His smile.
“I always knew this day would come. Out of my two girls, Ember was the one I always knew would use her head and find a good man. Still, I thought I would hate the bastard. You’re a good kid, Nate. You always have been. I can’t say I’m happy that you’re asking to take my girl from me, but I am happy that she’s found a man who will always make sure she comes first daily and goes to sleep knowing that she’s got a blessed life. The only thing I’ve ever wanted for her.”
My shoulders drop some when I let out the breath I had been holding.
“I’m going to marry her,” I declare and raise my hand to stop him when he opens his mouth, smile gone. “Don’t tell me I couldn’t possibly know that after only having her love for just under two months. I just want you to know that this is where it’s heading, and it’s heading there real fast.”
“I wasn’t going to say that.” I raise a brow and he gruffs out a chuckle. “Time is a fickle motherfucker, Nate. I had my own experience with it before I made Emmy mine, so if anyone gets you, it’s me. I realized not too long ago that this—you and Ember—has been a long time coming. You had your reasons for pushing her away the first time, and I can respect the hell out of them, but now, you know what you’ve spent years missing out and you would be an idiot to waste a second more now. That being said, if you think I’m happy about my girl being under your roof without you taking the steps to make her yours completely, you might actually be a dumb shit.”
I shake my head. “No, sir. She’s an independent woman, but I hope that I can rectify this situation by the time her house is done. If I have it my way, her storage unit full of belongings will just be making one stop, and that’s to my house.”
“I’ve enjoyed watching you turn into the man standing in front of me, Nate. You have a good head on your shoulders and your heart’s in the right place. You want my blessing, all the cards now on the table, well … you’ve got it.”
Hearing those words from him and knowing that he means it fills my chest with happiness. “So do we hug now?”
“Jesus Christ,” he grumbles. “Seems like her sass is wearing the fuck off.” He uncrosses his arms and tags the back of my neck, and shockingly, Maddox Locke gives me a hug. “Welcome to the family,” he rumbles and lets go.
“Thank you,” I tell him after pulling back. “Thank you for letting her go and trusting that I’m going to make sure you never regret that.”
His throat moves, but he doesn’t speak. With a look demanding I follow and a small smile on his face, he starts walking.
When we walk around the side of the house, I see Ember standing with our mothers and wringing her hands in front of her. The second she sees the looks on our faces, though, she drops her hands to her side and starts running. Maddox stops and I move to the side so she can go to him.
But to my utter shock, and everyone else watching, she passes him with a huge smile and leaps into my arms. I curl my arms around her back as her legs wrap tight around me and contentment like I’ve never known settles over me.
“I love you,” she repeats over and over, not giving me a chance to say a word.
I look at her dad, expecting to see his fury, but instead, I once again find myself on the receiving end of his smile.
“I’M SO EXCITED TO GO to Dirty with you!” I exclaim, pulling one of my black heels on and jumping off the bench in front of Nate’s bed.
He takes a long sweep of my body, spending a little time on my dress, before looking back up at me, the hunger in his eyes shining brightly.
“You can’t wear that.”
I look down and try to see what about my simple black lace dress is so offensive, but I come up blank, so I look back up at him.
“You really can’t wear that.”
“Why?”
“Because if you wear that, the only thing that is going to get done tonight will be you, and as much as it pains me to say this, I really have to get some work done.”
I toss my head back and laugh loudly. When I look back at him, he’s licking his lips and staring at my legs. “You’re crazy.”
“Baby,” he groans, adjusting himself. “You can wear that any other night, but please not tonight. If I can get all my shit done, that means I don’t work all weekend and I have plans to lock you in this room and not leave for forty-eight long, sweaty hours.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah,” he gulps. “Please change?”
“All right, honey.” I walk over and stand on my toes to give him a kiss before walking to the closet and looking through what clothes I have here. I settle on a pair of leather leggings and a black halter-style top. Surely, he can’t complain about every inch of skin except for the top of my back being covered.