Page 73 of Haven

Are you above bribery?

Brandon

Nope.

Lindy

Perfect. I know just what I want.

* * *

“You gonna tell me where we’re going?” Lindy asks as we pull into the parking lot behind the row of stores in Center City, Philly.

“I actually wanted to ask you something first.” I turn off the truck and take a minute before I face the teenage extortionist.

“What’s up?” She tucks her phone back in her purse and gives me her full attention.

“You know I love your mom...”

Lindy’s violet blue eyes grow wide as she looks over my shoulder, then suddenly back to me. “Holy shit. That’s Tiffany’s. I recognize the building. Ohmygod. You’re gonna propose to my mom.”

Well, I guess she figured that out.

“I’d like to ask her to marry me, but I want to make sure I do it right. Sometimes people ask someone’s father for their blessing because he’s supposed to represent the person that loves them most in the world, giving permission to the new person to love them more. At least, that’s what Maddie told me after Hudson asked me for permission to marry her.”

“Mom doesn’t have a dad.”

“Yeah, shortcake, I know. But your mom has you. And no one in this world will ever mean to her whatyoumean to her. She’ll never love anyone the way she loves you. And I thought it was only appropriate to get your blessing before I ask her to marry me. Because I’m not just asking her, I’m asking you too. I’m asking to be a part of your family. I’ll never be able to replace your dad, and I’ll never try—”

“I never knew my dad, big guy. He died before I was born, and I’ve read about how he died. It’s not like he really loved my mom, so he probably didn’t care about me either. Replace away.” A pretty pink rises on her cheeks before she whispers, “If I could ever choose someone to replace him, I’d choose you.”

“Come here, shortcake.” I wrap my arms around her, and she buries her head against my shoulder. “I’d choose you all day, every day, kid. I love you, Madeline.”

“Love you too, big guy.”

* * *

Once we’ve picked out the perfect ring, I find myself in Lenny and Bash’s living room, surrounded by a mountain of English bulldog puppies. A literal mountain. Lindy is sitting in the center of them while they all climb on top of each other to get her attention. But I’m pretty sure the shy little white one—the runt sitting off to the side, fascinated by the new sparkly infinity necklace Madeline picked out at the jewelers earlier—is the one she’s going home with.

The one her mom might kill me over.

And seconds later, when she picks the tiniest puppy up and it licks her nose, I know I’m screwed.

* * *

We push a cart through the local pet store while Lindy extorts me for every puppy toy imaginable. “Kid, it’s a dog. A little one. Does it seriously need a hundred-dollar bed it’s going to shit on?”

“Don’t be such a grump, Brandon. You don’t want Myrtle sleeping on the cold floor.” She kisses the puppy’s head, and I add the bed to the growing pile.

“When you said bribery, I didn’t know this was what you had in mind,” I grunt.

“When you said we were going to run an errand, I didn’t know we were picking out an engagement ring for Mom. I may have adjusted my bribe to the size of your secret.”

I pat my pocket, just to confirm the small blue box is still there and move into the food aisle. “Did you know Bash’s dog, Butkus, was actually one of the puppies from my old college roommate’s dog, Rocky?”

She crinkles her eyes and runs a hand over Myrtle’s soft fur. “Was Rocky a boy or a girl?”

“A girl. Jamie was drunk when he named her. But he loved that dog.” Me, not so much back then. But I kinda like that one of Rocky’s grandbabies is coming home with us.

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