Then there was the t-shirt we got from Sea World when I was fifteen, when the dolphin sprayed him with a mouthful of water.
Or the one from Destin, Florida where I made him get a spray painted t-shirt of a turtle.
That had been one my favorites.
My dad had always been a pretty fun guy. Not caring in the least about what anyone thought. He only cared that his daughter was happy.
Then I got to the very last one.
The shirt that I’d last seen him in.
It was a simple faded black tee, but it meant the world to me.
I’d cried on my dad’s shoulder, and he’d hugged me and told me he loved me.
Forever that would be in my memories. Especially now that Foster had gotten me such a beautiful memento of my father.
I turned to him, but he wasn’t where I was expecting him to be.
Instead, he was on the floor, down on one knee.
He had a small velvet box in his hand, and he was looking at me with his heart in his eyes.
He had yet to strip out of his uniform, so his clothes were still stained with dirt and debris from what I could only assume was a scuffle, but would never have the guts to ask because I honestly didn’t want to know.
As long as he came home safe at night, I wouldn’t be asking. It was better not knowing.
If he wanted to talk about it would be a different story.
I’d always listen. For him, I’d do anything.
“My eyes are up here, sweetheart,” Foster teased, drawing my eyes from the floor to his face.
I grinned. “Yeah, I know. I was debating on whether or not I wanted to ask you what you did to get so dirty.”
He winked. “A misunderstanding.”
“What’s that you got there?” I asked, a smile overtaking my face.
He flipped it open, and my breath caught.
“It’s pink!” I said laughingly.
He grinned. “Yeah, I know. I searched high and low for this, and I think I came up with a winner.”
I was practically bouncing on my feet at this point, so happy I could barely contain the squeal of excitement.
“Well?” I asked when he took too long to ask the question.
“Don’t hurry me, woman. I’m trying to ask you to marry me. I just have to figure out what I was planning to say,” he snapped.
“Yes!” I said exuberantly. “Yes! Let’s do it now!”
He scowled at me. “I had this all planned.”
I shut my mouth, eyes going wide as I waited for him to get on with it.
He sighed, and stood. “There’s no reason to do it now. Put it on.”
I snatched the box away from him, grabbing the bright pink ring from him.
It wasn’t the normal engagement ring, but the man knew me like the back of his hand.
He knew I didn’t like jewelry. So he chose to give me something he knew I would like.
I’d showed him the things jokingly when I saw it on a website, but he’d taken it to heart, and remembered every word I’d said.
“You remembered,” I whispered, fitting the rubber ring on my finger. “It fits perfectly.”
He winked. “I listen…sometimes.”
“Isn’t that made for weightlifters or something?” Mercy asked as she came up to us to look at the ring.
I held out my hand to her. “Yeah, it is. But it’s more for an active person. I may not be as active as I used to be, but it’d be perfect if I decided to be the girl version of Arnold Schwarzenegger.”
Foster choked on his beer that he’d just put to his lips. “You will not become the girl version of him. I’ll have to leave if you ever do. There’s no way I can fuc- ow! I was just teasing! But really, there’s no way I’d be able to sleep with someone like that. I’d be too afraid they’d whip out a dick bigger than mine.”
Foster’s mom raised her hand for another go around, but switched targets at the next thing that came out of Miller’s mouth, hitting him directly upside the head.
“That wouldn’t be hard to do,” Miller snickered as he twisted away from the blow.
Foster stomped down with his blade, taking out the toes of Miller’s foot, causing him to scream. “Goddammit! I knew when you did that the other day it wasn’t on accident! That foot thing hurts!”
Sloan wrapped me in her arms. “Welcome to the family, baby!”
I hugged her back. “Thank you.”
“I haven’t heard yes yet. Have you heard yes yet, dad?” Miller asked loudly.
Foster glared, and I grinned.
“I haven’t heard a definite yes, yet,” Micah confirmed.
I winked and walked up to Foster, throwing my arms around his shoulders. “Do you even need to hear the yes? I’ll give it to you if you do.”
He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me in until I was knees to chest with his. “I think I can figure out that you want my body.”
My face turned a deep scarlet red, and I pinched him on the shoulder. “Shut up!”
He grinned unrepentantly, and then swung me around in a circle. “Now,” he said. “What are you making me for dinner, woman?”
I flipped him off and was about to reply when the phone rang.
Foster broke off to answer it, and I went back to admiring the quilt he’d had made.
It really was awesome.
And I would love it forever.
“Umm, sure. Hold on just a moment,” Foster said weirdly, causing me to look up. “It’s for you.”
He held the phone out to me, and warily, I took it.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Um, hi. This…you don’t know me. But I know you. And I’d like to meet you,” a woman’s hesitant voice said softly.Chapter 28Take a deep breath, you’re home now.
-Coffee Cup
Foster
I walked behind Blake, hesitant to let this happen.
I knew it was all very innocent, but I didn’t want her to freak out.
After doing a little digging, I found out just what the woman on the phone had wanted, and if I was right, it was going to make Blake cry. And I hated seeing her cry!