“She is, trust me. Pam’s the best.”
“So, what did Pam tell you about me?” he asked.
“She didn’t have to tell me your name since you were the buzz the moment you arrived. However, she did tell me where you lived, what you did for a living and your marital status. She even told me that your daughter, at twenty-two, had recently graduated from law school and was studying for the California Bar exam. That’s an outstanding accomplishment for a twenty-two-year-old.”
“That’s due to dual enrollment and earning both AB and IP credits while in high school and going to college year-round. Deena is my pride and joy,” he said.
“I feel the same about my son. He’s on a fast track to finish high school as well. However, not as aggressively as Deena.”
He nodded. “How old is your son?”
“Garlan is sixteen, a senior and plans to attend Harvard. He wants to be an attorney.”
He could hear the deep pride in her voice. “That’s a pretty good profession if I must say so myself,” he said, grinning. “Your son sounds like an outstanding young man.”
Her smile widened. “Of course, I think so.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you, Iris?”
“I don’t mind at all. I will be forty-one on my next birthday.”
He stopped walking and turned to study her beautiful features. “You’re kidding, right?”
She chuckled. “No, I’m not kidding. Don’t you know a woman might lower her age but never increase it?”
“Well, you definitely don’t look it.”
“Thanks, Matt. How old did you think I was?”
“Thirty-four. Maybe thirty-five.”
“Those days are long gone, trust me. What about you? How old are you?”
“I’m forty-four.”
“You certainly don’t look it.”
“Thanks. However, as a single father of a daughter who was very energetic and wanted to do everything while growing up, I feel my age.”
“I feel mine, too,” she said. “Garlan is into baseball, track, soccer, martial arts, tennis and now girls.”
He nodded. “At sixteen, Deena was still taking dancing classes. She had a lot of guy friends but didn’t have a boyfriend until her second year of college. He lasted four months. She said when he wanted to get too attached, she decided to cut him loose.”
“Well, I have to say it, Matt, but AJ hasn’t let your daughter out of his sight since they were introduced.”
Matt raised a brow. “AJ?”
“That’s the nickname given to Alisdare when he was a kid. After college, he decided he wanted everyone to call him by his real name instead. Once in a while, we’ll let it slip. When we do, he takes it in stride. He knows old habits are hard to break.”
Matt stopped walking again. “Wait a minute. Alisdare, Alisdare,” he said, repeating the name. “Is he Dare Westmoreland’s son?”
“Yes.”
A huge smile touched Matt’s face. “I know Dare. Met him through Quade a few years back. He’s a sheriff in a town near Atlanta. I’ve been on a few fishing trips with him and the Atlanta Westmorelands. I was included in several of their card games. I met his wife, Shelly, but never met their kids. Nice guy.”
“I agree. Dare will soon be retiring, so he claims. But we will see. In case you have any reservations about Alisdare, he’s a nice young man. Dare and Shelly raised him well.”
“I believe it. Now that you’ve made the connection, I can see how much Alisdare favors Dare.”