Dinner went fine.The old restaurant lookedand smelled like an ancient chuck wagon, complete with steak, breadand beans.Sandy thought the atmosphere a little strained, butchalked it up to the newness of the situation.Since they bothloved Lily, he was sure anything could be worked out… smoothed out,if there was a problem.
Sam and Sandy both smiled and practicallycooed at Lily.It was easier to talk with and about her than toeach other.Lily finally said to Sandy, “You’ve hardly saidanything at all about your ranch.Or about your mother.”
Sam looked up, an unreadable expression onhis sagging face.
“Dad, you know Jeanne Johnson, don’t you?Shementioned being in school with you when you lived in Naples.”Lilylooked questioningly at him.
Sam withered physically right in front ofthem.He looked guilty, like he had been caught with his hand in acookie jar.Did he have a stroke?
“Are you all right, Mr.Cable?”
“… Sam, please.Call me Sam.”But he didn’tlook like he meant it.
“Dad, what’s the matter?Do you need to rest?Sandy, let’s get him home.”Sandy signaled for the waitress tobring the bill and paid it, while Lily got Sam out to the car.
“Should I call a doctor, Dad?”Lily tried toshift him to make him comfortable.
“No, no, I’m all right.Just let me catch mybreath.”He huffed and exhaled noisily all the way home.
Sandy drove them as carefully as possible.Back at the ranch, they got him in the front door and into a livingroom chair, sinking into the couch nearby.
“Is it a stroke, Dad?You’ve never had heartproblems before.”
“… I do have a heart problem, Lily, darlin’,but it’s not the kind you think.”
They stared at Sam’s puffy face.Sandy gothim a glass of water.
“So you’re all right physically?Then what’sgoing on, Dad?Out with it.We’ve never had any secrets from oneanother.”
“…That’s not technically true, Lily.”He tooka sip of the cool water, set the glass down carefully.
Sandy and Lily glanced at each other and hereached for her hand.This didn’t look good, whatever it was.
“I’m not sure where to begin, sweetie.”Tearspooled in Sam’s eyes and he shifted again in the chair like hecouldn’t get comfortable.
“How about at the beginning?”
Sam looked right at Sandy.“…You’ve come toask for Lily’s hand, haven’t you?”
“Yes, sir, I have.”
Lily nodded her approval.
“I see you’re in agreement with your futureplans.But I just can’t give you my approval.There’s too muchwater under the bridge and too many hurt feelings.He’s not the manfor you, Lily.”
“What in the world are you talking about?”She blinked rapidly at him, moving closer to Sandy.Sam leaned intohis chair, reached back into his memory.
“…You both know that my family lived inNaples for many years.Happy years...I was born in Reno.Sandy,your mother, Jeanne, and I grew up and went to school together.Igather she told you that much.”He glanced at Sandy who nodded.
“What she didn’t say, nor have I, is thatJeanne was my first love.We were absolutely crazy about oneanother and decided to marry once we finished high school.That maysound old-fashioned to you, but we were ranch kids.Marrying earlyand working the ranch was our way of life.”
“And then what happened?”
Sandy fleetingly wondered if he was the onehaving the stroke now.
“Dad inherited this ranch in Sonoma and hemoved us here.Jeanne and I were distraught, but I had to leave.Weswore we would be together somehow, but distance, you know…”
“And then my dad entered the picture,” Sandygrimly added.
