Chapter 8 #2
She opened the door and stepped out, but he couldn't just keep his yap shut.
"Just the hair?"
He saw more than a flash of humor on her face as she shook her head. "You're everything I've ever wanted, Nick. I... I hope that doesn't scare you, but I'm so glad we got to get to know each other."
Before he could say a word to her, she was gone and he was left smiling to himself.
She might not know it or accept it quite yet, but he knew Katie already wanted to make her a part of the family.
He might have fought it for a bit, unsure of how it might work, bringing someone new into the family.
But he should have trusted Katie more.
She might be younger than he was, but she'd always had a good head on her shoulders, something he could put squarely on her mother's shoulders.
After all, he could and had been pretty dense about the whole thing.
"I just can't wait for Katie to tell me-"
"That I told you so?"
Nick shook his head. He hadn't even noticed when she'd unlocked the door and come in.
His mind might have been on other things.
Yeah, *might*.
Nick turned and held out his arms for his daughter, looking forward to one of her rib-squeezing hugs.
"I didn't think you'd be back so soon."
She got within hugging distance and then she folded her arms across her chest, watching him carefully.
"What?" He gestured with his arms again. "No hug?"
She narrowed her eyes even more. "Did you have a good date?"
He nodded. "I think so."
Katie looked around the whole room which encompassed the living room, kitchen, and dining area.
When she finished, she met his gaze with her own.
"Did you scare her away?"
Nick dropped his chin to his chest. "I told her you'd want her to stay."
"I'm not sure I believe it." Katie dropped her bag on the floor and headed for the side door. "I'm going to ask her."
"Katie?"
She put her hand on the doorknob. "I just want to hear it from her. You can be pretty scary, dad. I want to make sure you didn't unintentionally scare her off."
"I didn't finish talking."
Katie didn't open the door, but she didn't take her hand off of the doorknob either.
"She's coming back for lunch."
Katie blinked at him.
"What?" He shrugged. "I'm telling you what she said."
"And breakfast? Did she have that here?"
That's where he drew the line.
"Katie...?"
"What?" She'd almost copied him spot on from just a few seconds before. Then she giggled. "You should see your face right now."
"You should probably not copy me like that."
"Like father like daughter, right?"
He rolled his eyes and pulled her into an embrace. "Smart aleck."
She snorted, the sound muffled by his shirt.
When she pulled back, she had more than a spark of humor in her eyes. "Did she like the shirt?"
Before he could answer, she pressed again.
"She did, right? I know she did."
Nick reached out to muss Katie's hair, but his too-smart-for-his-peace-of-mind daughter ducked out of the way.
"You can ask her when she comes back. I," he gave his daughter a pointed look, "am going to shower and change.
Take a look in the kitchen and see if we have anything for lunch.
If not, we can look at going out before you have to get your rehearsal. "
"Sweet!" Katie jumped up and then took off for her room.
"Hey," he called after her. "Where are you going?"
She stopped halfway up the staircase and leaned over to grin at him. "Going to make sure my dance bag is packed. I'm hoping you'll take us to the new Curry House for lunch, so I need to have my bag all packed up to go in the car with us."
And she was off like a rocket.
Again.
The whole atmosphere in the Curry House was electric.
The noise level was easily manageable, but everyone was enjoying themselves.
Nick looked around the room and didn't see a single frown anywhere.
"Why," he wondered aloud, "is everyone so happy?"
From the other side of Ruth, Nick heard Katie snort a little laugh. "Because the food here is awesome! That," Katie giggled, "and they're not all you, grumpy."
Nick drew in a breath and was about to say something when Ruth took his hand and gave it a squeeze.
Smiling he shook his head and when the host gestured for them to follow, he gestured for the ladies to go ahead of him.
Katie gave him a wink, and a nod and Ruth blushed for a moment before she followed his daughter.
And Nick?
He put his shoulders back and followed them, his whole heart bursting with pride.
When they got to the table, the waiter reached for a chair and smiled at Ruth. "Miss?"
Nick gestured to the chair he was holding out. "Katie, why don't you sit over there."
He smiled at Ruth, hoping he had his charm on full display and gestured to the chair in front of him. "Honey?"
Ruth seemed taken aback by the endearment, but Katie clapped her hands together before flouncing into the chair held by the restaurant host, who was now smiling at the whole scene.
Nick reached out his hand and gently caressed Ruth's arm. "You okay?"
Ruth nodded slowly and took the seat he was holding out.
When he sat down beside her, she put her hand on his arm. "Are you really worried about all the smiling?"
Nick exhaled through his nose and reached his hand over to cover hers. "I just feel like it's a little weird."
Katie leaned forward against the table poking her pointer fingers into her cheeks to accentuate her smile. "Smiling isn't weird, dad. You smile around me all the time."
He leaned in and scanned the room with his eyes. "Not this much. I feel like we're in a cult or something."
Ruth laughed and Nick felt his heart skip a beat in his chest.
It left him a little breathless.
But that wasn't unusual around Ruth.
She was constantly making him a little breathless.
Ruth leaned in, bumping her shoulder against his arm. "Katie and I will protect you from all the smiling."
He raised a brow at that, and Katie thought his resulting expression was hilarious. She laughed behind her hand trying to hide it, but instead of silent laughter she snorted, loud enough to turn a few heads even with the bouncy music coming through the speakers.
"Katie?" He tried to be stern with his daughter, but it was a losing battle.
The moment Ruth started to laugh, he had to fight off the unexpected need to laugh, too.
He fought it.
But he lost.
He was wiping away tears at some point, but he was making a mess of it using his fingers and then the back of his hand.
It wasn't until he felt something touch his face that his laughter started to ease.
"Here, let me help." Ruth's soothing voice met his ears, and he felt her gently touch on his face. Fine cotton.
He let out a breath and opened his eyes, smiling at Ruth dried the tears on his cheeks with a handkerchief.
When she was done, she lifted her hand away, but he caught it quickly on his own.
Her eyes widened with surprise, and he brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed her fingertips.
Ruth seemed to have been stunned into silence.
His daughter?
Not so much.
Katie groaned out loud. "Dad," she sighed, "you're putting all the other guys in here to shame."
Nick turned to look at his daughter and watched as she twirled her hand in the air and touched the back of her hand to her forehead.
"The romance! It's so sweet!"
Ruth started to pull her hand free, but he held on.
"Nick..."
The look she gave him said she was at least mildly embarrassed, but she was smiling, too.
And that smile reached her eyes.
Those beautiful eyes.
Nick leaned in and whispered to her. "Do you want me to let go of your hand? I will, if you want me to."
Ruth looked over at Katie and he did, too.
His daughter was poring over the menu, her eyes wide and her stomach growling.
She wasn't paying any attention to them.
Ruth turned her focus back to him and her smile lit up her face.
"If you want to hold my hand, I'm good with that, but probably..." She gently pulled her right hand from his and replaced it with her left. "This might be easier. If you hold my right hand, I'd have to stretch it across my body. Kind of like a living straight jacket."
His upper lip curled a little and he felt the ends of his mustache tickling it.
"That might not be a good thing. This," he gave her hand another gentle squeeze, "makes me even happier."
"Of course," she leaned in a little, "you're going to need this hand to eat when our food comes."
"Or," he countered, finding he liked this new closeness between them, "you could feed me."
"Oh my gawwwd!"
They both turned to see Katie, covering her face with the menu.
"Look," she peeked out from under the menu, "I'm all for you two doing the dating thing. And hopefully, more... but this is too cute for words. It's all kind of... gross!"
Nick saw Ruth's shoulders shaking with laughter. He gave Ruth a hang-dog look and shook his head. "We're gross."
Ruth nodded. "I remember what it was like when I was Katie's age. Yes," she nodded her head with great authority, "we are completely gross."
Nick saw Katie smiling at them from her seat across the table.
This was a whole new dynamic between the two of them.
Well, between the three of them.
And he was liking it a lot.
More than liking it.
He picked up his menu and flicked it open with one hand.
Ruth deftly caught the other side with her hand and together, they read through the menu just in time to order.