The Brit in Blue

Chapter 4

Andy took Jeremy down the street to a rickety old apartment building and led him up to the top floor.

They walked down the hall until they reached the apartment where Andy's dad lived. 

Andy knocked on the door without saying anything, just to surprise him.

Her dad, a big guy with wrinkles on his face and a beer bottle in his hand, answered it and backed away as if disbelieving what he saw.

"Andy..." he whispered.

"Dad" Andy whispered back.

"Andy..."

"Dad!"

"Andy!"

Her dad squeezed her real tight, overcome with emotion.

"I missed you, copper!" he said.

"I missed you too" said Andy.

"Good god, you look great. So... festive" said her dad.

"Thank you. The part of Australia I moved to is all about festivities. Even the cops are festive" said Andy. 

Her dad looked at Jeremy. "And, apparently, the people there are distinguished. Like this man you got with you."

"Yeah, but he's actually British" said Andy. 

She wrapped her arm around Jeremy's shoulder. "I'd like you to meet Jeremy Clyde. My dad, Tommy McNally."

"How d'you do?" said Jeremy politely.

Tommy shook his hand. "Jeremy Clyde. What a woman you've made my daughter. I've never seen her so happy."

"You know about..." Jeremy began.

"She talks about you in every letter she sends me. You're quite a guy" said Tommy.

"Thank you" said Jeremy.

"Since Andy first wrote about you, I've been checking out your work. With that music, you and the other guy could wipe out half of Canada" said Tommy.

Andy laughed. "Maybe, but that's not why I brought him here."

"Yeah?" said Tommy.

"I brought him here to meet you because we have some news" said Andy.

"I hope it's good news. Because I got nothing but disappointment here" said Tommy taking a slug of his beer.

Andy showed him her engagement ring. "Jeremy here and I are getting married."

Tommy dropped his beer bottle, grinned widely and collapsed.

"Dad!" Andy snapped.

She knelt down and checked her dad's pulse.

"What's happening?" said Jeremy. 

"Sometimes I find him like this when I visit him, but... he never reacts like this to news of a marriage" said Andy.

"Perhaps he fainted out of joy. It happened when Meg told Paul she was marrying Chad" said Jeremy.

"What?" said Andy.

"It's just a thought" said Jeremy.