Page 60 of Captivated By You
My knees buckled and I closed my eyes before I read the text again.
“Thank Christ,” I muttered, rubbing my hand on my chest.
“If your mom was here, I’d tell you to watch your language, young man.”
For the first time all morning, I barked a laugh. “Good thing she’s not. Shit,” I sighed.
I read Claudia’s text again.
Went home. See you soon. C
Five words. It was enough. Whether theSee you soonwas a promise, or she knew I’d come after her didn’t matter.
I’d see her soon.
“You look more relieved now than I have maybe every seen you,” my dad said. “You like her.”
What was with everyone pointing that out today?
I gave him the same response I gave Jordan. “Obviously.”
I pulled up Anne’s number. Thank God for being able to move all your phone information over when you were a complete dumbass. “Son,” my dad said, his hand rested on my forearm.
He might have been thirty years older than me, but he was almost as big, maybe stronger. He had the chance to workout more than I did and he’d been using his body physically his entire life. “Look at me.”
And when Chuck Allistor spoke, I listened. “What?”
“Hold on to her. If you care about her as much as I think you do, do whatever it takes to keep her. And whatever you’ve done to send her running, apologize as fast as you can.”
“What makes you think I’ve done anything wrong?”
My dad grinned devilishly. “Doesn’t matter if you have or you haven’t. Been married to your mom for over thirty years and the one thing I’m sure to know is when she’s pissed, apologize. Then tell her she’s pretty. It works every time.”
He gave me a wink and I fought the urge to vomit. I didn’t even want to know what that wink implied. They were my parents for crying out loud.
“Thanks, Dad. I’ll keep it in mind.”
I pulled him in for a hug and slapped him on the back. “You sure you don’t need anything from me here? I can stay until the frenzy leaves.”
“Nah. Kevin took Sophie up to Lawrence for the weekend. He says they’ll hang out in a hotel there with the boys and come back Monday. Thought it’d do her some good to have a weekend relaxing at a spa.”
“Good man.”
“Both my boys are.”
“Thanks, Dad. Tell Mom I love her and I’ll call you soon.”
“Leaving so soon? Don’t you have to pack?”
“I’ll get it taken care of.” I waved my phone in the air. “Besides, I’ve got apologizing to do.”
I didn’t. I hadn’t done anything except start falling in love with her, but if she needed me to, I’d tell Claudia whatever she wanted to hear just so I could be assured she’d be spending the night exactly how we started the day.
Together.
I dialed Anne’s phone number and when she answered, skipped the pleasantries.
“Anne,” I said, “she’s in Savannah. Get me a ticket.”
