The day of the party soon arrived. My parents came the night before and slept over so they could help with the preparations. Harry came over at the crack of dawn to help us get ready. We set up tables and chairs in the back yard, in addition to a large canopy that I had rented, just in case it rained.

Harry continued to work in the back yard with my dad and Charlie who had shown up a little later, making sure the lawn was trimmed and that the pool was ready. 

My mom and I went inside to work on food. The girls meandered in and out, with Rachael toddling along behind them. We gave them little samples of food, which they happily munched and went on their way.

The party was scheduled to start at 4:00 PM and to go into the evening, so we had planned on some simple dinner foods to make on the grill – chicken, shish kabobs, grilled vegetables. We made potato salad and a few other salads, brownies, and my friend Angie made a giant birthday cake. She has an amazing talent for cake decorating which she hardly ever gets to use since she works in a department store.

I invited Angie to the party since she made the cake, and I wanted her to finally meet the Styles family. She arrived early in the afternoon to help with set up and to allow our kids to play together.

Just before the party started, Charlie came into the house to find me so he could introduce his girlfriend, Courtney. She was very pretty and she seemed so...conservative. I imagined Charlie to be kind of a party animal, but Courtney seemed very grounded. I tried not to think about what Harry had told me about them when they spent the night together.

"It's nice to meet you, Courtney," I said.

"Nice to meet you, too," she said. "I love your house, and your pool is incredible!" 

"Thank you. I'm glad you like it. You're welcome to come over with Charlie and swim any time. He knows the security codes and everything."

She smiled and then squeezed Charlie's hand and gave him a little kiss on the cheek. He grinned in return, making his dimples pop just like Harry's. Charlie and his girlfriend seemed very compatible and they looked quite cute together. I had jumped to conclusions when Harry had told me about their loud overnight sessions, thinking she would be kind of a tramp. I felt bad for thinking that, because now I realized she was a lovely girl and it was clear that Charlie was crazy about her.

Soon, Harold arrived with two guests – I'd never seen the man before, and I'm fairly certain the woman was the one in the red suit who had come home from work with Harold.

"Lise, this is my best friend, David. He just arrived from England this morning," Harold told me.

"Hello, David. Welcome to the US, and welcome to my home," I smiled.

"Thank you for having me," he grinned. He was incredibly handsome. I swear he could have been Zac Efron's older brother with those dreamy eyes and golden brown hair. Was it a rule that every man from England had to be strikingly handsome?!

"And this is Whitney," he said, introducing me to the blonde woman. She was wearing red again, but this time it wasn't a business suit, of course. She had a red tank top with sparkly sequins along the neckline and a crisp pair of white shorts. Her high-heeled sandals showed off her impeccable pedicure. I couldn't imagine how any of these people would be swim later without ruining their perfect hairdos and expertly pressed clothing. 

"Thank you for hosting this party, Lise," Harold said. "I'm truly honored." And I knew he was sincere.

I gave him a friendly hug and said, "I'm happy to do it."

He then informed me that a few more of his colleagues would be coming as well, but he told me that he would keep an eye out for them.

I excused myself to continue making preparations. I found Charlie and asked, on the spur of the moment, if he would be the bartender for a while. I would ask my brother-in-law to do it later, but he hadn't arrived yet. Harry had given me money to buy all of the alcohol since he couldn't legally do so in the US, and I bought a lot of it, at his request. Charlie quickly began pouring wine and making mixed drinks. Apparently, he'd had a little practice.

I put Harry in charge of the music. He put together a nice mix of big band, jazz, and some other mellow sounds, and the party was underway.

The kids got into the pool immediately, with my father supervising. It was an unusually hot day for late May, with temperatures into the 90's and the heat index pushing it closer to 100. I had no doubt that everyone would end up in the pool eventually, even Harold and his well-dressed friends.

My mom, sister and I took turns manning the grill and setting out food. It wasn't a huge crowd, but it was big enough to keep us hopping. When I went to check on the buffet table, I noticed that a few of Harry's school friends had arrived, including Holland. I was happy to see him building friendships with people his own age, but when Holland leaned over and whispered something in Harry's ear, making him burst out in laughter, I felt like a high school girl myself with the wave of jealousy that shot through me.

It's his life, Lise. You wanted him to make friends, and now he has. He's not yours and he never will be!

I worked through my frustration and continued being a good hostess. I made small talk with Whitney for a while. She was actually quite friendly and we had a few laughs sharing some stories about Harold. From what I could gather, she and Harold held similar positions in the company. I was impressed; it was always encouraging to see women in powerful roles.

When I went inside the house to get some more food, David followed me, asking if I'd like some help.

"Sure, I'd love some help," I answered. I opened the fridge to pull out a tray of frosted brownies and when I turned around, David was right in front of me. And he was uncomfortably close. I leaned around him to place the brownies on the counter.

"Th...there is a tray of wine glasses over there," I motioned. "Can you carry those out for me?"

"I will," he answered. "But first, I'd like to get to know you a little better."

"O...okay," I trembled. I didn't like how close he was, but I didn't know what to do.

"Harold told me you're divorced."

"Yes, I'm divorced," I said in a mousy voice.

"Are you interested in finding...someone new?" He asked seductively.

This guy didn't beat around the bush, that's for sure. And I'm pretty sure he wasn't looking for a long-term relationship.

"No, not really. Not yet. I just...No, I'm not ready," I fumbled over my words.

"Really? Well, maybe I can change your mind," he said, leaning in close to my ear. "How does that sound?"

Where I had thought he was devastatingly handsome only a little while ago, now I was nauseated by him. He was making me so uncomfortable that I was close to tears when I heard the door slide open. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Harry. He looked a little shocked at finding us in that position, but when I mouthed out, "help me," Harry flew into action.

"Back off, you pr*ck!" He shouted, rushing to me and grabbing my arm, carefully pulling me away from David. He slid his arm around my shoulders and I felt myself relaxing by his side.

"You should watch your mouth, Harry," David spat. "Your father wouldn't allow you to speak to me that way."

"Yeah, well my father is a pr*ck, too!" Harry shouted back. "Lise isn't one of your whores, so I'd suggest you sniff around elsewhere, or I'll kick your ass!"

"How dare you talk to me that way!" David muttered.

"Sod off!" Harry yelled behind him as he pulled me out into the living room. I heard David leave the kitchen, slamming the sliding door behind him.

"Are you okay, Lise?" He asked, looking at me with grave concern.

"I'm fine, Harry, thank you. I'm just not used to being accosted in my own home," I said shakily.

Harry wrapped his arms around me and we just stood there for several minutes until my heart stopped racing. Then we went back to the party. Charlie was pouring champagne in everyone's glasses, preparing to make a toast. Harry and I stood next to each other on the patio and Charlie handed us each a glass. Harry leaned over and whispered in my ear, "I'm staying by your side for the rest of the night."

"What about Holland?" I whispered back.

"She'll be all right. She can't stay long anyway. But I don't trust David, so I'm staying right here."

I looked up into Harry's eyes and said, "Thank you!"

Charlie made a toast to his father and then several people took turns sharing funny or honoring stories about Harold and there were even a few roasts. Harold took everything in stride and laughed harder than I'd ever seen him laugh before.

I was delighted to hear some positive things about Harold. I had let my opinion of him sink lower than it should have and I felt a bit ashamed. Harold had his strengths and weaknesses, just like we all do.

After that, Harry said, "I have to leave your side for just a moment, but I'll be right back, okay?"

"I'll be fine, Harry," I laughed. Then Harry disappeared into his house and came out with his guitar. Charlie had retrieved a guitar, too, and the boys announced that they were going to sing a song for their father.

I chuckled when they started singing,

I got sent home from school one day with a shiner on my eye.
Fightin' was against the rules and it didn't matter why.
When dad got home I told that story just like I'd rehearsed.
And then stood there on those tremblin' knees and waited for the worst.

They surely didn't seem like the types to be singing George Strait, but the song was so sentimental. I was surprised to know they held such tender thoughts toward their father. It was a sweet moment, and I could tell that Harold was touched.

And he said, "Let me tell you a secret about a father's love,
A secret that my daddy said was just between us."
He said, "Daddies don't just love their children every now and then.
It's a love without end, amen, it's a love without end, amen.

After the song, Harold embraced Charlie and Harry. It was a moving sight and it almost brought a tear to my eye. I was glad to be a part of their life.

Then we had cake and continued to enjoy the pool since it wasn't getting much cooler, even though the sun was setting. 

Harold, David and Whitney finally indulged themselves and got into the pool. I had never seen Harold without a shirt on before, so I was surprised to discover that he was lean and toned, despite the fact that his sons said he never worked out. Whitney must have had a thing for red because she came out of the house wearing a red string bikini. All the male eyes around the pool went straight to her as she came out, but I was tempted to shield my daughters' eyes. That woman was super model material, and she wasn't afraid to show off what the good Lord gave her.

While people swam, Harry and Charlie jammed a little more on their guitars singing everything from the Beatles to Garth Brooks. But when Harry started playing a slower song, I knew exactly what he was going to sing.

They don't know about the things we do,
They don't know about the I love you's,
But I bet you if they only knew, they would just be jealous of us.
They don't know about the up all nights,
They don't know I've waited all my life
Just to find a love that feels this right,
Baby, they don't know about, they don't know about us."

I watched him the whole time and he never took his eyes off me. I swallowed hard and gave him a mournful smile near the end of the song.

Oh, Harry, why are you doing this to me? 

When the party was over, the girls had been put to bed, and the last few people were trickling out. Soon, the last guest had left, Harold and his friends went back to his house, and Charlie and his girlfriend had somehow disappeared, too.

Harry and I decided to take one more swim. The sweltering heat had not relented at all, and I knew it was going to be a sticky night, even inside the house with the air conditioning on full blast.

I stepped up on the diving board and yelled like a little kid, "Cannonball!" I jumped as high as I could, tucked my legs in front of me and wrapped my arms around my legs. I purposely jumped towards where Harry was standing so that I would soak him with my wake. I came to the surface to find he had already jumped in and was ready to attack me.

"You're gonna pay for that!" He laughed, grabbing me by the waist and tossing me effortlessly into the water. I took advantage of being underwater and swam towards his legs, grabbing his ankles and knocking him off balance. I came up and when he regained his footing, I yelled, "How do you like that, Styles?" Then I sent a colossal wave splashing over his head. Laughing and sputtering, he grabbed me by the wrists and backed me up against the pool wall. We were both laughing and breathless, each calculating our next move.

Suddenly, Harry's eyes changed and his face became serious. I was still panting and giving small laughs in between my breaths. "What do you think you're going to do to me, Styles?"

"This," he whispered. He leaned in and kissed me softly. I held still for a moment, completely unprepared for his actions and wondering what I should do. Then all at once, I released the feelings I'd been trying to repress for so long. They flooded my consciousness, and with everything I had, I returned Harry's kiss, moving my mouth slowly in unison with his. After several minutes of the most exquisite kiss I've ever had, I slowly pulled away. Harry and I just stared at each other for several moments, mouths open, shock evident in both of our eyes.

"Oh, my god, Harry...what just happened?" I whispered, knowing we had crossed a threshold we couldn't uncross.

"I've been wanting to do that for a long time," he finally admitted.

I scanned over his face, pausing to focus on his perfect lips, his cheeks, his gorgeous green eyes. I glanced down at his butterfly tattoo moving as his chest heaved and I realized that both of us were still breathing heavily. Then I looked back into his eyes and said, "So have I."

"Really?" His face lit up and his adorable smile pulled across his face, revealing his dimples. He was absolutely stunning when he smiled.

"Yeah," I grinned back. Harry captured my lips again and slowly moved his so that mine were completely at his mercy. He slid his tongue into my mouth and I let a small whimper escape at the delightful feeling and taste of him. I opened my mouth a bit more and let my own tongue wander, exploring deeper. I moved my hands down to his hips and pulled him closer to me before wrapping my arms tightly around his waist. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me so close that my head was forced back as my chest was pulled tight to his.

"I'm so attracted to you, Lise. I...I..know you think of me as just a kid, but I can't stop thinking about you. You're beautiful and funny and amazing and...and..." He lowered his voice to a whisper, "I love you."

His words brought goosebumps to my skin and set my heart racing. Inside of me, there was a raging storm, a tumultuous tangle of fear and guilt, longing and desire, attraction and responsibility.

"Harry, I don't know what to say," I began. And so I didn't say anything else. I just kissed him again, knowing that if I analyzed it any further, I would certainly talk myself out of it. I pressed my lips desperately against his, sliding my tongue delicately over his lips, pushing against his mouth until he allowed me to deepen the kiss. Harry slid his hands around my back, pulling me so close I could hardly breathe but I knew I didn't want him to let go.

I finally pulled away and looked over his face once again. His eyes followed mine. I reached my hand up to touch his face. I ran my fingers over his dimple, over his lips, over his chin. I dragged them down to his neck, lightly feeling his adam's apple, and then I slid them up into his hair. I stood there in the water, reveling in all the ways I had always wanted to touch him.

Then I slid both hands down over his bare skin, tracing the outlines of his tattoos - the swallows under his collarbones, the butterfly, and I heard him take a deep, raspy breath when I ran my fingers over the leaves on his hips. 

I touched his butterfly tattoo again and said, "I remember the first time I saw this one." Then I continued running my hands along his arms, inspecting each and every bit of ink on his body. "Did they hurt?" I asked.

"A little. Not much," he grinned. He leaned down to kiss me again and I gladly let him. We stayed that way for a long time, kissing and holding each other until we heard, "Holy shit!"

Startled and embarrassed, we both turned to see Charlie standing there with his mouth hanging wide open.