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“He had to go and talk to someone,” I said. “I’m sure he’ll be back as soon as he’s done.”
I had no doubt he would.
I just hoped that he would give me permission to marry his daughter. Which is what I’d been in the process of asking when he’d walked away saying he had something to do.
I had a feeling it was a distraction, a way to show me he wasn’t happy with how I’d gone about doing this.
But I knew eventually he would give in.
He cared for me just like he cared for his daughter.
He’d want both of us to be happy.
“I asked him to marry his daughter, and that’s when he left,” I found myself telling Zach.
Ashe shifted in my lap, and I absently started to run my fingers over her hair in a soothing gesture.
She moved until she was all the way in my lap, and I was cradling her like one would a child.
I buried my face into her hair and inhaled just as Zach said, “Well, maybe he’ll tell you yes now.”
I looked up to see Torren once again headed toward me, his eyes on his daughter.
“Good luck,” Zach said as he got up off the table.
I jerked my head up at him in response, watching warily as Torren finished making his way toward me and stopped at the end of the table.
He didn’t say anything for so long that I thought he was going to tell me no.
But then he said, “Yes.”
I blinked.
“Under one condition,” he continued.
My head tilted to the side. “Anything.”
His eyes glittered with fierceness.
“I know that you don’t want to hear this,” he said. “But I think it’s time.”
My brows rose.
“You didn’t see what was right in front of your face for years,” he said. “You ever forget what you have, or don’t see it again, I’m going to ruin you. And I don’t care how much I love your dad.”
Ashe shifted in my arms, her hands going to curl up underneath of her as if she was trying to get warmer.
I jerked my head in the direction of my jacket. “Can you bring me that?”
Torren left and fetched it for me, then brought it back.
He didn’t bother handing it to me, only laid it over his daughter as carefully as one would a small child.
“I’ll never stop treating her like she deserves,” I told him. “And it may have taken me time to realize exactly how she is supposed to fit into my life, but I can guarantee my eyes have officially been opened.”
Torren smiled.
“I expected y’all to figure it out when y’all were younger. Honestly, at this point, I feel a bit stupid for never pointing it out. I just didn’t want to interfere,” he admitted.
I felt the ring that I got from my mom today burning a hole in my pocket.
“I wish y’all would’ve maybe held off a bit on the kid thing, though,” he winced. “I’m too young to be a grandfather.”
My dad, who appeared as if out of nowhere, slapped his hand against Torren’s back.
“There’s an official welcome to the old man club when the kid makes its arrival.” My dad laughed. “But you forget about being old when the baby’s in your arms. Or so I’ve been told. I’ll let you know in a couple of months.”
I grinned at my dad.
Oakley, my sister, and Pace, my new brother-in-law, would be welcoming their first child soon.
My dad was actually pretty excited about it.
He was excited about our soon-to-be child, too.
It felt weird that we were even thinking about this at all.
“Well,” Torren grumbled. “I guess I’ll take the promotion gracefully.”
I ran my lips along Ashe’s hair, inhaling her scent deep into my lungs, and allowed myself to think about being a father.
I just hoped I was as good of one as the two men currently standing in front of me.
I definitely had some big shoes to fill.Chapter 20
Wanted: someone to handfeed me Doritos so my fingers don’t get orange. No weirdos.
-Text from Ford to Ashe
Ford
“I want to stop by and see Lacy,” she said. “See if she has anything more to say about what happened.”
I flashed a grin at her before returning my eyes to the road.
“I already called her parents before we left,” I said. “She’s up and walking around and ready to receive visitors. They’re expecting her to be discharged later this afternoon.”
She smiled, her eyes going heavy as she yawned loudly.
“Tell me something, Ford.” She fluttered her eyes at me. “What do you think about being a daddy?”
I felt my mouth curl up into a small smile as I glanced at her before returning my gaze to the road.
“I’m nervous as hell,” I admitted. “I’m not worried about it happening too soon. I’m not scared about being a failure or anything. I’m literally just nervous as fuck about raising the kid. I don’t want to fuck it up.”
