Once our waiter had the order we had a chance to talk.
“So, how are things going in the Hawkins household?” he asked.
“Pretty good. I have to say I am surprised by how attentive Kane is to Hunter. They seem to be a good match.”
“That’s great news. I was really hoping so. Kane is a good guy, he’s just had a rough past and can’t seem to let go of some that anger. I’m hoping you can help him with that.”
“Me?” I squeaked, choking on my water.
“You know what I mean. You’re great with these kind of kids.”
“Kane is not a kid, dad. I wouldn’t even consider putting him in that category.”
“I know that, but I think if someone had taken time with him when he was a child then he might not have the anger inside him he does now.” My father leaned back in the booth.
“I don’t think he’s that angry. I think he’s misunderstood.” He wasn’t the same man I had met that night at the bar.
The guy who had slugged the slimy biker was still buried under there somewhere, but that wasn’t the man I had spent my days and nights with lately. The man I gave myself to was someone who cared about a lost child. A man who opened his home and his heart to a kid who needed help. A man who brought me out of my shell. I smiled.
“How serious is it between you two?” he asked.
“Daddy!” I took another gulp of water.
“Well, he has Hunter. You love Hunter. And I can see it between you two. It’s there.”
I blushed. If my legally brilliant, but socially awkward father could see what Hawk and I shared I wondered how obvious it was to everyone else.
“I do love Hunter. And we’re taking things day by day.”
“I don’t want you to get hurt, sweetheart.”
I closed my eyes. “I know, Daddy. I know. I’ll do my best not to let that happen.”
It was my biggest fear too, but I didn’t know how to do this any other way, but to be all in. How did I give Hawk half of myself? How did I pull back at this point? He invited me into his bed. And for a man who had never dated the same woman twice that was huge.
“I’m talking about both of them.” He eyed me.
I nodded. It was the biggest gamble of my life. Everything I had with Hunter was now tied up with Hawk.
“You know what? It sounds scary. And it seems like everything is moving really quickly, but it doesn’t feel like it’s wrong. It’s like we were supposed to be a family all along.”
“And you think Kane thinks that too? Has he asked you to marry him?”
“What?”
“Marriage. That thing people do. Your mother and I did it quite well.” I saw the sad smile run across his face.
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. “We haven’t even talked about it.”
“Do you need me to talk to him?”
“What? Oh God, no. Absolutely not.” I was mortified. “I’m not going to have my father strong arm my boyfriend into a proposal.”
He chuckled lightly. “Thought we could have a conversation man-to-man. Ask him what his intentions are.”
“His intentions right now are to win the Super Bowl.” I stared at my dad. “He has a lot going on. Can you not meddle, please?”
“Ouch.”