Page 36 of Heart of a Hero

Dad cleared his throat, breaking me out of my reverie. “So, this Nora girl… she’s important to you?”

I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of my mouth. “Yeah, she is. I can’t explain it, but there’s just something about her. It’s like she sees me for who I really am, not just the son of a Dixie Reaper, a firefighter, or the VP of the Swift Angels.”

Dad nodded, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes. “Hold onto that, son. Don’t let anything come between you two. Trust me, I know from experience how precious that kind of love is.”

I knew he was thinking of Mom, of the love they had shared despite all the obstacles they had faced. It gave me hope that maybe Nora and I could build something just as strong. Although, his earlier comment had me wondering what regrets he had that made him think he’d been a bad father and husband. Everyone knew my mom was crazy about him.

“Come on. Let’s grab a beer in the kitchen while we wait on the girls to come back from spending all our money.”

I stood and followed him, only to make him stop dead in his tracks. “I think you meanyourmoney. Nora wouldn’t take anything from me, and Mom shooed me away like a pesky fly.”

“Son of a bitch,” Dad muttered. “That woman… She’s going to force me to lock her damn card again.”

I bit my lip to hold back laughter. It wasn’t the first time he’d had to rein Mom in. Sometimes, she went on spending sprees, and other times she didn’t buy anything other than necessities. I wondered if Nora would be the same way.

Dad reached out and placed a heavy hand on my shoulder, his grip firm but reassuring. “That girl, Nora? She’s a keeper. I can see it in the way she looks at you, the way she stands by your side.”

“I’d worried you wouldn’t approve of us being together,” I admitted. “I figured Mom would be the easiest to bring over to our side. If nothing else, Taylor would get her to warm up to the idea. You know how much she loves the grandkids. Now she’ll have two more. At least, if I can talk Nora into being more than my girlfriend.”

Dad shook his head, a wry smile on his lips. “I may be a stubborn old bastard, but I’m not blind. I see the way you two look at each other, the way you light up when she’s around.”

“I love her, Dad. More than anything in this world. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

Dad’s grip tightened. “Then don’t let her go, Dawson. Fight for her, protect her, and cherish every moment you have together. Because in this life, you never know when it might all be taken away. Just don’t let Wire or Lavender hear that you want to keep her forever. You know what will happen.”

I gave a bark of laughter. “Yeah, we’ll be congratulated on our marriage, and Nora will be confused as fuck.”

Dad nodded. “Exactly. They mean well, but sometimes I think they go too far. If you’re trying to walk a different path in life, then you do this the right way. You ask her to marry you, give her a ring, and have a real wedding.”

“That was my plan,” I said.

Dad looked at me with a glimmer of pride in his eyes. “You’re a good man, Dawson. Don’t ever forget that.”

As Dad and I were finishing up our beers, the front door burst open, a whirlwind of laughter and chatter filling the house. I couldn’t help but smile as Mom, Nora, and Taylor tumbled in, their arms laden with shopping bags. The scent of crisp winter air clung to their clothes, mingling with the warm, homey smell of the house.

“Mr. Dawson! Mr. Dawson!” Taylor’s excited voice rang out as she spotted me. She dropped her small bag and raced toward me, her blonde curls bouncing with each step. I scooped her up, spinning her around as she giggled uncontrollably.

“Hey there, princess! Did you have fun shopping with Grandma and Mommy?” I asked, setting her back down.

My mother eyed me at the wordGrandma, and I noticed Nora staring at me with wide eyes, then giving my mother a horrified look, probably thinking she’d be offended. I just winked at Nora and focused on Taylor again.

Her blue eyes sparkled with excitement as she nodded vigorously. “Oh yes! We went to so many stores, and Grandma bought me the prettiest doll!”

Well, Taylor sure adapted fast. I could only hope her mother would too. If nothing else, we could team up and wear her down.

Taylor tugged at my hand, pulling me toward the pile of bags. “Come see, come see!”

I laughed, allowing myself to be led by the enthusiastic five-year-old. From the corner of my eye, I caught Nora’s amused smile as she watched us. She looked radiant, her cheeks flushed from the cold, her brown eyes dancing with happiness. It warmed my heart to see her so relaxed and carefree.

Taylor rummaged through one of the bags, her little tongue poking out in concentration. Finally, with a triumphant “Aha!”, she pulled out a beautiful doll in a frilly blue dress. The doll had long, dark hair and pretty green eyes.

“Isn’t she beautiful?” Taylor asked, holding the doll up for my inspection. “Grandma said she looks just like me!”

I knelt down to get a better look, pretending to study the doll intently. Clearly, both my mother and Taylor missed the entire part of them having different hair and eye color, but if it made her happy…

“She sure is pretty, but I think you’re even prettier,” I said, tapping her nose gently.

Taylor giggled, hugging the doll close to her chest. Her eyes widened with excitement. “Oh! And guess what else? I got to sit on Santa’s lap at the store!”

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