Austin walked out of the classroom with a little extra hop in his step. He was a full professor at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. It was his last class of the morning and he was eagerly looking forward to a day on the lake in the classic wood canoe he had recently purchased. It was early October and the sun was warming the orange, red and yellow leaves on the trees. He heard the sound of a female voice behind him. “Hey professor, can you slow down? I need to talk to you about my Organic Chemistry exam.” The voice was familiar.

When he turned around and saw who had called out to him his face broke into a huge smile. “Jill! Oh, my god, what are you doing here?” The young woman ran to him and threw her arms around him.

“Just thought I would drop by and say hello to my old chemistry professor.” She hugged him tightly and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Are you surprised, Daddy?”

“Wow, surprised doesn’t even begin to describe it.” He gave her a tight hug and a kiss. “I didn’t think I’d see you until Christmas. What brings you here now, honey?”

“I just flew in to see my old pop. I thought you’d be surprised.”

“But how did you find me? Wait. let me guess. You stopped by to see Mrs. Tolbert in Burke Hall?”

“I did, and I saw Dean Gregg also when I was there. He made me have coffee with him until your last class ended.”

“That old coot,” he laughed. “He never could keep his eyes off the pretty coeds. So, when did you get in?”

“I got Cape Air from Boston and arrived about an hour and a half ago. I got a non-stop from San Francisco that left about 10 last night.”

“Wow, Jill, you’ve been up all night! You must be exhausted. Come on, I’ll get you to the house so you can get some sleep. Were you able to sleep any on the flight?”

“Yeah, some. I was thinking that I should try to stay awake now until late afternoon and then go to bed early. That worked for me last Christmas.”

“Okay honey, let’s go. The weather is nice today so I drove the 911. Do you want to drive?”

“Well, normally I’d say yes in an instant but since I’m not as alert as I could be so maybe you better drive, Daddy. Make the same offer tomorrow, okay?”

“I will honey.”

During the ride home Jill was her usual, exuberant self, talking almost non-stop. Then the mood changed. She grew quiet for a few moments before she spoke again. “It seems really strange to not turn right back there on Trescott Road to go to the old family house. How do you like the new house now that you’ve been in it for a while?”

“It’s really nice. I think you’ll really like it. I know you would have preferred that I stay in the old house forever, but it was just too big for one person.”

“I understand, Daddy. I think it’s good that you moved. I can imagine that being there for the last eight or nine years without Mom was difficult sometimes.”

“Well, it wasn’t too bad, but I do think it’s better that I’m in my own house now. I think your mom would have agreed.”

“Yeah, I think so too, Daddy.”

The afternoon plans to go canoeing were a distant memory for Austin as he gave his daughter a tour of his new house located farther out of town. They had a quick lunch and then took a very short hike around the 80 acre property. When they returned to the house the weather was turning cold, so Austin lit a fire in the fireplace that was a secondary source of heat for the home.

Later that late afternoon when they had settled in on the sofa in the den, Austin turned to his daughter and said, “Okay, sweetheart, enough with the mystery. To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure? Since you graduated and moved to San Francisco you’ve never been back here at this time of the year. Christmases, yes. A Thanksgiving one time, I remember. Fourth of July a couple of times. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled that you’re here, but I sense that something is different about this visit. What’s up?”

Jill was quiet. She looked away for a moment. When she looked back at her father he could see that something was hurting her. “I don’t really know how to say it, Daddy.”

“Jill, you can say anything to me. I’m your father and I love you. Is it something bad?”

“Well, it’s been bad for me.”

“Just throw it out, honey. Remember, that’s what we do in our family. Your mother and I always taught you that full, unrestrained honesty is the best way to approach problems. What is it?”

“It’s not the end of the world or anything,” she said, and then paused a moment. “Okay. I will throw it out.” She looked directly at her father and said, “It’s men, Daddy. It’s men. Specifically, it’s the men I’ve been with. I’m done with them, I think. I’ve been kicked in the teeth too many times.”

“I noticed that Jason wasn’t with you. I figured you’d tell me why eventually.”

“Yeah, Jason isn’t with me, or Bobby, or Carl. I’m sure you remember them all. Oh, by the way, there was a Don in there that you never met. Don was after Carl and before Bobby. And there were others before all of them. And every one of them turned out to be a complete asshole. Every one. And not just a little bit bad, or just not good enough. They were really, really BAD. Cheaters. Liars. If I went into the details you’d understand, but please don’t make me relive it. Again and again I keep falling in love with the wrong man. So, I’m done.”

“Well, I can’t say that I’m surprised with a couple of those guys. Like Bobby. I never liked Bobby. What kind of grown man goes by the name Bobby, anyway? Isn’t he really Robert, or Bob? He seemed like a little boy. Hearing that about Jason also doesn’t surprise me a lot.”

“He was the worst of all of them, Daddy. And 2 weeks ago I felt like I wanted to marry him. I thought that he was the one. But he hurt me the most. And what makes it worse is that now I feel so stupid to not recognize what was going on right in front of me.”

“I’m really sorry, honey. Yeah, maybe it is best that you turn the romance switch off for a while and use that time to re-evaluate what you want in a man. Turn off that asshole magnet you seem to be carrying around.”

“That is exactly what I intend to do, Daddy. Exactly. Turn off the romance switch and turn off the asshole magnet.” She paused for a few minutes. When she had calmed down she said softly, “There’s one other thing, Daddy.”

“What is it, honey?”

This is going to surprise you. I hope in a good way.”

“Okay?”

“Can I live here for a while?”

“What? Here in Hanover? You’re leaving San Francisco?”

“Yes.”

“Honey, you’re my daughter, of course you can live here. You are welcome here as long as you want to stay. But what about your job at D&T?”

“I’ve already set it up so I can telecommute. The new position here will be one step down the corporate ladder but I don’t care. I’ll actually get to keep my current salary since my billing rate will be the same but my overhead costs will be lower since they won’t have to provide me with office space in San Francisco. They have done it with others so that they could free up office space for new hires. It’s a win-win for all.”

“Well, that sounds great. We have really strong internet available here. I’ll call them tomorrow to upgrade to a more robust package.”

“Thanks, Daddy. This is exactly what I need. I need to leave California behind me, and that whole way of life. I need to leave California men behind. I need to reconnect to New Hampshire, and Hanover. This is really where I’m at my best, anyway. This is home. I was born here, went to grade school and high school here, and even went to Dartmouth because it was home. Where you and Mom were. I really need this. I don’t think I’ll ever return to California again.”

“You won’t hear me trying to change your mind about that. I’m thrilled to have you home again. You stay as long as you want.”

“Whew! That’s good to hear since I have already shipped everything I own to this address. It will arrive in a few days. But don’t worry, it’s not a lot. Just clothes and office stuff. Books. Lots of books. It’s 8 boxes, a half cubic meter each. Four cubic meters total.”

“No problem. We’ll find a place for it. By the way, did you happen to notice that there is only one full bathroom in this house? It’s 200 years old and back then they didn’t make them like they do today. It was a concern when I bought it but it was otherwise so perfect that I accepted it and bought the house anyway. We’ll make it work. I can hang a neck tie on the doorknob and we can use it to signal that we’re getting busy inside. Like we did in the dorms.” He gave her a wink and she laughed.

“Yeah, I noticed, and it won’t be a problem. I will be a good house mate, you’ll see. By the way, can I be first in the shower tonight? I think that I’m about to crash.”

“Of course, sweetheart. Do you want a light dinner first? I can make something fast.”

“No daddy. Sleep. I need sleep. How about I make you breakfast tomorrow? Mrs. Tolbert told me that you don’t have any Saturday requirements this semester. Maybe you could...” She stopped talking. “Oh, my god! I’m so selfish. What am I thinking? I didn’t even think that you might have your own plans tomorrow.”

“No plans, honey. I’m all yours.”

She smiled. “Good.” She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “Goodnight, Daddy. I love you.” She made her way up the stairs.

“I love you too, baby. Sweet dreams.” He watched her climb the stairs. Wow! What a change of events. That morning he had been all alone, like he had been since his wife had died less than a month before Jill graduated from high school. Ten years had passed since then. Ten years of living alone. Now he was going to have a woman in the house again. He didn’t know what to expect, but he knew it was going to be eventful.

Coffee and hot pancakes with fresh maple syrup and thick sliced smoked bacon are a great start to anyone’s day. As they sat drinking their second mug of coffee Austin said, “How about a paddle on Mascoma Lake today? We can take out my new canoe if you’re up to it. The weather forecast is perfect. We might not get many days like this before winter sets in.”

“Oh, that would be so much fun. I haven’t been in years,” she said. “In fact, let’s take a picnic lunch and make a day of it.”

“That sounds like a great idea. Remember Jake’s Deli? It’s right on the way and we can stop for sandwiches and snacks to go. I have a small cooler we can use. Let’s get the kitchen cleaned up.” Working as a team they cleared the table, stacked the dishwasher, wiped the counters, and were finished in record time. Ten minutes later they had loaded the canoe on top of Austin’s restored classic Jeep Grand Wagoneer.

At Jake’s they filled the cooler with fresh deli-made sandwiches, bottled water, a six pack of a local craft beer, chips, and peanut butter cookies fresh from the oven. They would eat well that day. The morning air was quite brisk, making thick fleece pullovers the appropriate attire for the day. It was a beautiful New England autumn day.

They put the canoe in at the public launch on the north end of the lake. On the upper portion of the lake they paddled along the more scenic eastern side where there were still very few homes. They passed the bridge and eased into the Dartmouth Yacht Club for a brief break. After their break they continued south. The entire lake is just over four miles long, so before it was even lunch time they arrived at Crescent Beach at the southern end.

When they had paddled northward into the wind for about an hour they decided to stop paddling for lunch. The southern end of the lake was more developed so pulling the canoe onto land wasn’t the best option. Instead, they just stopped paddling in the middle of the lake and opened up the cooler. Jill turned around to face her father and started handing out the food. They were slowly being pushed by the wind back toward the southern end of the lake but they didn’t care. They had all day.

As they drifted they talked more about her plans, and more about her frustrations with the men in her past. Austin was surprised to learn how adamant she was to totally remove herself from any kind of romantic opportunities. She meant it when she said she was off the market. After they had popped the caps of their second beers, Austin lifted his in a toast and said, “To New Hampshire.”

“To New Hampshire, far from California!” They clinked their bottles together. A few moments later Jill added, “And here’s to you, Daddy. The only man in my life.”

A few days after Jill arrived in Hanover Austin decided that he should tell his daughter something that had been on his mind since shortly after she had arrived. At dinner one evening he decided to follow his own advice and just throw it out there. “Hey, honey, there is something I forgot to tell you about. You know Homecoming is coming up in a few weeks.”

“Definitely. I was hoping we could go to the bonfire and game together.”

“Well, that’s what I need to talk to you about.”

“Okay, go on.”

“Well, I sorta have a date already.”

“What?! I didn’t even know you were seeing someone.”

“I’m not, I’m not. It’s just this one event. One of my former students who is coming into town for Homecoming asked me to be her date at some of the events.”

“Oooooohhhh, Daddy. One of your students! How naughty. What would Dean Gregg think about that?”

“Jill, there is no rule against it. She’s not my student any more. She’s not anyone’s student any more. She’s a PhD now with a very successful career.”

“When did she graduate, Daddy? Was she one of my classmates?” Jill asked the question jokingly, confident that she was just teasing her father, and that his date was going to be someone much older than herself.

“That’s not important.”

“Oh, no you don’t!” Now Jill was truly intrigued. “What year, Daddy?”

“If you really have to know, she graduated in 2014.”

“2014?! I’m class of 2018. Daddy, she’s only four years older than me!”

He thought for a moment. He knew he had to disclose everything. “Actually, the difference isn’t even that much. She was a child prodigy and started Dartmouth when she was fifteen, and finished her bachelors at eighteen. I think she is about the same age as you.” He looked down awkwardly, anticipating her reaction.

Jill couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It felt like she had been punched in the gut. She looked at her father with her mouth wide open in shock. Then, it hit her. She knew who this young woman was. “Oh, my god. You’re dating Beth Foreman? That’s her, right? She’s kind of a legend at Dartmouth. Everyone knows who she is.”

“Yes, that’s her.”

“Uhhh, Daddy. I have news for you. She was the TA in one of my first year classes. I was her student. We all thought she was joking when she introduced herself the first day because she looks even younger than she actually is, so at the time she looked like a high school sophomore. Daddy, I can’t believe you’re dating her.”

“I’m not dating her. We’re going on a date.”

“How did it happen? Who asked who out?”

“She asked me. She was on campus in September one day and stopped in my office. We chatted for a few minutes and then as I was about to excuse myself to go to my second class, she asked me then. It happened so fast that I didn’t know how to react. I thought about it for a moment and accepted. She’s not a TA any more, Jill. She’s a very competent, professional, grown woman. She’s not even affiliated with the school directly. She occasionally participates in research here, that’s all.”

“Wow, Daddy. I guess I’m impressed. I’m glad you’re at least dating someone. I just didn’t expect it to be one of my peers. And, of course, I remember that she’s quite beautiful.”

“Yeah, there’s that also.” He winked at his daughter.

Jill couldn’t believe it. Her father was dating someone the same age as herself. She knew that her father’s students frequently had crushes on him. He was very good looking and had the kind of personality that made everyone around him feel good. She remembered that two of her own classmates had boldly stated that they had a crush on him when they were in his Organic Chemistry class together her second year. But, he was old, wasn’t he?

It didn’t take long for Jill to reconnect with a few of her old classmates. Her very best friend from high school was Molly Young, who had moved back to Hanover after she graduated from Penn State. She had also kept in contact over the years with Pam Bradford, a classmate from Dartmouth who stayed after graduation to be a nurse at the Dartmouth-Hickock Medical Center. The three of them snagged homecoming football game tickets and made plans for the homecoming weekend. Jill was incredibly excited about getting on campus for the festivities.

The three women met on The Green to watch the parade. They ran into old classmates and laughed together like they were seniors getting ready for graduation again. This was just what Jill needed. The asshole magnet was turned off and men were the last thing on her mind.

The Friday night bonfire was turning out to be a lot of fun for Jill and her friends. They had consumed more than their share of beer and wine throughout the day and Jill felt great, even to the point that she stopped thinking about actively avoiding men and instead just relaxed with her friends.

When the event was coming to a conclusion the three friends started walking toward Pam’s car. Pam had drawn the short straw and was their designated driver. They worked their way through the crowd until they were almost off The Green. Then, Jill saw them. Off to their right she saw her father and Beth Foreman, still watching the flames of the bonfire die down. Jill froze and grabbed the arms of her friends. “Guys, stop,” she said. In an instant the girls recognized what Jill was looking at.

Molly said, “Hey, there’s your dad. Let’s go say hi to him.” She started to walk that way but Jill was still holding her by her coat sleeve.

“No, stop. Wait. Do you recognize who he’s with?” The three of them looked closer.

“I remember her,” said Pam. She was a student when we were in school. She’s that young one, right? The one who graduated while she was still a teenager, right? Is that her? What is she doing with your dad?”

“They are on a date.”

Both of Jill’s friends reacted like they were in junior high again, squealing together, “What?!”

“Yup. They are on a date. She asked him out.”

“That hussy,” said Molly in her best faux disgusted voice. Molly had consumed the most alcohol that day.

“I think she’s the same age as us,” said Pam. The three girls watched the pair. They saw Beth slip her arm through Austin’s and hold herself tightly to him. They were obviously having a good time. They were laughing and smiling at each other.

“Let’s go say hello,” said Molly. “I haven’t seen your dad in years.”

“No, please wait. I don’t want to disturb them. Can we just watch for a minute?”

“Okay, Jill. But soon the crowd is going to be gone and your dad won’t be able to miss us. He’s only about fifty feet away.”

“If he sees us we will go over there, okay?” Jill then watched her father in silence. Her two friends were doing their best to be discreet about it but Jill couldn’t take her eyes away for a second. She suddenly realized that she had never thought of her father as anything other than just her dad. She never thought that a woman other than her mother might have romantic interest in him. But looking at him then through the glow of the bonfire she recognized him as a handsome and desirable man. Beth Foreman obviously thought so.

Suddenly, Austin and Beth kissed. She slipped her arms inside his unbuttoned jacket and pulled herself closely to him. Jill watched the kiss grow in its intensity and suddenly felt ill to her stomach. Seeing her father in an intimate moment with another woman was a shock to her. She assumed that he dated women but actually seeing it was hard on her. She thought for a moment that maybe she felt that way because he was kissing someone other than her mother, but she knew it wasn’t that. It would be many days before Jill could really understand why she felt the way she did that night.

“Jill, I think your dad’s gonna get lucky tonight,” said Molly.

Pam looked at the expression on Jill’s face and recognized the anguish her friend was experiencing. “Hey babe, you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good. Let’s just go, okay. You guys can catch up with him another day. Please?” She started to walk almost directly away from her father, even though that path would require circling back around to get to Pam’s car.

When they got to the car Jill crawled into the back seat and stared out the window at the glow in the night sky over what remained of the bonfire. Pam asked, “Are you okay? Are you feeling sad about your mom? Is that why it seems weird to see your dad with Beth Foreman?”

“Yeah, that’s it,” Jill replied, even though she knew that wasn’t the real reason she was feeling like she did.

Jill was still awake at 1:00 AM when her father returned home from his date with Beth Foreman. He did his best to slip into the house quietly, without waking his daughter. Since the single bathroom in the house was right next to Jill’s room he knew it was unlikely that he would succeed. He had been tempted to stay cuddled up to the warm, naked body of Beth Foreman in her room at the Hanover Inn Dartmouth, but forced himself out into the cold autumn night so that Jill wouldn’t wake up to an empty house in the morning.

Because falling sleep had been so difficult for Jill she slept later than normal Saturday morning. She was still wrestling with her emotions over her father’s date, and after her morning bathroom routine she stayed in her room rather than go down to have breakfast with her father. She dreaded the conversation they would surely have if she went downstairs that morning. To avoid that she called Molly and asked her to drive by the house and pick her up. She would face her father another day.

When Jill received Molly’s text message that she was pulling into the driveway Jill rushed down the stairs, kissed her father on the cheek, and disappeared out the door with a shout, “I’m late, Daddy. Look for us at the football game!” Austin just chuckled as he saw her running to the car in the driveway. He hadn’t been looking forward to a potentially uncomfortable conversation that morning anyway.

The homecoming football game turned out to be a great one. Dartmouth defeated Harvard by a touchdown, the first time they had beaten the Crimson in fifteen years. Austin never did find his daughter at the game. Beth Foreman had used her alumni connections to get great seats on the 50 yard line, and Jill and her friends were in the end zone bleachers.

After the game Austin and Beth went back to the Hanover Inn Dartmouth for drinks and dinner at the Pine Restaurant. Once again, Beth had secured great seats. Their reservation was for a table on the window overlooking The Green.

As they had cocktails and ate their meals they were so immersed in each other that they didn’t see the familiar young woman standing by a tree right across the street. Jill didn’t know why she was compelled to follow her father and his date to her hotel. Curiosity, maybe. As she watched them through the window she was amazed at the new light she saw her father under. This was a man that she had never considered before this weekend. He made Beth Foreman laugh so easily. He made her look at him as though she were totally under his spell. After a short while Jill walked away, making her way back to her father’s Wagoneer. She drove home alone.

After dinner Austin and Beth returned to her room. After showering together they slipped into the hotel’s obscenely thick and comfortable bath robes and poured a last glass of wine. Before the glasses were empty the pair had moved to the bed. Beth was an insatiable lover. She was truly a wildcat. She had blossomed from a naive, teenage whiz kid in a sea of over achievers into a confident, capable, accomplished, demanding man eater. That’s how Austin thought of her. Frankly, he felt like she was out of his league. He knew that there was never going to be any kind of committed relationship between them, and she had subtly confirmed that. It had been a great weekend for both of them but she was going home on a flight the next morning with no plans for a romantic future. Beth had long range goals for her life that couldn’t include a college professor in Hanover, New Hampshire, no matter how much she liked him. There was no confusion about the status of their relationship. Like he had done the night before, Austin kissed her sleeping body one last time and slipped out the door.

The homecoming weekend soon became a memory for both Jill and Austin. For about a week she had playfully teased him about his date with Beth Foreman, but they soon forgot it. In her heart, though, Jill was still struggling with how she felt about seeing her father with another woman. Of course, she wanted him to be happy. She knew that for anyone to be truly complete and happy, they need to be with someone. To love someone. She even recognized that that was true about herself as well, but also knew for certain that she did NOT want that yet. She wasn’t ready. The asshole magnet was still off. Her father was the only man she needed in her life. She just wished that her father had the same kind of magnet that he could turn off. She finally came to realize that she wasn’t ready to share him with anyone yet.

Autumn quickly gave way to winter. Dartmouth Skiway is a ski resort located just north of Hanover. An unusually cold December brought amazing ski conditions even before Christmas. Jill was naturally athletic like her father, and was an accomplished skier before she was out of grade school. Austin loved to ski. It was probably his number one passion among many outdoor activities he loved. Every semester he arranged his classes so that he only had a single early morning class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. After that class he often went directly to the Skiway for a day of mid-week skiing without the weekend crowds. It turned out that Jill was often able to reschedule her week so that she could go with him.

The Christmas holidays arrived with a big snowstorm. Austin was on semester break and Jill used a block of her accumulated vacation days so that they could just enjoy the holiday and the snow. They went on a snowshoe trek in the fresh snow one day. They went cross country skiing another. They even acted like kids and went sledding on a big hill at the country club in Hanover. Jill seemed to be having that affect on Austin. Every day was a new adventure that they shared together.

On Christmas day they exchanged their gifts. Jill gave her father a new ski parka and clothing items that he sorely needed. He didn’t dress like a slob, but he definitely had let his wardrobe age after he lost the sartorial influence of his wife. Austin gave Jill a complete set of snow skis. Her skis from her teen years were seriously outdated. Even her old boots needed to be replaced.

“Daddy, I can’t wait to try them. I know they will be awesome.”

“They’re all set. The technicians have the bindings set for your weight. As long as the boots fit you are good to go.”

“They fit perfectly. Do you think we can go to Stowe?”

“I don’t know why not. My favorite time to go to Stowe is between the winter and spring semesters. In mid March there is almost always great conditions there. You know, a lot of people give up on skiing when the calendar rolls over to March, and they miss the best skiing of the year. We can stay for three or four days if you want.”

“Oh, my god, Daddy! That would be great. I have one request though.”

“What’s that baby?”

“Help me buy a car? Your 911 isn’t the best car for the winter and you need your Wagoneer. I was thinking about getting a Jeep Wrangler.”

“Of course. We’ll go to Key tomorrow if you are ready. Are you thinking about the Unlimited or the 2-door?”

“I think the Unlimited would be more practical, don’t you?”

“Definitely. Heck, you probably don’t need me with you, but I’d be proud to be there with you if you want me to be.”

“Can we take my new Jeep to Stowe in March?”

“I don’t see why not.”

“Merry Christmas, Daddy.”

“Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”

The next day Jill got herself a new Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. The day after that Austin got himself (and Jill) the gift of a pair of brand new Polaris snowmobiles with a covered trailer. He had been wanting a snowmobile for years but didn’t have someone to enjoy it with, so he had resisted.

January in New Hampshire is cold. Sometimes bitterly cold. Luckily, Austin’s house was very warm for a 200 year old house. It had both a wood burning fireplace in the living room and a pellet stove in the basement. It was quite comfortable.

Another thing that was comfortable was the relationship between Austin and Jill. They were not only compatible as housemates, they actually thrived in their new relationship. Each was considerate of the other. Household responsibilities were never even discussed. Instead, each of them did everything possible to compliment the other. Not in the sense of saying nice things, although that was common as well, but rather, in the sense that they each made the other better. The relationship just worked.