The Lyon's Cub Caitlin (Lyon The Next Generation 1)

“Good grief, we’ve gotta find these people before these little girls get hurt.”

“You stay out of it. I’ll take care of it.”

“Uh-huh!”

Todd

I was on my way home from the stakeout when I got her call and made the detour to her house. She was crying and I couldn’t really tell if they were tears of joy or sadness over the phone. But the way she ran and jumped into my arms as soon I stepped out of the Ranger soon untied the knots in my gut.

“Did you know?” I wiped the tears from her cheeks after she’d cried herself out against my chest.

“What? What your dad was going to talk to you about? Yeah, I knew. Stop crying now, I don’t like it.” The shit was making my guts hurt again.

“I’m just so happy, I can’t believe this is happening.”

“Believe it!” I kissed her forehead and looked down at her to dry the fresh flow of tears. “Your dad’s watching us out the window you should go back inside. It’s past your bedtime.”

“I can’t go to sleep now, I’m too excited.”

“I know but you have to. I’ll Facetime you as soon as I get home.” I walked her to the door and kissed her one last time before letting her go. I turned and left since I didn’t have to meet with Mancini and the others for a report because nothing happened.

I was just as excited as she was when I got home and the first thing I did was call my mom and dad. Mom screamed and cried and dad asked me all the questions you’d expect a dad to ask at a time like this. I wasn’t half as nervous answering his questions, as I had been my father in law’s.

I know men aren’t supposed to be as excited about these things as women, or maybe that’s just a lie that someone somewhere came up with a long-long time ago, whatever, I don’t give a shit.

I’m already imagining my baby walking down the aisle to me in her bridal gown. Could already anticipate what it’s going to feel like to put that ring on her finger and claim her once and for all.

I had to rub a hand over my chest to calm my heart down it was racing so fast. I didn’t lose sight of the fact that there was still a lot of work to be done. I’d won my girl sure, but the true test starts now. How to keep my woman happy for the rest of her life.

The next day was Friday and I did my now usual routine of driving her to school. Her parents have got to be the coolest parents in the world because they never pressured her or I, to drive her siblings to and from school now that she had her license. The twins who weren’t far behind her in age were gearing up to get theirs, but her dad was like, nope, she got hers at seventeen that’s when you get yours.

Something that didn’t surprise me, because as much as to the outside world Colton Lyon might seem like the most chauvinistic guy to ever draw breath, he’s actually the most understanding parent I’ve ever met. He doesn’t treat his kids any different because of gender when it comes to the important things in life.

All she could talk about was the wedding, something I’d told her the night before when we finally got around to Facetime would not be some long drawn out deal. Of course I’d had to hear about how long it takes to get this and that done but I was only willing to give her three months tops. Fuck that!

After I dropped her off at school and headed back to the house there was a definite difference in the way I felt stepping inside. Especially when her grandmothers rushed me at the door to welcome me to the family. Now this is the same house I’d been to less than twenty-four hours ago but there was definitely a change in the air. For the first time I truly felt like I belonged.

I looked over their heads to see my father in law standing in the middle of the stairs. “Ladies, we’ve got shit to do, unhand the boy.”

“But we need to discuss some things with him. Todd, I already spoke to your mom. She’s willing to fly in sometime next month so we can discuss the wedding.”

“Caitlin’s dress is going to take at least a year to be made, I already checked…”

“We’re getting married in two months, three tops. School starts in late August early September.” There was dead silence for about five seconds before total pandemonium broke out.

“You can’t be serious, that’s no time, but her dress…” And on and on it went while I stood there unfazed. I waited for them to catch their breaths. “Caitlin and I will be living together once we go away to school. Out of respect she needs to be my wife before that happens.”