Chapter 9 - Caleb
“You should go back!” Cassie said. My daughter looked like she was about to start bouncing with joy after she pushed me to tell her why I had been cheesing. Her words. I’d told her about Rosie. Well, the PG parts. Court, I’d noticed, was oddly quiet.
Thankfully, Cassie’s ankle was perfectly fine. Not even a bruise. It seemed the whole thing had been precautionary. Thank goodness.
“I don’t know.” I shook my head as I stretched my back.
Bleacher seats were no joke on your body.
We’d returned to the competition being held at one of the biggest hotels in Pinehaven after we left urgent care.
I glanced at my watch. If I left, I’d still have time to catch her before the whole speed dating thing started. “Your school’s almost up and—“
“Dad.” She took my hand in hers as her familiar light blue eyes connected with mine. “I’m okay.” She rolled her ankle to prove her point. “I told them that, but Pinehaven’s athletic department is super strict.”
“They just wanted to make sure you were okay and that your ankle wasn’t broken.”
“Dad, it wasn’t even swollen. Donna thinks they wanted an excuse to try and disqualify us.” She rolled her eyes.
“It could be, kiddo,” Court chimed in.
“Whatever it was, I’m good, and you should head back to Moonlit Pines and find this Rosie lady and—“
“And?” I asked. I couldn’t believe I was having this conversation with my kid and sister. The two of them were looking at me like I’d grown an extra head. My sister was still oddly quiet.
“Ask her out! Get her number. Something, so I can get to meet the woman who has my dad looking like he—“
“Is happy,” Court interrupted. My eyes connected with my sister’s.
“You really think I should miss Cassie’s performance and—“
“You’re in love, Caleb.” Court’s eye never wavered from mine.
“Jesus Christ,” I muttered, not bothering to deny it. My sister was some kind of psychic witch. It was crazy. Even though she was younger than me, she could read me like a goddamn book.
“It’s true, isn’t it?” she asked. Cassie sat straighter, leaning closer.
“What? Wait! You just met her last night, and you’re in love, Dad?” My daughter suddenly stared at me like she was studying me under a microscope. “You sure?” she asked Courtney. “I just thought he got, you know, … some.”
“Cassie!” the two of us scolded her. She giggled with a not so innocent shrug. My sister simply turned and smiled at me. Her own light blue eyes were suddenly glassy with unshed tears.
“Why do you look like you’re going to cry?” I groaned, my eyes wide with horror. Court never cried.
“Because it’s about time.” She wiped at her eyes, and I tossed an arm around her shoulder. She liked to act like a hardass and a pain in my butt, but she was all mushy goo in the middle.
“Well, there is something else I need to tell you guys.”
“What?” they at the same time I could feel their eyes on me.
“Rosie’s kinda… known.”
“Known? Like popular?” Cassie asked. I glanced at the two of them and took my phone out of my pocket.
“Something like that. You actually know her.” I showed them Rosie’s Instagram page.
“Wait, wait, wait! Hold up. The Rosie you met is supermodel Rose Walker? The same woman who turned down being a Bond girl in the last movie? One of the most beautiful women on the planet?” Cassie swiped my phone from my hand. “My future stepmom is a Victoria Secret angel?!”
“You are so full of shit. There is no way that woman would even look twice in your direction,” Courtney teased, but the smile on her face vanished when she realized I was indeed not joking around. “Are you serious right now, Caleb?”
“Yup.” I swallowed.
“Did you know who she was when you two met?” Cassie asked.
“Not a clue. She looked familiar, but… I didn’t put it together and, well, when I did…” I winced. “I might have made a mess of things.”
“Shit,” Court muttered, taking my phone from Cassie. “I knew she lived in the mountains. I just didn’t realize… Wow, she’s beautiful.”
“Imagine how pretty your kids would be! I’d have the cutest little sisters and brothers!” Both court and I turned our heads to look at her.
“What?” I croaked.
“Your kids,” Cassie repeated. “Dad, look, no offense, but I’ve never seen you as happy as you were today.
Even when you were worried about me, you were happy.
You couldn’t stop smiling. You still can’t!
” She pointed at me. “And you didn’t tell Aunt Court you weren’t in love.
Which means if this works out… marriage, kids.
New stepparent for me. A cool one!” I stayed quiet, not because what my kid said freaked me out but because I really fucking liked the sound of everything my daughter was saying.
A future with Rosie.
Court whistled low, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“Damn. You’re really thinking about it.” She patted me on the shoulder. “You should definitely head back down there. I heard that event is going to have one of the Houston Lonestars as a participant. For all you know, he could have headed down there to meet her.”
“Fuck.” I ran my fingers through my hair.
I noticed Cassie’s attention move to the side, where the big, crooked-smiled quarterback sat. I’d seen him around. The guy hadn’t approached us, but I knew he’d been texting Cass nonstop. That’s when I noticed the way he looked at her—with kindness and respect.
I hated when my sister was right. This was going to earn me another I told you so.
Mace looked at Cassie like she was the most important, beautiful thing in the world.
“Fuck,” I muttered again under my breath like it was my goddam favorite word. Court patted me on the shoulder.
“You know what you should do, right?” she said quietly enough so only I heard her. I grunted and looked at my daughter.
My little girl had grown up.
It was crazy to think how quickly it all happened.
People try to warn you of just how fast it goes by, and you think they’re full of it, but now, here we were.
My firstborn was about to head to college.
She was a grown young woman, and I was about to let her go out with a guy.
A football player of all things. Shit! Why couldn’t she have had a crush on the captain of the chess team?
Someone I could terrify with a single look.
“Hey, Cassie.” I said. She never glanced back at me. Nope, my girl was staring back at her guy, smiling sweetly at him.
“Hmm,” she mumbled, her attention still on the guy across the stands.
She really liked him. I knew my daughter, so the kid had to be a good person for her to be as smitten as she was.
I just had to trust in her judge of character and be there for her no matter what.
Fuck, why did this part of parenting hurt so much?
“Why don’t you call Mace over here so I can meet him,” I suggested.
“What?” She turned so fast I worried she’d get whiplash. “Wait, what?”
“Go get Mace so I can meet him. That way, you two can go out tomorrow once you’re back home.”
“What? Are you serious?” I nodded. “But what about our one rule?”
“Do you want me to change my mind?” I muttered.
“No! No!” She stared at me, her wide eyes filled with joy and excitement, before she hugged me. “Thank you, Dad,” she said against my temple before she let me go and rushed down the stands and headed over to him.
“That was nice, big brother.” Court rested her head on my shoulder. “Now, what are you going to do about your supermodel?”
“After I meet Mace, I’m going to get in my car and hurry back to Moonlit Pines and hope to god it won’t be too late.”
“If she’s half as affected by whatever happened with you two last night as you are, I think you’ll be okay.”
I hoped to god my sister would be right once again.
“What if you take her something? Donuts! Wait, do models eat donuts?” she rambled. A smile grew over my face.
“Court, you’re a freaking genius!” I hugged her, and just as I pulled away, I was staring up at brown eyes.
“Hello, Mr. Walker, I’m Mace Mills. It’s nice to meet you.” I stood, and with a firm handshake, I knew my daughter was in good hands.