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“Oh!” My eyes widened when I finally caught on. “Oh, hell no. We’re not… You don’t have to worry about that, I swear.” I waved my hands in a dramatic negative motion to reassure him. “We’re not doing anything, you know, untoward. Not even a little.”
Untoward? Had I really just said the worduntoward? Jesus, I had no idea what was wrong with me or when I’d turned into a ninety-year-old lady on her way to bible study, but now I was wiggingmyselfout.
“You’re not?” Pick said, frowning slightly. And honestly, he looked more unsettled by my reassurance than he did relieved. His shoulders deflated. Then he shook his head. “So you’re not feeling anything extra for her lately at all?”
Okay, this whole conversation was just whack. I didn’t knowwhatthe fuck was happening.
“Um…” Completely unsure how he wanted me to answer that one because he kind of made it sound as if hewantedme to feel attracted to his daughter, I just said, “Am Isupposedto?”
“Yes!” he cried, throwing up his hands as if disgusted and irritated that it had taken me so long to figure that out. “Why the hell aren’t you falling for her yet?”
My mouth formed an O. “I…I…” I shook my head, stumped.
“Christ, kid,” he muttered. “I’m sorry, but I’m just going to be real blunt right now, okay?”
“Okay,” I answered, bobbing my head dumbly. “Thank you. Because I’m totally lost about what the fuck is happening.”
“Alright, here’s the deal. My daughter wants a man. A husband. A partner. Someone to fall in love with and then share her life with. I mean, it’d be fine if thatwasn’twhat she wanted. But it is. Some people just like having someone. You know?”
He paused long enough to make me think he was waiting for an answer, but as soon as I opened my mouth to respond, he motioned my way. “What about you, Hamilton? Do you ever think about finding that special someone?”
“Uh… Yeah. I guess. I mean,someday. But right now, I’m—”
“See.” He jabbed a finger in my direction. “I knew you’d be that type too. The same type as Chlo. But she’s going to keep going after her dream, you see, and I… I’m done sitting back and watching her try and try and fuckingtryagain with guy after guy, looking for that one special someone and possibly getting hurt again. I’mdone, do you hear me? Chloe’snotgetting hurt again.”
“I hear you,” I said, blinking rapidly and starting to grow a little worried.
“I mean, doyouwant to see her get hurt again? See her get entangled with another Freston?”
“Fuck no,” I answered, shaking my head.
“Fuck no,” he agreed, nodding me on as if congratulating me for answering correctly. “So it’s time forus”—he waved a hand between me and him—“to get her what she wants. And that is a fucking life mate. You hear me?”
I definitely heardsomething.
My mouth fell open, but I completely lost the ability to speak. Not that it mattered; Pick didn’t seem to want an answer from me anymore.
“Now, I don’t typically—likeever—intervene in my children’s love lives,” he raged on. “But no fucker is hurting my baby girl again. You got that?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Which means, I needyouto step your ass up and be the man she needs to make her life fulfilled. Alright?”
“Uh…” I shook my head, once again lost. “What?”
A jump of adrenaline leaped through my chest. But no way could he honestly be asking me to…what?MarryChloe? The entire idea was wild and preposterous and forbidden and just…scary as shit. And I was totally going to ignore the thrill that raced through my veins upon initially imagining it. Becausemythoughts had gone straight toward sex, and I’m sure that was the complete opposite direction that Pick’s thoughts were going. But I was equally suremarriagewasn’t what he truly meant, either.
I mean, why the hell would he want dumbassmeto marry his daughter?
Except it sounded like that’s exactly what he was asking when he added, “She wants to be one half of a whole, ergo she needs another half. So are you going to be that half for her or not?”
“I…Jesus…” I ran a hand over my head and realized my fingers were beginning to shake. “What the hell are you asking me to do here, Pick?”
“You were willing with Lucy,” he said, watching me closely. “Remember when you asked Lucy to marry you after she had Ava Grace?”
I blinked and then cringed. “Shit. Does everyone know about that?”
“Yes, and I was impressed by it. Because you were honestly willing to step up and forsake every other woman for the rest of your life just so you could be whatever it was you needed to be to help a friend through a hard time. Weren’t you?”
