Chapter 32

Andrew

The familiar beep of a text message entered my dreams, drawing me away from reliving Lanie’s soft embrace. Rubbing my eyes, I rolled across the bed, heart thumping and blood rushing between my legs.

Expecting to see a good morning text from Lanie, I grabbed the phone from the nightstand and swiped the screen open.

Bob Jacobs:

We need to talk. Today.

And boner gone.

I started to cuss but bit down on my lip instead. I’d accepted this situation, and talking to Bob was what I’d been planning to do. Sending him a text back asking him to meet at the country club, I put my phone back on the stand and jumped into the shower.

Just like my bed, the shower contained an air of sadness. With no Lanie, it almost seemed there was no point in waking up, getting cleaned, doing anything I used to.

If only she could have stayed.

I didn’t have to imagine what waking up next to her would be like. We’d had that one time in the hotel, but that didn’t compare to what nights and mornings in my bed—our bed—would be like.

As far as Raven went, isn’t that what she’d wanted? A woman to be around full-time? Someone other than me and Karen to count on?

Stepping out of the shower, I heard the bang of the front door. Drying fast, I dressed and slipped my phone into my back pocket before hurrying downstairs. Raven was in the kitchen, pouring coffee beans into the grinder.

“When did you start taking stimulants?” I joked.

Raven scowled.

I opened my mouth to warn her about getting hooked on the bean early but changed my mind. “How was your sleepover?”

“It was okay,” she grumbled.

I opened the fridge and pulled out an apple. In my pocket, my phone buzzed with a text. Swallowing my nerves, I directed my thoughts away from the phone and toward Raven instead.

“Just okay?”

She shrugged. “Yeah. How was your night?” Her eyes trailed to the dishes on the table.

Shit.

After saying goodbye to Lanie the night before, I’d completely forgotten to go back to the kitchen and clean up.

Raven smirked. “Did Miss Jacobs just sneak out the back door?”

“Very funny,” I dryly answered, heat filling my face.

“You’re blushing, Dad.” She laughed.

Hard as I tried, all I could do was blush more.

“It’s okay.” Her back to me, she filled the coffee maker with water. “I know how it is. I’m seventeen.”

“Oh. Do you? Uh.”

“Dad.” Raven looked over her shoulder, eyebrows raised. “I don’t have a boyfriend. That’s not happening with me.”

I breathed in slow, amazed by Raven’s ability to know what I was about to say before I even did. She must have gotten the talent from her mother. The only thing I seemed able to do in our conversations was either make her laugh or put my foot in my mouth.

Taking my phone out, I checked the messages. Bob had agreed to meet at the country club, explicitly saying—not asking—I should be there in an hour.

“I have to go somewhere,” I said, putting my phone away. “But I’ll be back before lunch. Karen will be here soon. Will you be all right? How about we go to the movies later? Or there’s a ballet this evening. I have those season tickets I never use.”

Her eyes lit up. “The movies sound good.”

“Great. I’ll be back soon.” Striding across the kitchen, I planted a kiss on her forehead. It was something I hadn’t done in years, and I wasn’t sure how she’d respond.

“Bye,” she said, turning away, her own blush filling her face.

“See you in a bit, kiddo.”

In the car, all the anxiety about meeting Bob came rushing back. As I drove, I ran over possible things to say to him, testing a few of them out by saying them out loud.

I wanted to call Lanie and tell her about the meeting, but once I arrived at the club, I was crunched for time. Bob would be there any minute. I’d never been late meeting him before, and this would be the worst day to break that streak.

Unbuttoning my coat, I entered the bar and found Bob right away. He sat at a round table in the corner, eyes on me. The rest of the room was close to empty, with the spot having just opened up.

Gulping, I passed the only table with other people at it—a group of women drinking bloody Mary’s—and took the chair across from Bob. His gaze was a jagged knife, making me feel like I was looking at a man I’d never met, not my closest and most dependable friend.

My head spun. Where was I supposed to begin?

But Bob beat me to the punch. “How could you, Andrew? Haven’t I been a good friend to you?”

The remark stung like hell, raw salt on my gaping wound. It was what I needed to get my thoughts together, though.

“I respect you, Bob, but you have to understand my relationship with Lanie has never been about you.”

He recoiled at that, his brows bunching together. Before he could retort, I went on, all of my previous anxiety suddenly gone.

“I didn’t know who she was when we met,” I said. “Fuck, I didn’t know she was your daughter until the fundraiser, and she didn’t know about our connection, either.”

“How long have you been seeing her?” Bob growled.

“A few weeks,” I slowly said while quickly raking my mind for the exact number.

“So it’s not too early to call it off.”

Damn, he was relentless. “I don’t want to call it off. I haven’t met a woman as special as Lanie since Danica.”

The confession was hard to make, on account of it being so true, but if I wanted to win this argument, I needed to pull out all the stops.

“I know you, Andrew.” Bob spread his hands. “And you don’t get out much. You’re not exactly pursuing dates on the regular. The only reason you found Lanie was because of convenience. She works at the school your daughter goes to. Let me guess. You went into a function or a parent-teacher conference, and that’s how you met.”

My skin turned hot and itchy. “Just because we met at school doesn’t mean she’s any less special than someone I would meet at a speed dating event.”

I could have taken it further, demanding to know if Bob thought Lanie wasn’t special, but that would be a low blow and not even practical. I knew Bob thought the world of his family, and I hadn’t come to the club to fight. It was time to make amends.

“I don’t have to tell you how amazing Lanie is,” I softly said, clasping my hands and giving Bob an earnest look.

He swallowed hard and briefly looked away. “Course you don’t,” he gruffly answered. “But you do see the situation you’re putting me in, don’t you Andrew? She’s twenty-eight years old.”

“I know, and I had my own misgivings about the age difference in the beginning. I never imagined myself pursuing someone younger than me, but it’s what’s happened.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Bob demanded, the hurt in his voice taking me by surprise. “The day you found out? You could have told me at the fundraiser. Or after it.”

“I was in shock,” I admitted. “And I didn’t know what Lanie wanted to do, either. We had to take some time to think about it.”

He nodded, looking at the floor. Did he know Lanie had been at my house the night before?

Bob’s firm gaze connected with mine. “Put yourself in my shoes for a minute. How would you feel if someone your age suddenly started dating Raven?”

I tried not to laugh at the ridiculousness of the imaginary situation. “Raven is seventeen. Who knows what’s best for them at that age? That’s not Lanie. She’s independent. She knows who she is and what she wants.” My voice rose as I went on, inspired by thoughts of how great Lanie was.

“She’s focused on her career, her family. She has goals. She takes her relationships seriously. I know how hard it is to admit that a daughter is getting older. I’m dealing with the same thing with Raven. But Lanie’s there. She’s amazing. She’s an adult, fully autonomous like you and me. She can make her own decisions, and that needs to be respected. I said this already, but it’s worth saying again. Lanie is a special woman, and I can’t just walk away from that because her parents aren’t being understanding. I don’t want to lose my friendship with you. It’s one of the most important things in my life, but I’m also not going to throw things with Lanie down the drain. So surely that shows you how serious I am about her?”

Bob fell into a silence following my speech, his jaw tight and his eyes staring out the window behind me. A few more people had entered the bar, and soft chatter and the clinking of glasses surrounded us. After what seemed like forever, he turned back to me.

“You’re serious about her?”

Drums pounded in my ears. “I haven’t told her that yet, but yes, as serious as I can be at this stage.”

Bob scratched his jowl. “You’d be an idiot not to be.”

I snorted. “I know.” Was I finally getting to him?

“Maybe.” He cleared his throat. “Maybe you’re right.”

“Really?” My stomach flipped in excitement.

Bob nodded. “I reacted too quickly. When I got the news, it pushed a button.”

“Understandably,” I agreed.

“I suppose you’re not asking for my blessing since you’re clearly going to do whatever you see fit.”

“I would still appreciate it,” I choked out, feeling much more emotional than I’d expected to.

“You have it.”

The words rang in my head, each echo making them sound better. I couldn’t have predicted how good they’d make me feel.

“Thank you,” I whispered. My throat was still thick with emotion, and I roughly cleared it.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right,” I earnestly answered. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to tell you about this sooner. One of the last things I want to do is disrespect your family.”

“I know.” Bob’s eyes caught mine, and I saw real honesty there. All the tension and fear I’d walked into the club with were gone. Not only had the conversation resolved this one issue, I also got the sense Bob and I were going to be even closer from then on.

Catching my hand in his, Bob gave it a hearty shake. “How about some golf?”

“Uh.” I checked my wristwatch. “That sounds great, but I’ll have to take a rain check. I promised Raven we’d do something together today.”

“She’s not into golf yet?” Bob made a face like he couldn’t comprehend such an idea.

“Afraid not,” I chuckled. “I’ve tried, but she likes to say the only game more pretentious than golf is polo.”

“She’s still yanking your chain, huh?”

“It’s been better lately. Thanks to Lanie.”

Bob studied me.

“Because of her counseling advice,” I explained.

Bob nodded, a smile playing on his mouth. “What does Raven think of the two of you?”

“I think she wants me to settle down again.”

“Huh.” Bob stood. “That wouldn’t be bad for her.”

“That’s what I’ve been thinking.”

The unsaid part, which I think we both were thinking, hovered around us. Could the person I settled down with be Lanie?

On that day, there was no answer. Instead, a feeling of satisfaction existed. I’d done what I needed to. Things were great for both me and Bob and me and Lanie.

For the time being, nothing else needed to be known.

We shook hands once more, and I left the club, striding out into the chilly, sunny day, ready to embrace the rest of my life.