Chapter 2

Bill’s turn:

Okay, so the news today is that I went to work this morning knowing that in four days I’d be married. That’s not unheard of for a single guy my age, even where ‘single’ includes ‘divorced’. A bit further out on the curve, though, is the fact that the bride is sixteen and that last night we’d slept together, and this morning after I leave for work, she’s taking our car to go to school.

And way out on the curve, we’ve been sleeping together for almost two years, and for most of that two years, her mom has known it. Ditto for her step-dad.

And that’s MY Haley.

We have one more hurdle to jump before the marriage takes place Saturday in the office of a little non-denominational church.

We have to tell my daughter. Deena’s the happiest result of a failed first marriage. She’s a dad’s dream, pretty, intelligent, well-behaved, and she’s known Haley for several years, ever since I bought the house next door to Haley’s, and Haley was the closest kid, even though two years of age separate them. Haley’s sixteen. Deena’s fourteen.

For most of those four years, I get Deena every other weekend. Those are times that Haley doesn’t sleep with me. Quite often, she and Deena bed down together, preparatory to an early morning departure to one destination or another, and heaven help me, if I sleep a bit late, the two of them are subject to crawl into MY bed, one on each side.

Early morning hugs from Daddy are a staple in Deena’s life. Haley in bed with me, though, is likely to produce a furtive grope.

“Why do you DO that, Haley?” I asked her once.

Those wonderful brown eyes twinkled. “Because I like feeling it, and I know you like me to touch it.” Giggle. “And it’s a tiny bit of forbidden fruit.”

“You, dear little brown-haired girl, are a huge amount of forbidden fruit.”

“I know. We shouldn’t risk this. We should stop.” She smiled. “I would, you know. If I thought I could last a day without you. But I’m an addict.”

When I got home at the end of the day, my car (Her car!) was in the driveway. As was usually the case, she was next door, spending time with her mom and little brother. When I was getting out of my company van, she was coming across the yard, backpack on her shoulder.

“We gonna do it, then?” she asked.

“Got to, sooner or later,” I said. ‘It’, in this instance, was calling my daughter (and HER friend) and telling her about the upcoming marriage.

We went into the house. The backpack went on the sofa. Haley went into my arms. Lovely. Still lovely. Two years of having my arms around this angel, and it’s still lovely.

The prospect of the phone call, though, worries me. “You know...” I started.

“I know that sooner or later, Deena was going to find out. I mean, it’s one thing to fool her for the odd weekend, but how can we fake ‘er out when we’re married and we live together?”

“I know, baby, but if it goes off track...” I started.

“Look, sweetie,” she said assertively. “You and me, we’ve talked. And I have mentioned to Deena a time or two that I thought you were, you know...” Assertive. Haley. I saw her playing bashful for her parents and I saw her sort of play the part when Deena was around, but ever since she and I became friends, she’s always acted like the was an equal partner when it came to plans and opinions.

She continued, “I even sort of said one time that I didn’t understand why her mom let you go. Said I thought you were pretty interesting, for an old guy.” She giggled, her hand roaming. “Very interesting. So maybe it’s not as being a surprise. We talked about you and her mom and about you being single and how somebody would come along and marry you.”

“She said I should think about remarrying because she thought I’d be happier. I don’t think you were who she was thinking of.”

“Well, what’s the worst that could happen? She could get shocked and get mad, but I think she’d get over it in time. She does love her daddy,” Haley said. “Her mom, on the other hand...”

“Yeah. Her mom,” I mused. “She’s gonna come unglued.”

“Doesn’t matter, Bill. I absolutely MUST marry you.”

“I choose you, darlin’. I have faith that if Deena doesn’t buy into it right off, she’ll come around to see it as a good thing...”

Haley sighed. “Let’s do it. You want me to go home while you...”

“Better or worse, punkin. I don’t keep secrets from you. Never have.”

She looked at me, smiling. She knows. “Call ‘er. Put ‘er on speaker.”

“Okay,” I said, punching the phone number up, mentally thinking that if this was a disaster, I’d have Haley to console today, Deena to console some time in the future.

Deena picked up. “Hi, Dad. I was gonna call you.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah ... One of the girls I used to go to school with, her sister’s in high school. She heard something today.”

An internal ‘Uh-oh.’ I checked Haley’s face. She was paying very close attention. “What’d she hear? Something I’m supposed to be interested in?”

“Well, yeah, Dad. She heard Haley showed up with an engagement ring. Haley. My friend. She’s only two years older’n me.”

“Uh...”

“She said Haley’s fiancé is a lot older...”

“Uh...” Damn, I’m erudite.

“Uh, Dad, if that ain’t YOU I’m going to be very mad at her. You, too...”

“Why do you say that, baby?”

“Because I know she just turned old enough to get married and I have seen enough girls who thought they were in love to know one when I see one.”

“Haley...”

“Haley’s been in love with you, Dad. If YOU don’t know, I do.”

“She told you?”

“She don’t have to tell me. I see how she acts around you. When we go somewhere, she always manages to be next to you. She looks at you when she doesn’t think I’m paying attention.”

“How does that make you feel?”

“Weird,” Deena said, “because she’s so young and you’re so old, but you NEED somebody, and I think Haley loves you.”

“Uh...”

“Dad, I’m not mad.”

“It’s me and Haley, baby,” I said.

The squeal would have been ear-splitting if I’d had the phone at my ear. I looked at Haley. She just grinned and shrugged.

“Hi, Deena,” she said.

“Haley! You just heard everything I said, didn’t you?!?”

“Uh-huh. I thought I was hiding things. He really is my best friend, you know. You’re number two.”

Deena giggled. “Every time I saw you sort of bump into him when we were all out somewhere, I just thought ‘uh-huh, that was an accident. Not.’ Dad?”

“Yes, sweetie?”

“You call Haley ‘sweetie’ too. An’ other stuff. So when are you getting married?”

“Saturday.”

“Can...”

“We want you there, Deena,” Haley interrupted. “Absolutely.”

“Gonna be strange having a step-mom two years older’n me,” Deena chuckled.

“So you’re okay with it?” Haley asked her.

“I’m okay with it. You’re my best friend. He’s my dad. Kinda weird, but I’m okay with it. I guess that means I’ll sleep by myself next time I come over, huh?”

“It can’t be this easy, punkin,” I said to Deena.

“Dad, I love you. You know when I was little an’ you n’ Mom were getting a divorce, you held me and rocked me and cried with me and told me I would always be your precious daughter.”

“I remember that, baby,” I said softly.

“I remember, too. An’ I told you that you’d always be my dad.”

“I remember.”

“This is that, Dad. You. Me. And now, Haley.”

“What about your mom...”

“You want a kitten? I think she’s gonna have one.”

Haley chuckled. I, on the other hand, “You think she’ll let us pick you up Saturday for the wedding?”

“I’m sure she will. She probably won’t want to bring me.”

“I guess not,” I mused. Deena’s mom could be a real bitch at times. “We’ll call you when we get the time nailed down.”

“‘Kay, Dad. And Haley?”

“Yeah, Deena.” Haley answered.

I figured what was coming next. “I love you too, Mom.”

“Deena!” Haley squealed.

“Bye, y’all,” Deena said. The phone call dropped.

“I wonder how long before she tells her mom,” I said to Haley and we slid together.

“I dunno, but THAT call was a surprise.”

“Yeah,” I replied. “I was thinking ‘drama’. Deena sounded happy as hell...”

“And I thought we were being discreet,” she smiled.

“I told you to be careful.”

“Deena’s smart like her daddy. I should’ve known.”

“I’m just happy she didn’t see it as a threat to her relationship with me and go off the deep end.”

“Me, too.” We snuggled in for some kissing and were interrupted by the cellphone’s ringtone.

“That’s gonna be the ex,” I said. I looked at the display. I was right. I quickly punched to answer the call and put it on speaker.

“You son-of-a-bitch!”

“And good afternoon to you, too, Laney.” I replied.

She sputtered, “Deena says you’re getting married Saturday. To a KID!”

“Haley’s sixteen. Her mom signed the license. It’s all perfectly legal...”

“She’s your DAUGHTER’S AGE!”

“Two years older, actually. I’ve known her since I moved into this house. She’s my best friend.”

“‘Known her’? In the biblical sense? That’s a CRIME, Bill!”

“I didn’t say I knew her in the biblical sense. YOU said that. We’re friends. Seems like something we both want to do. People who love each other do that, you know...”

“I knew you were weird, but this ... This is just WRONG! Sex with a teenager...”

“Laney, don’t get started. YOU weren’t a virgin when we got married. You said your first time was when you were fourteen.”

She sputtered. “Just WRONG!”

“It’s NOT wrong,” I returned. “Yes, she’s young, but she’s a straight A student. Not some ditzy mall rat.” I’d met Laney at a mall. That was a small dig.

She ignored it. “You’re old enough to be her dad.”

“I’m, like, ten years older’n her mom, actually. Like I said. I know her family. They know me. They know Deena. And Haley and I want to get married, so Saturday...”

“You will NEVER see Deena again, Bill.”

“Laney, I wish you wouldn’t do that. Deena and I have a great relationship. She knows Haley. I’ve taken those two all over the place together. They’re friends. Just because you’re unhappy with me shouldn’t make you wreck things between me and Deena.”

“Sometimes I really HATE you...”

“I’m sorry you feel like that. I wanna bring Deena to the wedding.”

“Deena says Saturday.”

“Yes. Simple ceremony. I’d like Deena there.”

“Deena tells me not to go off the deep end,” Laney sighed. She had clearly shot her bolt.

“I wish you wouldn’t. Deena ... we were worried about Deena, but she jumped both of us. Said it was weird but she was okay with it. Laney...”

“Okay, Bill. I may wake up in a cold sweat later, but okay...”

“Thank you.”

“Uh ... shit! Just shit! Okay, Bill. Here. Deena wants to talk with you.”

“Hi, Dad,” my daughter chirped. “I tried to tell ‘er not to go off the deep end.”

“I just heard the splash.”

“This’ll work out. I know it will. I’ll go to the wedding, then you can drop me off back home and go off together. Are you gonna be back in time for me to come over next weekend?”

“We will. We’re saving our honeymoon trip for later when it won’t interfere with Haley’s school.”

Giggle. “My dad marrying a high school student. Shouldn’t you be living in a trailer park somewhere?”