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“Probably would have reached out to you the moment I stepped foot in Hamilton.”
Ty grinned. “I see why Rose likes you.”
His words made my chest feel tight as a bubble of hope swelled. “You think she likes me?”
Nodding, he replied, “I do. She won’t admit it. She’ll fight you every step of the way because she’s stubborn like her mother.” He smiled as if remembering something. “Her mother and I used to go back and forth with one another. I was positive she hated me, and hell if that didn’t make me want her more.”
I jerked my head back in surprise. “Really? The way Rose described you two, she made it seem like it was love at first sight.”
Glancing down at his plate, he let out a soft laugh. “It was for me. I think it might have been for Kaylee, as well, but we both came with a lot of baggage that we needed to work through. The attraction was there, no doubt about that. I’m pretty sure I loved that woman the moment I saw her. And then when she opened her mouth and it was nothing but sass, I fell even more.”
I smiled. “It sounds like Rose takes after her mother. Do you know that the first time I saw your daughter she was in the middle of my kitchen, surrounded by women in designer clothes trying their best to make an impression. Not Rose. She was dressed in jeans, a long-sleeved Seattle Mariners shirt, bright-pink sneakers, and her hair was in a pony and pulled through a Mariners baseball cap. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was by far the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Then when she figured out who I was, she didn’t treat me any differently. That’s rare in my world. My last girlfriend loved my money more than she loved me, and when I found out she had been cheating on me, it was almost a relief.”
“I imagine you have women throwing themselves at you often.”
Shrugging, I replied, “It depends. If I put myself in a situation like a party, then yes. I don’t like the attention, never have. I’m not saying I’m an innocent. When I first moved up to the big leagues, I wasn’t an angel by any means.”
Ty let out a single laugh and nodded.
“I guess what I want you to know is I respect your daughter. I am head over heels for her, and the last thing I would ever want to do is hurt her.”
Pushing his plate back, Ty regarded me for a moment before he said, “If Rose decides she isn’t interested in a relationship, will you respect that?”
The thought of Rose not wanting to be together nearly had me throwing up the food I ate. “Of course, I will.”
“By the way you just looked like you wanted to toss up your breakfast, I’m going to guess you’re hoping that isn’t the outcome.”
“No, sir,” I said with a humorless laugh. “That is not the outcome I’m hoping for.”
Ty exhaled. “As much as it pains me to say this, and it is not because of who you are, I genuinely like you.”
“Um, thank you?”
He chuckled once again. “My wife is going to love you. My son is going to shit his pants, and my nephew Nathan, he just might kiss you. My daughter has most likely already fallen for you, and my mother might ask you to show up in a baseball uniform simply so she can check out your ass.”
My mouth opened, but I had no words.
He nodded. “I know. I’m giving you fair warning.”
“Wow, okay. I was good until the uniform thing.”
Ty shrugged. “I believe in laying it all out there, kid. Now, I would never speak for my daughter or her feelings, but when she spoke about you, I saw something in her eyes I’ve never seen before. I see it in yours as well. I’m going to give you one piece of advice.”
Leaning in closer, I said, “I’d be honored.”
With a twinkle in his eyes, Ty said, “Buckle up, Bryson. You’re in for one hell of a bumpy ride. Hold on tight, and do not give up no matter how much she pushes you away.”
“Oh shit,” I whispered.
“Oh shit, is right. Now, I’m going to go home and tell my wife I met you, I like you, she’ll love you, and we’re going to invite you to dinner.”
“Um, will Rose know about this dinner?”
A wicked smile grew across his face. “Oh, Bryson. What fun would that be? By the way, invite your parents down to spend a few days. They can join us for dinner too.”
“Wait. You want me to invite my parents to have dinner with you and your wife…and Rose, but don’t tell her?”
He winked. “I sure do.”
I dropped back into the seat. Rose was either going to hate me or…no…she was going to hate me.
