Craved Affections

Chapter 14

Wyatt stepped into his house, head down into the newspaper article. He pushed the door close and turned to head up the stairs. Something in his peripheral caused him to stop and turn around.

"Hi Daddy!" Victoria greeted cheerily.

"Victoria." Wyatt said with a beaming smile, he put down his briefcase and made his way over to hug his daughter. "It's so good to have you back."

"It's so good to be back." She smiled up at him, her blonde ponytail bobbing in her excitement.

"Do you know how long it's been?" He asked her.

"Over a year since I've seen this house."

"Yeah, one year, two months and one week." He told her. "I figured it out this morning."

"Always an eye for detail."

He chuckled and hugged her again. "Oh I've missed you baby."

"I've missed you too."

"Have you seen your brothers?" He asked holding her hands.

"Not yet." She walked past him to sit down.

"What about your mother?" He asked joining her.

"Briefly." She said softly. "But I'm into coexisting on his trip. She is too." She sighed. "At least I hope so."

"Good." He smiled then. "Well! What do you think about this big event?"

"Eric is really getting married?" She asked in disbelief.

"Apparently so."

"I sure wouldn't have believed it."

"Have you met his fiance?" Wyatt asked.

"Yes, and now that you've mentioned it that's when all of this started to make sense."

"Caroline really is something else, isn't she?"

"Like nobody I've ever met." She shook her head smiling. "She's so warm, genuine."

"I think Eric realizes that." Wyatt responded in deep thought.

"I hope so."

"Yeah." He muttered distractedly.

"Well I better go up and change, I understand that we have a party to go to." She said standing up.

"Yes," he said joining her. "At Caroline's. Her father wants us all to get together."

"So I hear." She said as her father led her by her shoulders to the staircase. "He sounds like an interesting man."

"He wasn't too happy about this marriage at first." Wyatt informed her. "But I think he's warming to the idea."

"Warming to it?" Victoria asked. "According to Caroline, he's one of Eric's big fan."

"Well that brother of yours could charm the skin right off a cobra." Wyatt admitted. Victoria laughed at he joke. "We are running behind, we better get ready."

"It feels so great to talk to you like this." Victoria told her father, squeezing his hand.

Wyatt placed his index finger on her chin, like he used to when she was a child. Her hand automatically lifted to place hers on his. "I wish we could do it more."

"Feels so good Daddy." She hugged him fiercely.

"Why don't you leave New York, come home to live." Victoria's face dropped, but her father didn't see he was too busy pulling her into another hug.