Page 47 of Worthy Now
Tessa laughs and delivers a stinging swat to my backside. “Go get ’em, Tiger.” I go to rush past her but skid to a halt, before turning back one last time. My eyes bore into hers and it’s then I decide I’ll always have a few minutes to kiss my woman goodbye. I pour every single emotion bouncing around in my chest into her waiting mouth. Relief. Excitement. Hunger. I offer her my heart on a platter before I pull back with a wide grin. Giving her one last lingering look of appreciation, I turn on my heel and bound down the stairs, safe in the knowledge that my future will still be here when I get back.
Thirty
Jake
My heart threatens to pound out of my chest as I wipe my sweaty palms down the front of my jeans. I can only think of one other time I ever felt this nervous. Ironically, I’d stood in this very spot then, too.
This damn porch will most likely haunt me for the rest of my days. As soon as my meeting came to a close, I’d given Tessa a call to let her know I got the contracts, and even though I wanted nothing more than to go home and celebrate the good news with my woman, I fed her some bogus excuse about being too tired to make the drive home.
I’m not. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been more awake. More elated. More clear-headed. The gut-wrenching pain I experienced when I thought Tessa was once again about to slip through myfingers, combined with the utter relief flooding my system once I realized she’s mine to keep, made one thing abundantly clear. I don’t want to live another second without her. I know we’ve only just started seeing each other again and haven’t been together long. But deep down, I’ve known she’s the one since the moment we met, and I’m done wasting time.
So, while my woman believes I’m currently sleeping off the adrenaline drop in some cheap motel room, I enlisted the help of a trusted few and set a plan into motion. One that starts with me swallowing my pride and facing the one and only person still alive today who genuinely intimidates me—Her father.
Her mom is currently with her daughter, keeping her distracted while also making herself scarce to give her husband and me a chance to talk. Unfortunately, knowing Mr. Davidson is home alone does little to calm my nerves. If anything, it only adds to my anxiety. I’m aware the man holds no love for me and there’s a good possibility he’ll tell me to take a long hike. But I came here with one goal in mind and nothing and no one is going to stop me from seeing it through.
Taking a steadying breath, I force my hand to move and ring the doorbell. Several heavy footsteps and a clicking sound later, he’s there, looking at me with an expression that gives nothing away. I muster up a weak smile.
“Jake.”
“How are you doing, sir? I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time.”
Mr. Davidson steps aside to grant me access, and I wait for him to shut the door before I follow him to the living room. I sit in the recliner opposite the one he tends to spend most of his time in and meet his scrutinizing gaze.
“I’ll just cut right to the chase, if that’s alright with you?”
“That’s fine with me, son.”
“As you know, your daughter and I recently reconciled, and I couldn’t be happier,” I begin, licking my dry lips to get the rest of my speech out. “Being without her all these years showed me what it’s like to live half a life. To go through the motions day in and day out, knowing the other half of your heart is out there, but being unable to fit the pieces back together. I love your daughter with everything that I am, and I know without a doubt that will never change. Teresa is it for me, sir. So, I’m here to ask you for her hand in marriage, and I really hope you can find it within yourself to give us your blessing.” I blow out a shaky breath and swallow my nerves as I hold Mr. Davidson’s hard eyes.
If I’m going to be his son-in-law, I need his respect, and that means I can’t cower and act like I’m not worthy of it. After several nerve-wracking moments of tense silence, the older man emits alow grunt. He rises to his feet with a nod and pours himself a whiskey, taking a generous sip before he fills a second glass for me. I gladly accept his offering and force myself not to suck the amber liquid back in one go. My fingers shake around the tumbler as I tentatively bring it to my parched lips and wait for the older man to give me a piece of his mind.
“You know I haven’t always been your biggest fan,” he finally speaks, sinking back into his well-used chair. “For the longest time, I thought you were a bad influence. A troublemaker. It’s my wife who has a soft spot for you. God knows why…says we must look past our preconceived notions…give grace…or some bullshit. She’s got a big heart, my wife—much like my daughter—and they both only see the good in people.” He takes a drink from his tumbler and eyes me over the rim of his glass. I don’t look away, willing myself not to fidget and hear the man out, no matter how hard the truth might be to hear. “Look, I know your childhood was hard, and I tried to remember that every time she came home and cried herself to sleep. She worried about you all the goddamn time, and it bothered me. She was so young.Tooyoung to carry that kind of weight on her shoulders.”
I bite the inside of my cheek until I taste blood while I listen to Mr. Davidson give his account of our shared past. I don’t feel the need to defend myself. I know he’s right. I’ve caused his daughter alot of unnecessary worry and pain, and I know Tessa was too good for the person I used to be. The thing is, I’m not that guy anymore.
“But then she left for school, and we barely saw her,” he goes on, staring at the contents of his glass like it’s a window to the past. “But on the rare occasions she did come home, it was clear something was missing. That spark she had when she was with you? The way her eyes lit up whenever you entered a room?” he says and a flicker of hope lights up my chest. “Gone; a shadow. No sign of the lively, passionate girl she used to be. And then she came home, after her mom got sick and told me you two had reconnected. I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. I was worried you weren’t good enough for her. That you’d already hurt her too much. But even with her mom’s news, that light in her returned for the first time in years, and I saw that beautiful, infectious smile again. The one that makes you part of the happiness radiating off of her. You’re the only person who’s ever been able to bring that out in her,” he reluctantly admits, but I swear his eyes hold a little more warmth than they did when we first started this conversation. “You were the reason my baby girl lost her spark. But you’re also the one who brought it back. And for that reason alone, you have my blessing.”
I release an audible breath and slump back in my chair, but snap back to attention when I realize Mr. Davidson isn’t done yet.
“I love my daughter more than life itself. There’s nothing a father wants more than to see his child thrive. You make her happy. And as long as that doesn’t change, you have my respect. But if you ever hurt her again,” he growls, letting me know how serious he is by the way he leans in. “If you ever break her heart again and end up driving her away from her home and family, I will dust off that rusty old shotgun I keep up in the attic and give your ass a few extra holes. Are we clear?”
There’s a faint smile playing on his features, but I don’t let it fool me. He’ll keep his promise if I ever step out of line again.
“Crystal. I promise to treat your daughter like the queen she is from here on out. And if I ever do anything to hurt her, I’ll gladly bend over to give you an easy target.”
Mr. Davidson barks out a boisterous laugh and slaps his thigh, almost spilling his drink.
“That’s settled then,” he drawls, leaning back and getting comfortable now that the awkward part’s out of the way. We finish our drinks, and he offers me a much-needed refill before we exchange a few more pleasantries. I inquire about his wife’s health and ask how he’s been holding up. He returns the favor by asking about my company as well as my siblings. Jude and Anna are a safe topic I could talk about for hours and by the time we say goodbye, it feels like we’ve taken a huge step in the right direction.
“Well,” I say, extending a hand to the older man and feeling about a thousand pounds lighter. “I’d love to stay and chat a bit longer, but I have a proposal to prepare.”
Mr. Davidson escorts me to the front door and gives me a firm slap on the back.
“Keep my baby girl smiling, son.”
“I will,” I promise him, before I slide into my truck, beyond eager to start the rest of my life.
Thirty-One
