“Fuck, I don’t know whether to hug you or smack you upside the head.”
“Just saying either of those things will likely piss me off,” I say, taking a pull from my beer, and he grins.
Fuck me.
“She’s in love with you. Think she should know you’re a multimillionaire.”
“She’ll know after I ask her to marry me, before I am forced to have her sign a shitload of paperwork,” I tell him.
He blinks, his eyes remaining narrowed. “A prenup?”
“Fuck no,” I deny. “Once I get my ring on her finger, that shit is not coming off, so there’s no reason for a prenup. But since she will be my wife, she will become part owner of MacCabe Lumber.”
“Christ, better watch it. You might not like to spend money, but my girl does.”
“And there is plenty to spend. Not even she could make dent in what I got.”
“Your truck is a piece of shit.”
“Yep, but it was also my dad’s, so it means something to me. Money doesn’t mean anything. I’ve had money my whole life, never went without anything until the day I had to go on living without my parents. That taught me what’s really important in life, and it’s not shit you can buy at a store,” I say, and his eyes change, respect shining so bright, it’s almost blinding.
“Couldn’t have chosen better for my girl, even if I tried.” He shakes his head, taking a pull from his beer.
Fuck. But even though I could have carried on with the rest of my life without hearing that shit from him, it still feels good, knowing I’m good enough for his girl.
“When are you asking her to marry you?”
“Tomorrow,” I answer, and his chin snaps back.
“What?”
“She’s got a few days off work and class, so I’m driving us up to the mountains and asking her when we get there.”
“You weren’t gonna ask me?”
“Do I have your blessing?”
“I don’t know,” he grits out, and I fight back a smile.
“Just sayin’ I’m asking her one way or another, but she’d probably love it if she knew I had your permission,” I say, and then set my beer down and lean into the counter between us. “I love your daughter, Nico. I’ll work my ass off to protect her, to keep her happy, and to make sure every day she’s on this earth is a good one. Part of her being happy is you and me getting along, but in order for that to happen, you need to back down when it comes to us. I get that she’s your girl, but you need to understand that now, she’s mine.”
“You have my permission.”
“Fucking finally,” I mutter, picking my beer back up and putting it to my mouth.
“Are things with you always gonna be a pain in my ass?”
“Probably.” I shrug, telling the God’s honest truth. My dad taught me that respect is earned and with Nico that goes both ways.
“Fuck me,” he mutters, taking a pull from his beer. “You got a ring?” he asks after a minute.
I grin. “Yeah.”
“Can I see it?” he asks, and I think about it for a second then head back to the bedroom. I get the box out of the bag I shoved up in the top of the closet out of her reach. Pulling the ring out, I toss the box on the bed then head back to the kitchen.
“I see you didn’t fuck around with spending money on her ring,” he remarks, taking it from me. He’s not wrong. It cost a mint to have a designer in L.A. make the ring for me from scratch, but I knew what I wanted for her and knew it would be perfect when it was done, so it was worth it. “How long before I have a grandbaby to dote on?”
“I want time with her before we start having babies, and I know she has things she wants to do before that too.”
“Her goals,” he says quietly, his eyes on the ring he’s still holding.
“Yeah,” I mutter. “Her goals are important to her, which means they are important to me.”
He pulls his eyes off the ring to look at me. “You’re making it hard for me not to like you, Harlen.”
“What can I say? I’m a likeable guy,” I mutter, and he shakes his head.
Handing me the ring, he picks up his beer and finishes it off. “If anything else happens with Hofstadter, call me before you go in to deliver another message.”
“Sure.”
“I’m serious. This isn’t me being a dick; this is me looking out for my family.”
His family
Fuck me
“I’ll call.”
“Good, and Sophie will expect a call from our daughter after you ask her.”
“I’ll make sure that happens,” I agree, and he lifts his chin then turns for the door, walking right out without another word as it closes behind him.