Page 41

41

BEN

“I just don’t think this is necessary. It was Penelope who said she wanted to see her dad, and she’s not here, so I don’t need to be either.” Backing away from Hank’s porch, I make my case, but Jenson’s stupidly hard body stops my progress and forces me to stay where I am. And with one hand on my shoulder, the other pushing in between my shoulder blades, I’m no longer backing away but stepping closer and closer to Hank’s house.

I know I shouldn’t be nervous. Hank has practically told me he wants me with Penelope. But this will be the first time I’ve seen him since I saw his daughter naked, and I’m a little freaked out by it.

“Jenson, you don’t need to be here. You can go and annoy someone else. I’ve got this.” The laugh I attempt to let out is less confident and more anxiety fueled, which contradicts my words even more. I wouldn’t say I’m scared of Hank, but I also wouldn’t say I’m not either.

I’ve seen how protective he is of Penelope. Watched grown-arsed footballers cower beneath his stare when he’s caught them looking at her or talking about her. I know he’s capable of a lot, but it’s more than fear of being hit by him. It’s disappointing him.

Hank’s been like a father figure to me since I came over here. He’s been my best friend for that whole time too, and I’d hate for anything to change that. I don’t want to lose him. And turning up here, without Penelope, knowing he knows I took her away for a dirty weekend, is making me want to turn and run.

“You need me here as a buffer.” Jenson’s voice reminds me where I am and what I’m doing, and I sigh loudly. His hand moves from my back and drops around my shoulder as he navigates me to stand outside Hank’s door. “Besides, I really wanna see Hank kick your ass.”

Before I can respond, he knocks on the door and laughs in my face. A voice bellows, “It’s open,” and the buffoon next to me cackles in glee as he opens the door and drags me through it.

“Yo, Hank, where you at?”

I ignore Jenson and the reply he gets, opting to focus on managing my breathing and stop myself from panicking. I’m a billionaire, a mogul in the corporate world, and yet here I am—terrified to face Hank, my right hand man and my girlfriend's dad.

Girlfriend. It sounds so juvenile. But it also feels really fucking good to be able to call her that.

I swipe my sweaty palms on my trousers, straighten my spine and snap my shoulders back. I can do this.

Walking into his living room, a place I’ve been to millions of times before, I glance around and take comfort in the vast array of pictures of Penelope everywhere, ranging from a child all the way up to now. Seeing her smile brings a calmness I need. I let my eyes scour over each frame, pausing slightly on one of her holding a sign saying ‘I want to be a teacher.’

A momentary flint of anger surges through me when I think of Director Allen forcing her out of her dream job, but I push it aside. She doesn’t want them to know. I force my gaze to another picture. It’s my favourite one. And unlike the other times I’ve been here and had to ignore it, I can openly admire it today. I don’t have to hide the fact I enjoy seeing her pretty face. She’s sitting on the front porch with her dad’s arm around her shoulders. She’s beaming at the camera and he’s looking at her like she hung the moon. And I know that feeling well. The love he has for her pours out of his eyes and is laid bare for everyone to see. It’s beautiful and it's exactly how I look at her too. Like she’s my everything.

Because she is.

The little voice in the back of my head pipes up, and suddenly I realise this isn’t just a normal relationship. I’m in love with Penelope, and have been for a while now. I just didn’t see it before. I’m everything I promised myself I would never become. Dependent on a woman, leaving myself vulnerable and open, like prey to a lioness.

But rather than panicking and trying to find an escape hatch, I smile. I don’t give a rats arse about being open and vulnerable. Not if it means I get to look at Penelope like that. To openly walk down the street with my Little One and have everyone know she’s mine. She wants my money, she can have it. As long as I get to keep her.

“Well damn, I was gonna give you the whole father spiel about hurting Penny and what I’d do to you, but that look on your face tells me everything I need to know. You’re hooked on her.” Hank pats me on the shoulder, bringing me out of my head, before he turns to a grinning Jenson. “Maybe I should give Penny the talk.”

“Oh, for sure. Out of those two, she’ll be the one to screw up for sure.”

A frown forms on my face as I stare Jenson down. “She won’t screw up.” An element of doubt creeps into my mind, however strongly I protest in her defence. These two know her far better than I do. And even though she has this hold on me, maybe I should be a little cautious.

“But don’t worry. When one of you… Penny,”—he coughs into his hand and then grins like an imbecile at me—“screws up, you’ll have the whole Brady clan to help sort it out. You’ll be fine.”

Groaning loudly, I roll my eyes and turn my attention away from a laughing Jenson and focus back on Hank. “Should you be standing on that knee?” I motion with my head to Hank’s leg and he scoffs his disgust at my concern.

“I’m fine, son. Doctor said I should be moving about more. I’m even going fishing with Pops after Christmas. Which reminds me, who did you get in secret santa?”

He limps back to the sofa while I let the word son sink into my thoughts. He’s called me that a million times before, but today it hits differently.

“Now you know we’re not allowed to tell you that. Mama would kill us.” Jenson throws his reply over his shoulder as he strolls over to the sofa as well and flops down on it. Hank gives him a warning look but he just grins back. I honestly think if he was faced with a zombie apocalypse, he would still be grinning.

I sit down opposite the pair of them in the armchair. “My lips are sealed. I’m saying nothing.” I mimic locking my lips up and grin when Hank frowns.

Mama Brady was adamant that we weren’t allowed to spill who we got. A Brady tradition for decades, I’ve been let in on it seeing as I’m family to them now.

Growing up, I had all the money in the world, so Christmas was never as big a deal as it was to other kids because I had no need for anything. I already had all that I wanted. Except the family element of it all. We didn’t wake up on Christmas morning to devour presents and pigs in blankets. We didn’t sit around a dining table with paper crowns on our heads and watch the Queen’s speech. We didn’t play board games until late at night and get drunk on family time. Christmas was just an ordinary day.

To be invited to partake in a family Christmas and be included in their traditions is new for me, but I’m trying new things left, right, and centre. The last new thing I tried I fell in love with, so I’m optimistic for this as well.

My phone beeps with a notification.

Little One

How’s it going? Is my dad okay with everything? Jameson has been relentless with the questions.

A smile tugs on my lips. She’s thinking about me. Maybe I’m not the only one who’s hooked. I quickly type back a reply.

Me

Your dad’s worried you’re going to hurt me. He’s going to give you the talk, not me lol. What questions is he asking? And what are you telling him?

I don’t tuck my phone away, deciding to keep it in my hand, eagerly awaiting a response.

“Get a look at him.” Hank's voice grabs my attention away from the phone and back to him and Jenson.

Jenson leans in to Hank, keeping one amused eye on me. “Was I this pathetic when I started dating Angie?”

“You’re still that pathetic. Angie’s got you whipped, and it looks like Penny has the same effect on old Benny boy here.”

I’m about to argue that no one could be as pathetic as Jenson around Angie, but Hank holds his hand up to stop me.

“But it makes me proud of both of you. This is the way it’s supposed to be.”

He looks at me poignantly and dips his head. Memories of conversations we’ve had over the years flood through me. Him telling me how much he loved Penelope’s mum, how he forgave her time and time again for her cheating and drinking because he doted on her. She was his everything. Until one day she couldn’t be anymore.

So Penelope became his everything.

He couldn’t stand to see the pain in his daughter's eyes and he told the woman he loved to go. Even though it broke his heart to have her leave. She never deserved Hank, but that didn’t stop him loving her.

His eyes stare into my own, and I nod slightly, acknowledging I understand what he’s saying.

Another text comes through and I avert my gaze to see what it says as Jenson starts to talk about football with Hank.

Little One

I’ve had enough talks with my dad. The birds and the bees one was particularly mortifying lol.

Little One

I’ll try my hardest not to hurt you. I promise.

I take a deep breath at that last message and let it seep into my head and wash away the little doubt that I had left. She promises.

Another text comes through and this one makes me laugh loudly.

Little One

Jameson wants to know if all Brits are ‘pierced’. He wants me to deny or confirm, but I’m leaving him guessing.

“What’s got you laughing?” Jenson calls over to me, and I spin the phone so he can see for himself. He shakes his head with a small chuckle on his lips. “Jameson and his obsession with pierced members.”

“Pierced what now?” Hank splutters his beer that I didn’t even see him get, causing me to laugh even more.

“Member. His junk. It’s pierced. He has a Jacob’s ladder. Angie told me about it. Penny was pretty interested in seeing it as well.” He shoots me a wink, knowing full well it’ll piss me off.

“Well that was before. She doesn’t have to wonder about other men’s dicks now that she’s?—”

“Finish that sentence, son, and I’ll have to rip you a new one.” Hank raises his brow at me and I pinch my lips together to stop talking whilst shooting a death stare at the grinning buffoon beside him.

“Gimme that.” Hank snatches my phone from my hand, snaps a picture of his frowning face, and whilst grumbling about ‘stupid fucking boys playing games and making him think things he doesn’t need to think,’ sends it to them with a message for Jameson. As another message comes through, I flip the bird to Jenson, who is still grinning like a fucking idiot.

Little One

Tell my dad I love him and I’ll sneak him all the candy he wants tomorrow. That was brilliant. Jameson is seething and sending an apology now. Thank you, Ben.

I can hear her voice in my mind as I read the message, and the need to see her, touch her, smell her fucking hair, is too strong. My legs bouncing, I glance at Jenson and motion to the door with my head.

“Just fucking go. Say hi to Penny for me and tell her I want the good kind of candy.” Hank laughs, shakes his head, places his foot on the coffee table and switches the TV back on.

Standing up quickly, I stride toward the door, look back over my shoulder, and mouth, “Thank you,” to him.

He raises his beer to me and dips his chin, then goes back to watching his show with a smile on his face.

I think that went pretty well.