“I can’t believe you’re here.”
“I had to see you on your birthday.”
“How long do you get to stay?”
“We fly out tomorrow afternoon.”
“So soon?” I ask, already feeling tears well in my eyes.
“I’m not leaving your side until I have to get on that plane,” he assures me.
I lift my head to look into his eyes. I want him to see the sincerity of my words. “Thank you, Griff. I was missing you something fierce today, and I was in a pissy mood, and I just… I can’t believe you’re here.”
He rests his forehead against mine. “I missed you, too, and I told you. We’ve got this.”
“Lady?” I hear my dad’s voice behind us.
Griffin slowly lowers me to my feet, and I turn to face my father. “We’ll be right there.”
My dad studies me for a few long seconds before nodding and leaving us alone.
“I love that he calls you lady. Earlier, he was talking about you to your sisters and using their names as well. I told him it was genius, and you were right. He kind of puffed his chest out a little,” he tells me.
“Oh, so you were sucking up to him?” I tease.
“Hey. You’re the one who told me I should tell him that I loved the names when I met him.”
“Come on, let’s go eat some of my mom’s famous lasagna.” Hand in hand, we make our way into the kitchen to make our plates. We’re the last two to settle in the dining room. Griffin and I take the last two chairs that happen to be at the opposite end of the table as my parents.
Holden and Cam pull him into a conversation about his season. “You’re kicking ass on the mound,” Cam praises.
“It’s been a good season,” Griffin replies.
“You’re a pitcher?” my dad asks.
“Yes, sir.”
“Are you any good?”
“Dad,” Parker scolds him. “You just heard Cam tell him he was kicking ass on the mound.”
Dad shrugs. “Could be luck.”
Griffin turns to look at me. “Yeah,” he says wistfully. “I’m definitely having a lucky year.”
I don’t make eye contact with anyone but him. My heart is pounding in my chest, and all I want to do is kiss him. So that’s what I do. I lean into him and press my lips to his cheek.
“Lady,” Dad warns.
“Easton,” Mom scolds him.
“I’m sorry, sir,” Griffin speaks up.
“You don’t have anything to apologize for. I kissed you, and it was just a peck on the cheek.”
“Baby, he’s your dad. One day, I’m going to need him to tell me I have his blessing to marry you, and I kinda need him to like me for that to happen.”
My mouth drops open in shock, and from the silence of the room, I think everyone else is too. It’s my mother who breaks the silence.
“I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see that each of my girls has found men who care about them.” She turns to look at my dad. “All three of them remind me of you when we were dating. In fact, I can hear you saying something similar. Easton, look around you. Our daughters are happy and healthy, and the men in their lives are honest and respectful and treat them like the queens we’ve raised them to be.”
“She’s too young for talk about marriage.”
“He didn’t say today, Dad,” I sass.
“She’s an adult, and she has a good head on her shoulders. We have to trust that she’s making the best choices for her,” Mom counters. “Read the room, Easton. Look at how these three young men are looking at our daughters.”
“I married mine,” Cam chimes in.
“Show off,” Holden grumbles, making us all laugh.
“Regardless, our daughters are happy and in healthy relationships. What more could we ask for?”
“For them to all still be living at home?” Dad offers.
“Stop.” Mom leans over and kisses his cheek. “I love you, Easton Monroe.”
“Stop.” Parker covers her eyes. “We don’t need to see all of that.”
“Like it’s not something we’ve seen every single day of our lives,” Paisley adds.
“You taught us what it means to be loved the right way. You have to trust that we’ll accept nothing less than what you and Mom have.”
I watch my father as he swallows hard and nods. “You’re right. The three of you are strong, independent women, and I trust that you know what’s best for you.” He makes a point to look at me and then each of my sisters. “However, for the three of you, and you” Dad points at Oliver for good measure. “they’re my entire world. If you hurt them, you’ll never get near them again.”
“What, no death threats?” Cam jokes.
“Taylor,” Dad warns.
“Dat’s my name.” Jett points at his chest. “Jett Taylor,” he says proudly, and my dad visibly softens.
“Yeah, buddy,” Dad agrees. “That’s your name.”
“And you know our kids’ names are going to be Bailey, right?” Holden says, just to get under Dad’s skin.