Fatherhood 101. Mae Nunn

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СКАЧАТЬ Our grandfather built the place and it comes with lots of interesting stories and legends.”

      “That’s a great idea for an outing this summer,” she agreed. “But please join us tonight. There’s probably a whole pepperoni pizza over there with your name on it.”

      The mental picture of rising dough swimming in golden grease from cheese and sausage caused his mouth to water like Pavlov’s dog. He did an inward double take at his very predictable reaction. Maybe he was a natural for the study of human behavior, after all.

      “Only if you’re sure nobody will object.”

      “With five women at the table somebody is always bound to object. It just comes with the territory. So don’t take it personally, it’s a family female thing,” Sarah assured him.

      A family female thing was uncharted water for Cullen. But how hard could it be to share a casual meal with three generations of women? He might even learn something from the experience if he carried some gestures of kindness to soothe the savage breast.

      * * *

      SARAH WASN’T NEARLY as confident as she tried to sound for Cullen’s sake. While she could trust her mother to be hospitable, the girls were another matter. Carrie was in the throes of a Goth stage and Meg was forever wrestling with some imagined worry. Hope lived in la-la land, inventing superhero memories of her daddy to replace the fragile flesh-and-blood truth.

      Thank goodness Sarah had a thirty-minute head start before Cullen arrived at the pizza place. He’d said he had personal business to attend to and then he’d join them. She’d have to set the scene carefully, to say the least.

      “What do you mean a friend from the university is meeting us for dinner?” Meg questioned. “Who is she and how well do you know her?”

      “I was about to ask the same thing,” Sarah’s mother added.

      “My friend is actually a guy and he’s teaching the European history class I’m auditing. He was going to eat dinner alone so I invited him to have pizza with us. You might even recognize him.”

      “He’s not that old high school boyfriend of yours, is he? That Bobby Whatshisname?” asked her mother.

      “Of course not.”

      “Good. I was always suspicious of that kid.”

      “Mom, Bobby got married right after we graduated, he was a torpedo man on a navy guided-missile destroyer and he has a Ph.D. in agricultural economics. I’d say he’s done pretty well for himself. You can let go of those qualms.”

      “Well, I’ve read how women are hooking up with their old flames these days and I don’t want any surprises when this stranger shows up.”

      “He’s nobody from my ancient past, but he does have a face you might have seen before.”

      “Like on an FBI Most Wanted poster? What if he’s a bank robber or a mass murderer?” Meg chewed the tip of a plastic straw.

      “Honey, this guy has spent his entire life in Kilgore, he’s well respected at the university and I’m pretty sure he’s been too busy studying and teaching to dispose of bodies.”

      “So, is this the way college women behave? Will there be a different man in your life every week now?” Carrie’s snide question was inappropriate, but at least she was talking.

      “No, dear,” Sarah said with restraint. At home she’d have lectured her daughter on being disrespectful, but tonight reassurance was more important than manners. “Cullen is the only person on campus who’s even spoken to me, if you don’t count the grouchy woman in the administration office.”

      “Oh, Nancy Norment is still over there? So the University Torment is alive and well. She must be up into her eighties by now.”

      “She might be too mean to die.”

      “I’m glad to hear Miss Nancy is on the job. The town honored her years ago for her service to the community. You’d better pray she lives twenty more years so she’ll be there when your girls go to college.”

      “Right now I’m praying that I can stick around for two years to finish my degree, but I’ll add Miss Nancy’s continued health to the bottom of my lengthy prayer list.”

      “Don’t look now, but a suspicious man just spotted us and he’s walking this way.” Meg’s words were muffled behind her hand.

      Sarah watched Cullen approach. He seemed much more relaxed than he had in the lecture hall. In one hand he clutched a bunch of flowers and with the other he gripped the handles of an oversize canvas bag stamped with a recycle emblem. When he stopped at the head of their table, Sarah stood to make introductions.

      “Cullen Temple, this is my mother, Margaret Callaghan, and my daughters Carrie, Meg and Hope. Ladies, this is my instructor, Dr. Cullen Temple.”

      There was silence except for a nod from her mother.

      Sarah stamped her foot, a not-so-covert sign for her daughters to use their manners.

      “Pleased to meet you, sir,” the girls responded politely as they’d been instructed all their lives.

      “I appreciate your mama inviting me. I love a pizza buffet.”

      * * *

      NOT FEELING OVERLY WELCOME, Cullen decided to go straight for the peace offerings, hoping the atmosphere would warm up. He set the canvas bag on the tabletop and handed the flowers to Sarah’s mother.

      “These are for you, Mrs. Callaghan. My mama taught me that you never go to a woman’s dinner table empty-handed, not the first visit, anyway.”

      Next he made a production of poking around in the bag, which seemed to get the girls’ attention.

      “I had to shop fast and I only have brothers so I hope I did okay,” he apologized as he withdrew a trinket for each of the sisters. For Carrie, whose hair was...purple...there was a paperback volume of Vampire Academy, the first in a popular young adult series. He presented Meg with a silver-tone bracelet that had a dangling smiley face charm inscribed Don’t Worry, Be Happy. And for Sara’s youngest, who was missing her front two teeth, there was a fluffy stuffed bear holding a velvet heart that read Faith, Hope and Love.

      “I think this was meant just for you,” Cullen said as he handed over the teddy.

      “What did you bring for Mommy?” Hope asked.

      “The best gift of all,” he answered as he rubbed his palms together.

      He reached to the bottom of the bag and then pulled out a thick, gray volume. Black letters on the spine read European Civilization. It was the very expensive textbook for his class.

      “I can’t accept this, Cullen.”

      He waved away her concern. “Dr. Mastal kept a stack in his office for loaners. When the semester is over you can return it and I’ll use it to bless another unsuspecting victim.”

      “Hey!” Carrie had glanced up from her novel and was studying Cullen through СКАЧАТЬ