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“You know I would have – but this is different.”
Samantha swallowed hard, hearing Toby’s words of love and his candid conversation with his father. She gave him a shaky smile and saw his hesitant one as he nodded once before turning back to his father.
“Dad… listen, you know Nicolette is terrified right now, and she needs you more than ever. Mom needs you – she’s scared and crying.”
Samantha looked for her parents – and saw her father watching her closely, before he slowly nodded once. She felt tears spring to her eyes as she realized that they could have been in this very situation if either Toby or she had been dumb enough to act on their raging hormones when they were just learning what these feeling were.
Her father didn’t push her away from Toby to be mean – he was giving her a chance to grow, become her own person, and not make a mistake that would affect her life before she was ready to handle something as big as raising a child.
Nicolette, on the other hand, was about to learn the hard way – and she understood why Valkyrie was upset. He felt like he failed his child… which was something she couldn’t do to her own father.
Her family was her world.
Samantha walked over to her parents as Toby talked to his father quietly and hugged her dad.
“I understand now… and I love you so much for it,” she whispered. “I love you, Daddy… but you’ve got to understand that I love Toby, too. I always have in a way. Can you at least try to be nice to him - for me?”
“Is he your choice?” her father said gruffly, his eyes full of love and concern. “I just want my baby girl to be happy and have every chance to be this amazing woman I see before me.”
“I am happy. I have my career, my family, my world… and now? I think I want my chance with the boy I’ve always loved.”
“Just take it slow for my sake, baby,” her father asked gruffly. “There’s no rush and you can love each other while still being friends. It’s not one or the other… and when you figure that out? Life is beautiful and worth it all.”
Samantha looked at Toby and met his eyes.
“I think I already know, Daddy…”
“Jackson, relax,” her mother said tearfully, smiling and touching Samantha tenderly, smoothing her hair and cupping her cheek. “My baby is happy, and that’s all that matters.”
Toby’s phone rang in her hand, and she hesitated, looking at it. Sliding her finger across the screen, she heard Mrs. Saxon’s hysterical sobbing on the line.
“Is everything okay? Aeron took the truck, and I can’t find the keys to the car – is your daddy alright? Do I need bail money? Nicolette is beside herself and throwing up… Toby? Toby?”
“It’s me, Mrs. Saxon…” Samantha whispered.
“Oh, Samantha… is Toby and Mr. Saxon alright?”
“Yes, they are hugging and talking while sitting in the grass.”
“I don’t even want to know, do I?” her voice sounded furious and perturbed that she was having to make this phone call to chase after her hot-headed husband.
“No,” Samantha chuckled nervously, “probably not.”
“Are either of them calm enough to talk on the phone?”
“Yes, just a moment…”
Samantha walked over to the dispersing crowd to see Toby next to his father still talking quietly, and he grew silent the moment she walked up.
“Your mother is on the phone…”
“Nope,” Toby grinned at his father, who actually flinched. “You are gonna have to take that call, Dad.”
Valkyrie extended a hand, reaching for the phone with a heavy, knowing sigh of dismay.
There was no mistaking what the woman was saying – and why Toby wouldn’t take the phone. Samantha actually flinched to hear the harridan screaming and crying on the other end of the phone at her husband.
No, Aeron ‘Valkyrie’ Saxon might be big, tough, and terrifying when angry – but Marisol Saxon wore the pants in the family, and it was obvious.
