Walk the Line (Man of the Month 12)

"Paint," another officer said. "Thrown in through the windows."

"And Elena?" Brent demanded.

"Fine. She's giving a statement. She'll be done shortly. They didn't touch the bedroom. Apparently, she slept through it all."

He nodded, unsurprised. Considering their encounter at the fair, he imagined she'd had a few drinks before going to bed.

"Did they enter the premises, or just throw the paint cans in?"

"We've got them entering, sir," the officer said. "They sprayed a message on the bathroom mirror. Next time it will be her."

Brent's insides knotted and he met Tyree's rage-filled eyes. Yeah, Landon was so going to nail these bastards. And then Brent was going to dance at their sentencing.

"Brent! Daddy!"

Elena stumbled out of her bedroom and into Tyree's arms. For a moment, Brent felt lost, afraid that she was going to shun him, not give him the chance to apologize.

But then she pulled away, and Tyree stepped back. "Talk you two. I'll be outside when you need me."

"You came," she whispered once Tyree had gone.

"Of course I came." He guided her to a quiet corner of the dining room. "You're alright? Can I touch you? I need to touch you. We know who did this. Landon's on it. But I have to touch you now."

"Yes, please. Brent, I'm so--I'm sorry. I don't want to lose you, and if the only way I can have you in my life is to be your friend, then I can handle that. I won't like it, but I can--"

"Marry me."

She blinked at him. "What?"

"You heard me. I want you to marry me."

"Wait. No. What? Because some guy attacked my apartment?"

"No, because I love you. I was on my way from the Food Fair to tell you-- to ask you--before I knew about any of this. Ask Tyree."

Her face brightened. "Truly?"

"I swear on my daughter's life."

"Oh." Her voice was soft. Reverent. She understood too well what Faith meant to him. "Brent." She touched his cheek. "But why? Why marriage? Why so fast?"

"Because I'm miserable without you. Because I believe that you love me too. And don't say it's too fast, because dammit, Elena, I know. I know. And I think you do, too. But if you want to wait, that's fine, too. We can wait forever, because I know you're not going anywhere. And neither am I."

"That was a great speech. Did you rehearse it?"

"Not a word."

She laughed. "I love you, Brent Sinclair."

"Is that a yes?"

"That's a yes. On two conditions."

"Anything."

"I want to adopt Faith. You want me in her life. I want to be her mother. Assuming she wants that too."

"Oh, babe." If he wasn't already in love with her, he would have fallen hard right then. And since he already had a court order terminating Olivia's parental rights, they could make that happen right away.