“Dude,” I interrupt and he smiles over at me.
“Sorry. Anyway.” He paces some more. “I love her. I refuse to ever live a day without her. She is the best part of my life.”
“I figured this out already, man, what are you getting at?”
“I want to marry her.” He exhales deeply and scrubs his hands over his face.
“So ask her.”
“No, you don’t get it.” He shakes his head and faces me. “That’s why I’m here. I’m asking for your permission to ask her.”
I’m stunned. “Why do you need my permission?”
“Because she’s yours,” he answers simply. “You’re her family. You’re the one she’s depended on the majority of her life, and she loves you. Your opinion matters. I may be an arrogant ass a lot of the time, but I was raised right.” He swallows and shoves his hands in his pockets. “It’s right that I ask you for your blessing before I propose to her. I give you my word, Leo, I will protect her, respect her and love her until the day I die.”
“I know,” I respond automatically.
“You do?”
“Of course I do. Meg isn’t stupid. She wouldn’t be with you if it were any other way.” I stay here, leaning and watching Will for a moment and remember Meg as a young girl, wide-eyed and freckled and all red-hair and long limbs, and then I think of her when we were all together for game night and how vibrant and happy, how secure and lovely she is.
Will is to thank for some of that.
“You can marry her on one condition,” I tell him, my voice low and steady, eyes on his.
“Name it,” he immediately responds.
“You have to name your first kid after me.” He sighs, his shoulders slump like he’s been carrying the weight of the world, and he grins from ear to ear.
“What if it’s a girl?” He asks.
“I don’t give a fuck.”
“Done.” He agrees and offers me his hand, which I take and pull him in for a guy hug, slapping him hard on the back.
“She deserves to me happy.” His face sobers.
“More than anyone I know.”
“How are you going to do it?”
“Well, that’s the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. Are you guys still doing the show at Key Arena in a few weeks?”
“That’s the plan.” I nod.
“So, here’s my idea…”
***
Samantha
“This is gonna be fun!” I’m practically bouncing in the front seat of Leo’s hot Camaro, excited that he asked me to go house shopping with him. He was gone all day yesterday, taking care of whatever business he had on his plate, and today has been laid back, enjoying each others company.
“You’re like a kid.” He grins over at me and chuckles.
“I like to shop.” I shrug. “Where are we going first?”
“Well, we’re only going to see one today.”
“Okay, where?” I ask again.
“It’s not too far from Luke and Nat’s place.”
“I love that neighborhood,” I smile happily at the hot tattooed man next to me.
“Well, let’s see what we think of the house.” He drives through a gate and down a short driveway to a beautiful, white and blue traditional-style home. The view of the Sound is breathtaking. There is a red Toyota parked in the driveway and a short, round young woman with dishwater-blonde hair is standing on the porch consulting her phone.
“I like the outside,” I comment, taking in the rose bushes and cherry-blossom trees that will be blooming in a couple of months.
“Okay, let’s go in,” he grins at me and we both hop out of the car and walk toward the front porch.
“Hi there! I’m Melody Jenkins, the agent sent out to help you today.” Melody has a pretty, friendly smile and oozes youth. She’s clearly still new to the real estate business.
“Didn’t you tell them who you were when you called?” I whisper to him.
“Hell, no.” He frowns down at me and offers Melody a hand to shake. “Thanks for meeting us.”
“Holy shit, you’re Leo Nash!” She exclaims and almost falls down the front steps. I turn my back to her so she can’t see the hilarity written on my face.
“Guilty,” Leo offers her a charming smile. “Nice to meet you.”
I school my features and turn back around to see Melody’s mouth opening and closing like a fish, her eyes wide and pinned to Leo, completely struck dumb.
“Oh for the love of... Melody?” I wave my hand before her face, catching her attention. “Hi. I’m Sam. We’d love to see the house.”
“Oh, of course.” Her hands are shaking as she consults her phone for the code to the door and leads us inside.
I turn back to Leo and mock the fan-girl, holding my hands over my mouth like I’m shocked to meet him, and he narrows his eyes at me and whispers, “Be nice.”
“This is hilarious,” I mutter just as Melody turns back to us.
“So, this is the house, of course. It’s really nice. It has a state-of-the-art kitchen, a sun-room, a hot-tub.” Her eyes wander down Leo’s body to his hips and then she coughs and turns away.
“It’s the stars,” I mutter to him, earning another glare.
“I just have to tell you,” Melody says in a rush, turning to face Leo, “I am such a huge fan. I have all your albums, even the really old ones.”
More laughter from me. The really old ones are roughly four years old. Of course, she would have been in high school.
“Uh, thanks,” Leo mutters, clearly uncomfortable and looks around for a means of escape.
“What is so funny?” Melody asks me, her hands propped on her round hips. She really is cute.
“Absolutely nothing. Nash is great,” I agree with her and smile up at Leo who continues to glare at me.
“You know what, Melody, I think we’ll just look around on our own, if that’s okay with you.”
“Oh.” She pouts and glares at me before turning big hazel eyes on Leo in what I’m sure she thinks is her flirty look. “Are you sure? I don’t mind showing you around.”
“I’m sure, thanks.” Leo grabs my hand and pulls me toward the stairs. “You are not helping,” he growls.