Page 95 of A Taste of Whiskey
He reached for her hand. “If this last month has proven anything to me, it’s that we’re meant to be together. You’re my forever, baby. You’re the only woman I have ever truly loved, and I would give anything to wake up next to you every morning and hold you in my arms every night.”
Sasha’s eyes teared up.
“Damn,” Cowboy said. “I want to be pissed about you lying to us, but you have my blessing, dude.”
“Let’s slow down here,” Tiny said.
“Dad, give him your blessing!” Sasha snapped.
“Every father wants his daughter to be with someone who will burn the world down for her, darlin’,” Tiny said. “If I didn’t believe that was Ezra, I would’ve stopped you two from sneaking around a month ago.”
Shocked, Ezra said, “You knew about us?”
Tiny scoffed. “Son, a fly can’t take a piss on this ranch without me knowing about it.”
“Well, you could have cluedmein,” Wynnie said. “I sent them to that dinner to nudge them along without you knowing what I was really doing.”
“What?” Sasha said incredulously. “You mean we’ve been sneaking around all this time and we didn’t have to?”
“I’ve always known you and Ezra had a thing for each other,” Wynnie said. “But when you started skipping mealtimes, and I saw you that day on the boulder, you looked as devastated as you did the morning after you and Bobbie snuck out to that damn party when you were kids.”
Sasha’s jaw dropped.
Cowboy eyed Ezra. “You were lucky I didn’t pound the shit out of you that night.”
“You were there?” Ezra asked.
“Of course my boys were there. Do you think I didn’t notice my little girl wanting to grow up? But that night, while she was out wagging her tail, she showed me she could make good decisions and respect herself,” Tiny said. “My boys were there in case she wasn’t respected back.”
Sasha shook her head. “I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone.”
“I couldn’t’ve tried any harder than I did at the wedding to get you fools to come clean,” Doc said. “But Ezra was determined to get his ducks in a row first.”
Ezra looked at Tiny. “Why didn’tyoucall us out?”
“Because that wasn’t my call to make,” Tiny said. “You’re adults. You needed to decide once and for all how much you were worth to each other. As much as I hate the way you two snuck around, I respect you for trying to protect Gus and Sasha, and yourself, and figure things out first. I couldn’t ask for a better man for my daughter. You have my blessing, son, but I’m not keen on this behind-my-back shit.”
“I’m sorry, Tiny. It weighed heavily on both of us every day. We’re done with that, but what about the rule?”
“Can we nix that fucking rule, please?” Doc asked. “It’s a constant reminder of a really hard time.”
Tiny glanced at Wynnie, and she nodded with a small smile. “Consider it nixed,” Tiny said.
“So, am I hustling up to the house to get a bottle of champagne or what?” Wynnie asked.
“I don’t know.” Sasha looked tentatively at Ezra. “Is she? Or were we being hasty?”
Ezra pulled her into his arms. “Oh no, Bo Peep, you’re not getting away that easy.”
Laughter rang out, and Tiny said, “Bring out the champagne!”
Ezra brushed his lips over Sasha’s. “Now you’re really stuck with me.”
“That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
EZRA FINISHED TAKING down the tent in the backyard where he, Gus, and Sasha had spent the last two nights and put it away in the shed. His little boy had loved camping out so much, he was already making plans for their next night in the tent. The last six weeks had been bittersweet as they’d tiptoed through transitions, finding their way to a new normal. Ezra had filed an emergency motion to restrict parenting time from Tina, and two weeks later he was issued a permanent protection order. Tina hadn’t fought him on it, and as much as it still worried him for Gus, he knew it was best. His son hadn’t been unscathed by what had gone down with his mother. Gus had been clingier and had climbed into bed with Ezra many times during the first few weeks after that dreaded night. He’d stuck close to Ezra and Sasha at Festival on the Green and around the ranch, but he’d been more like his confident little self lately. He’d learned to ride a bike last weekend and had even tried to push the envelope, asking if he could ride over to Cowboy and Sully’s cabin by himself. Ezra wasn’t quite ready for him to do that, but he was thankful Gus was coming into his own again.
