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Trepidation filled him, but he tried not to let it show. “Oh?”
“Do you remember the guy, Jesse, I was telling you about?”
“The guy you were seeing.” He remembered him. The guy seemed nice enough. He was a few years older than Cassandra and worked in accounting if he remembered correctly.
Cassandra nodded. “Well...” She looked over her shoulder again and Daniel realized Jesse must be there with her. “He asked me to marry him, and I said yes!” The last word came out in almost a squeal.
Daniel was trying to figure out how to respond when he heard the front door open. His gaze drifted from the phone and his daughter to the foyer. Even though he couldn’t see Ali, he could feel her presence in his home.
“Dad?”
He forced his attention back to the phone.
Cassandra was looking at him with concern. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” He could hear Ali’s footsteps retreating down the hall.
“What’s wrong?” Cassandra asked.
Instead of answering his daughter’s question, he asked one of his own. “When do I get to meet him?”
“Um. He’s here now if you want—”
“I meant in person.” Technology was all well and good, but there were things you could ascertain from meeting someone in person you couldn't over the phone. Not even via video chat. “If you’re planning to marry the man, I’d like to meet him.”
“Um.” She looked off camera again. “Maybe we could come down for a weekend or something. This is tax season, so it’s hard for Jesse to get off work.”
Daniel nodded. “Just let me know when works best and I’ll rearrange my schedule. I want to make sure this guy’s good enough for you.”
“Dad.” It was said in that tone children use when they’re exasperated but resigned with their parents.
He chuckled. “Humor your old man, all right?”
She laughed. “We’ll talk about it, and I’ll let you know when we’ll be down.”
CHAPTER3
Ali tookhold of the doorknob and twisted. The knob turned and she pushed the door open.
It felt strange letting herself into Daniel’s house. When she drove up the winding driveway, she realized she would have no idea if he was home if he parked his vehicle in the garage as he had the night before.
She thought about knocking but changed her mind. Daniel had given her the code and if the front door was locked, she’d go through the garage. It wasn’t as if she was sneaking in or something.
As soon as she stepped over the threshold, she heard him. He was talking to someone. The other voice sounded feminine.
A momentary pang of jealousy curled in her belly, but she tamped it down. He wasn’t hers. She had no claim on him. Not like that anyway.
As quietly as she could, she closed the door and turned toward her room. It was exactly how she left it, messy bedsheets and all.
Tossing her purse onto the mattress, Ali kicked off her shoes and dug in her suitcase to find something comfortable to wear. It had been a long day and all she wanted to do was relax.
Ali dug out a pair of leggings and a long sweater, along with some comfy socks. It didn’t take long to change, but now she didn’t know what to do with herself. It was after six and she was getting hungry, but she didn’t want to disturb Daniel if he was still on the phone.
Biting her lip, she contemplated her options. She could stay holed up in her room all night and starve, or she could venture out and see if he was finished with his call.
The grumbling in her stomach made her decision for her. She hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast and her body was protesting. It needed food. Stat.
She entered the large open space that included the kitchen, dining room, and living area to find Daniel working on dinner. He must have heard her approach because he turned and met her gaze. “Hey.”
