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She was crying now, but they were happy tears.
“If being with Reese means you’re happy, then who am I to stand in the way of that?” He smiled down at her, and lifted a hand to wipe away her tears with his thumb.
“Thanks, Dad. Thanks for giving me the chance to do this on my own.”
He glanced down at their hands again. “I know that he cares about you genuinely, too. I guess I just didn’t want to accept it.”
She swallowed back her emotion. “You know that?”
He nodded. “I could see it in the way he looked at you, how he defended how he felt about you and tried to get me to see what was right in front of me.”
She leaned into him, and he pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “I’ll always be your little girl, Dad. Being with Reese, or any man for that matter, won’t ever change that.” She tightened her hold on his waist.
“I know, sweetie. I’m coming to understand that.” He chuckled softly.
“I’m not stopping my life because of Reese. I’m still going to get my business degree, and still hopefully work with you at the office.”
He smiled wider. “I’m looking forward to that, Lake.” He pulled her back and cupped her cheeks. “I just worry about you.”
“I know. You don’t have to worry so much, though.”
“I’m realizing that.” He chuckled again, and then she did as well.
They stayed silent for a moment. She hadn’t realized how much she missed this time with her dad. He was accepting this, or at least trying to, and that was all she could ask for. They hadn’t done things conventionally, hadn’t given anyone time to accept this or even get used to the idea of them together.
Her father was wanting to understand, and she was so thankful for that, so thankful that he loved her enough to put his very understandable anger and frustration aside because she was happy.
16
Calvin stared out his office window, watching the people twenty floors below walk up and down the streets, but his mind was on his daughter and Reese. He’d already made things right with Lake last night, but he needed to talk with Reese.
And that was apparently happening any minute now since the man called this morning and was expected to come by here.
Calvin ran a hand over his face and knew that he’d need to work on this, need to understand that Reese was a good man, even if this seemed wrong, in a way.
“Mr. Heart, there is a Mr. Jordan here to see you.”
The sound of his receptionist on the intercom had his thoughts being broken up.
“Send him in, Louisa.” He didn’t turn around when he heard the door open and close a few seconds later.
“Calvin,” Reese said in a deep voice.
He closed his eyes for a second when he heard Reese’s voice behind him. He looked over his shoulder, saw the other man standing by the front doors, and tried to look past all the things that had pissed him off when he first found out.
Reese stepped closer but stopped about five feet from Calvin’s desk.
Calvin turned around and sat at his desk. “Have a seat, Reese.” When the other man was in the chair across from him, Calvin breathed out, knowing this just needed to be done so things could move on. Finally he broke the silence. “I was going to call you so we could speak.”
Reese nodded. “I’m glad, because I think this needs to be worked out, and I don’t want Lake upset.”
Calvin agreed. He didn’t want his daughter upset because he hadn’t been able to control himself or see that this was her choice. Reese was a big man, tall and muscular, and matching Calvin in height and weight, but even if the man was ex-military and had lived his life in the battlefield, he was now the person his daughter wanted to be with.
Calvin would need to accept that. Since meeting Ginny he’d met Reese, and he’d grown to care for the man like a brother. He trusted him, even if time and distance had separated them. He’d been Ginny’s rock, and because of that Calvin had embraced him as part of the family.
But then all of this had gone down, and Calvin had been lost in his emotions, consumed by them. He hadn’t known how to proceed aside from with violence. Of course he wanted his daughter happy, no matter whom she chose to be with in life.
But then another part of him said that this wasn’t okay, that Reese was too old, had a lifetime of experience that was too much for his young daughter, and he had been divorced already.
They continued to stare at each other.
“I meant no disrespect, Calvin. But I care about her, want this to work, and I won’t back off.” Reese didn’t say it with disrespect. “She makes me feel alive, like what I’ve had in my life doesn’t even compare to what I feel when I’m with her.”
