Page 142 of Craving Danger

“I’m sorry to hear that,” he murmurs.

“They lived a long life,” I mention.

His eyebrows fly up, “How old are you?”

“Thirty-five. My parents had me late in life.” I take the pan off the stove and prepare three plates. Walking to the back door, I tell Milo, “Food’s ready.”

“Coming, boss.”

“Let’s eat here,” Scott says. “If we make a mess in the dining room, my wife won’t let me hear the end of it.”

I let out a chuckle as I place his plate in front of him. “It sounds like Samantha takes after her mother.”

“She does.”

Milo grabs his food and heads to the living room while I take a seat across from Scott.

There’s a nervous tension in my body as I lock eyes with him. “I need to talk to you about something important.”

His features tighten as emotion washes over his face. “I was trying to brace for it.”

“What?”

“You asking me for my daughter’s hand in marriage,” he says.

Nodding, I lift my chin, and after sucking in a deep breath, I murmur, “I love Samantha more than anything. Your daughter is the most amazing person I’ve ever met. She’s vibrant, intelligent, caring, funny, and so stubborn it drives me insane at times. I can’t live without her.”

He nods. “I know the feeling.” The corner of his mouth lifts. “I feel the same way about her mother.”

We stare at each other for a moment, then I say, “Your blessing is very important to me.”

“It’s up to Samantha. She’s the one who has to say yes.”

I nod. “I’d still like your blessing.”

He stares at me again. “Treat my daughter right.”

“Yes, sir.”

“She always bottles up her worries. You have to pry it from her.”

I nod. “I’m aware of that.”

The corners of Scott’s mouth tremble, and it makes me feel emotional. He takes a deep breath, then says, “You have my blessing.”

“Thank you, sir. I promise to protect your daughter. I’ll do everything in my power to make her happy.”

He nods before he cuts a chunk of steak and shoves it into his mouth.

An emotionally loaded silence falls between us as we eat our food.

Samantha

Cradling my baby nephew in my arms, there’s an intense need in my soul to have a child of my own.

It totally catches me off guard, and I can’t tear my eyes away from his wide blue eyes and chubby cheeks.

“You’re so precious,” I whisper to Josh, brushing my palm over his white hair. “You’re going to be blond like your Aunty Sammie.”

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