Page 46 of Tainted Tempos

MCKENNA

“It’s good to meet you.”I hug Jeannie hello.

“Oh, it’s lovely to meet you, Mckenna,” she says sweetly, hugging me back.

Jeannie Dennison is a beautiful, fifty-three-year-old widow, with a blonde bob and sparkling brown eyes. She’s fit and funny and laughs easily. She’s hardly wearing jewelry save for the beaded eyeglass strap that attaches to a pair of bifocals. They sit perched on the top of her head, yet she continues to reach for them around her neck before giving a small laugh when she recalls their placement.

In short, she is nothing like my mother. And my father is smitten with her.

“Glad you could come,” Dad says, hugging me hello. He kisses my temple. “It’s good to see you, Kenny.”

“You too, Dad,” I agree. I breathe in the scent of his cologne, and I’m surprised that it’s the same scent he’s worn since my childhood. It’s familiar and comforting, even though it’s been ages since my father has embraced me.

When I pull away, I gesture toward Maverick who is kissing Jeannie’s cheek in greeting.

“You must be Maverick,” Dad says before I can properly introduce my husband.

“Good to meet you, sir,” Mav says, holding out a hand.

Dad shakes it heartily and gives him a long look. “You never called to ask for my permission to marry Mckenna.”

Oh, God. My mouth falls open but before I can interject, Mav places a hand on my back.

“With all due respect, sir, I hardly think Mckenna needs permission to do anything. She’s an intelligent, driven, and compassionate woman who knows her mind more than you or I do.”

Oh, no. I snap my mouth closed, waiting to see how Dad accepts this reply.

To my surprise, he grins. Then, he chuckles. “No truer words could have been spoken.” He slaps Mav on the back and gestures toward the restaurant.

I fall in step with Jeannie as we follow the men into the steakhouse. We’re seated at a prime table and fall into easy conversation.

Mav waves off ordering the wine and lets Dad take the lead, which I think Dad appreciates. Jeannie shares a hilarious story about one of her first dates with Dad, at Carter’s Steakhouse, where she had a piece of spinach stuck between her two front teeth and he didn’t know how to tell her.

“Oh, it was awful,” she laughs, with tears in her eyes. “His expression kept growing more and more uncomfortable. Nearly panicked. And that made me nervous so the more and more I talked about nothing,” she adds, dabbing under her eyes with the cloth napkin.

We all laugh with her, and I notice how much younger my father looks. Healthier. Happier.

“How did you two meet?” Jeannie asks.

“We were reluctant roommates at first,” Mav starts honestly.

I arch an eyebrow, and he winks at me. Jeannie catches the exchange, and her expression softens as Mav tells her about our history, sticking as close to the truth as possible. When he’s finished, I can tell his tale has captured Jeannie and even Dad looks at him almost fondly.

It’s interesting, witnessing this side of Maverick. Mav as a family man. But as I listen to him speak and note the sparkle in his blazing blue eyes, I can’t deny his natural charisma. He’s unbelievably charming. For a rockstar, he’s relatable. He puts others at ease and makes them feel like they’ve known him for years instead of hours.

Maybe that’s why I resisted him for as long as I did. Maybe deep down I knew that if I gave him an inch, he’d take a mile and sweep me off my feet.

Little did I know, I’d want to be swept away by him.

By the time we order dessert, we’re laughing like old friends. We’re a poster for a happy, well-adjusted family, which, given the drama Dad and I have experienced in our personal lives, couldn’t be further from the truth. And yet, tonight was fun. I enjoyed myself and I liked having these two parts of my life overlap.

“We’ll see you again soon,” Jeannie gushes as we hug goodbye.

“Yes,” I agree. “I’d like that.”

“I’ll call you,” Dad promises, kissing my cheek.

“I’d like that, too,” I quip.

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