Page 81 of Love Overboard
“I’ll paint your old room for you.” Her dad stuck his fingers in his belt loops. “Pick a color.”
“You don’t have to do that, Dad.”
“Of course I don’t have to, but I want to pamper my little girl. Any color you desire.”
Lacey focused on the disembarking passengers. A woman with a huge sunflower decorating her hat wrestled with a rolling suitcase. “Yellow.”
“Yellow it is.” He grabbed her in a bear hug. “I promise you won’t recognize the place.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
She didn’t much care for yellow, but it hardly mattered. Her father would never follow through. Lacey stopped trusting his promises when she was eight years old.
“Lacey!”
She sagged with relief at the sound of Jon’s voice. Disentangling herself from her father’s arms, she waved Jon over.
“Dad. Mom. There’s a special person I want you to meet.”
Jon joined their group and stood beside her.
Her father stared at him. “The cruise director? We met already.”
“He’s not just the cruise director, Dad.” Lacey straightened her spine and looped her arm around Jon’s waist. “This is Jonathan King … my boyfriend.”
Jon stood taller at her words. His chest even puffed out a little. He looked adorably proud as he extended his hand to her father. “It’s nice to meet you, sir. I’m sorry we didn’t have enough time to get to know each other. I hope we can rectify that soon.”
Her mother’s smile stretched. She took in all six foot, two inches of attractive male and clasped her hands. “I’m so relieved you’ve found someone. I admit”—she leaned forward to whisper to Lacey—“I was starting to worry.”
Her father studied Jon without taking his hand. “Are you good enough for my daughter?”
“No, sir.” Jon kept his hand out. “I doubt anyone is. But I’ll try my best to be worthy of her.”
The sarcastic side of Lacey wanted to tease him for the old-fashioned speech, but the softer, more sensitive side she buried deep was tempted to swoon. “Dad, he’s the best, most honest, and kindest man I’ve ever met.”
Her father’s face tightened at the declaration. He shrugged and accepted the handshake. “Can’t argue with such a sterling recommendation. But I’ll be keeping an eye on you, young man. If you don’t treat my little girl right, you’ll regret it.”
“Rest assured, Mr. Anderson.” Jon let go of his hand. “I’ll take good care of her.”
“I can take care of myself,” Lacey said.
One more round of hugs, and her parents left to catch their flight. Lacey watched them walk away. Her mother lugged the suitcase with one hand and swung her purse in front of her with the other. She drew out a piece of candy and offered it to her husband. He took it and passed the empty wrapper back to her. They blended into the crowd of disembarking passengers disappearing inside the marina terminal.
“Whew.” Lacey collapsed against Jon’s side. “I’m glad that’s over.”
“Why?” He wrapped his arms around her. “Were you afraid I’d embarrass you?”
“No, it’s …” She made a split-second decision to chip away at her natural inclination to hide the ugly parts of her life. “It’s the other way around. I can’t predict what will come out of my dad’s mouth, and I spend the whole time holding my breath whenever we’re together.”
He urged her closer. “Sounds rough.”
“Sometimes.” She inhaled and exhaled in a melodramatic fashion. “But I’m breathing fine now.” She leaned into him. “I wish we could get away and have a real date. A place on dry land where the dinner plates don’t rock with the current.”
Jon pulled her near as a forklift whizzed by them, stacked high with boxes of toilet paper.
“On turnaround day?” He released Lacey, placed an index finger on her forehead, and pushed her away. “Keep dreaming.”
She whimpered.
