Page 112 of Chasing Forever
Jesus, that sounds good.
Lottie picks up my hand and puts it around her shoulder. “But he can touch me?”
“No one is touching anyone,” Brad says, pointing his fork at me.
Maybe Holden was right about Brad not being as easygoing as he seems.
The rest of dinner is relaxed. They talk about nothing major but all have major reactions. All the siblings bicker as I expected, and Darla makes inappropriate jokes while Brad eats mostly and only mumbles something here and there. I love every second of it.
It beats the dinner tables I grew up with that were nearly silent unless my dad was holding court. Mostly my mom, brother, and I kept our mouths shut because we were never sure what might set my dad off.
When we’re finished eating and have cleared the table, I figure this is the time for me to pull Brad aside while Lottie is distracted by coloring with Wren. This wasn’t my plan tonight, but after my talk with Lottie, I feel as if I need to do this sooner than later.
“Brad, can we chat on the porch?” I ask, my hand shaking.
“Sure. Want a beer?” he asks.
“Love one.”
Once we have our beers in hand, we step out onto their big porch that overlooks the lake on Plain Daisy Ranch. Ben, Emmett, and Jude all have their houses on the other side of the lake. This side is dedicated to the Owens and Ellis families, but right now, all the girls live in one house and all the guys in another.
“Sit.” Brad points toward a chair.
The night has a chill in the air, but it’s growing warmer every day. The sun has almost set, the sky just still barely lit up.
“Should I pretend this isn’t the talk?” Brad asks when I’m quiet for too long.
“Lottie and I talked on the way over,” I say. “She seems to want the same thing as I do.”
He nods, sipping his beer. “That doesn’t surprise me.”
“Mr. Owens, I know a long time ago, my brother came to you and asked for Lottie’s hand, and I’m sure you don’t love that here’s another Watson doing the same. It takes a lot of trust on your part, but?—”
“Your brother never asked me.”
“What?” I frown. There’s no way. How could he not have talked to Lottie’s dad before he proposed, especially with how young she was?
Brad shakes his head. “Just knocked her up, and when she lost the baby, the bastard abandoned her.”
“Jesus.” I push my hand through my hair, chest tight.
He sits on the edge of his seat. “Listen, I’m not really a hard ass. I definitely don’t want to be one of those fathers-in-law who cleans his gun any time you’re around. I’m not going to tell you that if you hurt her, I’ll break you. Hell, your brother got off scot-free.”
“I—”
“I don’t like being interrupted though.”
“Sorry,” I mumble, and he eyes me before chuckling.
“I’ve been a fan of you for a long time, son. A lot of years went by where I just wanted to lock the two of you in a room together. I meant what I said at the airport, you’re already family, so there’s no welcoming you because you’re already a part of us. Have been for a long time. I would never hold what your brother did over your head. I trust you with my daughter, and I hope I never regret that one day. I’m fairly sure I never will though. So go ahead and ask the question so I can say yes, and we can enjoy our beers.”
“Sir.”
“Not sir, and not Mr. Owens, just Brad.”
“Brad, may I have Lottie’s hand in marriage? I love her and?—”
“Yes, you can. You don’t have to give me all your reasons. I know why you love her, and I’ve seen how much you care for her written all over your face for years. So, go ahead and take her off my hands. Please.” He chuckles and tips back his beer.
