Part 17 (1/2)
TWELVE.
Loud barking woke Mac the next morning. He pried open one eye and checked the bedside clock. 8:07 a.m. He'd slept in. He'd have to hit the gym at lunchtime.
Arf arf arf arf arf.
He glanced toward Ali, saw she remained fast asleep, and rolled out of bed to tend to Gus. His hand was on the doork.n.o.b before he remembered that they had guests. Mac paused long enough to pull on shorts and a T-s.h.i.+rt before stumbling downstairs.
He ambled into the kitchen, then stopped abruptly. ”Caitlin?”
”Hi, Daddy!” She set the coffee scoop on the counter and flew into his arms. For that short moment, all was right with the world. After hugging her tight, he held her away from him and looked down into her beautiful face. Blond with moss-green eyes, a b.u.t.ton nose, and a bee-stung mouth, she looked more like a woman than a girl. Mac took a moment to mourn before saying, ”What a great surprise, kitten. I thought you had something important going on this weekend. Does your mother know you were coming home?”
”Everything's fine, my event got cancelled, and no, I didn't tell Mom, either. I wanted to surprise you both.” Nodding her head toward the window, she added, ”I brought my guy with me, Daddy. I thought it was time for you to meet him.”
Oh, h.e.l.l. She brought the boyfriend. Mac's stomach sank even as he turned to look outside.
The young man was tall and lean and blond, dressed in khaki shorts and a long-sleeved sport s.h.i.+rt-a pink s.h.i.+rt-with Sperrys on his feet and a ball cap with sungla.s.ses propped above the bill on his head. A picture-perfect frat daddy. Mac despised him on sight.
”Oh, okay. Tell you what. Let me run upstairs and wake your mom. You know she'll want her hair fixed and her makeup on when she meets your new, um, friend.”
”Sure. Tell her not to hurry. We'll be out by the pool drinking our coffee and playing with the dog.”
Mac climbed the stairs two at a time, then entered his bedroom and shook Ali's bare shoulder. ”Wake up, honey. I have news.”
As his wife stirred, he walked over to the window and peeped through the blinds. Ali sat up and said, ”I think I could sleep for a week. What time is it?”
”Trouble time,” he muttered. ”Your daughter is home.”
That brought her awake. ”She is?”
He watched the boyfriend smile and wave toward the kitchen window. ”She brought the boyfriend home.”
Ali's eyes widened. ”Patrick?”
”Is that his name?”
”Patrick Talley.”
”What do you know about him?”
She joined him at the window and peeked outside. ”He's pre-law at Vandy. From upstate New York. Hasn't she told you about him?”
”Yeah, but I was busy and distracted, and she went on and on until I quit listening.”
”Caitlin says he's brilliant.”
”What does she know?” he muttered. ”What do you know about his family?”
Ali shrugged and headed for the bathroom. ”I don't think his family is close. Cait mentioned his mother was a single mom. I think he's a scholars.h.i.+p student.”
”Oh.” Like me. This just keeps getting better and better.
”Cait says he's a very hard worker, and the profs all like him.”
”In other words, he's a suck-up.”
She shook her head at him. ”Now, Mac. Don't be such a stereotypical dad. Cait is a smart, savvy young woman. She won't fall for a loser.”
Mac muttered beneath his breath, ”Don't be so sure.”
Ali rushed to get dressed, and a short eight minutes later, they exited the house together. After Ali called Caitlin's name, mom and daughter squealed and ran into each other's arms. Mac sipped his coffee and told himself to be nice. When Caitlin stepped away from her mother, she motioned to the boy. ”Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet Patrick Talley. Patrick, my parents.”
The boy shook Ali's hand, and then Mac's. He had a firm handshake, but Mac wouldn't have expected any less. ”I'm so pleased to meet you, Mrs. Timberlake, Judge Timberlake.”
”Welcome to our home, Patrick,” Ali told him, gracious as always.
They all made small, get-to-know-you talk for a few minutes. The Talley kid was polite, friendly, and respectful, and Mac saw that Ali was impressed. He'd thought she had better sense than that. The longer the conversation continued, the more suspicious Mac grew. Patrick Talley had ambitions with a capital A.
The boy had done his homework where the Timberlake family business was concerned. He knew Mac's clerks.h.i.+ps out of school, knew about the Denver firm. He mentioned details about the Sandberg case that only someone closely following would know.
Mac didn't like this situation at all. If the little b.a.s.t.a.r.d thought he could use Mac's little girl, he had another think coming.
He was glad when his sons and Lori joined them and the topic of conversation s.h.i.+fted away from the legal profession. Ali suggested a big breakfast, and Mac said he'd help. When Patrick offered his a.s.sistance, too, Mac was quick to insist that he stay outside and visit with the other young people.
In the kitchen, he rummaged in the fridge, then asked, ”Bacon or sausage?”
”Bacon. French toast or pancakes?”
”Pancakes. Scrambled eggs? Not for you, of course,” he hastened to add.
Ali smiled. ”Absolutely.”
Mac waited until she had mixed the pancake batter to ask, ”So, what's the deal with this character?”
She glanced at him. ”What do you mean?”
”Isn't he just a little too ... nice?”
”Mac.” Ali's look chastised him.
”It's true. He's smarmy.”
”He's polite. He's clean-cut.”
”He's wearing a pink s.h.i.+rt!”
Ali rolled her eyes. ”He's on the honor roll.”
”Yeah, well.” He spread strips of bacon in the frying pan. ”Those are the ones you have to watch out for.”