Special Delivery by April Wilson

Chapter 13 - Haley

Haley Donovan

After my stupid choking incident in the pool, I decide to dry off and change back into my clothes. Philip’s gone. After my dad jumped down his throat for saving my life, Philip left the pool room. My heart sank as I watched him walk through the doors and disappear without a single glance back.

I love my dad, and I know he means well, but sometimes he’s too protective. I think it’s because he and my mom never married, so I never lived with my dad. My mom got pregnant with me when they were seniors in high school. She got sole custody from the very beginning, so my dad was always sort of on the periphery, having me over every other weekend and one evening a week for dinner. I think he tries to make up for that by being a protective father.

But honestly, it’s a bit hypocritical, as he’s thirty-five and Erin’s only twenty-two. There are only six years between me and Philip. Well, technically six and a half. I won’t be eighteen until February. And once I’m eighteen, my dad can’t tell me who I can and can’t date. I just have to wait six more months.

My dad gets into the pool with Erin, and while they’re busy goofing around, I change and go in search of Philip. At the very least, I owe him an apology. I was the one who asked him to come swimming. I’m the one who swallowed a gallon of pool water when I jumped off the diving board. It’s my fault Dad chased him off.

I go upstairs to the great room, but there’s no sign of him. In fact, there’s hardly anyone here now, just Mrs. and Mrs. McIntyre, Mrs. Jamison, and Mrs. Peterson. They’re sitting around drinking coffee.

“Are you looking for someone, honey?” Mrs. Peterson asks me. “I think your dad was heading downstairs to the pool.”

“Actually, I’m looking for Philip. Have you seen him?”

She points to the glass doors. “He went outside, through those doors. If you hurry, I’m sure you’ll catch up to him. He might have walked down to the beach.”

I head out onto the back deck, but it’s empty. “Philip?”

There’s no answer.

I scan the rear lawn, but I don’t see anyone. It’s dark out now, so it’s kind of hard to see beyond the deck, which is well lit with strings of fairy lights. Moonlight shines on the beach, and there’s a lamp post lighting the boat dock.

I glimpse a large, dark figure moving on the dock. That has to be Philip.

I probably shouldn’t be doing this, I think, as I jog down the path to the private beach. Thank goodness it’s a cloudless night, and there’s plenty of moonlight to light my way.

When I reach the beach, I turn right and head for the docks where a number of boats are moored. There’s someone at the end of the dock, looking out at the water.

As I draw closer, I can tell it’s Philip. And surely he can hear me approaching along the wooden dock.

Philip is dressed in jeans, a dark blue Chicago Cubs sweatshirt, and a pair of well-worn white running shoes. His hands are tucked into his front pockets.

“Hey,” I say when I reach his side. I’m so nervous, my heart is pounding. Maybe he doesn’t want to talk to me. Maybe he’s pissed at me since it’s my dad who’s giving him a hard time. I’m sure he doesn’t need that kind of drama in his life.

Standing beside him, I’m amazed by his size. I’m not petite by any stretch of the imagination, but compared to me, he’s a giant. Just looking at him makes me feel things. “I’m sorry about what happened in the pool room.”

He glances down at me. “You don’t need to apologize. It’s not your fault.”

“My dad shouldn’t have jumped on you like that. You were just trying to help me.”

He shrugs his broad shoulders. “He’s just trying to protect you, Haley. I get that. And I respect him for it. Honestly, it’s fine.”

“Thanks for what you did. I’d never jumped off the high dive before. I guess I wasn’t prepared for the sensation of falling so far. It was a little unnerving.”

He chuckles. “Then why did you jump?”

“Because Lia and Hannah did it without even thinking. I—I guess I thought if they can do it, I should be able to.”

“Ah, peer pressure,” he says with a laugh.

“Yeah, I guess so. It was stupid. I think I panicked a bit when I hit the water—I must have opened my mouth and swallowed half the pool. So, thanks.”

He turns back to face the lake. “Anytime.”

I feel like I’m intruding on his solitude. He probably came out here to get away from me—away from the drama. I know I should leave him alone. But there’s one thing I want to do before I give up on him. “Philip?”

“Yeah?”

“There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.”

He’s silent for a moment, as if he’s not sure he wants to know what it is. “What’s that?”

“Next month is my school’s homecoming dance. I was wondering if maybe you’d want to go with me.” As soon as I say the words, I want to kick myself. He’s been out of high school for years. I’m sure the last thing he wants to do is go to a stupid school dance.

He sighs heavily. “Haley.”

As he rocks on his heels, I figure he’s trying to decide how to let me down.

I should have kept my big mouth shut. “Never mind. I shouldn’t have asked you. I’m sorry.”

When he turns to face me, I have to crane my neck to meet his gaze. He’s so tall. And standing so close to him only accentuates his height and the incredible width of his shoulders.

“Did you play football in high school?” I ask him on impulse. If he did, he probably plowed through the opponent’s defense.

He laughs. “I did.”

“What position did you play?”

“Quarterback.”

Of course he did. He was probably the most popular boy in his grade.

“Did you go to your own homecoming dance?” I ask him.

“Yeah, I went.”

And then a thought occurs to me. “I don’t suppose you were the homecoming king.”

He shrugs. “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. I was dating the head cheerleader at the time, and she had the student body wrapped around her finger. They only voted me king because she was queen.” He looks at me thoughtfully. “Isn’t there a boy at school you want to ask? Someone closer to your own age?”

Ouch. That stings. “You mean someone my dad won’t have a fit over?”

He laughs again. “Yeah.”

“No. There’s no one I’m interested in.” No one except for you. That part goes unsaid, but I’m sure he’s figured it out. “Forget I asked. It was stupid.”

To my surprise, he reaches out and touches my cheek. “No, it wasn’t stupid. And if I could, I’d most definitely say yes.”

I take a step forward, unable to resist the pull I feel, but he takes two steps back, as if he has to keep a certain amount of distance between us.

“You can say yes if you want to,” I whisper. “It’s just a dance.”

He winces. “Haley, it’s not that simple. Your dad has made it abundantly clear that you’re off-limits.”

“But I’ll be eighteen in a few months, and then he won’t have a say.”

“Not for five more months,” he clarifies.

It gives me a little thrill to know that he knows when my birthday is. I’m so frustrated I could scream. I’ve never known anyone like Philip—someone so handsome, so physically powerful, and at the same time so kind and considerate. I’m so tired of high school boys and their annoying immaturity, grabby hands, and sloppy attempts at kissing.

“It’s not fair,” I say. “You’d never take advantage of me. My dad should realize that.”

“I’m sure he knows I’d never mean to do anything inappropriate with you. But he’s also a guy. He knows that sometimes things happen. Sometimes things get out of control, especially when someone wants someone else so badly.”

Is it that obvious I’m mooning over him?

My cheeks are burning. “You’re talking about me.”

He shakes his head. “No, actually I’m talking about me.”

I can barely breathe. Did he just admit that he wants me too?

He reaches for my hand and links our fingers together. “I wish I could say yes, Haley. I would in a heartbeat if I could.”

His hand is warm, his fingers long and strong. Just holding hands with him feels amazing—I can’t even imagine what it would feel like to have his arms around me while we danced.

I take a step forward, and now we’re just inches apart. As I suck in a shaky breath, I realize he’s breathing hard, his broad chest rising and falling.

His other hand comes up to cup my face, and his fingers slip beneath my hair. I shiver at his touch and make a soft sound deep in my throat.

He mutters something under his breath—a curse, I think—and then he leans down, and he’s staring at my mouth, and I think, Oh, god, he’s going to kiss me.

My first real kiss.

I close my eyes, my heart thundering, and wait to feel his lips brush against mine… only they never do. When I open my eyes again, he’s gazing down at me with a mix of heat and sadness in his dark eyes.

“Philip? It’s okay if you want to kiss me.”

He groans harshly as he pulls me against him, his arms locking around me as he holds me to his chest. I’m shocked by how hard he is—everything about him. His grip, his chest, even his, um… yeah. That’s hard, too. God, I don’t even know what to call it. His penis? His dick? His package? If I wasn’t already blushing, I sure would be now.

His fingers slide into my hair, and he cups the back of my head and murmurs into my hair. “I’d give anything to kiss you right now.”

“Then do it.”

He chuckles. “I guess I’m my own cockblock.” Then he slowly releases me and steps back a good foot. “Baby, if I started kissing you now, I don’t think I’d be able to stop.”

“Who’s stopping you? I’m not.”

He catches my hand and kisses the back of it. “I’m stopping me.”

“I’m seventeen—”

“And I’m not. That’s the problem.” He glances up at the house. “I think you’d better go back inside before your dad comes looking for you.”

“Are you afraid of him?”

His gaze hardens for a second. “No, Haley, I’m not afraid of your dad. I respect him because he’s a good man and most especially because he’s your dad. If I’m ever going to have a chance with you, I can’t afford to make enemies with him.”

A chance? He sounds like it’s something he does want… at least one day. “You mean you want to?”

He smiles. “When you turn eighteen, ask me to take you to a dance. Wild horses couldn’t keep me away.”

When Philip holds out his hand to me, I lay mine in his. Then we walk back up to the house.

Elly greets us as soon as we step inside the great room. “There’s a bit more pie left. Did you two kids have some?”

“Not yet, ma’am,” Philip says. “Pie sounds great.”

“Come on into the kitchen with me, and I’ll get you some. Do you want ice cream, too?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Philip says, looking down at me.

As Philip and I sit down at the little kitchen table to eat our pie, we keep sneaking glances at each other. Elly’s too busy putting dirty dishes into the dishwasher to pay us any attention.

My dad comes storming into the kitchen. “Elly, have you seen—” He freezes in his tracks when he spots us. “Oh, there you are.” His gaze goes to Philip, then back to me. “I just wanted to make sure you were all right after the incident in the pool.”

“The young people are fine, dear,” Elly says to my dad. She glances our way and gives us a small smile. “They’re just having some pie.”

“Well, that’s all right then,” my dad says. “Enjoy your pie.”

After my dad leaves, Philip winks at me, and suddenly I’m even more in love with him than I was before.