“You’re embarrassing yourself,” Ann tells me flatly.
“And us,” echoes Bree.
I readily admit that I would love for Tanner to be petrified, but despite my unveiled threats, the kid seems as calm as can be, just sitting there smiling like he’s enjoying the show. “Mr. Bennett, I get the impression that you’re maybe a little nervous about me being here tonight. Hey, I totally get it.”
Teenage chump say what? “You do?”
“Yeah. I talked to my dad last night on the phone, and he warned me this could happen. See, you’re a father of a teenage daughter. Well, two of them actually, and you probably just want to keep them safe, so teenage boys are bound to make you nervous. My dad says that’s just normal protective-dad stuff.”
I’m completely speechless.
“If I were in your shoes, I’d be overprotective too.”
“Overpro—? You would?”
“Of course. And based on what my dad said, I took the liberty of collecting some character references for you, hopefully to put you at ease.” He slips a hand in his rear pocket and produces a neatly folded paper, which he slides across the table. “I hope with these you’ll feel OK about me going on a date with your daughter.”
Just like that, my jaw drops right to the table. From the corner of my eye, I see Ann’s mouth hanging open too, but in a good way.
I quickly unfold the paper and scan through several names and titles: a pastor, a scoutmaster, a teacher, and yes…a police officer.
While my mind and sight are stuck on the paper in my hands, from across the table I hear Bree ask, “Which daughter?”
“Bree!” Emily chides.
“What?” Bree replies, playing innocent. “I’m old enough to date.”
“You turn fourteen in August,” I remind her. “You’ve got a couple years of dreaming yet before that happens.”
All eyes return to Tanner, who is smiling graciously. “I think you’re great, Bree, but I actually meant Ann.” He turns to his immediate right. “I planned to ask you in private, but since it came up…would you like to go on a date with me? Like, not just hanging out. A real date. On Wednesday. My mom says I can borrow her car.” He quickly turns back to me. “Which she says I have to have parked back in the driveway by ten thirty.”
The flame of Bree’s excitement is immediately doused.
Ann, however, is floating on cloud nine. “I would love to! Dad? Mom? I can go, right?”
Emily and I look at each other for a second, sharing an entire conversation in a glance.
“Is that a yes?” Ann asks eagerly.
“Well, I’ll have to make sure these references check out…”
“Dell,” warns Emily, chastising me with my own name.
“Fine,” I tell Ann reluctantly. “But you know the rules, Ann. Tell him, and you can go.”
Her face turns ashen white, then bright red in record time.
“Oh, this should be good,” states Bree sarcastically. “Hey Tanner, don’t forget about me after you hear what Ann has to tell you.”
Before Bree even finishes her sentence, Emily shoots up out of her chair and points to the hallway. “Bree Grace Bennett! Straight to your room. And don’t even think about coming back down! I’ll be up to talk to you later.”
“You can consider me part of that conversation too, young lady,” I growl, shaking my head. “Unbelievable.”
There is a long, uncomfortable silence after Bree leaves, with everyone sort of looking around wondering who is going to say what next.
Ann eventually breaks the ice. “Tanner…there’s, um…something I guess I need to talk to you about.”
“I gathered that. Did I do something wrong?” For the first time all evening he seems totally out of his element.
Excellent!
She shakes her head. “No. Nobody did. But…we just need to talk, that’s all.” Ann holds his gaze for a moment longer, then looks across the table at Emily and me. “I want to talk to him alone. I can do that, right?”
Emily and I speak to each other again with our eyes and then nod.
When Ann turns back to Tanner, she reaches down and takes his hand in hers, which makes me cringe. “Come on,” she tells him as she pulls him to his feet. “Let’s go outside.”
Chapter 28
Ann
THE SUMMER SUN is still high in the sky when I lead Tanner to the back deck and cross the small patch of grass to the beach. When we reach the sand, I let go of his hand, because what I am about to share is definitely going to make my palms sweat, and holding sweating hands right now would only be a distraction.