Page 94 of Protecting Hailey

“I can and I will. Hailey hasn’t changed me. This is who I am, Dad. I just always followed orders, whether I agreed with them or not. But I’m not a soldier anymore and I don’t have to listen to you. I want to have a relationship with you, but it must be based on mutual love and respect. And that includes Hailey. She’s a part of my life now, and I insist you treat her well.”

My father brought the cigar to his mouth and inhaled. The end lit up his face under the moonlight and I watched as he considered his next words.

After a few minutes of standing there in silence, I crossed my arms and asked, “So?”

“So, what?”

“So, what’s your decision?”

“You haven’t given me much choice. I’m going to keep my mouth shut and see how it goes. If she truly loves you, I’ll see it. And I’ll respect her for it. But only time will tell.”

It wasn’t much of a concession, but for my father, who was a very proud man, it was all I would get for now. I could live with that.

“Let’s get back inside.”

“Afraid she might whip you if you don’t?”

“Dad,” I warned.

He threw out his cigar. “All right, all right. It was the last joke. I had to get it out of the way.” He clapped my shoulder, and we walked back into the restaurant.

Hailey sat with her back to me, talking to Jager. Will smiled when he saw us walking side by side. He knew if we hadn’t settled our differences, one of us would still be outside.

“Are we ready to take this night to the next level?” asked Jager when he noticed us.

Hailey turned and stared at me, looking for some sign that I was upset. She must have been satisfied because the line between her brows disappeared.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” I teased Jager.

“There’s no moon tonight. It’ll be perfect. Did you bring swimsuits?”

“Of course.”

Hailey looked at the two of us, probably wondering what the heck we were talking about.

“Then let’s go.”

My brothers all stood up to leave, but Hailey pulled me aside. “What’s going on?”

I pulled her close. “I promise you’ll love it.”

She smiled, clearly intrigued by my enthusiasm. “All right. But Christian, how did the talk with your dad go?”

“Great. Nothing to worry about.”

She groaned. I wanted to ease her anxiety.

Cupping her face, I added, “I’m serious, Hailey. I love you and everything is fine.”

I dropped my head and kissed her. Her body relaxed in my arms. When I pulled away, she smiled and asked, “What are you guys up to?”

He waggled his eyebrows. “You’ll see.”

Hailey

I didn’t want to pepper Christian with my questions about his talk with his father or whether he was ready to move to California with me. That would have to wait.

Instead, I stood on a beach in Puerto Rico in my black bikini, the sand beneath my toes, the wind in my hair while a neon blue wave crashed before me.

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