Page 16 of Protecting His Girl

Chase looks at me, his eyebrows knitted together. "What do you mean?"

"Turns out that Shawn is the son of Penny's former manager at Sunnyside Pizza, Deandra.” I lean back in the booth, my gaze wandering to Grace before I continue. “Penny fired Deandra when she bought the restaurant. And I guess Deandra hasn't been able to find work since."

Wes frowns. “But what does Grace have to do with it?"

I shrug. “I guess Shawn didn't want Grace bringing any more publicity to the restaurant."

Molly snorts, rolling her eyes. "That's stupid. The Walkers were famous way before Penny opened her restaurant."

At that moment, Grace comes back over to the group. Her eyes meet mine, and my heart skips a beat. I stand to greet her and pull her down onto my lap.

“Even still," I say, my voice laced with pride. "I think my girl's blog still has a bit of sway on social media."

Grace giggles, her laughter music to my ears. It’s a sound that warms my heart, a sign that she’s okay. But then, a booming voice behind me shatters the moment.

"Duke, what the heck is going on?"

I turn to see Rich Hunt standing behind me with a look that could freeze hell itself.

Shoot.

My heart pounds in my chest as I try to think of what to say, how to explain myself without making things worse.

Rich's jaw tenses, and I can practically feel the anger radiating off him as he takes a step closer. But I stand my ground. Grace is mine now, and I won't let anyone take her away from me. No matter what.

Grace's lips part to respond, but I cut her off. "I'll handle this, baby."

"Grace is mine now," I tell Rich calmly, meeting his glare head-on.

"Yours?" He raises an eyebrow so high it disappears into his hairline.

“Mine,” I repeat.

As much as he might not want to accept it, I know deep down he understands what I mean.

"Listen, Rich," I continue, my heart hammering in my chest. "I realize that this is uncomfortable for you to hear. But in the short time I've gotten to know Grace, I've fallen in love with her. She's mine, and I'm not giving her up."

My gaze flickers over to Grace, who's watching me intently, and I see a spark of hope in her eyes.

“This thing between us—it's happening, whether you approve of it or not," I continue. "But I'm hoping that you'll see we're right for each other and give us your blessing."

Rich's expression shifts, turmoil clouding his eyes as he weighs my words. The silence stretches on, agonizingly long, and all I can do is hold my breath and wait for his response.

Finally, Rich's face softens ever so slightly. He turns to Grace, the concern for his daughter evident in his eyes.

"Are you okay with this? Tell me he didn't manipulate you."

My chest swells with pride as Grace meets her father's gaze without hesitation. “No, dad. He didn't manipulate me. I want to be with Duke.”

Despite the fear in her beautiful blue eyes, there's also something else – determination. It's clear Grace isn’t going to back down, either. I can't help but love her even more for that. She's strong, sassy, and everything I've ever wanted.

Rich stares at both of us for another long moment, his eyes squinting as if assessing our sincerity. Finally, with a grumble, he concedes, "Fine. But I'm not paying you for this weekend, Duke."

I can't help but grin, relief washing over me. "I wouldn't expect any less, sir."

Rich turns back to regard Grace, his tone switching to a more paternal one. "So, I'm assuming you don't want to have dinner this evening before you leave?"

Grace blushes deeply, glancing at me as she fumbles with her words. "Well, we...we had plans, but we can certainly..."

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