Page 32

HOLT

I lean back on the couch, watching Dad and Deke banter back and forth about the football game we’re watching. I knew they’d get along, but to actually see it? It makes me pretty damn happy. Especially considering I’m about to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage.

It’s been a perfect Thanksgiving holiday.

Well, except for the fact that Merit and I have to sleep in different beds.

We finally convinced Deke to take a few days off and come up for the holiday. With Merit preparing for today’s Black Friday sale, there was just no way she could take off in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, let alone travel down to the farm.

We all went to Crutch and Ella’s house for Thanksgiving yesterday. With Baby Harlan just being five weeks old, we wanted to make everything easy for Ella. That way, she could keep him in a routine—have him nap in his own bassinet and feed on his regular schedule. Of course, Jeff did all the cooking so Ella didn’t have to worry about that. Today, we’ve been watching football while the women—except for Merit, who’s busting her ass at the store—have been shopping.

Her parents and grandmother have been sleeping in the Children’s Wing since Wednesday night, so that means Merit’s been displaced to one of the downstairs guest rooms. When I first said Merit would be sleeping in one of the upstairs guest rooms, next to me, Deke made a face. We quickly amended that plan.

But they leave tomorrow.

Let’s just say I don’t plan on getting much sleep tomorrow night.

Ridge elbows me. “You still planning on talking to Deke?”

I haven’t told many people my plan—just my parents and Ridge. I’m definitely not telling Raylee yet. She’ll flip out. Plus, she’s never been able to keep a secret. “Yeah, I wanna do it before all the girls come back from shopping.”

“You sure about this?”

After everything I’ve been through, Ridge is a protective best friend. It’s nice to have someone watching your back. “Yeah.” I nod, taking a swig of my beer. “When I think about my future, she’s all over it, brother.”

“I’m glad. We all love her. She fits in perfectly.”

A loud burst of laughter erupts from me. “She definitely fits in better than the date you brought to the family cookout two weeks ago.” She made Bunny look like a Rhodes Scholar…with a virgin heart of gold. Laura completely ripped her a new one.

Cullen flops down on the couch next to us. “What are we talking about?”

Ridge sighs. “My last date.”

Cullen rolls his eyes. “Oh, shit. That was painful. How could someone so cute be so dense?”

Ridge lifts an eyebrow. “Like your one-night stands from the bar are any better.”

Cullen shrugs. “Point taken.”

When the game pauses for halftime, everyone takes a break, meandering through the house for food or bathrooms. Except for Ridge, who goes into the gym to lift some weights. Catching up with Deke, I ask if he minds stepping outside so I can talk with him.

Marcum and Nate are in the backyard tossing the football. Marcum’s always been an intuitive guy. It’s one of the reasons he’s a great cop. It only takes him a split second to see what’s going on. “C’mon, Nate, take your Grandpa inside for some of that leftover pecan pie.”

Deke walks to the edge of the pool. He splashes his hand through the water pouring off the rock waterfall. I watch him, wishing the flaming nerves in my stomach would settle down. I thought I was okay; I thought I could handle this… but I feel like I’m about to throw up. I didn’t get this nervous before any of the Super Bowls I’ve played in.

Planting his hands on his hips, he looks up at my house. I’m halfway through stringing the outside Christmas lights, and I wonder if that’s what he’s looking at. His soft whistle makes my heart race like a damn thoroughbred. “Impressive house. Merit told us about it. She texted pictures to Marie, but even those didn’t do it justice.” He shakes his head. “And your cousin’s place? From yesterday? That’s a great piece of land.”

“She grew up in this house, you know? Ella, I mean. I bought this house from her after her parents passed away.”

“It’s nice when something can stay in the family.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

He smirks, unimpressed with my answer.

Shit. Even my hands are sweating. I smear them across the front of my jeans. Deke walks over to one of the seating areas and leans back in a wicker chair, relaxing. Giving myself a few seconds to gain my composure, I grab a fresh beer from the outside fridge. “Need a drink?”

He chuckles. “If it’ll calm your ass down, sure.”

We’ll this definitely isn’t going as planned. Sitting across from him, I chug half my bottle in one swig. My leg bounces up and down. My lip twitches. I sit back. Then I sit forward. Then I sit back again.

“All right. What’s the matter, son? You’ve been nervous all day, but this? This is just plain painful. Just say what you wanna say.”

Leaning forward, I balance my forearms on my knees. Taking a deep breath, the words spew from my mouth like a geyser. “I’d like to ask for your daughter’s hand.”

“Her hand in what?”

I’m pretty sure my mouth falls open. I thought it was kind of self-explanatory. “Uhhh. Her hand in marriage, sir.”

Deke bursts out laughing. “Relax, Holt. I’m just busting your balls. I know what you meant.”

I don’t embarrass easily. In fact, I can’t even really remember the last time. But now? My cheeks burn hot like I just went swimming in a volcano.

Eventually his smile fades, and he studies me. “Why? And why so soon?”

Why? How do you explain something when there’s no words to describe it?

I lean back and drag my hands through my hair. Just thinking about Merit makes me feel like a better man. A man who will do anything to make sure she’s happy and cared for and loved. Forever.

“She’s stubborn, you know?”

He nods, unable to hide the pride on his face.

“I’m sure she tried to hide it with Edward, but there’s no way to hide something so fundamental. She wasn’t even going to come to the door on our first date.” I smile, thinking back to that night. “She scrunches her nose when she thinks another woman is hitting on me, and she refuses to admit she does it. And she nearly jacked up the toilet at the store because she wanted to fix it herself after she watched a video that told her what to do.”

He chuckles, taking a sip of his beer.

“She’s so damn beautiful. Her hair looks like the redwood trees I saw in California. Her eyes change color, depending on her mood. Her nose gets pink after an hour in the sun, and she secretly loves having tan lines because it gives her some weird sense of accomplishment. She loves dressing up, but would curl in a ball and die if she had to wear full makeup and high heels every day.”

The smile slowly fades from his face as he tries to absorb all the details I’m throwing out.

Now that I’ve started, I just can’t stop.

“She falls. All the time. She drops food on herself. She gets caught saying things she shouldn’t be saying. It’s like Murphy’s Law was specifically written for Merit.

“She works so hard, for every single penny she’s ever earned.” I snort, thinking about her refusal to buy more than one smoothie a week. “And watches her spending like a stingy ninety-year-old who wants to be buried with every last dime. She doesn’t care how many zeros are behind my net worth. Her love for me isn’t contingent upon what I can buy her. She doesn’t care that I used to throw a football and won the Super Bowl. She just cares about me . She loves me .”

I take a breath, gathering my scattered thoughts.

“I love her, sir. I’m in love with her. When I close my eyes and think about my future, Merit’s in it. There is no future for me without her. She’s my family. I wanna marry her and have children and grow old. I wanna have family dinners. And teach our kids how to ride a bike. And have summer movie nights at the sod farm. I want it all. With her. With your daughter.”

When he doesn’t say anything, my apprehension skyrockets. Unable to handle the silence, I toss something else in the mix. “And she snorts when she laughs.”

Eventually, Deke’s eyes meet mine, and I’m blown away by the emotion in them. Wiping his face, refusing to shed a tear in my presence, he clears his throat and coughs. “So, you already have a ring?”

“The jeweler is working on it. I gave him a picture of her diamond and ruby bracelet from her great-grandma. I thought it would mean a lot if she had something that matched that. Something we could pass down.”

He works his hand across his chin. “It doesn’t bother you that she’s a divorcee? That she’s been married before?”

“Of course, it bothers me,” I admit. “Because it should’ve been me. Edward is a waste of space, and I nearly lose my mind every time I think about the two of them together.” I sigh. “But I’m focusing on the good, the fact that I get to spend the rest of my life with her.”

“When are you wanting to pop the question?”

“Christmas. Really, I wanna ask her as soon as possible, but she’s in her busy season. She’ll be working like crazy between now and Christmas, so I’ll just be patient and do it once things settle down.”

Nodding, he stands up, stretching his back.

I rub my hands together. “So…”

“Yes, you have my blessing.”

Holy hell. Did he just give me permission to marry his daughter?

Deke knocks my shoulder, jarring me out of my stupor. “You okay?”

I fall back and fold my hands behind my head. I can’t stop smiling. I laugh in disbelief. “I never thought I’d get married. I can’t believe it.”

Deke finishes his beer. “What? A love and marriage skeptic?”

“In a past life, sir, absolutely. In our new life, with your daughter, it’s game on.”