Luke sighed. “Fine, leave it off then,” he said as he pushed me down on the bed and smiled.
***
I looked out the window of Luke’s Jeep as we drove down the street to his parent’s house. The streets were lined with trees and huge houses with well-manicured lawns. Luke reached over and took my hand.
“Please tell me you’re not nervous.”
“Why would I be nervous? I’m only meeting my boyfriend’s parents for the first time,” I said as I looked over at him.
“You’re a smart-ass.” Luke laughed as he brought my hand to his lips and gently kissed it.
As he pulled into the driveway, I admired the vast amount of palm trees that stood in front of the beige color, two-story home. I took in a deep breath before Luke got out of his Jeep and walked around to open the door for me.
“Close your eyes and breathe, Lily,” he said as he helped me from the Jeep. “There’s nothing to be nervous about. My family is as easygoing as they come, and they’re going to love you.”
I nodded my head and smiled as we walked up the driveway to the front door. As Luke put his hand on the handle and pushed the door open, Charley came running over to us.
“Uncle Luke, Lily!” she exclaimed as Luke scooped her up in his arms.
“Long time no see, peanut,” he said as he tapped her on the nose.
“Grandma, Grandpa, and Mommy are in the kitchen,” she said.
“Well, let’s go see them and introduce Lily.” Luke smiled.
We walked down the hallway, and I could hear the rapid beating of my heart. As we approached the kitchen, Luke put Charley down and walked over to his mom.
“Luke, you’re here!” she exclaimed as she hugged him tight. “Thank you for the beautiful flower arrangement.”
Maddie walked over to me and gave me a hug. “Don’t be nervous,” she whispered.
Luke broke his hug from his mom and turned to his dad who patted him on the back as the two of them hugged each other. “Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet Lily Gilmore.” Luke smiled as he held out his hand for mine.
“Oh, Lily, It’s wonderful to meet you! You can call me Annie,” she said as she hugged me tight.
“It’s nice to meet you as well; I’ve heard so much about you.”
“It better be all good, or Luke will be in trouble,” Annie said as she shot Luke a look.
“Of course it’s all good.” I smiled.
Luke’s father held his arms out. “It’s nice to meet you, Lily. You can call me Tom.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Tom.” I smiled.
Luke walked over, smiled, and put his arm around me. “They love you already,” he whispered.
I stood in front of the island and admired the granite counter tops that sat amongst the cherry cabinets, which matched the cherry wood floors. I couldn’t help but be reminded of the kitchen in my childhood home. The resemblance was incredible.
“Come on everyone, let’s start cooking dinner!” Annie exclaimed.
“What are we having, Mom?” Luke asked.
“We’re making Chicken Marsala tonight, and I have everyone’s job assigned,” she said as she pulled a white piece of paper from her pocket. “Tom, you’re in charge of pounding out the chicken breasts. Luke, you’re in charge of making the coating for the chicken, and Lily, you’re in charge of slicing the mushrooms. Maddie, you’re in charge of making the salad, and I will make the potatoes.”
“Grandma, what about me?” Charley frowned.
“You, my dear grandbaby, are in charge of helping me with the potatoes. Once I slice them, I need you to place them in the dish.”
Luke and I took our place at the counter where all the ingredients were laid out. I took the mushrooms and started slicing them while Luke prepared the coating for the chicken. Being a part of this gave me an incredible feeling. Annie was a breath of fresh air. She stood about 5’2” with a petite stature. Her chestnut colored, mid-length hair, softly framed her face. Her eyes were a deep brown, and her smile reminded me of Luke’s. From what I could already tell, her personality was bubbly and full of life. She was a real family person, and I took comfort in the fact that, for this night, I could be a part of it.
“I really like how your mom does this with dinner,” I said to Luke.
“It’s ok now, but it was kind of annoying growing up. Imagine your friends calling you to hang out and you telling them you can’t because you have to cook dinner with your mom. I was teased a lot.”
“Aw, poor baby,” I said as I put a mushroom in his mouth.
Annie put the potatoes in the oven as Luke handed Tom the coated chicken and put it in the skillet. Tom was a handsome man who stood about 6’0” tall with a muscular build. His short, sandy brown hair and hazel eyes reminded me a great deal of Luke.
“Ok everyone, the potatoes are in the oven, the chicken is in the skillet, the salad is made, and now you can rest until it’s ready!” Annie exclaimed.
Luke went to the refrigerator, grabbed two bottles of beer, twisted the caps off, and handed one to me. “Come on, babe; let me show you the house.”
He took me on a tour and up to his old bedroom. The blue walls were lined at the top with a football border. In fact, everything in his room was football themed, right down to the lamp that sat upon the dresser. A twin bed sat in the corner of the room with a blue comforter and matching pillow. There were pictures on the wall of Luke and his family. I scanned the room to see if there were any pictures of Callie, but there weren’t. My eyes traveled to the closet door where a poster of my father hung. He was sitting on a stool with his guitar. I walked over to where it hung and stared into his eyes. Tears started to fill my eyes as Luke came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me.
“I’m sorry, Lily. I forgot it was still hanging up,” he said as he kissed my head.
“It’s fine,” I said as I wiped my eye. The anger I thought I’d buried when my father died began to emerge.
“Wait until I show you the backyard,” Luke said as he walked me out of the bedroom.
Just as we were going to look at the backyard, Annie announced that dinner was ready. Everyone took their seat in the dining room, but before Luke sat down, he poured some wine in everyone’s wine glass. He walked over to where Charley was sitting and pretended like he was going to fill her glass.
“Uncle Luke, I can’t drink wine; I’m not old enough.” She giggled.
“I’m so sorry, Madame, I thought you were at least the age of twenty-five.”
I smiled as Charley laughed at him. To see him with her tugged at my heart strings. You can see and feel the love when he’s around her. Luke looked at me and winked.
“Lily, tell us about your family. What do your mom and dad do? Do you have any siblings?” Annie asked innocently.
“Mom, not now,” Luke interrupted.
“Luke, don’t be silly, I want to know all about Lily.”
At that moment, Charley decided to chime in. “Uncle Luke spent the night at Lily’s. He answered her door this morning only wearing a pair of jeans and his hair was messy, like he just got out of bed.”
“Charley!” Maddie exclaimed.
Luke shot her a look across the table.
“Well, I’m sure Lily had him over for coffee,” Annie said.
“I saw them kissing in the hallway the other day, and he sent her pretty red roses today.” She smiled.
“Peanut, you need to be quiet and eat your dinner or I’m eating your dessert.”
“No you’re not!” she whined.
“Watch me!”
“Mom, tell him to stop it!” she whined.
“For goodness sake, the two of you need to stop and eat your dinner,” Annie said.
I leaned over to Annie and whispered to her, “I’ll tell you about my family after dinner. I really don’t want to do it in front of Charley.”
She patted my hand and smiled. “I understand.”
Dinner turned out great. The atmosphere was something I’ve always dr
eamed of. The Matthews are a tight-knit family who would do anything for each other. This is the kind of family I’ve craved my whole life. I helped clean up the table as Charley, Luke, and Tom went outside in the backyard per Annie’s orders. Charley came running into the kitchen, asking if she could change into her bathing suit and go swimming. Luke walked over to me and put his hands on my hips.
“Do you want to go swimming with us?” he asked as he put his forehead on mine.
“I’m going to hang back with your mom and dad so we can get to know each other better. You go and swim with Charley; I’ll be watching.” I smiled.
As Luke leaned in to kiss me, there was a knock on the door. Suddenly, we heard a familiar voice.
“Hey, Mrs. Matthews, how was your cruise?” Sam’s voice echoed through the hallway.
“Sam’s here?” I asked as I looked at Luke confused.
“Sam is mom’s second son, and she always invites him, but I thought he said he had plans tonight with Gretchen.”
Sam walked into the kitchen, gave Luke a high-five, and kissed me on the cheek.
“I thought you couldn’t make it tonight, man,” Luke said.
“Gretchen got called on a last minute photo shoot. The model they had got sick at the last minute, so they needed a replacement.”
Charley came running down the stairs in her pink, frilly bathing suit and ran straight to Sam.
“Uncle Sammy, are you going to go swimming with us?!” she excitedly asked.
“You bet I am!”
Sam and Luke changed into their bathing suits and took Charley into the pool. I sat on the patio with Annie, Tom, and Maddie as we talked and drank margaritas.
***
Annie and Tom’s backyard was simply breathtaking. The beauty of the stone patio and perfectly placed palm trees gave way to the infinity shaped pool and hot tub that sat next to it. There was a built-in grill over to the side and a large glass patio set that sat in the middle. Exquisite flowers were planted in stone pots, surrounding the space, and the in-ground lights began lighting up the area as the sun had set, and dusk was setting in.
“So, tell me about your family,” Annie said.
I smiled lightly because I knew it was inevitable. If Luke and I were going to continue our relationship, then they would need to know everything about me.
“My father was Johnny Gilmore,” I said as I took in a deep breath and let out a long sigh.
Tom looked at me and cocked his head. “The Johnny Gilmore? As in Johnny Gilmore, the musician?”
I nodded my head as I took a sip of my margarita. “Yep, that’s the one.”
Annie put her hand on my knee. “I’m so sorry for your loss. I remember reading about your father’s massive heart attack in the papers. He was so young; what a shame.”
I lowered my head as I moved my straw back and forth, banging the ice cubes against the glass. “Well, I’m sure all the alcohol he drank and all the drugs he did, didn’t help.”
“He was a brilliant musician, and that’s what you should remember him for.” Tom winked at me. “Do you play the guitar, Lily?” he asked.
“Yes, I do. Johnny began teaching me when I was four years old.”
“You’ll have to play for us sometime. We’d love to hear you play.” Annie smiled.
I looked straight ahead at the massive in-ground pool where Luke and Sam were swimming with Charley. There was laughter and a lot of splashing going on.
“Maddie told us that you just moved to Santa Monica. Where were you living before?” Annie asked.
“I grew up in Seattle, but I spent the last year living in Portland. I needed a fresh start and leaving Seattle was the only way to get it. I moved here because I was offered a year-long substitute teaching job.”
Annie reached over and grabbed my hand. “May I ask why you wanted a fresh start?”
I looked at her and Tom and pursed my lips together. I took a sip of my margarita and sighed. They were great people, and I found them very easy to talk to—as if I’ve known them my whole life. I felt connected to them and I found comfort in them, just like I do in Luke.
“I caught my ex-fiancé cheating on me, in the church on our wedding day.”
Annie gasped as she squeezed my hand. “Lily, I’m so sorry.”
“The worst part is that my mother knew about it, and I guess it had been going on behind my back for a long time, but she was going to let me marry him anyway.”
Annie tilted her head to the side and frowned as she listened to my words. “Lily, you poor girl. I just want to reach over and hug you right now, but I don’t want Luke to think something’s wrong, so I’ll hug you later.” She smiled.
Tom looked at me and held up his glass. “You got dealt a raw deal in life, Lily, but look at it this way, you never would have met my son, and we wouldn’t be in the presence of excellent company right now.”
“Now, I’ll drink to that,” Annie said as she tapped both of our glasses.
Luke got out of the pool, grabbed a towel, and walked over to where we were sitting. “What are you toasting to without me?” he asked.
“We’re just toasting your beautiful girlfriend.” Tom winked at me.
Now I know where Luke gets all his winking from. I smiled as Luke leaned over and kissed me with his cold, wet lips. Maddie came out of the house with two more margaritas, and she handed one to me.
“I’ll be right back, babe. I’m going to go change,” Luke said.
Sam carried Charley out of the pool and set her down on the patio. Maddie told her to go inside the house, change into dry clothes, and then go watch TV while the grown-ups talked. She whined a bit, but I could see how tired she was.
27
Luke
I changed out of my bathing suit, rushing to get back to Lily and the others to announce that I’d be buying Bernie’s Bar. I couldn’t believe that I was actually going to do it, and I knew it was going to be a lot of hard work, but with Lily by my side, it’ll be worth it. As I walked down the stairs, I saw Charley curled up on the couch, watching cartoons. I walked over to her, kissed her on the head, and as she looked up and smiled, her eyes were ready to close. As I grabbed a beer from the kitchen, I sat down next to Lily, taking her hand in mine.
“I have an announcement that I’d like to make”—looking around the room—“I’ve decided to buy Bernie’s Bar.”
“Dude! That’s awesome!” Sam exclaimed.
Lily looked over at me, smiled, and put her hand on my cheek. I knew she was happy.
“Luke, my boy, that’s wonderful news. If you need any help, let me know,” my dad said proudly.
My mom got up from her chair and hugged me. “I’m so proud of you, son. You’re finally going to put that settlement money to good use.”
Maddie stood up and high-fived me, because she’d be managing the bar once I take over, which meant better hours for her. I leaned over and kissed Lily on the lips.
“It makes me happy that you decided to follow your dreams,” she said.
“It’s because of you, babe.” I smiled.
My good news didn’t last long as my father decided to say something to Maddie about Charley’s dad.
“Charley tells us that her dead beat dad is coming to visit in a couple of days.”
Maddie looked at him and said she didn’t want to talk about it right now. Maddie was good at avoiding things, believing that it she didn’t think about it, then the issue didn’t exist, but Charley’s dad does exist, and she needs to learn to deal with it.
“He said he’s changed; that he’s off the alcohol and the drugs, he wants to form a relationship with his daughter, and he wants a better relationship with me,” Maddie said.
I didn’t believe it for a second because I knew Adam too well. We used to be friends in high school, until he started hanging with the wrong crowd. Maddie was infatuated with him because he was the bad boy with the tattoos and piercings all over his body. I warned her to stay away from him and told her he was
trouble, but she didn’t listen. They went on a few dates, and she ended up pregnant. He was her first, and I’ll never forget the night she told our mom she was pregnant. Of course being the dead beat that he was, he denied the baby was his, and my mom cried all night while I went out and beat the shit out of him. Lily sat there and didn’t say a word while we went back and forth about what a loser he was. As I got up from my seat, I asked Lily if she was ready to leave. It was getting late, and I just wanted to spend time with her alone.
***
The next morning I found Lily arranging bagels and muffins on the kitchen table.
“Good morning, babe,” I said, kissing her.
“Good morning.” She smiled.
“What’s all this?”
“I went out and grabbed us some breakfast,” she said as she held up the plate to me. “We have blueberry, banana, and chocolate chip muffins on this side. Now, on this side”—turning the plate—“We have plain, salt, and cheese bagels, with your choice of regular, honey-walnut, strawberry, or non-fat cream cheese.”
“Who’s going to eat the non-fat cream cheese?” I asked.
“Gretchen will, because her and Sam are coming over. They should be here in a few minutes.”
“Do I have time to jump in the shower?”
“Yes, just make it quick,” she said as she kissed me.
“I really wish you would have woke me up earlier and told me.”
“Sorry, baby, it was sort of last minute!” she yelled as I already made my way down the hallway.
After I finished my shower and getting dressed, the voices I heard grew quiet as I entered the kitchen. Looking around, Sam and Gretchen were sitting at the table, and Lily was staring at me with tears in her eyes.
“Babe, what’s wrong?” I asked her as I walked over to where she was sitting.
“I’m sorry, Luke, I had to tell her about Giselle seeing her mom in Seattle. I got a phone call from her mom saying that she’s on her way here and she wants to talk to Lily,” Gretchen confessed.
Lily looked at me with sad and disappointed eyes as she got up from the table and walked into the kitchen area. “I can’t believe you knew and didn’t tell me,” she said.