Her Secret Valentine. Cathy Thacker Gillen

house, to the family room at the rear. After Harold sat on the leather sofa, Cal took an easy chair and waited. The curt admonition wasn’t long in coming. “I thought I had explained this to you when you asked her mother and me for her hand in marriage,” Harold began sternly.

      Cal was beginning to think of that conversation as the Devil’s Bargain. One he never should have made in order to get their blessing for the union.

      “Ashley is very much like her mother and me,” Harold continued matter-of-factly. “She will never be happy unless she is free to be all she can be professionally. I know, because for the first six months after Ashley was born Margaret tried to give up her career goals and aspirations and be a full-time mother because she thought that would please me. She was never more miserable, nor was I.”

      Which meant Ashley couldn’t have been happy, either. Cal knew that to have a happy baby—and a happy family—you had to have happy parents.

      “I would hate to see you and Ashley walk down that same path, even for a short while.”

      Resenting the implication that he had behaved less than honorably in any instance, Cal held up a silencing palm. “Sir, with all due respect,” he said angrily, “I resent what you are implying here. I assure you I have never done anything to hold Ashley back professionally.” Even when that meant biting his tongue when it came to her leaving him for a good two-and-a-half years. “In fact, I’ve done everything possible to help and encourage Ashley to follow her dreams.” At considerable cost to our marriage. Cal was sure the time apart had contributed to the emotional distance between them.

      Harold lifted a skeptical brow. “Then I don’t understand what she’s doing here for a month, lazing around and sleeping ’til noon, when she doesn’t have a job yet.”

      Thinking of the emotionally and physically exhausted woman upstairs, Cal’s patience waned. “She’s earned some time off.”

      Harold frowned and cast a glance at the doorway, as if he didn’t want them to be overheard. “She can take that once she’s secured a position worthy of her education and training.”

      “Thanks for the advice, Dad.” Ashley stood in the doorway. The expression on her face indicated she had caught the last of what Harold had said, but no more. And that was good, Cal thought, because he never wanted Ashley to know about the stipulations her parents had put on their blessing for Cal and Ashley’s marriage. It was enough that he knew that their concern had not been that he love her with all his heart and soul, but rather that he wouldn’t interfere with the stellar career achievements they expected of their only daughter.

      Still moving tiredly, Ashley came farther into the room.

      She was wearing a pink plaid flannel robe over her nightshirt, and slouchy pink sweat socks covered her feet. Her face was still bare of makeup, but she had brushed her hair and fastened it in a sleek chignon at the nape of her neck. She looked vulnerable and repressed—not at all like the carefree young bride who had been driving a Mustang convertible around country roads at midnight. Cal’s heart went out to her once again.

      Ashley had no trouble being her own woman when she was away from her parents. But when she was in their presence, she always seemed to shrink a little and fade into some stressed-out realm where Cal could not always reach her.

      “Ashley.” Harold stood, embracing her in a warm, paternal hug.

      Cal noted with some relief that Harold looked genuinely glad to see his daughter. Ashley looked happy to see her father, too. But she was also wary. Nervous. On edge. Which was how she always acted around both her parents, no matter what the situation.

      “I take it you haven’t accepted the job in Maui,” Harold said.

      “No,” Ashley said simply. Her glance cut over to Cal briefly before she turned her gaze back to her father. “I haven’t.”

      “Well, it’s probably a good idea to scout around first,” Harold said, his tone gentling amiably as they all took a seat once again. “So where else are you looking?” Harold pressed.

      Ashley folded her hands primly in her lap and sat with her back perfectly straight. “I haven’t gotten that far yet, Dad. It was enough to finish my fellowship.”

      Her father frowned, making absolutely no effort to hide his disapproval about that. “I gather you are planning to job-hunt from North Carolina, then.”

      Ashley hesitated and this time she didn’t look at Cal at all. “Yes.” He reached over across the sofa and squeezed her hand reassuringly.

      “Makes sense.” Harold nodded thoughtfully after a moment. “Travel arrangements would certainly be easier from the mainland.” Harold chatted on for several minutes. He gave Ashley a list of potential contacts who might know of suitable positions. Then he rose. “Well, I’d better get going. Don’t want to miss my flight to Chicago. I’ve got a business dinner there this evening.”

      “Where’s Mom?” Ashley asked, also standing.

      “She’s still in Boston. She won’t be home for another seven to ten days. A new semester is a very busy time for the university. As chancellor, she can’t afford to be away.”

      “Right,” Ashley said.

      If Ashley was disappointed her father had so little time to spend with her, she was not showing it. “Well, travel safely, Dad.” Ashley rose on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. Harold hugged her again, even more warmly this time, shook Cal’s hand and was off.

      Ashley and Cal stood watching until Harold had driven away.

      As soon as he was gone, Ashley let out a long breath. Her slender body seemed to deflate. “I’m sorry about that,” she said, shaking her head. “He should have called first, let us know he was coming.”

      “He’s family, Ashley,” Cal corrected his wife gently. “Your father doesn’t have to call for permission first. He’s welcome here anytime. In fact, I wish he would come here more,” Cal said sincerely. Perhaps if Ashley and her parents spent more time together their relationship wouldn’t be so strained. He knew they loved each other. They just hadn’t quite figured out how to show it. A lot more interaction, on a more casual basis, might help that.

      Ashley looked full of resentment. “If my father’d been coming here on business, he would have called ahead out of courtesy.”

      “Maybe he thought you’d duck him if he gave you too much notice,” Cal teased gently and waited for her reaction. As he expected, it wasn’t long in coming.

      Ashley turned to Cal, moisture brimming in her china-blue eyes. “I love him.”

      “I know.” Cal wrapped an arm around her shoulders and brought her in close to his side.

      “I love both my parents,” she insisted thickly.

      “I know that, too.” He comforted her with a kiss on the top of her head.

      Ashley leaned into his embrace, as if soaking in the comfort he was trying to give, then moved away. She threw up her hands in frustration as she paced back and forth. “They just drive me crazy.”

      Cal knew that, too. “You could just tell your father you don’t want to talk about the job search.”

      “That wouldn’t stop him from putting his two cents in,” she complained.

      Probably not, Cal thought and released a long, frustrated breath.

      “Anyway,” Ashley sighed. She started to run her hands through her hair, the way she always did when she was restless, then stopped when she encountered the sleekly arranged chignon and pins. Looking as if she no longer wanted to discuss this, she eyed him up and down, taking in his ancient sweats and running shoes. “Did you say something about going for a run with me?”

      He had, but that was before she was standing in front of him, looking so…wrung out and pale. He didn’t want to say so, but physically she didn’t look up for a long