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He scowled.“Don’t call me that.”
“You love it.”
I laughed, just as behind me, an older man announced, “You look good, son!Clean u-up well.”
When I turned, I was faced with a man with Rick’s eyes and a large hook nose.He leaned heavily on a walking stick, but his face was all mischief, taking years off his age.
Rick cleared his throat.“Maddie, this is my father, Bill Callahan.Dad, this is Maddie.”
“The f-famous Maddie!”Bill enthused, offering me his free hand.I shook it and glanced at Rick.
A blush had crept up his neck.Ablush!
“It’s so nice to meet you, Mr.Callahan.”
“C-call me Bill.Did you make the cake in there?”He nodded towards the barn “It’s wonderful.”
“I did.And thank you.”Ireallywanted to ask him what Rick had said about me, but that wasn’t appropriate, was it?Especiallywhen Rick looked so embarrassed.That made me want to ask more.
My stomach was full of butterflies.Rick had talked to his parents about me.I mean, I should have guessed that when he invited me to the wedding, but even so, we’d known each other for only a couple of weeks.
That he’d mentioned me to his parents cemented the fact that it wasn’t just me who felt this.It wasn’t just me who wanted us to be something more than a whirlwind holiday romance.
I want to see where this goes, Maddie.I replayed his words in my head.
Yeah.I wanted to see where it went.For as long as it went.So what if there was an ocean between us?People had surmounted bigger obstacles.
“I’m looking forward to t-trying it later.”As a server passed Bill, he asked me to snag a couple of glasses.When I handed him one, he grinned.“Cheers.”
“Cheers.”
We clinked glasses, and then Bill turned to Jenny and said something about Toby being a fine little man in his tiny suit.
I noticed Rick watch his father with warmth and concern.
“You okay?”I asked, taking his hand.
He nodded.“Yeah.It’s just that he looks old, you know?When did he get old?”
I looped my arm through his.“I feel that about my parents sometimes.They’re not allowed to be fallible, are they?It’s horrible.”
“Exactly.They’re always there.He’s always been there.When I was deployed for months, a year or even more, at a time, he was alwaysthere.Even if he was a royal pain in theasswhen I was helpin’ out with the business while I was on leave… and then when I thought he might not be….”
His eyes closed briefly.“I was four months from the end of my current tour when my CO gave me the message.My dad had a stroke.He was stable, but very unwell.When I finally got out and went home, Dad couldn’t speak that well, and he still has a stutter.”
Rick’s gaze was far away as he relived what must have been a scary time for them all.
“Jenny was there too, staying in the house we grew up in, with Toby.Herassholeboyfriend had made some ridiculous demands, so she’d dumped his ass and came back here.Toby was so young, and she was barely coping.”He paused, shaking his head eyes as he recounted the memories.“I decided not to go back.They’re my family.They needed me, and I’d done what I joined the Army to do.See new places, experience life outside this little town.”
I reached to press a kiss to his cheek.“Not everyone would’ve done that.”
“Maybe, but it was the right thing to do.I got my shit out of the shoebox apartment I kept in Louisville for between tours, bought the house, and Jenny and Toby moved in.”He watched as a gray-haired woman wearing a beautiful ankle-length dark blue dress approached with Toby in her arms.“Hey, Mom.”
The woman turned, looked up and smiled.“Rick.Come here and kiss your mother.”
Rick rolled his eyes but did as he was told, keeping hold of my hand so I went with him.“Maddie, my mother, Edith.Mom, this is Maddie.”
Edith shifted Toby to her shoulder, and offered me a delicate hand sparkling with thin silver rings.“It’s so nice to meet you.Rick has talked about you.I wasveryexcited to hear he had met someone.”
