Mentor

His run over, he returned home, showered, and ate a bite of breakfast before opening his laptop. There, he found an e-mail from Kelly.

Hi, Dad,

Good morning. Please remember that the kids and I love you and that Mom always loved you, too. We know today will probably be tough for you but we want you to remember that part of love is wanting what's best for the one we love, even when we're no longer there to help with that. Mom would want that for you, too, and would want you to let go and move on. I hope you'll think about that today, Dad, and I'll be thinking of and praying for you today, too. Then, tomorrow, get up and make a new start, okay? That would make Mom happy, would make me and the boys happy, and will make you happy in the long run, too.

I'll call later; Mikey has soccer practice at 8 this morning so I'm up early trying to get his practice uniform ready. I don't remember them being as fussy about stuff like that when I was his age.

Love you,

Kelly

P.S. I'm still on the e-mail list for Belden's Bookstore downtown. They're having another signing event for a new author this week; if you go, get me a copy and an autograph, okay? I read a review and it sounds really good.

Bill hadn't done a signing event since Crystal died, but getting an autograph for Kelly might be a nice gesture to thank her for all that she'd done to help him. He and Crystal had attended a number over the years, with Kelly coming along for a few and they'd met several good authors as a result.

He sent Kelly a short thank you note for letting him know and then went to the Belden's website, knowing the store was one of the few remaining independent bookstores around town that still had the clientele to host such events. He went to the upcoming events page and saw there was a book signing on Tuesday night by an established author and then another on Friday night with a new author whose name jumped out at him: Allison Daniela Brady.

His breath caught for a second as he reread it. "Allison Daniela Brady. Allison Brady. Could this be Ally? AlleyKat99? Nah, it couldn't be," he said aloud, but still wondering.

An online search for the author led him to several articles with interviews she'd done in recent weeks, including one she did with one of the big New York publications.

KCMag: "So when did you decide to become a writer?"

Brady: "It was a number of years ago when I was a young teenager. I was terrible, but a writer friend saw potential in me and encouraged me to keep writing and to never give up. He spent a lot of time reviewing and critiquing my works, and practically going crazy, I suspect, helping me." Then, she confirmed it. "I always told him that my spelling sucked and teased him that I couldn't even spell my middle name right—it's a variation of the Hungarian spelling, from my great grandmother, Dan-i-ay-la—without looking at my student ID to remember if it was one 'L' or two. He talked me through a number of other issues over the years, too, and I've always been so thankful for his help. We lost touch years ago but I hope he's doing well."

Bill slumped back in the chair, remembering clearly the middle name comment. He'd found her first and last names from the information she'd disclosed about her grandfather—or was it her grandmother?—and the obituary but he'd never learned her middle name.

The events listing showed that Miss Allison Daniela Brady would be in town on Friday for the signing. Friday night signings were fairly rare, so Bill checked the local writers' forum, finding that she'd be doing a signing at one of the big bookstores on Thursday and was staying over for a second event at the smaller independent.

His mind swirling, Bill visited Crystal's grave at the cemetery. He set fresh flowers in the vase and sat down next to it. A tear slipped down his cheek.

"Hi, Crys. Sorry it's been a few weeks since I visited. I...I miss you, Sweetheart, and will love you always...but it's really hard coming here, talking and remembering you and not having you reply, to hear your voice, your laugh. Kelly and Mikey are doing well, and little Arnie is getting bigger by the week. She sent me a note this morning and wants me to, basically, remember you always but let you go. I'm going to try, Crys, but you're always going to be part of me, here in my heart, and I'll always love you."

He leaned against her headstone for a few moments, the cool, solid feel of the marble and the depth of the engraving under his fingertips reminding him that it was real and not just some horrible nightmare he'd been living for the past three years. Blinking with his face set, he fought off the tears.

He stood up and was about to go when he added, "I found out something else today, Crys, that you'd be glad about. Remember AlleyKat, our young writer friend? She made it, Sweetheart. She grew up and is a published author now. I'm thinking of going to get her autograph. I don't know if...."

He sighed looking at the name on Crys's stone and the flowers he'd put in the vase. "Bye, Sweetheart, I have to go," he whispered before finally turning away.

***

Later that afternoon after speaking with Kelly and the boys, Bill drove to Belden's and picked up two copies of Ally's book. He picked up some General Tso's, Crys's favorite, at the local Chinese restaurant, and went home to start reading while he ate. It was late that evening when he put it down, and he finished it after his run on Sunday morning. It was, he felt, a great book.

It was tough for Bill to concentrate over the next few days. The anniversary of Crystal's death weighed heavily on him, but the thought of finally meeting his successful, former mentee brought a sense of happiness and hope that had been missing from his life for too long. He was second guessing that decision on Friday night, though, as he stepped into the signing line at Belden's, wondering if introducing himself was the right thing to do. After all, she'd successfully moved on without him, even if the magazine article made it sound as if she might have regretted it all these years later. As the line inched forward, he knew he'd meet her but he still wasn't sure if he was going to introduce himself as Bill, Bill Humphries, or WesternRomanceGuy.

There were a number of photos of Ally online at various signings, but the most common was the one on the back cover of the book jacket. The big photo next to the table where she was seated was the same as that publicity shot though it wasn't as cropped as the cover, with short, dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. The photographer had succeeded in making her look as smolderingly sexy in the photo as the heroine in her mystery-romance novel, but here, her hair was longer, at least by several inches, she wore a casual sleeveless dress with pretty flowery print and a neckline that wasn't too high but wasn't so low as to make a father blush either. She had a nice bustline in the dress, nothing too big for her seemingly small frame, with her breasts not being nearly as accentuated as in the publicity shot.

All-in-all, she looked more friendly, next-doorsy even, as she smiled and laughed with those whose copies she was signing than the sexpot on the back cover. Moving closer to the front of the line where he had an even better view, he was glad to see his young friend, who'd once described herself as klutzy and boring-looking had grown up so well.

Bill was a few people from the front of the line when the event coordinator came back over. She'd been circulating and had previously spoken to those in front of him, so he'd already gotten a good look at her but really paid her no attention. With brownish-blonde hair and amber-colored eyes, she appeared to be in her mid-forties and was wearing a dark business skirt. As she stepped up to him then, he noticed the almost sheer white shirt with a white camisole under it that highlighted rather nice breasts with nice points. He took it in at a glance, careful not to stare.

"Hello, sir, thanks for coming this evening. I see you have a copy of Miss Brady's book. Oh, two copies."

"Yes, one for me, and one for my daughter. I came down and picked them up over the weekend when she told me about this event. I have the receipt for them, if that matters, and I've read the whole thing. My copy, anyway," he said, already a bit nervous about the situation and then being called out on asking for more than one autograph.

The woman smiled, shaking her head. "Oh, no, no problem. We're actually just glad to see such a great crowd, especially on a Friday night, to get Allison and the store some publicity. Do you have a short note you'd like for her to include in the book or would you rather let her write something original?"

"If she doesn't mind, I'd like to provide a short note."

"That's fine," she said with a nod, "but please write it, as legibly as possible, on this slip of paper. That way, it keeps notes to just a few words and allows everyone to have a turn."

"Understood." He took the little square of paper with lines and wrote out a short note. On the back, he wrote one for Kelly.

By the time he was next in line, Bill was getting a bit nervous about what he'd written, but then it was too late. The event-coordinator lady said, "Sir, it's your turn. Please step forward."

He was a bit choked up as he faced her, but she put him at ease. "Hi, I'm Ally. Thanks for coming. And you are?" she asked as she extended her hand in greeting.

Bill shook her hand, warm and tender, leading him to force himself to let go. "Ahem, hi, Miss Brady. My name's Bill Humphries. It's very nice to meet you...in person," he said as he handed her his little paper with the note. "Mine's on front, and my daughter's is on back."

Allison was smiling as he introduced himself and she nodded to him before opening Bill's copy of her book that he handed her. Then she read the little note he'd written. When she did, she became animated, glancing back and forth from the paper in her hand up to him standing across the table from her.

She shook her head quickly, as if in denial. "Really? Are you serious?"

He smiled. "It's been a long while, but yes, and it's me and I'm still in your corner cheering for you, AlleyKat99."

She squealed, jumping up and leaning across the table to hug him. The female assistant frowned and quickly moved toward them, but Ally moved around the table and gave an even bigger hug, almost tittering excitedly the whole time.

"Everyone! Everyone, listen, please! This is the first time I've ever met him in person, but this is my dear friend, WRG, who helped mentor me when I was a fledgling author. He helped me so much, pointing out boo boos, making me think through plots and the details that help make stories work. Thank you, thank you, thank you, my friend!"

She gave him another hug as those still in line smiled and gave a polite round of applause. All except the event assistant, who was frowning even more. She took a step toward them, but then hesitated, apparently seeing that Bill meant Ally no harm.

"Say," Bill said, "I don't know if you have plans for this evening after this signing, but if not, I'd love to take you to dinner and catch up. It's been a long time since we've talked."

She laughed but nodded enthusiastically. "That sounds great! I think we only have another 30 minutes or so and...say, I still owe you a signing...and you had another one for Kelly?"

"Yes, but we've taken enough time. How about if you go on and take care of these folks and you do mine and Kelly's at dinner?"

She nodded, gave him another big hug, and returned to the signing, with Bill stepping away so the next person could step up. He moved to the side and watched, but was surprised to see the event coordinator approaching.

"Excuse me," she said, "but you really are WesternRomanceGuy?"

Bill chuckled as he nodded. "In the flesh, ma'am, but I generally went by WRG with Ally. I can't believe she would have mentioned me to you ."

The woman's frown deepened. "I'm not an employee of the store, Mr., what was it?"

"Humphries."

"Mr. Humphries. My name is Lynn Marie Brady, and I'm Allison's mother. Did I hear her say that she'll go to dinner with you?"

"Oh, hi! Nice to meet you, Mrs. Brady. And, yes, she did, but I didn't realize that she had someone traveling with her. You're welcome to come, too."

"You going to dinner with my daughter isn't a good idea, Mr. Humphries. In fact, I must say, it's a very, very bad idea"

To have been so pretty and smiling minutes earlier, she looked surprisingly upset, bordering on angry, when she said that, and, after seeing how happy Ally was when they'd met, Bill wasn't sure what was going on.

In a low voice, he asked, "Why, Mrs. Brady?"

She took his arm and steered him farther away, into one of the empty aisles. "Why are you doing this, Mr. Humphries?" she hissed. "Why are you back now?"

Bill shook his head. "I live a half hour away and she's here. Listen, I don't know what you're upset about but Ally and I are friends meeting in person for the first time. Dinner will give us a chance to talk, and, like I said, you're invited, too. To tell the truth, I've debated this all week but I really am looking forward to catching up with her, especially after wondering how she was doing for so many years. Do you realize we seemed to be good friends and then it was like she just disappeared one day? I wondered for the longest time if I'd done something wrong or why she would leave like that."

Mrs. Brady was staring at him, the apparent anger hidden just under the surface, ready to burst out at any moment. "Well, I'll be perfectly blunt, Mr. Humphries. She didn't do it by choice. Her father and I forced her to quit speaking with you for her own good—"

"What?" he exclaimed, interrupting her with a sharp whisper. He couldn't believe what she'd just said, and his anger suddenly rivaled what he sensed in her. "Mrs. Brady, I respect you since you're Ally's mother, but that's crap. I spent a lot of time helping her because we were friends, being a mentor to her to the extent I could be from hundreds of miles away because I thought she had talent and could do something with her life, and she's proven it. Back then, I thought she appreciated my input; God, she thanked me enough times. Then you just decide that I shouldn't help her any more and don't even let her tell me goodbye? What? Did you think I had some sinister plan for her? If so, you're sick, lady. She's like a daughter to me."

Mrs. Brady planted her hands on her hips glaring at him. "She is a daughter to me, Mr. Humphries, and that's why we forced the issue. No, after reading your comments and seeing how much effort you were giving her, I believed you truly were trying to help her and that's why my husband and I didn't stop it years earlier, but it wasn't you."

"What do you mean?"

"It was Ally; we think she developed a crush on you despite not meeting you and was beginning to fantasize about running off to be with you. She was desperate to 'go live at WRG's house.' That's all she talked about. 'Going to live at WRG's house.' I don't know how she did it, but she'd somehow discovered your name and location though she never would share them with us. She swore she knew, and Ally, though a handful, was always very truthful. She even told me your first name was Bill, but she wouldn't say more."

Bill was stunned and barely forced out the words. "You have to be kidding me. She had a crush on me? And she was able to find me despite all my precautions?"

"No, Mr. Humphries. I wish I was kidding, but when Ally was looking at colleges, she developed misplaced feelings for you and we think she was beginning to see—no, I'm sorry, imagine you as far more than her mentor. We had to push her away, to cut you off so she didn't continue to focus on you but on her future instead. She was miserable her senior year of high school, but we had to watch her to make sure she stayed away from you so she didn't ruin her life. She was desperate to get out of the house to start college, then, and it was only when she promised to not contact you anymore that we agreed to let her go. Tell me, Mr. Humphries, if we hadn't forced the issue, if she'd tried to approach you back then, do you think she'd have turned out like this?"

"I'm so sorry, Mrs.Brady. I didn't know. I really didn't know and I didn't suspect anything. She never, ever, gave any indication of feelings for me. I, ah, I thought we were just friends and that I was helping her. We talked about writing, school, and, yeah, even boys sometimes, but never about a romantic interest in me. I tried to give her a good perspective and to help her as much as I could. It hurt when she cut me out of her life so abruptly, but I figured she was just growing up and moving on, that she'd gotten a boyfriend, and didn't have time for me anymore, but was doing what was best for her."

She nodded slowly, her face transforming from the verge of anger to that of compassion, perhaps even sadness. "I think I can see that, Mr. Humphries, and I'm sorry. My husband thought about trying to track you down to warn you off but when you didn't push it and Ally seemed to let go, we let it drop."

She looked at him thoughtfully, inwardly debating some fine point in their quandary before finally nodding, coming to a conclusion. She smiled for the first time, just a little one, but showing a nice, human side Bill hadn't seen or really suspected to that point.

"Mr. Humphries," she said with a sigh, "if I'd caught you early enough, I'd have said no, no way, but she's expecting it now and keeping you apart might make things worse. Go to dinner with her, but please, be gentle, and don't allow anything to happen that she could take the wrong way. She's almost 29 years old now, she's independent, and she's as smart as a whip, but she can be somewhat, well, obsessive at times. If you give her a bit of encouragement, I'm afraid her interest in you might be rekindled. That, Mr. Humphries, would not be a good thing at this stage in her career."

As much as Bill didn't want to like the woman or agree with anything she said, he nodded slowly. "I understand, but you had nothing to worry about from me. I'd have never done anything like that to encourage her and I'll be sure nothing improper happens tonight."

***

"Oh! I'm so glad you're here, WRG! Let's go to Korbo's. It's at my hotel and is supposed to be really good," said Ally after the signing was over. She jotted down the hotel's address, gave him a peck on the cheek. "I'll meet you there in half an hour, okay?"

"Sounds great. I'll see you there."

Dinner was great. Though having just met in person, they shared many memories of years past when they were friends at a distance. Ally ordered a bottle of wine and kept topping the glasses off frequently as they talked.

"Ally, I don't think I need any more wine, thank you."

"Well I'm not drinking all of this by myself, so you just hush and drink up," she said with a smile. Another bottle arrived later in the evening, and they continued talking.

"My parents were very strict, at least Dad was, and Mom was strict because of him. They made me stop talking with you—they held the pursestrings to my college account, and threatened to make me go close to home. I'm so sorry about that, WRG. Then, they wouldn't let me date until I went to college. I became a bit of a wild thing, during those years; oh, Daddy would have killed me if he'd known the details. After, that is, beating my ass till I was black and blue."

"Ally, when they made you stop talking to me; your mother said you had a crush on me. Is that true?"

She looked down with a smirky smile as she chewed her lower lip. "Well, I wouldn't say it was a crush...but I sure did want to go live with you."