Page 78 of Wild Promises

The prospect of that outcome hurt far more than losing my father's practice. I could always find another job, but I was in love with my best friend.

22

XANDER

Iwasn't sure what to do about the situation with Tori. Did I tell her how I felt? And if so, how? The deadline for the marriage pact on our thirtieth birthdays was quickly approaching. Getting engaged would help our situations with our families.

I'd choose a house this week and put an offer on it. I'd get Tori to help me decorate it. Then I'd take the next step. Either tell her how I felt or make some sort of grand gesture to show her.

The more I thought about it, the more I suspected I should propose. It would show my brothers that I was mature and responsible, and it would show Tori how I felt about her.

She'd know exactly where I stood. And if she said no, what did that mean for our friendship? I didn't want to lose it, but I didn't see any way around being honest with her about my feelings.

She deserved to know that things had changed for me. That it hadn't felt fake in a long time. The only thing that was surreal was the speed at which we'd moved from friends to lovers. But the fake relationship had spurred it along. Now it was all us. There was no reason for the facade anymore. We were real.

I just hoped she felt the same way and wanted the same things I did. Things were great with my brothers. They seemed to be expecting more from me, and they weren't surprised to see me in my office or working late at night anymore. It was only a matter of time before they offered me a permanent position in the business. Then I'd take my rightful place next to my brothers.

The situation with Tori was uncertain. She wasn't comfortable saying anything to her father, and I was worried she'd lose everything. Her father seemed content to sell the practice to one of the interested buyers, and Tori was convinced that neither of the ones she'd met so far would either keep her on, or be a good fit for her.

My dream job was here. I didn't want to leave Telluride, not when I finally proved to my brothers I was serious about living and working here. Would long-distance work? The stress was keeping me up at night and prompting me to work longer and harder. If I was exhausted, maybe I could sleep at night.

I wanted the physical connection with Tori and thought I could lose myself in her.

I needed to figure things out soon. Thanksgiving was coming up, and it would be the perfect time to declare to Tori, an my family how I felt about her. Even Killian was scheduled to be home.

The only hiccup was Tori's dad. He should know how serious Tori was about working in the practice. She wouldn't want me to interfere, but I didn't agree with her hands-off approach.

When I spoke with her father about our relationship, he'd said I could talk to him at any time. Maybe I should say something. Satisfied that I was doing the right thing, I called her father and asked if I could stop by on the way home.

He was quick to acquiesce, so I packed up my stuff, and headed to Tori's childhood home. I didn't want to mess up our friendship but I couldn't ignore my feelings anymore.

I turned off the truck and headed up the sidewalk to knock on the door. It felt weird being here without Tori, but I had to do this. She deserved the practice. She was an amazing doctor and person. Telluride needed her to stay in town. I'd convince her father of that.

When he answered the door, he gestured for me to step inside. "Xander. You wanted to talk to me."

"Can we go into your office?" I wanted privacy for this conversation.

"Of course." He led the way down the hall and into an office. He gestured for me to sit across from him. "What's going on?"

"When I told you I was dating your daughter, I promised to always be honest with you."

He nodded. "I appreciate that."

"I have to be honest with you now. I'm in love with your daughter, and I want to ask her to marry me."

Dr. Clark considered me for a few seconds. "Are you asking for my blessing?"

He wasn't giving me any indication that he'd offer one. "I'm not. I wanted to let you know where my head is at. I hope you and Tori's mom approve of our relationship, but we're adults. We don't need a blessing."

Dr. Clark inclined his head. "I can respect that."

"We're looking to buy a house with a bit of property, maybe get a dog. We're settling down in Telluride. I love my job at my family's resort, and Tori loves her job at your practice."

He frowned. "What are you getting at?"

"Tori wants to run your practice, and I think she'd be great at it."

He frowned. "She said she understood that I wanted to sell it for my retirement."

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