Page 13 of The Beauty Who Loved Him

“Did it need to be held or—”

“Apparently not!”

Vera blinked at the high pitch of annoyance coloring her father’s tone of voice. “You were helping Vaslav build the fence?”

Demyan scrubbed a hand down his mouth and chin, eyeing his daughter warily but not closing the six or so feet of distance between the two. “He woke me up at five.”

“In the morning?”

He nodded.

Vera squinted a bit at that. “No, thank you.”

“Tell him that.”

Um ...

Vera didn’t really have to think about that option. “Another pass for me, Papa.”

One didn’t refuse Vaslav.

He took what he wanted.

When and how he wanted it.

Maybe it was the papa that did it, but Demyan’s tension melted out of his strong, broad shoulders in a flash. He still didn’t step toward her, but the softness in his gaze urged Vera to inch a little closer to her father.

A part of her held back, though. She kept enough space between them that he couldn’t reach out and hug her just yet.

She stared into the stretch of dirt in front of them needing those few seconds to think about the things her father probably needed to hear her say. As a young girl, everyone had liked to tell her how much she looked like her dead, biological mother, Gia. That her dainty features, even her mannerisms and sprite-like demeanor was all Gia right out of bed.

Yet, Vera found familiarity most when she stared into the eyes of her father. They were the same sky-blue as hers. Cold when they were angry. Icy, even. His black hair had passed on the genetics to the mop she called her own. Maybe they weren’t identical mirrors of one another, but home was still home all the same, and she felt it unquestioningly when she looked at Demyan.

A piece of it, anyway.

“It fits, I see,” her father said suddenly.

His gaze had locked on the sparkling diamond sitting perfectly on her ring finger. Vera didn’t even consider covering it with her other hand or hiding it behind her back to keep him from seeing a truth she bet he had already figured out by now.

“Papa, I’m engaged,” Vera said, then.

She needed the words out.

One hurdle over.

Demyan released a heavy breath. “And without even saying a word about it to anyone, too.”

What could she say to that?

Vera opted for nothing.

The pregnant pause of awkwardness didn’t deter Demyan from pushing harder.

“Do you have anything to say to me?”

“About this?” Vera asked, lifting her hand to show off the large diamond.

“About anything!”