Craved Affections

Chapter 5

"Thank you Daddy, thank you." Caroline breath in relief. "You are giving me your approval?"

"You're asking me to give my approval to something that I feel is terribly wrong."

"But it isn't." Caroline defended. "Eric is a good man. He's a wonderful man. And he loves me as much as I love him."

Rashard pulled his hand gently out of hers. "He has stolen your heart away hasn't he."

"Daddy don't, please don't talk that way." Caroline sighed and circled her father. "You're making his impossible for me. The last thing I want to do is marry a man my father can't stand, but I'm going to. Eric is the most important man in my life." Caroline walked away from the hurt look on her father's face. She didn't mean to hurt him like that. "I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt you. I love you, but don't you think you'll feel this way no matter the man I chose."

"No Caroline, definitely not."

Caroline's eyes filled with tears. "Mom used to always say the man that married me would have to be a genius, a strategist, and a diplomat. He'd need all that to get past you." Rashard turned to look at his daughter finally. "God I wished mom was still alive. She'd like Eric. If only you could feel that way."

The telephone in the house broke the silence that ensued after her final words. Both looked at each other before Rashard turned to answer the device. "Hello?"

"Mr. Young."

"Yes?"

"Hello this is Wyatt Summer."

"Mr. Summer?"

Caroline stopped in her exit and spun to look at her father.

"Well I suppose you and I should become better acquainted."

"Yes, I suppose so." Rashard responded right as his daughter turned inquisitive eyes on him.

"If you'd like, with your permission, my wife and I could stop by your place in a little while."

"Well I do have an appointment.." Rashard started but turned to look at his daughter's face. "But fine. I'd like you to stop by, I'd like to meet the both of you."

"Oh, good. We won't stay long. But due to the fact that we don't have much time....." Wyatt trailed off.

"Yes, we are gonna have a wedding aren't we."

"Yes, in two short weeks."

"I look forward to meeting you, Mr. Summer." Rashard replied looking at his smiling daughter.

"I love you Daddy." Caroline threw her arms around her father.

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"That's right Lidia, you have the exclusive as long as we're on the cover." Eric negotiated. He waited to hear what the woman had to say. "Good, then we understand each other." A knock on the door had him glancing up, his index finger up to signal to whomever that he was preoccupied. "Alright, I'll talk to you soon.... Thanks a lot. Ba-bye." Eric hung up the phone quickly. "Mother!" He rose to hug his beautiful mother decked out in white.

"Hello darling," she greeted with a smile and a kiss to his lips.

"What brings you out this way?"

"Well I have come by to pick up your father." She responded allowing her son to squeeze her shoulders then her hands.

"Great!" Eric was happy to hear this. "You two going out to lunch."

"No actually, we have an appointment." Elizabeth stared into her son's eyes with the hint of a tease.