can plan whatever you want and spare no expense. My parents are on board with our wedding, and so is my sister. She couldn’t be happier for us. You can have the day that you deserve, the day that you’ve dreamed of since you were a little girl. I want to give you more than you deserve, and this is just the start.” Tears filled Rosalie’s eyes.

  “You mean your family likes me?” Eric bit his lip. No. Of course it wouldn’t be that simple. Not after the way that his mother had looked at her at breakfast that day when Eric had proposed to her for the first time.

  “Well, my father is on my side as long as I’m happy, which I am. My sister likes you, but I know you two haven’t really gotten to know each other that well. I was hoping that you girls would end up getting to know each other better.” Rosalie waited for him to mention his mother. He didn’t. She took his hand and squeezed gently.

  “And your mom?” Eric looked down at the ground before straightening his shoulders and squeezing back.

  “She just walked out of the room when I made the announcement. I told her that the wedding would take place with or without her, so it didn’t matter whether or not she was on board. I haven’t spoken to her since, so I think it’s safe to say she won’t be there.” He was doing his best to hide it, but she knew that it was hurting him, deep down inside. His mother was still his mother, and no matter how different they were, he loved her. She wished that there was something that she could do for him.

  “I’m so sorry. Do you want to put it off as long as possible in case she comes around?” There was a little hope in her voice, and she hated herself for it. She knew that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Eric, but she was afraid of how that would go. If he wanted to put the wedding off for a little while, she was ok with it.

  “No. I know that I want to be your husband, and I don’t want to put it off. I don’t want you to change your mind.” He playfully tugged her ponytail to make her smile. She blushed. “I’ve got to get going, I have a class in twenty minutes, but I wanted to tell you that before you got home.” He leaned forward and kissed her quickly, and she had to say that she liked it. She watched him disappear down the hallway, solidifying her thoughts as she walked in the opposite direction. Rosalie had a plan. Granted, she didn’t know how it would work out, but she was going to do everything she could to make Eric happy.

  Vanessa answered her door with hair tousled, mascara running down the side of her cheek, and a yawn wide enough to swallow an apple whole. Rosalie was ready for her. Before she’d even considered the possibility of getting her friend out of bed, she’d dropped her books off in her room, grabbed her purse, and bought a large latte at the little coffee shop down in the commons. The scent of the vanilla chai latte hit Vanessa’s nose, and Rosalie laughed when she saw life come into her friend’s face.

  “Good morning, sunshine. I have a favor to ask you, and I promise to pay you with coffee and gossip.” Vanessa grinned and was instantly awake. She disappeared into the depths of her room and came back seven minutes later, dressed, with fresh makeup on, and her hair in a ponytail. The coffee cup was still in her hand, and Rosalie wondered for a second if she’d managed to do everything without putting it down.

  “Ok, where are we going, and what happened?” Rosalie grinned at her friend and gave her a sweeping bow that said, ‘after you’. Vanessa took her coat and keys and headed out the door. “I’m out of my room and I still have no gossip. What’s going on?” Rosalie laughed.

  “It’s kind of a super secret thing, so I’m waiting till we get in the car.”

  “Well, why didn’t you say so? Let’s go!” Vanessa put on a burst of speed that Rosalie found hard to keep up with, but she managed. The second the door of the car was shut behind her, Vanessa pounced. “I’m not starting this car until you start yappin!” Rosalie took a deep breath as she put her seat belt on.

  “Ok, I need you to take me to Eric’s house, please, and I’ll tell you why.” Vanessa had opened her mouth to protest again, but shut it with a snap when Rosalie finished her sentence. “Eric proposed to me.” Vanessa’s head whipped around and she stared at Rosalie with her mouth wide open. “Red light.” Rosalie pointed ahead of them, not meeting Vanessa’s gaze. She was already nervous about what she was going to do, and she couldn’t let herself feel more cowed and embarrassed than she already was. Vanessa jerked her head around again, slamming on the breaks. “His mom isn’t on board, because she doesn’t like me. His dad I guess is fine with it so long as Eric is happy, and his sister likes me as far as he knows. She doesn’t know me that well, but from what she knows, she likes. What I need your help with, is trying to convince his mom to be in the wedding. I know she hates me, but I want him to be happy, and I know she’ll regret not being there later on in life when she comes to her senses, so I just have to try.” Vanessa was silent. Rosalie let out the breath that she’d been holding. She’d been afraid that her friend was going to try to talk her out of it, or make her feel stupid for what she was planning on doing, but when she snuck a peek over to Vanessa’s face, her friend’s eyes were wet. “Are you ok?” Vanessa cleared her throat before she answered.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” There was a little bit of harshness to her voice, and Rosalie decided not to press the issue farther. If Vanessa wanted to talk about it, then she would. “I just think it’s really great of you to do that. No one else that I know would try to make someone else happy as hard as you do. I just hope one day, I can be half as wonderful as you.” That made Rosalie tear up. She wanted to hug Vanessa for her kind words, but she knew it wasn’t safe while they were driving. She’d wait till they got to Eric’s house.

  “Thanks. That really makes me feel more confident in myself. Would you wait for me while I go in?”

  “Of course! If the bitch still says no, you tell me and I’ll take care of it.” There was no doubt in Rosalie’s mind that her friend would stomp in there and bully Eric’s mom into being in the wedding. They pulled up, and Rosalie took a deep breath before getting out and walking up to the door. When she rang the bell, a butler answered, looking down his nose at her when she asked if the lady of the house was home. He stepped back without a word, holding the door open. She assumed that that meant to follow him. She did, and he led her through the house into a little room covered in hanging flowers. Eric’s mom was sitting on a little chaise lounge, reading a fashion magazine. The butler had mysteriously disappeared, leaving her on her own. Rosalie’s heart started to pound with nervousness as she walked in and cleared her throat. She never even looked up.

  “Ah, Daniel. I would like some more coffee.” She held out a cup, fully expecting it to be taken from her hand.

  “Excuse me, ma’am.” The woman looked up, shocked, then disgust was written on her face, plain as day.

  “How did you get in here? If you’re looking for my son, he’s at school. Go cast your net in another pool of rich men.” She went back to her magazine, but she put her cup down. Rosalie didn’
t like being dismissed like that, and she’d come here to help Eric. Even if he didn’t know it. She cleared her throat again. Not for attention, because she was going to get her attention, but to make sure that her nerves were out of her throat.

  “Your butler let me in. Now you’re going to listen to me.” Her voice had a hardness in it that she’d never heard come out of her mouth before. “Eric may have told you that he would marry me with or without you, but if you’re not there, it’s going to hurt him. You’re his mother and he loves you, no matter what you might think. I’ve come here to convince you to be in the wedding.” Shock registered on her face, and she stared at Rosalie like she was an avenging angel come down from the very gates of Heaven.

  “Why would you want me in the wedding? You must know that I don’t think you’re good enough to be in this family.” His mother had composed herself, and the scathing comeback was the first thing that came into her mind. It stung, but Rosalie shook it off. She could hurt later, when no one was watching.

  “I personally wish that you wouldn’t come because I think you’ll ruin the whole day with your attitude. But that doesn’t matter. Eric loves you and he wants you to be there, even if he won’t come out and say it. I love him and I want him happy. If that means having you there with him, then I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get you there, and even be on a truce to stay the hell away from you all night because I know that you don’t like me one little bit.” She practically spat the words out at the woman, watching as her emotions moved across her face like clouds over the sky. She swallowed hard and looked at the ground.

  “It takes a lot of guts to come here and to talk to me at all, much less like that. I can’t say that I like you, or ever will, but I can understand loving someone and wanting them to be happy.” Rosalie doubted that, but she kept her mouth shut. “If you promise to stay away from me except for the family pictures that are always taken, I will go.”

  Chapter 22

  When Rosalie turned towards the door, the butler had magically appeared. It startled her a little, because she didn’t know if he’d heard what she’d said to the lady of the house, or if he’d just appeared. It made her blush and suddenly feel shy again. She really didn’t have many moments in her life where she had outbursts like this, but when she was heated or passionate about something, then all bets were off. She kept her eyes on the floor as he led her back through the maze of rooms to the front door. He was reaching for the handle to open it when a voice rang out, echoing down the empty hall.

  “Wait!” The butler’s face never changed, but it certainly startled Rosalie badly enough that she jumped. When she turned towards the voice, she saw that it was Eric’s sister. Remembering that she was on Rosalie’s side, Rosalie gave her a smile. “I’m sorry. I just need to talk to you for a minute if that’s ok?” She was jogging down the lengthy hallway. When she arrived, she was panting a little, but not enough to keep her from talking. “Daniel, you can go. I can let her out.” The man looked like he was put out a little, but he did as he was told. Rosalie let her catch her breath.

  “Thank you. For being on our side. I know that it means a lot to Eric that you support us.” Roasalie’s voice was gentle, and she hoped that the girl knew exactly what that meant to both of them.

  “You’re welcome. I know my brother is happy with you, and I know that we don’t know each other that well, but I’d like to change that. I’d like to help you plan the wedding in any way I can. I heard what you said to my mother, and I want to say thank you. You’re right. It does mean a lot to my brother to have her there, even if she’s a little on the rude side. She deserved to hear what you said. Maybe it will help her get her head out of her ass.” Both girls laughed, and Rosalie stuck her hand out for a handshake.

  “Thank you. I could certainly use the help. I’ve never planned anything before, and even though Eric bought me a planning book, I think I’ll still need some help.” The girl checked her watch and swore.

  “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to get going. I’ve got a tennis lesson and I’m going to be late. I wanted to hear what you said though.” She blushed like a little kid caught listening at the door. Rosalie smiled and shooed her off. Standing there at the door alone, Rosalie considered the trip to be a success. She went outside and almost got bum rushed by Vanessa.

  “How’d it go? What did you say? What did she say?” Rosalie threw her hands up in surrender.

  “Whoa! Can I get in the car first?” Vanessa almost ripped the door off its hinges in her hurry to get Rosalie into the car. She ran around the front end and dove into the driver’s seat, turning to stare at her friend. “She’s going to come to the wedding.” Vanessa let out a whoop. The girls were chatting and singing along to the radio on the way back when Rosalie decided it was time to ask her friend an important question. “Um, Vanessa? Can I ask you something?”

  “Yeah, what’s up? Who I gotta kill?” Rosalie laughed.

  “It’s nothing that serious. Well, ok, it is serious, but not in that sense. Would you be my maid of honor?” Vanessa slammed on the brakes. Luckily, there was no one behind her. She looked over at Rosalie with a bit of mist in her eyes.

  “Of course! That’s not even a question! I just didn’t know if you’d want me to be. I have to warn you, though, I know nothing about planning weddings.”

  “That’s ok. I got an offer of help from Eric’s sister, and I was thinking I would do most of the planning with her anyway so that we can get a chance to get to know each other better. I just didn’t want to hurt your feelings if I asked you to be the maid of honor, then didn’t let you help.”

  “No! That’s no problem at all! That’s actually a good plan. Just keep me in the loop and everything will be fine.” Rosalie could hardly believe her luck.

  ***

  Eric was just finishing his class when his phone went off. It was a text from his sister. She usually sent short messages, so when he saw the book she’d written him, he stepped to the side of the door and read it. He was in shock. This couldn’t be true, could it? Rosalie had marched to his house and badgered his mother into being in the wedding. He was numb. He couldn’t believe that, but here was his sister telling him that, and she wouldn’t lie. Maybe he should ask his mother. There was just something about confronting her that made him smile. Then she asked for Rosalie’s number. He found that odd, but he had no problem giving it to her. It looked like everything was working out just fine for their wedding. He might not have to do anything as far as planning went. Not that he didn’t want to, but he just didn’t feel like he was good at all that. He’d have to talk to Rosalie about when she’d feel comfortable getting married. As far as he was concerned, it could happen today and he’d be happy.

  ***

  Months went by, and the wedding planning was coming along great. Rosalie had almost everything done thanks to the help she was getting. Eric had a tux fitting coming up, and she was going to go shopping this weekend with Vanessa for a dress. It was strange for her to have Eric’s father foot the bill for everything, but he insisted. His father had even called her a few times with ideas. It was something that she had to admit that she liked. Part of her thought that his mother should be playing this role, but per the agreement they had, they were staying away from each other until absolutely necessary. Eric’s father had let slip, however, that she had been the one to suggest the caterer, so Rosalie began to think that his mother was telling her ideas to either her husband or daughter, and was helping in that way. It warmed her heart, because she thought that maybe they would be able to get along one day. Even if she didn’t like her, she wanted to get along or at least tolerate the woman for Eric’s sake. She didn’t want to make him have to choose between his wife and his mother. Breaking up a family was not something that she wanted to do.

  Eric was happy to do what he was told, or pick up anything she asked, so long that he didn’t have to come up with creative ideas. It was actually kind of cute at how terrified he was at
having to participate in anything girly or frilly. He would start stammering and find someplace else to be, and all three girls would just laugh. Rosalie spent quite a bit of time with his sister, and had made her a bridesmaid. Vanessa was along for the ride, even if she did leave most of the ideas to the two of them. She was always quick to offer support. Except for on the dress shopping issue. That was something that she insisted she and Rosalie do alone. It meant a lot to her that Vanessa had taken such a stand, and she was glad that it was Vanessa going with her. She knew that her friend was blunt and honest, and if for some reason it didn’t flatter her, Vanessa had no issues letting Rosalie know. That made her both excited and nervous to go dress shopping, but she’d put it off long enough and now it had to be done so the alterations would be done in time. She was getting married in three months!

  Every time she thought that, a thrill of joy went through her. She’d already sent out the invitations to everyone, even though it was only going to be a small affair, and she’d gotten an RSVP from everyone. Her parents were insistent on trying to pay for things, but she’d let them know about Eric’s dad wanting to take the reins, and she knew that they were secretly glad because they had fallen on some hard times. She was hoping that at some point, she’d be able to send money to them once she finished school and started working as a doctor. Only a few more short years, and she’d be able to make sure they never needed anything again. It made her tear up. It was the least she could do to pay them back for the life they had given her.

  In the meantime, she’d managed to make the Dean’s List, which made everyone in her life proud, and had even helped in the way of getting her a scholarship. Granted it was a partial one, but every little bit of money helped because she didn’t want to rely on Eric and his family’s money. She had pride, and she was going to go as far as she could before she looked for help. That’s how she’d always been, and knowing that she was safe now that she was going to be part of a socially royal family wasn’t going to change that… no matter what his mother thought. She wasn’t in it for the money. She was just finishing her first year as a med student, now she was getting married, and it felt like her life was falling into place. She sent up a quick thank you to whoever was listening, strengthening her faith that good things come to those who wait, and who aren’t afraid to work hard. It was something that she was glad to know, that her ideals and morals that she’d had when she was younger, stayed with her and proved her right. It strengthened her and reinforced her belief that she didn’t have to change to be what she wanted to be.