“Yes sir… I mean Colton.” I corrected myself after the glare he gave me.
“Now that you brought it up how do you plan on supporting her after you get married? If you get married?” Oh we’re getting married. I didn’t say that out loud of course, no way was I bearding or even attempting to beard this Lyon in his den.
“I have my inheritance plus I plan to get my degree and work toward fulfilling both our goals.”
“Both your goals huh, you know my daughter’s goals?”
“Yes, we’ve discussed them extensively over the years.”
“And do you both agree on these goals” I nodded my head in answer.
“I’m going to need to see these finances you speak of. This inheritance.” Before I could speak Mancini was there with that little device that always seems attached to his hip. “Looks pretty good for a start.” This guy! Some people don’t even make that much in a lifetime.
Colton all but sniffed at it and looked back at me after glancing at the screen Mancini held out to him. “Let me ask you, I know you’ve been sniffing around here since you were about fifteen but what exactly is it that you like about my daughter?”
“Everything; I like that she’s soft and sweet and yet strong because of the way she was raised. I love her heart, her kindness, her smile, most of all I love the way I feel having her in my life, she makes the world I live in a much better place.”
“So you think she’s perfect.”
“No, but she’s perfect for me.
“What about you? Why should she marry you? Would you marry someone with your traits?” I’m sure he knows every last one. He wouldn’t be him if he didn’t have my whole life turned upside down in a file somewhere. It’s what I would do if I were in his shoes.
And just when I was about to panic I reminded myself that if the man I know was really against me, I wouldn’t even be sitting here. And I sure as hell wouldn’t have been allowed to take his daughter driving these last few days.
Reminding myself of that gave me the courage to sit there and be honest, no longer worried about what they were about to do to me. “Yes I would. I like to think that I’m loyal, honest, trust worthy, but most of all where she’s concerned, she owns me, period.”
“Do you foresee any issues between my kid and your mother?” Oh shit, so that’s why he asked if his wife had sent me up to the attic that day, had he overheard that conversation? Which part? Shit!
“When Caitlin and I get married, with your blessing of course, whoever is against her, is against me.”
He didn’t say anything for the longest time and I was seriously beginning to sweat. And then he stood and reached out his hand while the others applauded. I didn’t realize how tense I was until my body collapsed back in the chair. I let out the breath I was holding and stood to shake his hand.
“I know you two have been going out for a drive every evening but I need to talk to her tonight. If she feels the same way, then you have my blessing.”
“Marriage or prom?”
“Let’s see what she says then we’ll go from there. By the way, I’m gonna need to speak to your parents at some point.”
“No problem si… Colton.”
“Good man.” He took his seat. “Mancini, any news on that truck yet? You’ve been on that shit all morning.” And just like that the others dropped into their seats like nothing and we went back to business as usual.
We were knee deep in discussion about the best way to hunt down the truck when an alarm went off and his eyes went to the monitor on his desk. “Oh shit!”
He jumped up from his seat and ran out the door with the whole room following him.
LYON
I got so caught up with the boy that I damn near forgot that my kids were awake in their playpens. My little angels are nine months old but they’re tiny, like both their sisters had been at that age. I pretty much knew what to expect knew their capabilities or so I thought.
I reached the top of the stairs just before they demolished the security gates there too. They’d already escaped the one across the playroom door. “Come here you!” I snatched Cady up first since she was the one in front.
Todd had Cayla and Ty had Cayleigh. Baby Zak was in one of the guestrooms watching her Disney Sing along songs tape which we could hear coming from the room so she had no part in this. I put the gates back up and we took the three of them back to the office with the damn dog trailing behind us.