AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I locked eyes with Justice when I continued, “You of all people should recognize how I feel about Jenna. I love her with the same passion, and I’ll admit, obsession, that you do for Blaire. And to be clear, I’m not throwing the start of your relationship with Blaire at you in order to guilt you into accepting this.”
“I have no problem doing that,” Blaire piped up, making my lips curl up and Justice roll his eyes.
“I’m comparing the devotion and love we feel because I know it’s something you can understand and respect.”
Justice chewed on that for a while, and the air in the room turned thick, the silence becoming somewhat oppressive until Blaire finally sighed.
“Justice, look at me.”
He immediately turned his head to face her.
“Setting aside your hypocrisy, Chase is right. I know you can see yourself in him. But if that isn’t enough…” She glanced away, and suddenly, it hit me.
“You already knew,” Justice accused, voicing my own epiphany. He looked hurt and betrayed, and I couldn’t blame him.
She nodded. “Don’t be upset, Justice,” she pleaded softly. “Jenna didn’t tell me. I just know my daughter. I could see that she was in love, and from the way she glowed when she came home from the hospital…I just had a feeling.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t have confirmation, and I knew how you would react. I wanted Chase to have the opportunity to come to us first. I trusted that I knew what kind of man he is, because I trusted Jenna to fall for someone who would treat her the way you do me.”
That seemed to take a lot of the wind out of Justice’s sails, and his expression turned gentle. “She’s always been so much like you,” he murmured.
“Then you shouldn’t be shocked that she fell in love with an older man who worships the ground she walks on and would do anything for her. Including braving your wrath because he knew it was what would make her happy. If you don’t come to terms with this, you risk losing her.”
Justice’s jaw clenched, and his hands curled into fists as he briefly closed his eyes. When he looked at me again, there was resignation in his gray orbs, but I was relieved to see a spark of trust as well. “I’ve known you a long time, Chase. I know you’re a good man, but this is my baby girl we’re talking about. I never thought I’d have to deal with this so soon. I was hoping she, and all my girls, would wait another forty or fifty years before putting me through this shit.”
“I imagine I’ll feel the same about my daughters,” I conceded.
“If you hurt her, I will make sure you suffer unimaginable amounts of pain.”
“I would expect nothing less.”
“Chase?”
I switched my focus to Blaire and mentally sighed at her beseeching and hopeful expression. Somehow, I knew I wouldn’t like her request, and if I made her unhappy, I would face the wrath of Justice and Jenna.
“Yes?”
“I’d really love to plan a wedding for my girl. Could I talk you into waiting six months?”
Yeah, that was definitely not going to happen.
“I don’t want to disappoint you, Blaire,” I sighed. “But I can’t imagine you or Justice would want Jenna to be sporting a baby bump at her wedding.”
Blaire probably didn’t care, but we both knew how Justice would react. I was playing dirty, and she knew it because she threw her husband a disgruntled expression when he jumped in. “You better not knock up my daughter before you marry her, Chase Sutton,” he growled.
“Then we’re getting married this weekend,” I informed them. Jenna’s birthday was on Thursday, and I had an appointment at the courthouse Saturday morning.
Blaire sighed and shook her head. “I figured, but I had to ask.”
“If Jenna wants a big reception, we can do it later,” I assured her. “But I’m not waiting to make it official. The wedding is Saturday morning.”
Justice chuckled and took Blaire’s hand, pulling her up to her feet. “I couldn’t wait either, bunny.”
She beamed up at him and snuggled into his side. “Good point.” Then she looked at me once more. “I’ll let you have her for her birthday. But I’m going to have a little celebration at our place after the wedding.”
“I’m sure Jenna would love that, but plan it for Sunday.”
