Chapter Twenty

RICHARD

Time flies.

That's what Richard realized five days later. He hadn't had much time to revisit what had transpired between him and Ava in the kitchen.

The hug. The kiss. The heat.

There were projects that needed his attention so he had barely been home. He left very early and only got home later in the night. Late enough that he'd missed Ava. Again.

He had dinner that Taylor had served him and he'd had a bath and retired to his home office.

He sat in his Study and shuffled through blueprints and documents that were scattered over his desk. He needed to go make propositions for landed properties for the next few weeks so he needed to get everything ready and in order.

He was still sorting the papers when the door creaked open and Taylor came into view.

"Taylor," he muttered, sparing a second to look at her face that was peering into the Study. He returned his attention to the documents.

"Do you have a minute?" She asked, still standing at the door.

Richard dropped the papers and looked at her. "I actually don't, but I could spare some for you. Come in."

She smiled at him and advanced into the office, shutting the door behind her.

"Is there a problem?" He asked and leaned back into the recliner, giving her his total attention.

She lowered herself into the chair across his. She just shrugged. Richard could read the hesitation.

"It's not really a problem, but I..." She sighed and hesitated, then continued. "You never asked me why I chose to go to Merynn."

Richard frowned. He was sure he'd asked her hundreds of times even before she got on that plane. "I did ask you Taylor. You said you didn't want me..."

She shook her head at him. "It's not that. Well, it was true I didn't want your help, but..." She paused.

Richard's frown deepened, becoming concerned. He'd never thought that Taylor might ever keep things from him.

Aria might be a nutcase and would do whatever she wanted but Taylor_

Taylor was different. His relationship with Taylor ran deeper than just being a father and a daughter. They had a special bond and read each other better.

They were friends. Sitting up, he leaned closer over the desk as though they were about to share a mutual secret.

"But what, Taylor? Is there something you're not telling me?"

She shook her head again, just this time it was fierce. Her eyes were darting all over the place and it got Richard more concerned.

"Everything I told you about Merynn and my reasons for going there were all true. I... I just didn't tell you the other reason."

Without batting an eyelid, he asked. "What other reason?"

Resting her eyes on her father, Taylor sighed and let the cat out. "I'm in love dad."

Whoa! Okay! Someone should rewind that!

That was the last thing he was expecting from Taylor. Infact, he wasn't expecting to hear that at all.

She looked dead serious and he knew it was important for her to come in there and say it.

Although, twenty five, she had a good head on her shoulders and he always trusted her to be responsible. She never let him down and in that regard.

It all made sense to him now. That facetime she kept looking away at something or someone with sparkling eyes.

His daughter was in love.

Whoa! That's huge!

But, there was still something.

"How's that related to Merynn?"

"I went there to meet him. He lives there... In Merynn." She gave him a wary smile.

Nodding gently, he pushed away from the desk and leaned back into his recliner, folding his arms against his chest.

"How did you meet him? What does he do?" His voice bland.

"We started talking last year on Facebook and..."

That got Richard springing from his chair. "You met him on social media? You flew all the way to Merynn to meet a guy you met on social media?" He tried to keep his voice smooth but the sting was there and Taylor could hear it.

Her face paled as though he'd slapped her. "I didn't go all the way," she pointed out. "I had a training program and we decided to meet up."

"When did you decide that? You don't meet people like that. He could be dangerous!"

"But he's not!"

Taylor's voice rang, higher than his and that shut him up. Her eyes were wide as they gazed up at him.

"He's not dangerous dad. He's nice and sweet..." Her voice lowered.

Sweet? Jesus!

"And funny and intelligent. He reminds me of you."

That knocked Richard for six because he wasn't expecting that. "What?" He muttered.

Taylor levered herself and strode to where he stood. "You might not know this dad, but you're everything I want in a partner. You're strong and passionate and kind and funny..."

"No I'm not funny." He countered.

"You can be when you put your mind to it. All I'm saying is this... You're my role model and I saw all that in Jasper."

"Who the hell is Jasper?"

Taylor just giggled softly and didn't say a word.

It clicked and he shook his head. "So, Jasper is his name."

She nodded and giggled more.

It occured to him right then that she was now a grown woman who can and had always made her choices.

Retreating to his recliner, he sat and dropped his hands on the desk and waited till Taylor sat too. "Do you remember that night you came in here, just the way you did tonight? You asked me to be your date to prom."

Taylor smiled brightly and leaned closer. Her eyes sparkled.

"I couldn't believe that you'd ask me to go to prom with you."

Taylor chuckled. "You said you'd think about it." The laughter was there in her voice.

Richard nodded. "If you had paid close attention you might have seen that I was embarrassed and stunned."

They both giggled at that.

"I'm glad that you're my daughter Taylor. I might not have said this before but I truly am proud of you."

"Do you want to meet him? I love him but I still need your approval."

Richard gave a little laughter and nodded. "You can invite him. Then I'll ask him all the questions I'll get written down somewhere."

Laughing, she shook her head. "No way dad. It's not a job interview."

"I need to know if he truly deserves my first daughter. He needs to be worthy of you."

She thought for a while then shrugged. Richard knew that it was her way of just letting it slide but would still do whatever she wanted.

They relapsed into a brief comfortable silence till Taylor decided to shatter it.

"Dad?"

Richard knew that tone. It wasn't asking for a favor, or a gift. It was apprehensive and even.

"Taylor?" He matched her tone.

"About you and Simone..." She ran her tongue over her lower lip before continuing. "Do you really want to settle down with her?"

Where did that come from?

That was the tone. It was seeking him out.

"I mean she's okay. Aria adores her but..."

"But what?" His voice was sharp.

"You really should go for someone you love. You've put a lot of things on hold for our sakes. I think it's just fair to do what you want for once."

He shut his eyes briefly and opened them to give her a dark stare. It was frightening, but it was piercing and Taylor understood it.

"What do you know about what I want Taylor?"

"I don't."

"You don't like Simone? I thought you did."

She shrugged. "You like her. Aria does too. She is the only person you've brought home that she likes, so..." She paused and started again. "You've been doing that for a long time now dad."

"You've always needed Aria's permission for all your relationships, but Aria's grown now. You need to go for who you really like."

"It's not that simple." His voice was taut and hard.

"It is simple, dad. It's been twenty years since our mother died. You need to fall in love again."

Taylor was really grown, because Richard couldn't believe that he was receiving relationship lecture from her.

Wow!

Could he really tell her about Ava?

He still needed to talk to Ava, but now...

With Taylor giving him a heart to heart talk, he felt he might just tell her.

"What if there's someone else?" He asked in a swift breath.

There was an abrupt silence. Then Taylor broke into a wide smile.

"Dad..." She drawled enthusiastically. "Tell me something."

He shook his head. That was all he needed to know.

"Do I know her? Is she pretty? Is she popular?"

He pinned her with a long stare. "You know her. She is pretty but no, she's not popular. That's all you need to know."

Taylor frowned, the smile still on her face. "How would I know her if she's not popular?"

"That's all you need to know. No more. Now, I need to get back to work."

Taylor didn't budge, nor move a muscle. She seemed to be in a deep thought.

Richard made a show of shuffling and clicking on the mouse when Taylor's voice halted him again.

"No way dad. It's not what I'm thinking."

Richard squinted at her. She was smart but no way was she just going to guess it right.

He hoped she just wouldn't.

"What are you thinking?"

She scoffed and looked away, then returned her eyes to him.

And Richard knew it right then.

She'd guessed it right.

"Taylor..."

"Dad, no way it's her."

There, she had just did.

"Ava? You have a thing for Ava? I knew it?" Taylor's voice wasn't upset. Rather it was the opposite.

"Taylor..."

"Goodness dad. Someone that I know and isn't popular but pretty? That's Ava at the end of the riddle!"

Taylor was really laughing.

Richard was sure he was the spitting image of the night Taylor had asked him to be her prom date.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yes dad. I have eyes. I guessed it that day I came back. You had eyes all over her... You're so cute and I really like her. She's so sweet and I see why now."

Richard ran a palm over her face sighed heavily.

"This is embarrassing."

"No it's not, but what are you going to do about Simone?"

And that was all it took for Richard to remember that Simone had not agreed to a break up.

"I'll figure it out." He breathed.

"You really should." Taylor seconded.