Haley was nervous to the point of nausea, but she stifled it and smiled at him. “I don’t like public events at all, especially parties like this, though I shouldn’t tell you that. I just feel like I’m in far over my head. I’d rather be home in my jammies studying,” she answered with a nervous giggle.
“Now you have me intrigued. Tell me more.”
“There’s not a whole lot to tell. I go to school, work part time, and harass strangers on the side,” she tried to joke.
When his lips twitched and a chuckle escaped his mouth, she felt her nausea rise. She couldn’t have a sophisticated conversation with a man in a tux. He was so far above her station in life, it wasn’t even funny. It didn’t matter how much she had in her bank account. That wasn’t truly her money; it was an inheritance — and to make it worse, her grandparents were surely rolling over in their graves at the way she was using it. They’d never thought her worthy of going to college, of being anything other than a burden on society.
“Well, we don’t want you failing your course, now, do we? Ask me anything else you’d like,” he said.
Haley beamed up at him and lifted her notepad back up. “Do you have children?”
A happy smile spread across his features. “Yes. I have five of them, though there are times I want to toss each and every one into the ocean and make them swim back to shore like the Navy Seals do.”
“I’m sorry. Are there family problems at home?” Realizing that was far too personal to ask, Haley backed off. When she felt someone was in pain, she wanted to help, since she’d gone through so much of her own trauma, but this man was obviously successful and didn’t need her help. “I apologize. That was rude. Please ignore me and let me ask something else.”
Before she could say anything further, he cut in. “Yes, there are some problems. My children can be very spoiled. They are doing much better now, but some of us are still struggling a bit. I have faith that it will all work out, however.”
“I would have loved having siblings. I really would have loved having a mom and dad. Sometimes we aren’t given what we truly want, or think we need most, but I think in the end it all works out for the best,” she said while lifting her hand and placing it on his arm in a comforting touch. For just a moment, she forgot this man wouldn’t want or need her advice, or her comfort.
“What is your name, young lady?”
“Haley Sutherland.” She realized she was gripping his arm and instantly tried to remove her hand.
“What other questions do you have for me,” he asked while placing his hand over hers. She relaxed, feeling an odd connection with this gentle man.
“What is the one thing you want more than anything else?”
For a brief moment, he was silent, and Haley hoped she hadn’t overstepped again.
“I want my children to be happy and married, to have children of their own and to live their lives to the fullest without throwing away their futures,” he said with a wistful note in his voice.
“I don’t think that’s asking for too much. From only speaking to you for a few moments, I have a feeling that you will make a wonderful grandfather.” She gave him her best smile, then decided she’d monopolized enough of the kind man’s time.
“You are a sweet girl, Haley. Let me give you a small token as an early graduation gift,” he said.
“Oh, I have three semesters left,” she corrected him, not wanting to accept anything from a stranger who had shown her nothing but kindness.
“Well, that’s why it’s an early gift. I have a few extra tickets for the drawing for two weeks at the Catalina Couture Resort,” he said, placing the tickets in her hand and folding her fingers over them.
To say no again would be rude, so Haley smiled up at him, never dreaming that she might win.
“Thank you. You’ve been very kind.” With a smile, Haley turned and wandered around the room. At the end of the night, when her name was called, she was so stunned she didn’t know what to think or do.
It wasn’t until she was writing up her report that she realized she’d forgotten to get the man’s name. It was too late now. She hoped her professor would still accept the paper and not make her suffer through something like that again.
Present time
“That was my dad?”
“Yes, I didn’t recognize him when he was here because he was clean shaven and not wearing the glasses, but his voice sounded so familiar that I knew I must have met him before. I just didn’t know where.”
“Do you think...? No. There’s no way…” he trailed off.
“What?” she asked, needing to know why he suddenly looked so full of suspicion.
“He couldn’t have fixed that drawing, could he?”
Haley thought about it for a moment and didn’t see how that was possible. “No. Why would he want to, anyway?”
“Maybe he was trying to set us up.”
“But…he didn’t know anything about me. That makes no sense, none whatsoever. Besides, how was he to know my next class was human sexuality and I’d have to approach another stranger and ask for a date?”
“You weren’t asking me for the date. You were asking me to teach you how to be with another man,” he growled as he pinned her down on the mattress.
“That was the best decision I ever made,” she said. How she loved the man who’d taught her so much.
“Yes, it was. Now, I have a few more lessons to teach you…”
He spent the rest of the day teaching her how very much he honored her with his body. We may as well start the honeymoon now, she thought with a satisfied smile. Yes, Haley had changed. The shy, frightened girl she’d been was slowly being replaced by this confident woman she was becoming. It was all thanks to the faith of a lonely old man, who happened to like meddling in his children’s lives, and of course, thanks to Crew, who would forever be her true love for always having confidence and faith in her.
Epilogue
Three months later
“Oh, my gosh, seriously, you guys are not teenagers!”
Lucas glanced up and grinned at his fifteen-year-old daughter, Jasmine. He couldn’t believe how much time had passed since the day she was born. Nearly sixteen now and just as much a beauty as her mother. She was also as stubborn as any of the Anderson males.
“I am simply giving your mother a kiss,” he said and nuzzled Amy’s neck.
“Honestly, I’ll need therapy,” Jasmine said with a roll of her eyes, but there was a sparkle in them, too. For all her protests, she lived in a very loving home, and she was a well-rounded and idealistic young woman. She just couldn’t let her parents know that she thought their constant need to hold each other even after sixteen years was beautiful. Saying ewwww was more fun.
“You’ll soon be sneaking off to kiss boys yourself, young lady,” Amy said, making Lucas tense up.
“Over my dead body!”
“Oh, Lucas. Our baby girl is no longer a baby. If you’d quit scaring all her male friends, she might actually get her first kiss,” said Amy, running a soothing hand over his arm, though it was doing nothing to soothe him.
“Jasmine’s far too young to be kissing anyone,” he stated emphatically.
“Oh, so you hadn’t kissed anyone by the age of sixteen?” Amy challenged.
“That’s beside the point,” he said.
“I think I’ll go kiss a boy right now just to show you both how gross you look doing it all the time, and in front of me,” Jasmine said with a smirk.
“Good. I need someone to kill.” Mark joined in the conversation as he entered the room.
“Hi, Uncle Mark. It’s about time you got here. I can’t wait to come spend the weekend with you and Aunt Emily,” Jasmine said and launched herself at her favorite uncle.
“It’s good to see you, squirt. What in the hell is this talk of you kissing boys?” he demanded, though his eyes were soft as he looked down at her. They had a close bond. Mark had a softer spot for Jasmine than any of the other nieces and nephews.
“I was just trying to prove a point to my parents about how disgusting it is to see old people smooching all the time. Not that you’ll help me, because you and Aunt Emily are just as bad. But, for some reason, it’s just not as gross catching the two of you.”
“That’s because I’m so much younger and better-looking than your old stuffed shirt of a father,” Mark said and puffed out his still-magnificent chest.
“You are still quite the looker, babe,” Emily said, joining them and giving him a brief kiss.
“Ugh. I’m going to find Uncle Alex. At least he has some manners,” Jasmine told them, then skipped away.
“Should I tell her that he’s currently hiding in the closet with Jessica?” Mark said with laughter.
“Nah, let her face even more trauma when she finds them,” Lucas answered.
Placing their arms around their wives, Lucas and Mark led them into the great room, where their huge family was gathering.
Over the past fifteen years, the Anderson family had certainly grown a lot larger. With Lucas marrying his beautiful wife Amy, and then Alex and Mark following in his steps, the clan had more than doubled in size.
When their Uncle George had come back to town with their four cousins, it had grown even more, especially as the cousins had married one by one, and then started having their own children.
The holidays were never quiet, and the home of their father, Joseph, was filled with love and laugher, just as he wanted it.
“Hey, Cousin, can you give me a hand? Isabelle is throwing a major fit, and you know how she adores you.”
Lucas laughed at the panicked look on Austin’s face. Isabelle, who was five years old now and an only child, was a holy terror. Lucas adored her.
“Of course. She just needs her Uncle Lucas,” he said confidently
“Thank you,” Austin said in relief. “I swore up and down to Kinsey that I had everything under control. I don’t know how she manages to keep everything running so efficiently, but my hat’s off to that woman,” he said as the two of them walked out front, where Isabelle’s impressive vocal cords could be heard echoing from the front driveway.
Two of the employees were standing guard at the vehicle, but both looked as if they’d rather be flayed alive than reach into the car and try to get the screaming child out.
“Why is she so upset?” Lucas asked as they approached.
“I forgot her blankie,” Austin said, as if afraid the world would implode because Isabelle’s favorite pink blankie had been left behind.
“Ooh, I see how much trouble you’re in. It’s a good thing Uncle Lucas can make it all better.” Walking up to the large SUV, Lucas leaned in and smiled at a screaming Isabelle. “Hey, darling, did your daddy make you mad?”
She quieted as soon as she saw Lucas, and then the tears started in earnest as she looked pitifully up at him with her big blue eyes. She could already milk a situation for all it was worth.