A Father's Love Ch. 03

We arrived shortly after lunch and everyone rushed inside to get into bathing suits. Sam wore her standard one-piece suit while Dan and I wore swimming trunks. With sunscreen in hand, we headed for the sand and sea. The nice thing about a beach house is that you have an almost private beach. People still run across it, but for the most part it's usually pretty deserted even on the most crowded of days. Dan dove in the water while I sat on the sugar white sand. I sat there, letting the sand fall through my fingers as I scooped up handfuls.

"You okay, dad?" Sam asked, snapping me out of my reverie.

"Yeah. Just enjoying this."

"You always have liked the beach, haven't you?"

"Love it. When I was a kid this is where we would vacation. Every summer we'd be down here for at least a week. Then, when I got older, I'd come down here with my friends for spring break. Funny thing is, I never really cared about the parties or anything." I took a deep breath of the ocean air. "I really just wanted to sit on the beach and relax."

"Sounds nice."

"Yeah. Of course it means I didn't go to a lot of parties."

"You seemed to turn out alright." She smiled at me.

That night, we went out for a seafood dinner, then back to the house. There was no Internet at the house, so Dan turned in early. Sam and I sat on the back porch, listening to the waves crash on the shore. I stood up after a while and pulled Sam to me. Quietly, I led her down to the sand. Away from the house and lights, I pulled her down onto the sand with me. She lay on top of me, her legs spreading beside my hips.

"Happy anniversary." I whispered.

"You remembered!" she giggled.

"Um, yeah. It's kind of hard thing to forget!"

We kissed like that for several minutes, gently and tenderly touching lips with our arms wrapping around each other. Her hands slid down to my shorts, unzipping them when she hit her goal. She sat back as she pulled my cock out, stroking it gently. She smiled at me in the moonlight, leaning back down as she lifted her skirt. I couldn't see what she was doing, but I quickly found out she was pulling her panties to the side and positioned me at her entrance. Slowly she sank back down, pushing me into her little by little.

"Hurts a little when you're dry," she said, smiling, "But it's a good hurt." With that she began sliding back and forth. Our fingers intertwined as we made love slowly. Her orgasms were slow, rolling climaxes that cascaded through her gently but consistently. When I was ready, she didn't say anything. Didn't change her pace or position. She rode me throughout, closing her eyes and sighing when she felt my cum flow into her. She climaxed one last time, her cries drowned out by the surf, then lowered herself onto me.

"Can I tell you something, Dad?" she asked after a moment.

"You know you can tell me anything, any time. What is it?"

"I used to be afraid. That you would, you know, get tired of me."

"What?"

"You know... That the novelty of this would wear off. That the taboo wouldn't excite you anymore. Or that I would feel the same way."

"That we would become a version of me and your mom?"

"Yeah," she whispered.

"I don't see that happening." I said, stroking her hair.

"I don't either. Not anymore. Every time I think of you, now, I see you as more than just my dad, more than just the guy I'm sleeping with. I see my love. Every time I'm with you, whether or not you're inside me, I find I love you more than I did before."

I didn't know what to say. I just wrapped my arms around her and held her tight.

"It's you and me, now." I finally said. "Now and always." I kissed her once more, tasting a slight saltiness on her lips. "No crying, now. If we can still be together after everything that's happened in the previous year, we're going to kick ass for the foreseeable future."

"Thanks, Dad," she said, sitting up. "We better get back inside, though."

Sam didn't let me get up at first. Instead she slid down me, taking my softening member into her mouth and cleaning me. Carefully, she tucked me back into my shorts and zipped them closed. With a demure smile, she stood and then helped me up. We brushed the sand from each other and walked hand in hand back to the house.

We both got quick showers to get the rest of the sand off of us. Sam pulled a couple of beers out of the refrigerator, and then we settled in the living room and watched the news.

"Finally getting used to it, huh?"

"Guess so." She said, taking a long pull from the bottle, "Letting your underage daughter drink beer. You're such a bad influence on me!" she giggled, curling up against me.

"Yep. That's me; a horrible dad. Someone call DHS."

The rest of the trip passed too quickly, but at least it was peaceful. Most days were spent at the beach, relaxing or swimming in the ocean. Afternoons would be spent driving around town, while evenings were either at an amusement park or mini-golf. Eventually, we returned home to our normal lives.

***

Sam started college a couple of weeks after Dan started his senior year, and their schedules quickly diverged. In the end, we all thought it best to sell the old minivan, give Sam my car, buy Dan a decent used car, and get me a new car. Yeah, I came up with the plan and, no, I don't feel the least bit guilty. It was a half birthday, half graduation present for Sam. Brenda's travels took her out of state so much that she hardly ever needed a vehicle. If she did, her company was obligated to get her a rental. Both Sam and Dan enjoyed their newfound freedom and, for the first few weeks, they would often rush to be the first to drive somewhere when asked. I found it refreshing not to have to chauffeur anyone around, anymore.

Christmas was a better one than the year previous. We weren't worried about Brenda's job this time, so we were able to focus on enjoying the holidays. I've always been a big Christmas nut, usually going all out to decorate the house. In previous years most of the family just rolled their eyes at me as I hummed Christmas tunes and decorated the house. This year, I was surprised when Sam eagerly helped me, getting the house ready for Santa in record time.

"What brought that on?" I asked, "I usually can't find you, during all this.'

"Yeah, but you love it. And I love you." Nothing else needed to be said.

Christmas came and went without any drama. Brenda and I were both off of work for Christmas and New Year's, though we hardly had any contact during that time. Most days she would stay in the guest room, only coming out occasionally. Others she would go shopping or meeting old friends for lunch. Dan mostly studied for college placement exams (not that he really needed to) or played on the computer. Sam and I spent our time working on a project.

The master bedroom was decorated nicely, but it was mainly what Brenda had wanted, more than anything else. So with the remaining time on our vacation, we cleared out the room, painted, and redecorated the room according to what Sam and I both wanted. I even ordered a new bed; it was time to replace the old one anyway. Besides, we wanted a bed that was ours. If Brenda had any questions or comments, she never voiced them. Maybe she thought Sam was helping me "move on".

When everything was finished, the bedroom was perfect. A little bit of me, a little bit of her, but nothing overly obvious on either side. Ours.

***

I blinked and it was time for Dan's graduation. He found acceptance at the college of his dreams at the Georgia Institute of Technology with a full scholarship. I knew he would make an incredible engineer. Knowing him, he wouldn't leave until he had a Master's degree, if not a PhD. Taking him to the campus for the move-in was a family affair; Brenda even took off to drive up with us. She rode with Dan while Sam and I took my car. Both were loaded down with his belongings.

We spend the next couple of days exploring Atlanta, which is too damn big if you ask me, and helping him settle into his new room. By the time we left, he was already talking to some people and making friends. This surprised everyone since we were so used to him being shy and somewhat introverted. Being in a new place with new people really brought out the best in him. Maybe he finally felt accepted.

With Dan's car staying with him in Atlanta, Brenda elected to fly out of Atlanta to her next location instead of riding back with us. On the drive to the airport Brenda was oddly quiet, even for her. We arrived and walked in with her to see her off. The air was humid, and I had an odd feeling about this trip. The oppressive air felt even more stifling than it should have. When we were inside the air-conditioned building, Brenda stopped and turned to Sam.

"Sam, can you give your father and me a minute to talk, please?"

Sam eyed Brenda suspiciously, then looked at me. I gave a small nod, letting her know I was okay with this as well. Then a quick wink told her I'd let her know what was going on. Sam went to one of the food courts nearby while Brenda and I walked over to a window.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"I don't know how to say this. I guess there isn't an easy way. So... I don't think I'll be coming back to the house for the weekend."

"I see." I said. "You don't just mean this upcoming weekend, do you?"

"No." she said quietly. We were both quiet for a few moments after that.

"So what's next? Divorce?"

"I don't know." She admitted. "It's up to you I guess. I've thought about it, but it's very... messy, you know? Lawyers, documents, expenses. And for what? Just so we can keep doing what we're doing now?"

"Is there someone else?" I asked, curious.

"No." she said, an odd look crossing her face briefly, "Not really. You?"

"No." I echoed, "Not really." Then I smiled at her.

"Listen David, I've been trying to figure this out for a while now. I like my life now. I really do. I like the travel, going to new places and seeing new things. Meeting new people. I don't like being stuck in one place. I don't see why anything should change. I just think we need to be honest."

"What are you saying? We separate but stay married?"

"Yeah. And if you find someone else and want to get married, then we'll do what we need to do."

"Or until you find someone else." I amended.

"Oh honey." She smiled sweetly, "I don't see myself getting married again. That chapter is closed for me."

"Closed, huh?" I looked down at my ring. The metal seemed cold and heavy on my hand suddenly. "Yeah. I guess it really is."

"Yeah." She said softly. "Listen, if you really want to get legally divorced I won't fight it."

"It's not that, Brenda. It's just that I guess I knew this day was gonna come. I thought I had prepared for it, but now that it's here it's still a surprise."

Brenda laughed a little, "I've been rehearsing this for weeks."

"I've been waiting for it for longer." I said, taking a deep breath. "Wow. So, this is good bye?"

"No." she hugged me. "We have two kids still. We'll have grandkids, one day. This is just a 'See You Later' kind of thing."

"Okay then. I'll see you later."

I gave her one last squeeze. She kissed my cheek. "I still love you, you know?" she said softly.

"Yeah. I love you too. Always will."

"Same here," she pulled away, "But it isn't the same any more, is it?"

"No." I admitted, "But we'll be okay."

"Yeah." She wiped a tear from her eye. "Yeah, we will."

Brenda took her bag from me and walked towards Sam. She wrapped her arms around her daughter, much to the obvious surprise of Sam. I couldn't hear what Brenda said, but Sam's expression went from surprise to confusion. She slowly hugged her mom back. After a minute they separated from each other and Brenda walked towards the security check in.

"What just happened?" Sam asked.

"Long story. What did she say to you?"

"Just to take care of you." Sam looked up at me, "Are you two..?"

"Kind of. Come on, I'll explain in the car."

Once we were on the highway I recapped what happened at the airport. Sam just sat there kind of stunned, afterwards. By the time we pulled into the driveway, we both figured out that not only was it inevitable, it was probably also for the best.

As soon as the doors closed behind us we looked around the house. We were alone. It didn't seem real at first and it took a few minutes for it really sink in that we were finally alone. Sam smiled at me slyly, pulling off her shirt and sports bra in one motion and throwing them at me. Her shorts were falling down as she sauntered into the living room. I didn't need any other encouragement and followed. We were exhausted from the trip, but that didn't stop us from a before-bed-quickie on the sofa. It was a relief to be able to be as loud and vocal as we wanted. With the last of our energy, we stumbled into the bedroom and collapsed onto the bed.

I took Monday morning off to recover from the trip and to enjoy some alone time with Sam once again. We lay in bed, sweaty and panting, as the afternoon light filtered through the curtains.

"Did you take a double dose of those pills or something?" she asked.

"Nope. Just missed hearing you cum as loudly as you do." I rolled onto my stomach, draping my arm around her chest.

"Is that all it takes?" she giggled.

"Doesn't hurt, that's for sure."

"I missed this." She hugged my arm and kissed it. "Not having to worry about anyone else coming in or bugging us. I missed it so damn much!" She sniffed as a couple of tears formed.

"Hey, hey. What's wrong baby?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Finally, nothing is wrong."

"I've got an idea." I said, grinning.

"What's that?"

"Let's get out of here for a while. Let's take a vacation."

"A vacation? Didn't we just have one?"

"Moving Dan? I really didn't feel like that was much of a vacation. Plus I want something with just the two of us."

"Okay." She said, surprised at my suddenness. "What were you thinking?"

"A cruise!"

"A cruise, hmmm?" she pondered. "You know, Mom hates cruises."

"Well damn, I guess she can't come then, can she?" I chuckled.

A few keystrokes later and Sam and I were booked for a cruise departing in a week and a half. We were scheduled to return a few days before her classes started. We spent the time in between checking on island activities, foods, excursions, as well as shipboard activities. Before we knew it, it was time to get on a plane and head to the departure port. Our luggage would be delivered to our cabin later, so we were able to board the ship and head right to our suite. I had booked us junior suite with a gorgeous balcony view.

"Oh, Dad!" Sam breathed as she opened the door and stepped onto the balcony, "It's incredible!"

"You know," I stood behind her and wrapped my arms around her stomach, "You can call me David now. I think you've earned that."

She spun around in my arms, facing me and putting her hands on my chest. "I know, but..." she shrugged, "There are thousands of 'Davids' out in the world. There's only one person I love enough to call Dad. That's you. I guess I can use David when I need to, but when it's just you and me, when I'm in your arms, you're my dad. Always." She pulled me in and kissed me.

"Always." I agreed

If you've never taken a cruise, it's amazing how the time flies by. We ate way too much, both on the boat and on various islands we stopped at. We made love every night and almost every morning we were there. At dinner they sat us with other couples around a large 8 person round table. Sam introduced me as David, instead of her dad. We were on our honeymoon, as far as anyone else was concerned. The obvious age difference drew looks of both envy and contempt, but neither of us cared.

The last day we were docked at St. Maarten, a beautiful island in the southern Caribbean. All day long Sam was acting kind of nervous, looking at her phone's time constantly. She would just brush off any questions, saying she just didn't want to miss the boat going home. Something was up, I just didn't know what.

A little after lunch, she grabbed my hand and pulled me into a cab suddenly. She handed the driver some money and a slip of paper.

"Where are we going?" I asked, both amused and bemused.

"Hush. Surprise."

We were dropped off at a small, simple, nondescript white building, near the ocean. Sam pulled me out of the cab, then took off into the structure, and I followed.

"Mr. David Taylor?" A lightly accented voice asked.

"Yes?" I asked, turning to the man walking towards me.

"Ah, glad to meet you sir. You wife is getting ready."

"Huh?"

"She said it was going to be a surprise!" he laughed, "She wasn't kidding! Come. To the beach."

I numbly followed him outside. There, to my surprise, was a green runner carpet leading to a white arch. Greenery and flowers surrounded the altar, blowing in the ocean breeze.

"Your wife called us before you left the States. She said she wanted to surprise you with your dream wedding."

"Uh huh." I said, not believing what I was seeing or hearing. Now I know why Sam picked out my attire for the day: Khakis and a white button down shirt; not completely formal, but perfect for a beach wedding.

The man, whom I discovered was also the minister, led to me to the front of the altar. There were no chairs for anyone to sit and join us; this was going to be a completely private affair. There was no music either; the only sound was the ocean waves and my thudding heart. Movement inside the building caught my eye. Sam was wearing a beautiful white summer dress, holding a single orchid in hand. She walked slowly towards me, a confident grin on her face. She stood by my side and took my hand.

"Surprised?" she asked.

"Floored."

The minister cleared his throat. "I don't often get a request like this, but when she told me how much you loved the beach and how much you had wanted a beach wedding but couldn't have it, I decided to oblige her request. Miss?"

Sam took a deep breath and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper.

"My dearest love." She read, "It seems not that long ago when you gave me this ring, making me one of the happiest women on earth. I know how much you love the ocean and so here, today, I wanted to reaffirm my vows to you. Our time together has been incredible. Rocky sometimes, but we've always come out together stronger. Every day you amaze me, surprise me, and make me feel more loved than I ever thought I could be."

Her voice grew thicker, tears welling up in her eyes. It was hard for me to see them through the tears in mine, as she continued...

"If I could marry you every day I would. For now, I'll settle for this: professing my love for you now, and every day from now on." She put the paper down and looked up at me, tears flowing. "When I finally found you, I knew where I belonged. You are my love, my heart, my soul mate. You're my light when it's dark, my warmth when it's cold. Marry me today, and make me whole, once again."

I didn't know what to say. I had trouble speaking, but managed to croak out a few words.

"You amaze me. Each and every day you astound and amaze me. I don't have anything profound prepared to say, so I'll just say that yes, I will marry you today. And every day I will do everything I can to make you love me half as much as I love you."

The minister smiled at us.

"Do you, Samantha RaeAnn Taylor, again take this man to be your husband? To promise to love him and cherish him until the end of days?"

"I do."

"Do you, David Marcus Taylor, again take this woman to be your wife? To promise to love her and cherish her until the end of days?"

"Always, I do."

"Miss?" he prompted her

Sam reached around her neck and pulled a small chain I hadn't really noticed. Concealed under her dress, she pulled out a silver ring. She smiled as she reached down and worked my old ring off. "I found something better for you than that."