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I reached across the table and grasped his hand. “I know, Daddy, and I’m so sorry about what happened to your wife.”
Confusion clouded his eyes. “How did you know?”
“On the very first day we met, after you went home, I kinda sorta Googled your name and found a few newspaper articles about the accident. Again, I’m so sorry. I saw pictures of you and Trisha together. You looked very happy and very much in love. I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like to lose someone like that.” I squirmed in my seat, feeling a tad guilty and stalkerish. Daddy was older than me by quite a few years. Maybe he didn’t know it was normal behavior to look up your love interest on the net.
His brows narrowed slightly. “You Googled me? Seriously? The day we first met?”
I nodded. “Of course. I, um, hope you aren’t upset. I just wanted to know more about you. I really liked you and I was curious.” I shot him a comforting smile and laced my fingers through his. He squeezed my hand and sighed.
“I’m not upset you looked me up, darlin’. In fact, now that I think about it, that seems like a smart thing to do. For all you knew, I could’ve been a serial killer.”
I grinned. “Well, you did break into my apartment.”
He laughed, and I was relieved to see him happy given the morose turn our conversation had taken. My heart ached for Daddy and the loss he’d endured. So sad and so tragic. I couldn’t fathom losing him in an accident, gone in a flash. The very thought brought tears to my eyes, and I found myself blinking fast. I buried my face in my extra-large coffee mug (bless Kay) and took a long sip.
“Gemma, you’re the first girl I’ve looked at in five years. As soon as I saw you, standing there looking so cute and innocent in your footie pajamas, I knew I wanted you as mine. I’ve never experienced an attraction so instant. And that first day we spent together… well, let’s just say that it was healing for me. This might sound cheesy, but when I’m with you, I feel like I’m walking on a cloud.”
His words made my soul rejoice. I returned his smile. “Yes, Daddy, that does sound a little cheesy,” I said with a small laugh, “but it’s how I feel about you too. I care about you and like having you as my Daddy.”
“I like having you as my baby girl.” He nodded at my plate. “Finish your breakfast, young lady, and I’ll drive you out to my ranch and give you a personal tour.”
I dove into my pancakes with gusto and downed the rest of my coffee.
* * *
DEREK
I loved havingGemma on the ranch, and I didn’t want to think about driving her back to town later. Fast as things were moving between us, though, maybe I would be able to convince her to move out here with me soon. It was only a twenty-minute drive into town, and she could still keep the brick rental property to use as her art studio. Maybe I could have a studio built for her on the ranch, too, so she could paint while she was at home whenever the mood struck her…
I smiled to myself and gave my head a shake. I was practically ready to start planning our wedding, though I didn’t think I should mention that to Gemma yet. I didn’t want to risk scaring her away. Not when I’d just found her. She was the missing piece of my heart, and I wasn’t going to lose her.
“It’s so beautiful here,” she said as we walked through a meadow toward one of the hiking trails frequented by resort guests. “I also read about how you scrimped and saved so you could buy this land and build a ranch, how you spent years as a ranch hand and worked other side jobs. Then you erected one building at a time, as you could afford it, and how you started buying and fixing up buildings to turn into rentals in town. By the time you were ready to open your resort, business in town was exploding. You’re highly respected in these parts.”
I lifted my eyebrows at her. “You found all that information on Google?”
She giggled. “No, silly, I used Google to search for the information, which was located on news sites and information sites about this town. You do know what Google is, don’t you, old man?”
I growled at her. “Yes, I know what Google is. I own a laptop.” Although I rarely cracked it open. I had people who managed the ranch’s website and bookings for the resort, as well as our social media pages.
“Okay, okay, no need to get your boxers in a bunch. I was just teasing. I’m sure you know what Google is.” She cast me a sidelong glance, a playful smile tugging at her lips.
“You know, back in my day, we didn’t have Wi-FiorGoogle. We had to dial into the internet with our phone lines and search the net with Yahoo or Ask Jeeves.”
“Who’s Jeeves?”
Now it was my turn to laugh. And also to feel old. “How old are you, Gemma? I’m a bit embarrassed that I never asked you.”
“Twenty-five,” she said. “Don’t worry. I already know your age. I looked it up. In a couple of years, you’ll be able to get a senior discount on your coffee at Kay’s Diner.”
I grunted. “A couple of years? The senior discount at Kay’s starts at age sixty. I’m only forty-five.”
She pulled me off the hiking path and into the trees, wrapping her arms around my waist and peering up at me. “I was just teasing, Daddy. You don’t have to get all grumpy on me.”
“I’m not being grumpy. If I were grumpy, I’d look like this.” I made a funny, pretend angry face that caused her to giggle.
I leaned down to kiss her, and I swore I heard music.
EPILOGUE
