Page 22 of Anyone But Her

"Yeah. Sounds great. I just feel bad that your dad is paying for me. I wish I had the money to pay for it myself."

"Don't worry about it. Look around." He motions to the pool and the gardens and the guest house that make up the back yard. "My parents are loaded. This trip is nothing. Plus, my dad just signed a deal for another commercial. I don't know how much he's getting paid but he made it sound like a lot."

Since retiring, Cal's dad has been doing a lot of commercials. He's on TV so much that people recognize him more now than when he was a pro golfer.

"You should do that," Cal says.

"Do what?"

"Commercials. It'd get you some extra cash and you'd get exposure. You need to get known so sponsors will want you when you get on the pro tour."

"Who's going to want me on a commercial? I'm still a nobody."

"A nobody who's been called 'one to watch under thirty' by one of the most popular golf magazines."

"There were twenty people on that list. I'm not going to get hired for a commercial because of that."

"You never know."

"Well, if something comes my way, then yeah, I'll take it but I doubt that's gonna happen. So, um, how long will we be spending at the college?"

"Not sure. My parents have stuff they have to go to on Saturday but we can skip all that and hang out at the hotel."

"Don't you want to see your sister?"

"I'll see her in the morning. We're all going golfing."

"We are?"

"Yeah. There's a course nearby my dad wants to try out."

We're going golfing with Taylor? That means I'll not only meet her but be spending several hours with her. That should be enough time to convince myself she's not the dream girl I keep imagining her to be.

This trip will be good. I'll finally get over my obsession with Taylor and never have to think about her again.

"Cal, are you out here?" I hear his mom say. She comes out the door to the patio, smiling when she sees me. "Luke! Welcome!"

I stand up as she walks over to me. "Hi, Mrs. Tuckerman."

She gives me a hug. "It's Barb. You know better than to be so formal with me. And Cal's dad is Lou, not Mr. Tuckerman." She stands back and looks me up and down. "You get more handsome every time I see you."

"Mom, seriously?" Cal says. "Inappropriate."

"He's a nice looking young man. There's nothing wrong with pointing that out." She smiles. "And those dimples. I bet you get a lot of girls with those dimples."

"Mom." Cal sighs. "Enough."

I laugh. "Thanks for the compliment, Mrs.—I mean, Barb."

Cal's parents are awesome. Loving, caring, supportive. All things my parents aren't and never will be. But Albert is. Thank God I have him in my life. If I didn't, I don't know what would've happened to me. I'd probably be working in the shipyards with my dad right now, hating my life.

"Did Cal tell you about the trip?" Barb asks.

"Yeah. Sounds great! Thanks for inviting me."

"I think it'll be fun. And this way, Lou and I can go off and do our own thing while you two spend time at the golf course."

"You and Dad could've done that anyway," Cal says. "I don't need a babysitter."

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