Page 39 of Claiming What Is Mine

Me: K. Call if you need anything. Love you.

Shit. I just texted love you. Was that okay? Those words haven’t made it into normal conversation, yet.

Doll: I love you too Gabriel.

Phew. Thank God that didn’t blow up on me.

Okay. This may not be perfect timing, but I know her parents know—and—I know she won’t be home. And, I don’t know when I’ll get another chance to ask her dad for his blessing. This may be my only shot, if I want to do things right.

* * *

Chet’s wordsbounce in my head as I tap the brakes before turning into the Still place. Maybe it’s because I figure there’s a fifty percent chance her dad and brothers will castrate me like a bull, so as to prevent something like this from ever happening again. Or, maybe it’s because I haven’t so much as hinted about the topic to Meredith. Either way, I know Chet’s got to be wrong, because this feelsright.

I turn onto their property and keep my foot off the gas, content to let the engine set the speed up the drive. No turning back now.

I stop in front of the house, relieved not to find Jim and James standing outside waiting on me like the last time. Shit. Now what? Do I just ring the doorbell like some schmuck selling vacuums? I put the truck in park and kill the engine, but before ever opening the door to get out, the screen door snaps back after reaching the end of its tether. I look towards the house in time to see Jim, red-faced, angry, and staring right at me.

“You’ve got some nerve showing your face around here. Today of all days. You slimy, worthless piece of shit.” Jim stops the screen door with his boot as he stands, blocking the doorway. “She’s not home, so why don’t you go…while you’re able.”

I open the door and slide out of the truck with both hands in the air. “Easy now. Hang on a second. I come in peace.” I make my way around the front of the vehicle. “Honestly, sir I was hoping to talk to you.”

Sir? No one will ever appreciate how much maturity that took.

Meredith’s mother, Janet, stands behind her husband. “Jim,” she says as she places her hand on his shoulder. “Let’s hear what the man has to say.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” I nod as I take the ballcap off my head and make a feeble attempt at fixing my hair.

“Alright,” Jim says begrudgingly. “I’m listening.” Only, his body language says otherwise.

I stand on the porch, literally with my hat in hand, confessing everything to Meredith’s parents. Well, okay, the PG version of everything. I openly admit to the ignorance and hubris I demonstrated as a teenager. I ramble on and on about how the thought of their daughter haunted me over the years. How I knew she was the one and how I had lost her, through no one’s fault but my own. And then I promise, again and again, that I will spend the rest of my life doing whatever I can to make her happy. Thank God Janet is there to offer an occasional sympathetic ahh or smile, because the only things coming from Jim are grunts of acknowledgement and a cold, hard stare.

When I finally ask for his blessing, if I had to bet on my odds, I would put them at about three percent based on his body language and general demeanor.

Without saying a word, Jim steps forward and wraps his arms around me, pulling me into the most uncomfortable bear hug I’ve ever been trapped in. It probably lasts for five minutes. Oh my God above, please help me. He finally releases me and steps back, his face red, and his eyes puffy. “Maybe, just maybe you will prove yourself worthy of my daughter after all,” Jim says in the gruffest voice he can muster. “The jury’s still out on that, son. But if Meredith sees fit to say yes, well, you have my blessing.”

Janet steps onto the porch and pulls both of us in for a hug. “Oh my, I’m so happy. When are you going to do it? And how?”

Shit.

“Well ma’am, to be honest, I wasn’t sure how this conversation was going to go, so I haven’t put a lot of planning into what happens next. Not yet, that is.”

“Well, I’m sure it will be special,” Janet declares. “Just don’t make us wait too long, now.”

“Yes ma’am.” I turn to leave.

The drive back to the ranch is a blur as my mind sifts through what just happened and what needs to happen next. On the one hand, things went better than I anticipated, which is good. On the other hand, Jim hugged me. What the hell? I shudder thinking back on how uncomfortable the situation was.

I’m overjoyed to have his blessing. To this point, that had been the mountain standing between me and my future, but now? Meredith deserves something memorable. How the hell am I going to pop the question?

---