The Long Ride Pt. 03

"Okay," Shari said, weakly.

Itzel's ears twitched as she heard her father's deep chuckle filling her childhood home. Then the soft cadence of her mother's giggle. Arching an eyebrow wondering if her parents had eaten Callum alive yet.

"Honey! You didn't tell me Cal was this funny," Elena said, smiling warmly at her daughter as she dried her eyes.

Itzel looked over at Callum who just shrugged, feeling Shari's hand slipping out of hers as Shari approached her father.

"Daddy, I'm sorry for running off and calling you that..."

"It's okay honey," Callum said, leaning forward and hugging his daughter. "I didn't mean to make you upset Shari if I did," he said, his thumb brushed along Shari's left cheek. "Do you forgive me?"

"Of course, Daddy," Shari said sweetly, as she wrapped her arms around Callum's neck.

"Now that we are all together, let's have lunch," Elena said, with a warm, caring smile.

"Shari, have you ever seen the ocean?" Asher asked, as their meal was halfway through.

"No, Papa," Shari muttered. Fidgeting as Itzel wiped the mustard off of her right cheek. "Is it big?!"

"Oh yes, it's so big that you can't even see the other side," Asher nodded, he already knew she and her father never had given the questions he and his wife asked while Itzel and Shari were gone. "Then how about the day after tomorrow we all go down to this little place your Nana and I know about, and let you see just how big it truly is?!"

"Can we Daddy?!" Shari asked excitedly, as she squirmed in her seat.

"There a CVS around here?" Callum whispered to Itzel knowing he couldn't pass up this chance for him and his daughter. It would probably be the only time they would ever lay eyes on it ever again. "Sunscreen..."

"Oh, no need for that," Elena interrupted. "We certainly have that here, I do believe I have just the perfect one that would work best for you Shari," she said, putting on airs as she dabbed the corners of her lips. "I do hope you brought your swimsuit Miss Shari," Elena said, she had to admit so far Callum was definitely not like all the others who have dated Itzel.

"Mmmhmm, Itzel helped me pick it out," Shari answered with a broad smile.

"Oh? Did she now?" Elena mused as she shot her daughter a look. Causing a smirk to raise the corner of her lips as Itzel blushed very hard. "Well, knowing my daughter it will be quite tasteful, after all, she got her fashion sense from me," she said, sitting regally in her chair.

"Shari how would you like to get a sneak peek at a new movie I helped produce?" Asher asked, knowing that getting her thoughts on the matter would help to drive sales. "That is if it's alright with your father," he said, his steel blue eyes flashed over to Callum.

"Depends on what it is," Callum stated plainly.

"Dark Enchanted," Asher said, matter-of-factly. Arching an eyebrow, his eyes slowly glanced at Shari as she stared at him in shock. Wincing as she squealed in excitement.

"Please, Daddy, please, please, please?!" Shari asked, bouncing in her seat.

"Isn't that the one with the..." Callum thought back on where he heard the name before.

"Mmmhmm," Shari answered with a very vehement nod. "Can we post about this?" she asked, referring to the Facebook page Callum had setup long ago so his extended family could stay in touch along with their friends from the motorcycle club.

"Sure honey, as long as they don't mind if we post a few pictures of the room," Callum said, asking for permission.

"This is just for your family and friends yes?" Asher asked, as Callum nodded. "You may photograph the title screen, for the rest cameras are put away?!"

"Sure, not a problem," Callum agreed.

"Then I don't see a problem with it," Asher said, looking over at his wife.

"If we are posting this, then I must look my best, would the two of you like..." Her eyes ran over their hair.

"Not cutting, just a little styling," Itzel said, in a motherly voice, while looking at Callum to make sure that would be alright who shot her a coy smirk.

"You sure? It would be no..."

"Shari likes her hair like this, don't you honey," Itzel cooed, while her eyes silently told her mother to drop it.

"Mmmhmm," Shari hummed.

"Well then, shall we ladies," Elena said, with a warm smile as she gestured for them follow her.

"You ever have sherry before?" Asher asked, getting up from his seat, nodding for Callum to follow.

"Can't say that I have," Callum replied, slyly looking back as two men exited the kitchen. Whistling at the wall of wines that lined the far wall as he and Asher entered the small climate controlled room whose only purpose was to house all the alcohol. "Well, I know where Itzel gets her taste in wine from," Callum spoke causing Asher to chuckle.

"Yeah... she did have a habit of raiding the shelves. Now this is Pedro Ximénez it's a sweet sherry wine," Asher stated as he poured about a quarter of a glass full for Callum as the dark liquid filled the glass. "I think you may like it," he said, handing Callum the glass.

Swirling the glass around like he had seen Itzel do numerous times when she uncorked a new bottle of wine. Noting how her father was watching him as he held the glass below his nose something else he picked up from Itzel, given he was not what you would call a wine connoisseur. While the wine was good, just for his taste beer would always be better and cheaper. "It's... a nice wine," Callum said, smacking his lips as the wine clung onto his pallet.

"Enjoying the aftertaste?" Asher asked, with a smile. "Now I know you might not be able to partake of this lifestyle," gesturing to the wall of bottles, "but if you're going to be my son-in-law, you have to enjoy a good wine," he said, with a sneaky smirk.

"It's not bad, but not as good as the one Itzel and I shared a few days ago," Callum said, handing the glass back to Asher.

"Oh?! Itzel already breaking you in?" Asher teased.

"Well... I guess you can say it like that. Wine is just too expensive," Callum said, offhandedly looking around at the labels he could see as his eyes ran over the wax seals.

"I can see where you're coming from, there mustn't be a whole lot of wine being sold up in Deadwood," Asher said, handing Callum his refilled glass.

"Yeah, what cash I had left over normally went to Shari, or the bills," Callum said, taking a sip. "Okay, I'll admit it is better than beer," he said to himself.

"Itzel likes her reds, I'm assuming that was what it was," Asher mused, wondering if they had a bottle. "Please see if we have one," he said, gesturing to the rows of bottles. "The reds are on that wall," Asher said, his thumb pointed to the wine shelf behind him.

"Dad?!" Itzel whispered sticking her head in the wine room. Biting her lip as Callum stood with his back to her. "What are the two of you doing in here Mom and Shari are waiting in the theater room?"

"Cal's looking for that wine you had... when was it again?" Asher asked, curiously.

"The one we had with dinner two nights ago," Callum said, peering over his shoulder. He had no idea what she did to her hair, but he still couldn't believe he was lucky enough to win Itzel's heart.

"Oh," pushing the door open further as she stepped into the room, "you're looking in the wrong place," Itzel said, as she stepped up to Callum's right side. Bending down, knowing how her father organized his wine collection by alphabetical order. "Here it is," she uttered as she rose handing the bottle to her father, not missing the last bit of sherry in Callum's glass. Taking it from him and draining the last of it. "Pedro?" Itzel asked, casting her father a glance to which he nodded. Smiling at her father as he chuckled as she held the glass out for a refill.

"Now that I have my wine, and my man," Itzel said, snuggling up to Callum as she looped her arm around his. "How about we go enjoy that movie. Shari seems to be dying to watch it."

"Yeah, she wouldn't stop talking about it when she saw the previews for it when I took her to see 'Frozen 2' last year," Callum said lightly, as they left that small cool room. Knowing how long it took to get that 'Frozen' song out of his head given how Shari watched that movie to the point even he knew the lines by heart.

"What's it about?" Itzel asked Callum instead of her father, just wanting to hear the sound of his voice.

"If I remember correctly, it's about a little girl and this unicorn going off to find others of her kind," Callum spoke seeing Asher nodding in agreement.

"Ah. No wonder she's nearly bouncing off the walls," Itzel giggled lightly, keeping her wine glass from sloshing around as they walked towards the theater room.

"I take it your daughter has the same fascination mine did about them?" Asher asked, as spoke from behind them.

"It would seem so," Callum nodded. Mouthing 'Wow' as they walked into what looked to him like a smaller version of what they experienced in the movie theaters kind of setup, except for the projector hanging from the ceiling in the back of the room.

"Let me honey," Itzel cooed as Callum started to pull out his phone. "Mine does have a better camera on it, and don't you want the world to know how hot I am?" she purred into his ear. The smirk that formed on his lips matched the mischievousness dancing in her steel blue eyes. Nodding when Callum whispered to her that she was now able to post to the Facebook page once he had invited her to it. Her fingers flew across the keyboard of her screen as she typed out: Hey everyone, I'm not sure if you all know who I am or not. But hi! I'm Itzel, Callum's fiancée, coming to you from my parents'

home in LA, yes I'm sure that's a shocker for some of you. But when you get to know me, you'll agree Callum couldn't do much better! Adding a winking emoji to the end of it. So here's the pretty Miss Shari all eager, waiting for her slow daddy to hurry up so she can get a first viewing of the new movie Dark Enchanted?! Taking a picture of the title screen (And one of herself), showing that it wasn't a lie. Showing it to Callum before she posted it.

"Oh, I think old aunt Gale is going to blow her top," Callum chuckled as he rested his hand in the small of Itzel's back.

"Too much?!" Feeling her cheeks heat as Callum shook his head.

"Hold that pose!" Elena exclaimed once the movie was over as her daughter and Shari had their foreheads pressed together as they gazed at one another as they hugged. Her thumb pressed rapidly on the camera button snapping off shots. "What do you think Cal?" she asked, sitting down next to him as she swiped through the number of photos she had just taken.

Callum was speechless at how beautiful they were together. It was almost as if they were mother and daughter, at least that's how it appeared to him. His eyes glanced up as the leather of the seat in front of him squeaked and Itzel and Shari peeked over the head rest of their chairs.

"Got to say, you do know how to work that camera," Callum said, complimenting his future mother-in-law.

"Why thank you," Elena cooed lightly, softly patting Callum's left arm. Noting how his eyes lustered as he gazed at the image of her daughter and his on her phone. There was no mistaking what she saw in his eyes. Love. She didn't know the first thing about what drew them together, yet that was neither here nor there any longer. What mattered now is whether or not they actually belonged together, and so far, Elena's doubts were beginning to wane. "Would you like one?" Elena asked, liking how easy Callum was given to smile rather than scowl.

"Do you even have to ask?!" Callum's mirth laced his voice as he pulled out his phone.

"Oh, you can expect me to call you all the time now," Elena teased as she texted Callum one of the better photos to him. Watching how he then posted it to his private and public pages then to how he gazed at it for a few seconds before watching Callum set it as his new wallpaper. Smiling warmly at him as he caught her watching him.

******

After dinner that night...

"Cal." His name softly left her lips as Itzel rested against the doorframe of her old bedroom as Shari, sitting on the floor, played with the figurines she had collected over the years, with Callum watching over her.

"Hmm?"

"I know it's been a long day, I was thinking maybe, the two of you would like to visit this little park just down the road from here?" Itzel inquired, smiling at Shari as she gave one of the oldest pieces a kiss on its snout.

"Sure, I don't mind stretching my legs. How about you Shari?" Callum asked, as he looked down at her.

"Let's go," Shari nodded.

"First let's put away the things Itzel was kind enough to let you play with, okay?"

"Kay!"

"So this park?" Callum mused as he and Itzel walked hand in hand down the sidewalk as Shari skipped a few paces ahead.

"It used to be a place I'd go to be alone for a while, where there were no cameras, no paparazzi following me around," Itzel said, gesturing to how quiet the streets were. "I thought maybe you, Shari and I could watch the sunset," she said, bashfully.

"I'd love too," Callum said, as his thumb lightly brushed along the back of her hand.

The breeze was light, the heat of the day was dying off as Callum and Itzel rested on a bench beneath the shade of an oak tree as Shari ran around exploring the area while staying within sight of Callum. Itzel's eyes wandered about looking for anything that could harm Shari or ruin this day. Pointing out to the bay as the rays of the setting sun danced along the waves. The shadow of Golden Gate stretching out eager to touch the shore. However, as they turned to look at one another, their kiss sealed the moment as Shari's cheerful voice rang out.

To Be Continued...