Page 122 of Homebound

“Why not? I want Vi to know what a healthy relationship looks like, and no man should ever stop flirting with his girl, no matter how long they’ve been together.” I kiss her again. I can’t seem to stop. “I’ll always be flirtin’ with you, honey. Even when we’re eighty years old, and I can’t get it up.”

Her eyes flick down to my jeans, and heat flares in her gaze. “I don’t think you’ll ever have a problem with that.”

“Good point,” I agree with a wink, already shifting to stop the blood rushing to my groin. “My jeans are always a little too tight around you.”

She takes a long swig of her margarita, smirking at me over the rim. “How about we go somewhere so you can take off these pants? I’m pretty tired of wearing them.”

“Those Wranglers are wearing you.” I brush my thumb along her bottom lip, swiping off a purple-pink droplet.

Vienna tugs on her dark curls. “Mama! Uh-oh!”

Dakota kisses the tip of her nose, bouncing her in her arms. “Uh-oh is right. Daddy is being very naughty.”

She smushes Vi between us and kisses me—thoroughly—tasting of lime and salt. She shudders against me, muffling an I love you against my mouth that sounds like she’s saying olive juice, but I know what she means. I’m just about to lose myself in the kiss when the door suddenly bursts open, hitting the wall with a loud smack.

Everyone in the bar jerks their heads at the noise, and Micah Cruz struts into The General, spreading his arms wide around the room with an even wider smile on his face.

He’s exchanged his hockey jersey for a button-down and jeans, so he looks nothing like our black-haired center.

“I finally made it to this small-ass town!” he booms. “So the party can finally start.”

Cruz spots me a second later and launches himself across the room—and I mean launches. He flies through the crowd and pulls me into a bone-crushing hug. “Patty-Daddy! I missed you, man. Fuck, it feels good to hug you. It’s not the same without you on the team. And look at you, little Vi! Looks like your daddy finally figured out how to braid hair. ’Bout time!”

We had to break out another bottle of Japanese whiskey when I told Cruz I was transferring to Texas, but he understood because he’s got one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know.

“Cruz!” I slap his back. “What the hell are you doing here? Damn, it’s good to see you. Missed you, brother.”

“Figured I’d surprise you since Tremblay’s still off in Argentina, and you know…” He pats my shoulder, giving a look to the ring on my neck. “Big day and all.”

Dakota’s brows come together. “Why’s it a big day?”

I send Cruz a glare that I hope he translates as shut the fuck up, so he doesn’t ruin my mood ring proposal, and tug Dakota into my side. They’ve met over FaceTime, but never in person, so this is a first.

“Just a big day to celebrate you,” I say, changing the subject. “Cruz, this is my Dakota.”

I expect her to make some snappy retort about calling her mine, but all she does is hold me tighter and kiss my cheek. Cruz appraises her with his brown eyes, and she appraises him right back. After a moment of silence, they seem to come to some agreement, both deeming the other worthy.

He wraps her up in a bear hug, lifting her off the floor with Vi in her arms. “Oh, I’ve heard all about you. You put my boy here through hell.”

“What can I say?” she teases, still snuggling my squirming little girl. It seems like she doesn’t want to let her go, which is doing things to me. “I give as good as I get.”

Cruz sets her back down, and she looks up at me with a softness in her eyes that she only reserves for me. “But we found our way to each other eventually, didn’t we?”

I kiss her temple. “That we did. You just took the scenic route.”

She lifts on her toes to kiss me gently. “I do love taking the backroads. Forces me to slow down.”

Colt eventually pulls Dakota away, whispering something that looks like I’m proud of you in her ear. She hands off Vi to my mom when the song “My Little Girl” by Tim McGraw comes on the speakers, and Colt Cutler drags his daughter out onto the dance floor, leading her in a slow two-step. Damn, and here I thought I was good.

The man’s got moves.

Cruz whistles a breath. “So, you’re really doing this, man? Proposing to her?”

I tug the mood ring around my neck. “Yeah, I’ve been ready since the day I met her, so it’s time. Let’s hope she says yes.”

“She will. She hasn’t stopped looking at you all night. It’s like you’re the only guy in this room. She’s obsessed with you.”

Just then, I meet her gaze across the bar to find her already smiling at me. She cuts her way through the crowded dance floor to get to me.