Her Teddy Bear

"You bet your ass, I am."

Pete just rolled his eyes.

The next morning at breakfast the girls were all smiles again. Lily gave Pete a big hug and sat next to him while eating. Carrie asked, "Mister C, have you seen Donnie this morning?"

"No, I haven't. But I haven't been up that long. Want me to wake him?"

"No. That's okay."

Just then, Donnie came in from the garage door and began walking through the kitchen towards his bedroom. He was hot and sweaty.

"Morning everyone. Save me some bacon, okay? I'll be down in a few minutes."

Pete asked, "Were you out running?"

Donnie nodded.

"Son? Are you sure you are a college graduate?"

"Uh, yeah, and I have the diploma to prove it."

Donnie stared at him and Pete shook his head. "Go shower and change before you ruin these girls' appetites."

Carrie and Lily watched as Donnie climbed the steps. Eva rolled her eyes.

When they heard the bedroom door close, Pete said, "Sorry, Lily. I'd bet you a thousand dollars that he didn't even think about running with anyone else, but I'd bet you another thousand that once it crosses his mind, he'll never forget again."

It was one of the few times he could remember Lily ever being bashful.

They had a good rest of the weekend together, and before the girls went back to their apartment, Donnie asked Lily if she would walk outside with him for a minute.

Everyone tried to ignore them, but they were all watching, hoping for what was happening. When they saw Lily smile and Donnie smile in return, they were all excited.

Lily nearly broke one of Pete's ribs when she hugged him goodbye.

After they were gone, Pete asked Donnie, "When?"

Donnie replied, "Tomorrow night. Just the two of us."

Pete nodded. It was a good start.

_________________

Christmas and then the New Year came and went with the expected pain and loneliness. The weekend after Christmas at his parents in Knoxville was without Joan, and again, it felt like someone had died; maybe worse.

New Year's Eve, Pete was alone, and he was fine with that. The kids were out attending some party together, and he was glad that they were enjoying their time doing things for people their age, rather than trying to babysit him. He had been tempted to try and call Penny but felt foolish, so he didn't.

The next weekend, when the girls came for a visit, they had a great time. He caught them in his closet on Sunday, and when he asked them what they were doing, they said something about trying to imagine him in some of those old, old clothes. He just rolled his eyes and smiled. As they were leaving for the weekend, they asked Pete what he was doing the weekend after Valentine's Day.

He said, "I don't have anything planned. Did you three want to come here?"

Carrie said, "No, we were planning on taking you out, so, don't book anything that weekend." Lily and Eva were trying, but mostly failing to suppress their grins.

With the new year, Pete hit the road to meet with several clients to discuss priorities for the year. Joan called and asked if she could spend the nights at the house with Donnie when Pete was traveling. Pete didn't mind because he was happy mother and son could spend some time together, since the holidays were so fractured and hard on everyone. He knew they needed the time together to work on their relationship. Also, Pete's house was a lot closer to Donnie's work than Joan's.

At the end of the second week, Pete finished up several hours early in Denver and caught the last flight that would let him get home that night. He thought about calling ahead but decided he didn't want Joan trying to pack in a hurry and run out of the house just because he was coming.

So, Donnie and Joan, who had been enjoying watching an old movie together, were both quite surprised to hear the garage door open and see Pete walk inside. It was the first time Pete and Joan had seen each other in months. Joan and Donnie both looked nervous as if they were expecting a confrontation.

Joan said, "Pete, I'm sorry. I thought you were going to be gone another day."

Not saying a word, Pete walked over and hugged his son, then he turned, pulled his ex-wife off the couch and hugged her, too. He said, "I didn't want you trying to scramble to get out of here. I'm beat and going to bed, so just stay another night."

Joan was shocked, but she practically tackled Pete to hug him back and said, "Thank you, Pete."

He simply shrugged his shoulders, walked upstairs, took a quick shower and went to bed.

It was just after midnight when Pete felt the bed move and a few seconds later his ex-wife was spooned behind him. She slid her top arm under his and he squeezed her hand and went back to sleep.

Pete was fine with it. He had no intention of having sex with Joan, as much as he might enjoy that, but he was beginning to recover quite nicely and hoped she was too. Now that everything was settled, he planned to be as nice to her as he could be, because he still loved her, and wanted his children to love her, also. They simply were not going to be man and wife anymore; not going to happen.

The next morning, when Pete woke up, Joan was lying next to him awake. Once she knew he was coherent, she kissed his cheek and said, "Thank you, Pete. You didn't deserve what I did to you. I still love you, and I'm sorry." Then, before he could respond, she left the room to get ready for work. They even hugged each other goodbye before she left.

Things were much easier after that night, or at least they seemed to be.

__________

The next week he received an unexpected call from his ex-wife. After the usual pleasantries she asked, "Pete, I appreciate how nice you are being to me. I may be overstepping my boundaries, here, but could we get together and do something, sometime. There is an upcoming event which I think you would enjoy. I can plan it. It doesn't have to be an official date, but I would like to see you."

Maybe Joan was reading too much into his not being mean to her. Pete sighed inwardly. He hated to kick a dog when it was down.

"Joan, I don't think that is such a good idea. I've been okay being around you with the kids, but that's mainly because it's all of us, not just me and you. I'm still working on getting over what happened, and even if it isn't a real date, it would be hard for me. I'm not trying to be mean, but I just can't right now. I'm sorry."

"Oh, okay. I understand. I'm sorry, Pete. I just miss you."

He missed her, too.

He said, "It's okay. You'll see. Things will get better for us."

She hoped by saying that he meant that one day she would get to do something with him, together.

By the end of January, Donnie and Lily had been on many dates. They enjoyed their time together and getting to know each other again. The most awkward moments were when they were around everyone else, because of the expectations. They talked about it and figured that over time, if their relationship grew, then the awkwardness would eventually go away.

Without a valentine, Pete did not celebrate Valentine's Day, but he was curious about the upcoming weekend and what the girls had planned for them.

___________

When the big day arrived, he received a text from Eva saying, "your weekend begins at 4:30 pm; so, you need to plan accordingly."

At 4:30 pm, he heard the girls entering the house and smiled. It was just Eva and Carrie, and they were both dressed nicely and carrying a couple of bags. They didn't bother to stop by his home office but went straight up the stairs.

Curiosity got the better of him, and he went to see what they were doing. He heard them in his bedroom and when he walked in, he could see his best suit laying out. Eva handed him a couple of items and said, "Use this bar soap and this shaving soap. They have a nice fragrance. If you use your normal stuff, we'll be forced to take you back in there and do it ourselves. Don't make us call Lily. Oh, and you need to be downstairs ready to walk out the door by 5:30 pm. Dinner reservations are for 6:15."

Pete laughed and said, "Fine, fine. I don't really want to be in the shower with my daughters." Then he paused for a moment and said, "But if you want to send Penny over here, I wouldn't complain."

Eva replied, "If you weren't my father, I would slap you for saying that."

Carrie jumped in, "No. You wouldn't. He didn't know. Things are going to be okay, Eva. Have a little faith."

Exasperated, Eva looked at her friend and calmed down. "Please Daddy. Just use the soaps and put on your suit for us. We promise that you are going to have a nice night."

"Sure, Sweet Pea. I was just teasing." Though he thought it was a nice memory of Penny.

The soap smelled of sandalwood; a nice classic men's scent and the shaving soap from Taylor of Old Bond Street had a similar scent and gave him a good shave. Cleaning up finished, he went to put on his suit and noticed a new, nicer shirt and a new tie. He guessed the girls had something specific in mind for them to do that evening.

When he descended the stairs, he asked, "Are Donnie and Lily meeting us somewhere? Where are we going?"

Eva just smiled and said, "That's a surprise."

Carrie commented, "Just remember, I wanted to send you somewhere fun."

Pete was starting to ask, "send me somewhere..." when they saw the car drive up.

It was a big, black Mercedes S-Class limo. Lily exited the front passenger door, also dressed nicely, and walked up to Pete and hugged him. She looked unusually nervous. Carrie began dialing a number on her phone.

"Nice ride, Lily. I don't suppose Donny is driving?" He knew he wouldn't be.

"No, Dad. Donnie said he needed to stay away from this because he didn't want to accidentally give anything away." A moment later, a driver, in a nice black suit and chauffeur cap, exited the vehicle and came around to stand by the rear door.

Pete didn't understand, "Give anything away? What's going on?"

Eva said, "Dad, we set you up. You have a date tonight."

The look on Pete's face fell. "Oh, girls. I appreciate that you would do that for me. I do, but I'm not sure I'm ready for a real date. I thought the three of us and Donnie were going out for some fun."

Carrie said, "We think you'll enjoy tonight. We know the two of you are a good match. Who needs Tinder when you have us?"

Pete was getting a bad feeling about this.

She continued, "We believe in this so much, that even my parents supported us. Here." Then she handed him the phone. "This is for you."

A very subdued, Pete asked, "Hello?"

It was Brian, "Hey, Buddy. I know this is going to come as a bit of a surprise and, no, you may not be ready for this yet, but I trust our girls and you should, too. I know it was you that told Carrie not that long ago that you didn't know two people that are a better match and that all they needed was time and opportunity. You also mentioned several families that love them and hope they will give it a good try. Well, that's how we all feel about you and your date, who Miriam and I have known for a long time. If you try, Pete, I promise you'll have fun. I think our girls each have a request for you. Bye, Pete. Have a good time."

Pete handed the phone back to Carrie and she asked, "I want you to promise me that you'll try to have fun. I know it may be awkward at first, but please try. We've put a lot of thought and effort into tonight so that both of you will have a good time." Pete nodded but was feeling less excited by the second.

Eva asked him, "Daddy, please keep an open mind about tonight. She cares for you a great deal and is a good fit for you. We all love you and want you to be happy."

At hearing that, Pete thought to himself, "Oh, God, no. Please don't let Joan be in that car."

Lily hugged the man that she had looked up to for so long and said, "You know you're the only daddy I've ever had in my life. Don't you?" Again, Pete nodded. "I know you're still hurting, and I hate that, for you, but I'm begging you to do just one thing for me, please. As soon as you get in the car, kiss her. Don't wait. Don't say anything; just kiss her one time for me. Please, Daddy. Can you do that for me?"

Now Pete didn't know what to say. Who could be in the back of that car? "Oh Lord, please don't let Joan be in the back of this car," he thought again.

He looked at the three young women that had become sisters and for which he would willingly give his own life and said, "Okay. I will. I love you all so much." He could see the anxiousness in their expressions and tears in Lily and Eva's eyes. It almost brought a tear to his own. With more resignedness than eagerness he allowed the chauffeur to open the rear door and he entered the car.

Chapter 9

Upon entering the vehicle, he knew her immediately. Had she been smiling; he would have recognized it anywhere. She looked almost as nervous as the girls.

He saw a woman to whom he had felt a strong connection for a long time. She was wearing a beautiful, mid-length black dress, which as she was sitting, showed two beautifully slender, stocking-encased legs capped with what looked like three-inch stilettos with a lot of bling. The dress was form-fitting, to her graceful form, and looked to be made of satin or silk and was sleeveless with a crew neckline. She was wearing a beautiful double strand of pearls with matching pearl drop earrings. Wrapped around her toned shoulders was a black, luxurious-looking, heavy cashmere stole.

Her hair was in an updo to complement the formal dress. It was the most amazing he had ever seen her. If Donnie were really, really lucky, Lily would look just like this woman in about 20 years. It was Lily's mother, Rose.

"Hi, Pete."

Pete didn't hesitate. In the big luxury vehicle, the center armrest was in the way, but he quickly used it as a brace for his left hand and with his right gently placed it behind her neck and kissed the mother of his surrogate daughter, the way Lily had hoped, reveling in the fact that the person he least wanted in the back of the car was not there. If he spent any time thinking about it, he would have had a hard time putting someone back there with him that he would have preferred. Before that night, he never thought about her in anything other than a friendly way.

Rose was melting in this man's kiss. She wasn't certain what to expect upon his seeing her, but he smelled so good, and that kiss alleviated any concerns or hesitations she had about the upcoming evening.

When Pete saw her open those amazing almond-colored eyes, he smiled at her hoping he wasn't about to get slapped.

She returned his smile with an award-winning one of her own and said, "Well, that wasn't the greeting I was expecting, but I am rather pleased by it."

He said, "Our daughter begged me to kiss the woman sitting in the back of this car. I would have done it for her no matter who was back here, but when I saw it was you, I was relieved and overjoyed all at the same time."

Rose said, "I wasn't sure what you would think. Honestly, as soon your divorce was announced, Lily was already scheming to get us together. I'm sorry about you and Joan, Pete. Truly, I am.

She continued "I told Lily to give you some time. Personally, I've been rather interested but said to myself to give you six months from the divorce. Then the first week of November, someone circled this date on my calendar, and they've been preparing for it ever since. I don't think I could have said 'no,' even if I tried...and I didn't...try, that is. I've been looking forward to this for several months."

Pete smirked a little about the first week of November comment, suspecting that his little encounter with Penny may have had something to do with their circling a date on the calendar. It would also explain Lily getting heated with Penny.

Pete replied, "Well, had I known this was going to happen, I would have been looking forward to it, also. I thought I was going out with Donnie and the three of them. So, do you have any idea what is planned for us this evening?"

"All I know is that we are going to dinner and then we have tickets to the symphony. Some concert they think we'll both like."

That brought a grin to Pete's face, thinking that this sounded like a good first date for the two of them.

In the car, they caught up on what was going on in each other's lives, since they didn't talk that much, now that the girls were away at their apartment at college. Pete told her how his business was going, and Rose recounted the challenges of teaching advanced math to advanced high school students. She said, "Some days I think I should have remained the girls' volleyball coach."

Pete laughed at the thought because while she had been a good coach, she was known as a sharp teacher who had prepped her students very well for the math portion of their SATs. He couldn't help but say, "I do miss seeing you wearing those shorts when you coached, but you've made a real difference as a teacher. As a matter of fact, this is the first time I've seen your legs in several years. I've missed seeing them."

She liked that and pulled the hem of her skirt up about an inch saying, "Thank you for saying that. I wasn't sure you ever noticed. Even that time when I joined you guys and the girls for a few days on the Gulf Coast, you never seemed to look my way."

"Well, I was too married to ever say anything and tried not to stare, but I always noticed. What man couldn't? You've always had great legs. How is it that you aren't married?"

"Let's save that discussion for dinner or later after I've had enough wine."

They did.

They had dinner at a mainstay restaurant in downtown Nashville - Merchants. While the first floor was more bistro fare, the upstairs is where the fine dining occurred, and their girls had reserved a very nice table for them. Their driver gave them their tickets to the symphony, since it was less than two blocks away, and told them he would pick them up out front after the concert was over.

Pete knew it was going to happen. As soon as he saw those heels on her, he recognized that she was going to be taller than him all evening. It wouldn't normally bother him. What man would be bothered by having a beautiful woman on his arm, regardless of her height? And Rose was certainly attractive, at least she was to Pete. However, after his ex-wife's comments, he had to admit that it at least gave him pause, which he hadn't contemplated before. Would he ever get Joan's comments out of his head?

It was a very lovely dinner and having the girls in common and having known each other, through Lily, for so long, the conversation was easy and flowed. Several times during dinner, Rose would laugh and place her hand on top of Pete's. Then she would catch herself and try to ease it away, usually with a demure look on her face.

When it was time to walk to the symphony, Pete produced his arm for her to hold and she gladly held it from the restaurant to their seats. From the time they stood at the restaurant, they touched the entire way to their box seats, which were next to and slightly above the stage.

The evening's performance was to be a reproduction of the Morricone Duel - The most dangerous concert ever, originally performed by the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. The Nashville Symphony requested and received permission to perform the concert with the only change being the order in which the songs were played.

From the program - The Wild West meets the soulful sound of Italy. Fearless New York gangsters meet cowboys from the dusty prairie. Godfather meets Taxi Driver. And the magic of cinema meets the rich sound of a symphony orchestra and choir.

They were treated to a first-class performance, and Rose and Pete leaned into each other during most of the evening.