Page 82 of The Wiener Across the Way

Dinner was quite the affair, filled with laughter and light-hearted conversation. There was enough food to feed an army, and her mom even prepared a special doggie bowl for Pooh. Kelsey’s dad was smart as a whip, and I could see why Kelsey had entrusted her money management to him.

As Marilyn excused herself to get the pie, she motioned for Kelsey and Penelope to join her in the kitchen. “Girl talk,” she said with a wink. It was obvious she wanted the lowdown on our relationship.

Left alone with Zav, I took a deep breath, bracing myself for the inevitable fatherly interrogation.

“So, Declan,” Zav began, his tone casual but his gaze piercing. “What are your intentions with my daughter?”

Yep, there it was. There was something comforting in knowing that huge mega-star Kelsey came from such a normal... okay, slightly weird, but normal family. I met his gaze squarely, my answer ready and sincere. “I intend to love her, sir. For the rest of our lives.”

Zav studied me for a long moment, then nodded slowly, a smile breaking across his face. “That’s what I wanted to hear. She’s a special girl, our Kelsey. Deserves someone who sees that. Not like that Jake boy she was seeing. He was all about his ego and couldn’t accept that my girl was a bigger star than he was. How are you going to be at dealing with her fame, son? She’s only going to become a bigger and brighter star in the future. Could probably buy your whole team if she wanted to.”

“My ego isn’t fragile,” I assured him. “And neither is my love for her.”

Zav clapped me on the shoulder. “Glad to hear it. You’re a good man, Declan. I can tell.”

The moment was interrupted by the return of the ladies, Marilyn carrying a pie that smelled like heaven. Kelsey stoodin the doorway smiling, and I was guessing she’d overheard the end of that conversation. But she already knew exactly how I felt about her.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur of warmth and familial bonding, leaving me feeling more connected to Kelsey than ever. Her family might be small and quirky, but I saw so much of her in them, and it made me happy that I’d gotten to see yet another layer of her.

Following dinner, after we helped with the dishes, Kelsey’s dad gestured discreetly to the two of us to follow him. It was time to talk business.

“Hey, Pen, why don’t you show my mom that video of my favorite Christmas song.” Kelsey handed Penelope her phone. “I don’t think she’s heard it yet.”

Mrs. Best smiled like it was... well, Christmas morning. “Oh, sweetie, did you write a Christmas song? If I’d known, I would have been playing it in the shop.”

Penelope nodded at Kelsey, totally understanding the assignment. “Oh, you’re going to love it Mrs. Best. It’s called ‘When Santa met Frosty’.”

Penelope dragged Pooh and Marilyn to the living room, engaging her with videos of Kelsey’s Christmas performances, leaving us free to accompany Xavier to his den.

The den was a contrast to the rest of the house, more subdued, lined with bookshelves and the air heavy with the scent of aged paper and leather instead of Christmas lights and holiday spice. A large desk sat in the center, flanked by plush chairs. Xavier motioned for us to sit.

As we settled, Kelsey leaned forward, her hands clasped tightly. “Dad, Big Marine canceled my contract and the rest of the tour. I’m... I’m scared this might be the end of my career.”

Xavier’s expression was unreadable for a moment, and then a small smile played at the corners of his lips. He leaned backin his chair, folding his hands in front of him. “Kelsey, my dear, sometimes what seems like an ending is just the beginning.”

Kelsey and I exchanged glances, a mix of confusion and curiosity mirrored in our expressions. Xavier’s eyes twinkled with a hint of mystery, a man holding a secret just waiting to be revealed.

“I talked to Chet a couple of months ago, we played golf.” His voice was steady yet filled with an undertone of excitement. He looked over at me. “He’s the founder of Big Marine.”

Whoa. That was an interesting development I didn’t see coming. Kelsey’s breath hitched, and I could feel the tension in the room thicken with anticipation. Xavier’s next words promised to unravel the uncertainty that had been looming over us, potentially altering the trajectory of Kelsey’s career.

“Seems they’ve been having some cash flow problems, and me being a money manager, he wanted to see if I knew of any way that they might get flush again.”

“Dad, what are you saying?” Kelsey leaned in closer and folded her hands on her dad’s desk. “Does this have something to do with why my contract with them was cancelled?”

“No.” He shook his head and frowned. “He didn’t mention anything about that. Their announcement the other day surprised me just as much as I think it did you. I put in a call to him, but it’s the weekend, and for being a music guy, he sure does like to keep banker’s hours.”

“So what was your meeting with him about?” I think Kelsey was about to crawl across the desk and shake her dad if he didn’t reveal his insider information in the next ten seconds.

He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands behind his head as if lounging. “You know, a lot of deals are made on the golf course.”

“Dad, you’re killing me here.” Kelsey threw her hands up in the air.

“I take it back,” I stage whispered to her. “You get your showmanship from your dad. For sure.”

He winked at me. Good news was coming, I could feel it, and I already felt better. Whatever he was about to tell her was good. Really good. But if it wasn’t about her contract, I didn’t have a clue what he was going to say.

“Well, let’s just say I helped Chet with their little cash flow problem to the tune of about three-hundred and thirty million dollars. Or rather, you did.”

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