Blowing His Horn

“It’s hard for me to swallow the idea of my baby girl all grown up. But the truth is, I believe she picked a good man, one who will love her the way I love my wife. So, I put up with you and when you’re ready to ask for my blessing to propose, you’ll have it.”

I kind of wanted to do a fist pump in the air, but I didn’t want to risk Mr. Hall thinking I was immature and changing his mind. “Thank you, sir.”

He reached out and shook my hand, then tightened his grip and yanked me in closer. “Besides,” he growled. “You know what will happen if you don’t fix whatever is hurting my little girl.”

A chill ran down my spine. “Yes, sir.”

“Great,” he said with an easy smile as if he hadn’t just threatened to dismember me—only one example he’d provided. He released my hand and patted me on the shoulder. “She left to run some errands, so you have plenty of time to plan how you’re going to grovel.”

I nodded and turned to leave again, but her dad called my name, so I looked back at him over my shoulder.

“She loves the song ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ and pretty much anything to do with it. Has since she was five years old.” He shrugged and began walking toward Alice. “Just some food for thought.”

Having clearly been dismissed, I went inside and wandered back to the guest room. My body stirred as I thought about the night before, but I tried to push the desire back, knowing it would probably be a while before Olivia let me into her bed again.

My laptop was on the desk by the door, so I sat down and opened it, determined to get some work done. I’d taken a year-long internship with a large company with the understanding that if it went well, I would be hired on full time at the end. There wasn’t much to do over the holidays, but I needed something to occupy my mind. I also did as I’d been advised by both her parents and began making a plan to woo Olivia into forgiving me.

I tried Danny a few times throughout the day, but when he didn’t answer—probably because he was enjoying his fuckmas with Delia—I hoped Olivia wouldn’t get to Delia first, and that he’d listen to his voicemail before he was blindsided.

I heard Olivia’s car pull into the driveway a little after six, then the front door opening and closing before footsteps skipped up the stairs.

She couldn’t avoid me forever. I headed for her bedroom, taking the steps two at a time. When I reached her door, I raised my hand to knock but froze when I heard her speak.

“What do you mean he was the stripper?” Olivia shrieked.

Shit.

“See, Delia?! He’s been stalking you for two freaking years! You don’t think that's creepy and insane?”

Sorry, friend, I thought about Danny. You’re on your own now. I have my own mess to clean up.

5

Olivia

Even after spending the whole day trying to calm down—and doing some serious retail therapy since my dad pressed his credit card in my palm and told me to go buy whatever I wanted—I was still pissed off over the stalkery stunt Leland and Danny had pulled. But Delia didn’t seem to be having the same problem.

“Nope, I’m over it already.”

I dropped my shopping bags on the floor near my closet and flopped down onto my bed. “I don’t understand how you’ve come to terms with this so quickly. You barely know Danny.”

“I know he’s Leland’s best friend.”

“Yeah, and before today, I would have agreed that was a ringing endorsement.” Not now, though. With what I’d found out this morning, I felt as though I barely knew the man I’d been dating for two years, and I was still reeling from the discovery.

“Maybe some orgasms would help you relax.” Although I knew she’d given Danny her virginity today—that was another thing I’d figured out while eavesdropping earlier—my eyes widened at her suggestion. “They certainly mellowed me out.”

I didn’t see any orgasms in my near future, which made me even crankier. “I get that you’re fuck-drunk right now, but I need you to focus, Delia.”

“Maybe you’re just brooding over the wrong thing,” she suggested.

My brows drew together. “What do you mean?”

“Do you love Leland?”

There was no use denying the truth. “Yes.”

“And do you think he loves you?”

Thinking back on the past two years, I didn’t see how anyone could be that good at pretending. “I guess I do.”

“Then you need to figure out a way to get over it, too.”

If I wanted a future with him, I knew she was right. “But how do I do that?”

“You have to talk to him and really listen to what he has to say.”