Patrick was frustrated, sexually. At forty-four, he honestly feared he might have exploded if he hadn't called time out. It was also frustrating that Tessa hadn't opened up about her past. He gave her multiple opportunities, and he only learned about her siblings. One tiny morsel she shared was that she had a nanny. Marketing, Advertising, New York, and nanny were all a long way from growing up in South Portland, Maine, to her modest split-level.

She may have been a mystery, but she was hot. The way she responded when he lingered on her breasts almost undid him. Lace would not have made her perfectly filled, no-frills satin cups any sexier.

If she couldn't trust him, the thing between them would fail. He wanted every inch of her first, and his chance was a week from Friday night. He put on his blinker and pulled into the Dollar Discount store. It was safe to say no one he knew would shop there. He walked back to his car prepared.

Nine days until he saw her again. Maybe he should have suggested the next weekend. He scribbled a note and went to the garage. Nothing like the cold Atlantic to take his mind off her sexy, responsive body.

He smiled when Kevin appeared on the beach. He met him close to the shoreline.

"How are the waves?"

"Not bad. How was school?"

"Fine. It's almost vacation."

Nine days. He paddled out to wait for another wave. After a number of waves, he called out to Kevin.

"Last one. Okay?"

He looked like he wanted to protest, but he nodded. They walked up the beach together towards home.

"Dad, can I surf over vacation?"

"Absolutely not. You know the rule, not without me."

"You surf alone."

"I'm an adult and I've been surfing for thirty years. I'm responsible for you and couldn't bear it if anything happened to you."

Kevin stopped his protest. Parenting through guilt was effective. After peeling off his wetsuit, he entered the house to hear the girls arguing. The two were faced off in the kitchen.

He heard his dad tone. "What's going on?"

Gabby complained. "Hannah's lying to you!"

He looked at both his daughters. Gabby's eyes were wide with indignation, but Hannah's were looking at her feet. Sighing, he said, "Gabs." Turning to see Kevin behind him, he added, "And Kev go upstairs, please."

He waited for the younger two to leave. There he stood in just the shorts he wore under his wetsuit. He visualized the first time he held her to summon up the gentlest voice he had.

"Hannah. What's going on?"

"It's not horrible. It's just that I've been hanging out with a guy."

"Dating?" She nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think you would like it."

He felt a trickle of unease. "Why?"

"Because he's not in high school. He's a friend of Lexie's boyfriend. They go to MECA together."

Maine College of Art. Patrick imagined an artist with tattoos and piercings touching his daughter. It was out of character for Hannah.

"How old is he?"

She studied her toes. "Already nineteen."

She wasn't eighteen until July. In less than five months, she would be at college with the long-term goal of becoming a doctor.

Letting out a long breath, he said, "Can I meet him? I just don't want you messing up your future. Remember, we have a trip to Tufts next week."

"Nothing is going to stop me from going away to school. I can't wait to start fresh. I won't be that girl."

"What girl?"

Her voice was faint. "The one with the dead mother."

His heart broke. "Oh sweetie, come here."

She walked into his arms and he held her. Together they cried, and eventually she pulled back.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded. "Dad, you're freezing."

"I know, but you were more important. I need to meet this boy and no more hiding."

He was a hypocrite, but he was the adult and apparently her boyfriend was too. Dread filled him, and he wished Erica was here. He reminded himself he had to trust his daughter. She had never given him a reason not to before. A warm shower helped him to feel better.

He boiled pasta and opened a jarred sauce. He threw together lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber for a simple salad. Once he sat down and looked at his children happily eating the basic meal he had prepared, he felt proud of all of them, himself included.

Kevin asked, "Is Hannah in trouble?"

"No, Hannah is not in trouble. She has a friend that I need to meet."

"But she lied!" Gabby seemed convinced her sister committed a crime.

"She held back the truth. Once I meet this young man, Hannah and I will have a talk."

If this guy threw up red flags, he would tell her. Hopefully she made a decent choice.

"When do we get to meet him?" Gabby asked.

Six eyes were on Hannah. "I don't know. I have to check with him. Maybe this weekend, unless Dad's too busy dating."

He put his hands up. "I don't have a date this weekend. I've been home the last two weekends. Vacation week, I need to trust that you are looking out for each other during the day. It's like summer. Kevin knows that there is no surfing without me. And no company without me either for any of you. Kevin is going to Boston all day on Friday with the Probsts and we're going to Tufts on Wednesday."

"We know, Dad." Gabby smiled at him.

"Good."

Their mother was supposed to handle the boyfriends. Parenting was when he missed her the most.

At the end of the day on Friday, he rubbed his hands over his face. He had three more phone calls to make. He had extractions all day. The day before a long weekend or vacation were always popular days. It gave the patient plenty of recovery time before returning to school. The goal was to remove the teeth before the root grew into the nerve. The pain was less and recovery quicker. Paul had removed Hannah's a year before and she was back to normal the next day. Except for being annoyed by him, because he insisted on frequent salt water rinses. His child would not get an infection.

Paul poked his head in. "Tired?"

"Yeah, and I get to meet the nineteen-year-old who is dating my daughter tonight."

Paul chuckled. "Are you going to castrate him?"

Patrick laughed. "I wish. I have to trust her, but it's hard. I know what guys are like." He thought of his actions on Tessa's sofa.

"We need to go out sometime. Get a drink."

Patrick shook his head. "I don't know." In one week he had plans, so he needed to stay home. "I have a few more calls, then I need to grab takeout and head home."

"Okay. Have a good weekend." He waved to his friend as he dialed the phone."

He sighed, hoping he arrived before their guest. After dinner the night before, he had surprised Kristi by knocking on her door. He needed to talk to someone. He regretted he didn't feel close enough to Tessa to talk to her about it. Kristi knew Hannah, and she would be honest with him.

Dan offered him a beer, which he accepted.

"Are you okay?" Kristi asked, concerned.

"Yeah. I don't know. Parenting alone can really suck."

"Who's in trouble?"

He was always the softie while Erica set the rules. He worked all day and wanted to have fun with them when he came home. He had to step up when she was sick and still felt bad anytime he had to punish any of them.

"Hannah has a boyfriend. He's nineteen."

"Ouch!" Dan said, as if he had been kicked in the shin.

"I know. She kept him from me. I am insisting on meeting him. What if? What if he is some degenerate who...?"

Kristi said, "Stop! You know your girl. She's reserved. There's no way she'd go for a bad boy. Trust your instincts."

"My instincts say I should lock my daughter in the house until she leaves for college."

Kristi sighed. "So she can live in the dorms and have sex with other coeds."

"Jesus, Kris! Just stab the man in the heart!" Dan glared at his wife.

"It's true, but fine. You two can put your heads in the sand and pretend they are still your little girls when they're thirty."

Dan said, "Hey, thirty is a long time away. Ivy is only twelve."

Patrick sighed. "Those were the days."

"Trust Hannah. She's a good girl. She is caring and smart. She wrote an amazing essay, by the way. Actually, all her scholarship submissions were great. She hardly needed my help."

Patrick didn't remind Kristi that Hannah hadn't asked for her help. "I know. I know. I'll wait until I meet him."

"When is that?" Kristi asked.

"Tomorrow night."

"I'll expect to hear from you. I want to know all about him."

Dan added, "We're here to support you, man."

"Thanks. I better get home. I don't usually go for a walk after dinner."

"I do. I'll walk you home." She picked up the leash and her dog came running.

On Friday, he carried the pizza boxes into the kitchen and yelled that he was home. Gabby came running.

"Hannah said they're coming!"

"Gabby, let's be nice and give the guy a chance."

She eyed him suspiciously. "Kevin is with Ben and Nick."

"He should be home by now."

The door slammed. Kevin walked in. "Is he here?"

Gabby replied, "Not yet."

Patrick went upstairs to change. He thought of calling Tessa, but he didn't have time. With the excitement surrounding Hannah, he had only texted her on Thursday morning to let her know he enjoyed their lunch.

He sent a text.

P: One week. I wish it was tonight.

She didn't reply. He hoped she didn't back out.

He rushed downstairs when he heard Hannah arrive. Taking a deep breath, he readied himself to meet the guy.

The two stood in his kitchen. Their guest looked around while shifting his feet.

Hannah held his hand. "Dad, this is Ryder. This is my Dad."

Patrick held out his hand. "Dr. Bennett."

Ryder reached out and shook his hand as he mumbled a greeting. Patrick sized him up by staring into his eyes. The kid kept eye contact.

He didn't have any noticeable tattoos or piercings. He was dressed in sports pants and a black concert tee. Patrick didn't like Slayer written on his chest.

Hannah pulled him away to meet her siblings. He felt relieved he was a normal-looking kid, although he didn't look like Hannah's first heartthrob Zac Efron in High School Musical. How did he know his name? He didn't really look nineteen. To Patrick, he resembled about five kids he had in his chair earlier in the day.

They sat down for pizza. At first no one spoke, which was weird for the Bennetts.

Hannah looked at him. "Dad, our friends are coming over to hang out on the beach."

He swallowed. Hadn't he suggested her friends spend time at their house. "Gabby, go too."

Her jaw dropped, and she shrugged. "Maybe, if Anna wants to."

He turned to Ryder. "Do you like the beach?"

He shrugged. "I never really went. My mom had to work, and we didn't always have a car."

"And your father?"

"I see him some. He has my little sisters."

"So your parents are divorced?"

"Nah, they were never married, but my father is now."

"So you have a stepmother?"

"Yeah, she's my aunt."

Patrick froze. "What? "Excuse me?"

"Dad!" Hannah's eyes darted around the table.

Ryder said, "No, it's okay. My father married my mother's sister."

Gabby laughed. "So your sisters are your cousins?" She laughed again. "Sister-cousins."

"Gabby!" Hannah was not amused.

Patrick had a picture of a kid who grew up poor in a broken home. "So it's just you and your mother?"

"And my little brother."

"Do you live with your mother?"

"No, she lives in Parsonsfield. I live with friends. I have since she had to move. I wanted to stay in Portland schools."

Patrick lost count of the reasons this kid wasn't right for his daughter. Although he was nice and polite, Hannah was bound for college.

"So art school, how did that come about?"

He shrugged. "I was thinking about just getting a job, but my art teacher encouraged me to apply. They gave me a lot of money so it's practically free."

"What are you going to do with an art degree?"

"I don't know."

Patrick saw a kid who would probably quit art school. "Did Hannah tell you she wants to be a doctor?"

Hannah blushed. "Maybe. Dad, you know Tufts has a good dental school."

He smiled. "Sweetie, you can be whatever you want. But don't do what I did? Pick one, not both. I was in school forever."

Gabby laughed. "Can I go to art school?"

"We can talk about it." His instincts were to say no, but he held back.

"Dad, Ms. Brenner asked me to help with Abbie's birthday party tomorrow."

He nodded, but all he could think of was Tessa. Would she be on The Point again?

Later that night, when Hannah came into his room, he had been looking at his phone wishing Tessa would respond to his text.

Hannah stood in front of him. "Dad, did you like him?"

He nodded. He did if he wasn't dating his daughter. "Just remember to respect yourself. You don't need to ruin your life for this boy."

"Dad, I'm smart enough not to have sex." He felt a pain in his heart.

"Okay, but I reserve the right to remind you."

She rolled her eyes. "Dad, we had fun on the beach. We are definitely going to hang around more."

Panic spread through him. He was counting on both the girls to be busy off The Point next Friday night.