“I thought we were having a family dinner with the kids?”
“Soon. But tonight, I wanted it to just be us. It’s already all arranged. Aggie will stay with Lily, and Glenda with your kids—she actually insisted upon it. Said it was high time I took you on a proper first date.”
A date? She almost laughed She’d spent two nights with this man and they were talking about a first date? “I think that sounds…good.”
Good Lord. How long had it been since she’d gone on an official date? She supposed the ball could be considered a date. But at the time, it had felt more like business, keeping up appearances.
But this?
This was going to just be her and Jack.
And it sounded divine.
…
Jack was just pulling his tie through the loop when Lily walked into the room and flopped herself onto the bed. He turned around. “What do you think about this tie? Does it work?”
She barely glanced at it. “It’s fine. So you’re going out on a date with Daisy, huh?” She picked at some invisible lint on the duvet cover.
“I am. And I have to say, I’m pretty excited.” He studied his daughter, noticing for the first time she didn’t appear to be as pleased.
Hell. Was he being a terrible parent? He hadn’t really talked to her about this. Not since it became…real. It wasn’t like this was his first date, but it was the first date with a woman he really liked and cared about, who also knew Lily well.
He went to the bed and sat next to her. “Hey. I know this past week, our vacation, it wasn’t what either of us expected. And despite that, you were a champ, going with the flow and getting along with the other kids. I’m sorry if I haven’t told you that. You made me proud.”
She was quiet. “So, do you really like her then? I mean, I saw how you two looked at each other. It reminded me of you and Mom.” She choked up as she said mom. “You still love her. Mom, I mean. Right? You’re not going to forget her?”
He placed his hand on her back, staring down into her eyes. “Honey. I love your mom with all my heart. I will never stop loving her. Ever. And whatever happens with Daisy, I’ll still have room in my heart for you and your mom. Do you not like her?”
She shrugged. “I like her. She’s actually really nice. I just…” This time a big tear slipped down her cheek, and his heart squeezed. “I feel bad because this past week, it was fun and I liked us all being together. But then later I think about Mom and I feel guilty. Like I shouldn’t be having this much fun and shouldn’t be okay with seeing you two kiss and hold hands. I…I don’t want to forget her and sometimes I have a hard time remembering things about her.”
He leaned down, kissing the top of her head. “You’re never going to lose your mom, kiddo. She’s always going to be with you and if you can’t remember something about her, just ask me. Because I’ll never forget. I promise. You know, when your mom was sick, she told me something. Something that at the time I didn’t want to hear.”
It actually struck him that, up until this moment, he hadn’t thought about that conversation. Lily tilted her head up to meet his gaze. “What?”
“She told me—no, ordered me—to get back out there and find someone to love. She said that more than anything it hurt her heart to think of you and me all alone, and she’d only find peace if she knew we had someone who loved us as much as we could love. I told her she was crazy because no one was going to put up with me like she had. Nor could I love anyone as much as I loved her. But it’s funny. After all these years, I feel like she’s been there with us, helping us, a calming presence, but always waiting for us to find someone who would be good enough for her family.”
Lily raised her blue eyes, so like his own, to him. “Do you think she’d like Daisy?”
An opinionated woman who didn’t fall at his feet and tell him what he wanted, and who stubbornly held her place? He smiled. “Yeah. I think she would. Now, sit up and give me a hug—if you’re not too old for stuff like that.”
She sat up, and he reached forward and hugged her, holding her a long minute.
His phone ringing an all too familiar tone finally interrupted them. “You’re sure you’re going to be okay here without me tonight?”
She nodded. “Aggie already promised to make cheese and shells for dinner on the condition I tell her all the details of the trip.”
He was curious as to exactly what those details were, but with the phone still ringing, he didn’t have time to ask. “Just don’t stay up too late,” he said and strode over to the dresser where he’d set the phone down.
Lily was through the door by the time he finally had the phone to his ear. “Hey, Dad.”
“Glad you enjoyed your vacation, son.” Although his dad was scheduled to be in Houston on party business through the end of the month, from the teasing tone in his voice, he seemed to have caught wind of recent events. Stuart, most likely. “So…when do I get to meet the mother of my future grandchildren?”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Jack said, and with the phone cradled in the crook of his neck, he adjusted his tie in the mirror above the dresser. “But…soon.”
…
Daisy was putting the final touches to her makeup when she heard the doorbell ring immediately followed by the rush of footsteps as the kids raced to answer it.