Page 31 of Hooked on Marshall

“I’m saying that I wouldn’t be upset if that’s what happened,” he continues. “What I do know is that I want Lana to be safe. And if she does decide to stay with me, I want her to be comfortable as well.”

He eyes him hard for a minute. Then he rises.

“Come out back with me, Mr. Jones,” my father says. “Let’s have a private chat.”

I’m surprised when Marshall doesn’t hesitate. But he doesn’t follow after my father until he kisses me again. When they’re on the back deck, I release a long, slow breath.

“Don’t worry about a thing, sweetheart,” my grandfather says. “They both have your best interests at heart. The problem is that your father realizes that it will be safer for you to stay with Marshall…and he doesn’t like it.”

“But Marshall is a good man,” I say quietly. “He’s been good to me even though I tried to keep him at arms length.”

“We all know that,” my mother says. “So, just let your father have his chat with him and everything will be just fine.”

“I hope so,” I sigh.

We sit at the table in silence for what feels like an eternity. Finally, Marshall and my father walk back inside. I stand up and watch them. They’re both smiling. Then my father walks over to me and pulls me in for another hug. I welcome it, but my confusion must be evident on my face because he chuckles when he pulls back.

“Don’t worry, baby,” he says. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

“Okay,” I nod.

“So, Marshall says we interrupted your dinner?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, since he has everything he needs in his Jeep to experiment with some new cocktails, why don’t we order in so he can have a few more opinions on whatever he creates?”

“Really?” I ask.

“Yes,” he nods. “Really.”

With that, he kisses my forehead and then asks my mother to grab our takeout menus. When he walks away,Marshall is right there. And I happily step into his arms. He rubs my back and leans down to whisper in my ear.

“Everything’s fine,” he says. “So, just relax and enjoy the night, okay?”

“Okay,” I nod. “Sounds good.”

Twenty-Three

While we waited for dinner to arrive, Lana’s mother helped her pack her things. Or at least enough for her to stay with me for the week. When dinner arrived, we all tucked in, obviously ready to eat after the stress of the evening. Something that got worse when an unknown number that turned out to be Jonas called Lana’s phone five times and left three messages.

At Lana’s insistence, we ignored him for the rest of the night in favor of my creative abilities at the bar. Something that the ladies took far too well to. Judging by Mr. Rose and Mr. Riggin’s reactions, Mrs. Rose must not get drunk often. But she certainly did so tonight.WithLana. Who is barely conscious as I drive us back to my house. When I get there, I manage to get her to walk to the door. But as soon as I get her inside, she’s no more good. So, I gather her in my arms and kick the door shut.

“Where are you sleeping, gorgeous?” I ask her.

“With you,” she sighs. “I want to sleep with…”

I chuckle as she gives up the ghost. Then I do what’s necessary to tuck her in for the night.

Inmybed.

Once again, I manage to get her out of her clothes and into an oversized t-shirt. As I did Saturday night, I leave her bra and underwear on. But it still doesn’t keep my body from responding. After I have her settled, I bring in the leftover alcohol from my Jeep and make sure the house is locked up. When I’ve washed up for the night, I pause before I crawl into my bed so I can enjoy the sight of Lana there.

Thank God, she’s there, too.

My private conversation with her father was pretty much what I was expecting. His first priority was her safety. And once I convinced him it was mine as well, he started to ease up. Butonly because his father-in-law had gone on about me a bit on Sunday night. Something that I took as a compliment.

With a smile, I turn off my bedside lamp and crawl under the covers. Lana is on her back, so I gently wrap my arm around her waist and pull her close. Then I kiss her cheek and slip off to sleep. Happier than I’ve been in years.

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