Page 58 of That Kiss

“Come on in, Decker,” Mary hurries me inside the back door, “I just put a fresh pot of coffee on, so you’re just in time.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Riley.” I step inside and look around. “Mr. Riley around, by any chance?”

“Oh, what’s with all this ‘Mr. and Mrs. Riley’ nonsense? You make us feel old.” She pulls out a chair for me and hands over a fresh cup of coffee. “Sit, sit. Ron will be home any minute. He went to the garage to help Juney with some month-end stuff.”

“She’s really knocking it out of the park there, isn’t she?”

“Just like I knew she would.” Her smile is proud. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Juney, even when she was this big,” she holds her hand out, “if you told her she couldn’t do something, she was not only going to do it, but she was going to prove everyone wrong.”

“If that ain’t the truth.” I laugh.

“It feels like just yesterday, her dad had her sitting on one of the tall stools in the workshop. Her little legs were too short to even reach the highest bar. She’d wave at all of the trucks that came in and out.” Her eyes tear up and she looks out the window briefly. “Listen to me getting all sappy.”

“I get it. My mom has a good cry about once a week these days, talking about all of us growing up. I think with each grandchild, she gets more sentimental.”

“Speaking of grandkids, when are you going to give her one?”

I laugh, taking an extra-long sip of my coffee. “I can’t say for sure, but hopefully sooner rather than later.” When I pull my eyes back to meet hers, they’re brimming with tears again.

After our talk the other night, when I told Juney I was done with games and secrets, I made up my mind that I needed to come talk to her parents. This isn’t some casual relationship where I just want to see where it goes; this is forever.

“You know, Decker, ever since you were a young boy, you have always been incredibly respectful and kind—all of you Slade boys are—but I spent the most time with you and Ranger. Your mother and I are very close, you know, so we would often give each other breaks when we needed it. But my favorite times with you boys were when your parents would both come over and you’d run off and play with Juney while we sat around talking. I knew that even though she was much younger than you boys, you always took care of her. She thinks the world of you two, and the fact that her father and I couldn’t give her a sibling, but you boys stepped in, was just . . .” She waves her tears away, but it’s no use. I hand her a napkin and she dabs at her eyes just as Ron walks in the back door.

“Hey, De—oh, Mary, are you okay?” He rushes over to her side, genuine concern in his eyes fading when he sees she’s smiling.

“Oh, I was just reminiscing with Decker here about when he and Ranger were little and they would include Juniper in their adventures. Your parents did a great job with you boys.”

“Thanks, Mary. I know that would mean a lot for them to hear.” I glance down at my now-cold coffee. “Listen, I know that me dropping by is unexpected, and I don’t want to take over your entire evening. I know you need to eat, but I—I want to talk to both of you.”

Ron looks over at Mary, then pulls out a chair and takes a seat. I’m suddenly realizing just how nervous I am. Six feet two inches of muscle, and I wouldn’t think twice about taming a wild horse, but this . . . this has my heart thudding in my ears and my stomach in my ass.

“Go ahead, Decker.”

“I want to preface this by saying that I love you both and I know how much you respect and love my parents and my entire family.” Ron’s brow furrows and he glances over at Mary.

Shit. Fuck. I’m dead.

“Son, I think we already know why you’re here. Your father and I, as you know, are close—have been over the years. And I know he’s told you as much about our conversations regarding you and Juniper.”

“Yes, sir, he has.”

“Then you know we aren’t stupid. We have eyes.” I nod. “Good, glad we got that out of the way. Go on.”

I tap my fingers against the coffee mug. I know that what I’m about to say is going to probably make or break Juney and me. “Ron, Mary, with all due respect, I know my reputation is shit. And as your daughter wisely put it, I made my bed and I have to lie in the consequences, but I’m not that man anymore. I’m in love with your daughter.” I look between them, and Ron’s face is not showing a shred of emotion, though Mary’s lip quivers. “She’s everything to me. I ran from it, all the way to Texas, actually, but she’s the one. She’s my everything.”

They look at each other and Mary nods at Ron, who looks back at me. “And what if we don’t approve of this, Decker? She’s our world too.”

I swallow down the nerves, my confidence growing. I clear my throat, square my shoulders, and look up at both of them. “Well, again, Ron and Mary, with all due respect, I’d tell you both that it doesn’t matter. I will never stop loving her. I will never stop dedicating my life to her. I will never lose her again. I know you want the best for your daughter, and all I can ask is that if you don’t support us, then at least give me a chance to prove to you how much she means to me.”

A huge grin spreads across Ron’s face as he leaps out of his chair. “Get over here, Deck!” He doesn’t wait for me—he grabs my shoulders, pulling me into the tightest bear hug I’ve ever had.

“Wait, what?” I look at both of them, laughing in confusion.

“We’ve known, Deck, we’ve just been waiting for you to see it. That’s what your dad didn’t tell you about our conversations. I told him to relax—that you needed time to be young and wild, but that someday . . .” now his chin quivers, “someday you’d realize that what you’d been trying to find was already right in front of you. Life just needed to catch up.”

This time they both hug me and it feels like a weight’s been lifted from my shoulders. “Damn, you both really had me nervous over here.”

“I tried so hard to keep it together,” Mary says through her tears. “I just knew what you were here to say when I opened that back door, and I . . .” She’s completely lost her ability to talk, tears coming down her face as she runs out of the room.

---