Page 84 of Enticed
I barked out a laugh, and one side of his mouth turned up. “My money has always been on Rose.”
After a moment, Woody’s expression sobered and he looked at me, a hint of trepidation in his stare. “We good?” he asked.
“We will be,” I answered honestly. It would take a while to heal this divide between us and repair our fractured friendship. I wasn’t sure it would ever fully recover, but as long as he fixed things with Jasmine, I would be content.
I stood and headed to the door. “Are you ready to talk to your daughter?” I asked. He let out a low curse and scrubbed a hand over his face.
“No,” he answered honestly.
I shook my head and reached for the door. “Great. I’ll send her out,” I said with a smirk, then disappeared inside, but not before I heard him cursing my name.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
JASMINE
Icould count on one hand the number of times I’d seen my father cry. When he broke down in tears after apologizing for everything that had happened in the aftermath of finding out about me and Gabe, I quickly devolved into a blubbering mess. We had a long chat after that where he finally listened to all the things I’d been trying to tell him. Now that the shock had worn off and his ire had cooled, he was being a lot more rational.
“I had the completely wrong idea about you and Gabe and made so many terrible assumptions. I only wanted to protect you, but I ended up hurting you instead. And I’m so very sorry.” He enveloped me in his arms and held me tightly in one of his signature bear hugs. He stroked my hair and told me he loved me and that he was proud of me. A heavy weight was lifted from my shoulders, and a sense of peace spread through my chest.
“Would you consider moving back home with me and your mom?” he asked hopefully once we joined Gabe inside.
“That depends. Is Mom still taking your side on this or has she decided to see reason?” I replied, my tone snippy.
Dad snorted a laugh. “Spunk, your mom never took my side. Sure, she was upset and shocked at first, but unlike me, she’dheard everything you said. She was just trying to show a united front. I’ve never seen her more infuriated. She might not speak to me ever again if I don’t bring you home.”
I looked to Gabe, trying to read his expression. Did he want me to stay simply because he liked having me here or would he prefer me to move back home now that I’d reconciled with my dad?
He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me in closer, pressing a kiss to my temple. My dad winced and glanced away, but didn’t say anything. It would take him a while to get used to seeing us together like this.
Dropping his hand to mine, Gabe entwined our fingers together. “I would love nothing more than for you to move in with me permanently. Having you here has been wonderful,” he began.
“But…” I prompted.
“But it’s up to you. I’m not going to pressure you to stay here. Your entire life is back at the ranch. Your horse, your work, your family. I want you to move in when you’re good and ready, not because you were forced to through extenuating circumstances.” That all made sense, and I could see where he was coming from, but part of me wanted him to get all growly and possessive and tell me he couldn’t live without me. I wanted him to demand I never leave.
Damn, I’ve been reading too many billionaire romances with over the top obsessive, possessive male leads.
He searched my eyes, noting my hesitation. A soft smile quirked one side of his lips. “Besides, I never got todateyou. I never had the chance to pick you up in my truck, stand around and make awkward conversation with your parents while I waited for you to come down the stairs in a dress that made me nearly swallow my tongue, then take you to the fanciest restaurant in town.”
My eyes misted with tears, and I choked out a laugh. That was incredibly sweet and oddly specific. “Well, when you put it that way…”
“I don’t want to move too fast or rush you in any way. This needs to be on your terms,” he added.
Damn, he had a point. We truly never dated. We went straight from him trying to resist touching me to pushing his cum inside every orifice in my body. A flush creeped up my chest, and my face heated. I definitely shouldn’t be thinking about that with my father present. I glanced over at him, and though he remained silent, he looked like his head was about to explode. He wouldn’t try to forbid me from staying with Gabe again, but I could tell he didn’t like it.
Yeah, he definitely needed more time to come to terms with this new reality. My entire family likely would. Maybe it would be best if we eased them into it.
“I have an idea,” I said, and my dad groaned. “What if I lived at the ranch during the week and stayed here on the weekends?”
“You’re going to put me in an early grave,” my dad mumbled, and I pinched my lips together to suppress my mirth. He was so dramatic.
“I can live with that,” Gabe replied, a huge grin splitting his face.
“What will you tell Rory?” Dad asked.
“The truth,” Gabe replied. “She adores Jasmine. I think she’ll be thrilled.”
And she was. We broke the news to her the next time she came to visit. She cried and wrapped her arms around me so tight I couldn’t breathe.
