Page 27 of Keeping It
Leaning back in my seat, I wrap one arm around Caroline’s wooden chair back. “I’m not sure you could have refused,” I reply, glancing from May to Caroline. “We wanted it pretty badly.”
“You sure did, son. And because of it we don’t have to worry about the bills anymore!” he exclaims loudly, one hand slapping the table.
Caroline shakes her head, laying a hand across her forehead. “Daddy. Subtlety has never been your strong suit. He’s a business partner now. Try to be professional.”
In that moment, the switch is thrown. Dad mode. “A business partner is he? That why your hand is on his leg, is it? Why we’re eating dinner together as a family, huh? That why he looks at you like you hung the moon? He’s a business partner then? Nothing more than that?” May dares her to challenge him, a narrowed grimace on his face. When Caroline takes a small bite of food he says, “That’s what I thought.”
“Tell us about yourself Tyler. Other than the glowing praise Caroline has given you, we don’t know who you are,” Mrs. May says, taking this as a prime opportunity to ask the hard questions. Clearing my throat, I set down my fork. “Well, ma’am, I grew up all over the world. My father is a Navy man himself. We never lived in any one place longer than a couple of years. They’ve settled in Chico, California.” I lift and lower one shoulder. “I don’t have any brothers or sisters by blood, but the Teams have given me a slew of brothers.” Mrs. May is smiling when I finish my explanation, and I hope that’s as much as I’ll have to talk about my career path.
“Taking up after your Daddy. I like that,” Mr. May says, glancing to his daughter with a fond look. “You’re liking Bronze Bay then? Going to hang around for a while?”
Caroline snakes her hand away, and clasps her hands in her lap. “It’s hard for some to fathom why someone like me would like to stay in a small town in Florida, but when you’ve lived the life I’ve lived, sir, you begin to appreciate the small, important things in life. You know when you have a good thing. A perfect thing. A beautiful thing. Something you want to keep,” I explain, reaching under the table to take her hand in mine. “Bronze Bay opened my eyes to a whole new way of life. I love it here.”
“Love is a pretty strong word,” Mrs. May declares, her mouth quirking up in one corner. “It is a lovely place, though. We do know that Caroline loves Bronze Bay as much as we do.”
Caroline tucks a strand of blonde, wild hair behind her ear. “Though I’m thinking I’d like to see other places.”
“Oh,” May asks. “You always said no sense flying anywhere when you couldn’t get back the same day. This man got you thinking about branching out a bit?”
She swallows hard. “His stories are pretty amazing,” Caroline says meekly. “Things I’d like to see for myself, that’s all. Not on a screen, but with my own eyes.”
It’s the first she’s mentioned it, not that I’m surprised. She has the flying bug. I’m sure it’s only a small nudge to create a traveling bug, too. “We could start in New York?” I say.
“Really?” she says, eyes lighting.
“That’s not safe. It’s not safe at all in them, there big cities,” Mr. May remarks.
Mrs. May lays a hand on his arm. “She’ll be with Tyler, honey. How much safer could she possibly be?” At least mama bear catches on quickly.
I put one hand on my chest. “I’d never let anything happen to Caroline, Sir. Trust that. I’d protect her with my own life.”
You could hear a pin drop in that living room. The crickets chirping outside make their presence known in our acute silence. Caroline is staring at me, bottom lip pouting out. I’d kiss her if we weren’t sitting at her parents table, and by the way she licks her lips, she knows it. “I haven’t told you about the trip I have to take next week. How about we fly up there a little early and check it out?”
Her eyes slant down in the corner. “Oh, you’re leaving?” Her mom and dad are talking to each other, ostensibly about Caroline going to New York and my credentials of caring for her safety.
I squeeze her hand. “For a few weeks. A quick trip. It will be like I’m not even gone.”
Her eyes widen. “Three weeks is a quick trip?”
A rumble of a laugh shakes my body, I touch her arm lightly. “I won’t have to do this a lot. I’m kind of, ah, filling in for someone. Don’t worry,” I coax. “Hey, what do you say? Do you want to go paint the town red with me? It will be a quick flight. You can even fly us if you want to scare me again.”
She smiles. “How can I say no to that?” I release her when I realize every single word and move are being scrutinized by her parents. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Caroline is still caught up in us, so she isn’t aware.
“I found out today,” I say loudly, including everyone in the conversation. “We have a block of rooms at a very nice, very safe hotel in Manhattan. I assure you despite our presence there, that city is one of the most protected in the country. The problems we’ll be dealing with are on the outskirts.” Lie. Lie. Lie. “You’ve never been there, right?” I ask Caroline.
Shaking her head, she says, “Of course not! Shirley is going to die when I tell her. She’s always wanted to go! Oh my gosh.” A woman who flies airplanes, but hasn’t visited a bustling city mere hours away boggles my mind, but I’m learning. Caroline has quirks and hang-ups like any other woman. Hers are just, not as…normal. Or, at least not what I’m used to.
“She can come if she wants,” I offer, hoping she declines. The prospect of having her all to myself in a different atmosphere fills me with anticipation. “I can show you both around. I’ve been there quite a lot over the years. There’s so much to see,” I explain.
“He goes from business partner to showing our baby around one of the biggest cities in the world,” May says, tone droll.
“Now, now, dear. Remember the time we went to the city? How much fun we had? I think it will be an amazing experience for her.”
Caroline interrupts. “I’m not a baby, daddy. Not even close. I’m a full-grown woman capable of touring a big city all by myself if I wanted to.” She wouldn’t do that, we all know that. May nods his head, because even he knows when not to push a woman. “I’d love to go with you, Tahoe,” Caroline says, sliding her head to meet my gaze, and then bounces back to look at her mom. “As long as mama can live without me at the diner.”
Her mom squints, like Caroline’s words sting her on soul level. “Of course, the diner can live without you. Never feel like the restaurant is holding you back, honey.”
Mr. May clears his throat. “You should know better. Your mama can replace you anytime you want. We both know you’re going to want to spend more time at the airport as I ease my way out. We were expecting you to call it quits before now to be honest. You’ve been so busy working on that apartment, and with hurricane season approachin’ you’re about to get even busier I’d reckon.”
