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He and Mason stared at each other for what felt like eternity but in truth was only a few seconds. In the distance he heard Lisabeth and his daughter talking. They were probably serving dinner for themselves.
“I don’t expect you to be okay with that now or ever, to be honest. I only hope that in time, like Rachel, you’ll see that all it took was the love of a good woman.”
He snorted. This was all the crap he’d heard before. He didn’t believe it, not any of it.
“Rachel is mine, David. Whether you like it or not. We can fight or we can go back in that room and have a nice meal with our women. We both know what they want.”
He’d been focused on Lisabeth and growing his relationship with her and in doing so he’d not paid close attention to his daughter.
Walking past Mason, he didn’t stop but kept on moving. Entering the dining room, he went to Lisabeth, who smiled at him a little sheepishly.
“This looks amazing, baby. I love it when you cook for me.” He kissed her lips as he stroked her cheek, letting her know he wasn’t angry with her. Lisabeth and Rachel had been friends for a long time, and he wouldn’t hold that against her. He’d deal with this soon. Mason would show his true colors and he’d deal with the mess.
21
Several days later
Lisabeth sat across from Rachel, the diner they were in busy, the noise around them loud. It had been a few days since they’d had dinner and Rachel had brought Mason over. Things were strained, but Lisabeth knew everything would work out.
It had to, because the alternative was not an option.
“Maybe I made a mistake bringing Mason over the other night,” Rachel said, her focus on her coffee cup in front of her. The croissant she’d ordered was left uneaten, and the worry and strain on her face was evident. “I should’ve eased my father into it,” she said softly. “I shouldn’t have just brought Mason over and thought he would be okay with it.”
“I don’t think any amount of easing David into it would have made things easier,” Lisabeth said truthfully. She reached out and placed her hand on top of Rachel’s, giving her support. “He’ll come around, don’t worry.” She smiled at her best friend, but Rachel looked distant. “You really care about him, huh?”
Rachel finally lifted her head and stared Lisabeth in the eyes. It was then that that sadness washed away from her face and she smiled. Yeah, she loved Mason. That was clear, even if she never said the words.
“I really do care about him, and I know he cares about me too.” She exhaled and closed her eyes briefly while shaking her head. When she opened her eyes again there was this sad look in them. “It’s gonna take a lot of time for my father to accept me being with Mason. I know he thinks he’s not the best guy to be in a relationship with, but he doesn’t know him like I do.”
Lisabeth couldn’t speak on any of that. David had known Mason for many years. Whether there was conflict there or not, Lisabeth had a feeling no one would have been good enough for Rachel.
But Lisabeth didn’t say any of that. She wasn’t here to judge. Hell, she was dating Rachel’s father. If Rachel was happy with Mason, believed that he was a good guy, and if he treated her friend like the queen she was, then who was Lisabeth to say anything?
Besides, she knew if Mason did screw up, David would hand him his ass on a platter.
So, there was always that.
“You know your dad is just looking out for you,” Lisabeth finally said and removed her hand from on top of Rachel’s. She brought her coffee mug up and took a long sip of her latte. When she set it back down she smiled. “But he’ll see how much you care about Mason. Surely he can’t stay upset forever.”
Rachel smiled but it looked forced. “You know my father better than that,” she said and laughed.
Yeah, Lisabeth did. But she was trying to make Rachel feel better. “Besides, he doesn’t have much room to talk.” Lisabeth shrugged. “Because if you would’ve said you didn’t approve of our relationship we still would’ve been together.” Lisabeth didn’t say that to be like a slap to Rachel’s face. It wasn’t about saying she didn’t care about her feelings.
That wasn’t the case at all.
“It’s just that we love each other.” Lisabeth felt her face heat and knew she was smiling from ear to ear. “I really love him and I know he feels the same way. Mason just has to prove that he cares deeply enough for you that he won’t hurt you. That’s what your father is worried about. You being hurt.”
