Dax stepped out of his car. The door of the house opened, and Sophie waved to him. It was impossible not to return her smile. That’s one on my side.
Dale stood just behind her and nodded his welcome. That’s two.
He gave Sophie a kiss to her cheek for a greeting and shook Dale’s hand.
“Everyone is inside. You definitely piqued their curiosity with your call.” Dale gave Dax a fatherly pat on the arm. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I do, sir.”
“Dax, call me Dale.”
Dax nodded and followed Sophie and Dale into their living room where their sons and Emily were gathered. Asher impressed him by crossing the room to shake his hand. That act released some of the tension, and each of the other brothers greeted him in much the same way. Emily gave him a quick hug and a covert thumbs-up that brought a smile to his face.
Dale said, “You asked us all to be here so you could say something. What is it, son?”
Dax hesitated. In all his years in business, he’d spoken before many different groups of people from all walks of life. He’d never let any of them intimidate him, but to speak to this group he had to gather his courage. It wasn’t that he was afraid of what they’d say to him, but rather he didn’t want to disappoint Kenzi by not saying the right things to them. “I’m here to ask your permission to marry Kenzi.”
Sophie gasped and brought a hand to her mouth.
Emily hugged Asher’s arm to her.
Dale clarified with the question, “Mine?”
Dax shook his head and waved a hand in a gesture that meant all of them. “Yours. All of you. I know how important Kenzi is to you and how important you are to her. What you don’t know is how important she is to me. I love her more than I ever thought I could love anyone. I intend to ask her to marry me, and if she says yes, I will spend the rest of my life showing her how grateful I am to have found her. I haven’t lived a perfect life. I can’t go back in time and change what I’ve done. All I can do is tell you that I am a better man because Kenzi is in my life. Before I propose, I want to make sure you’ll all be happy for us. Kenzi would be devastated if you weren’t. So, give me your blessing or tell me what I need to do to make it so you can support this, because I will be joining this family.”
There was a long pause when Dax finished. He expected Dale to be the one to speak, but to his surprise it was Sophie. She looked at each of her sons in turn then said, “Dax is brutally honest, but our family could use a dose of that. If you have a problem with him say it now. Because I, for one, would love to be planning two weddings this year.”
Dale put his arm around Sophie’s waist. “Me, too. It took courage to come here and say what Dax did. If you can’t put aside your issues with him, be brave enough to say it now, and we’ll work through it. I won’t have a repeat of his last visit. That’s not who we are.”
Dax braced himself for what either Ian or Asher would say. He didn’t expect that it would be easy to win them over, but this was something he wanted to do for Kenzi. Something he would do, no matter how difficult they made it at first.
Emily gave Asher a long look, then she let go of his arm and nudged him toward Dax. Asher nodded to Ian.
Ian rubbed his jaw thoughtfully and said, “We have all done things we regret. Asher more than most.”
Asher narrowed his eyes at him. “See what happens when you let a politician speak for you. What he means is that we can put the past behind us if you can.”
Grant added dryly, “Which is as close to an apology as you’ll get from Asher. I’d take it, Dax.”
Lance cocked his head to one side. “Really? See, I’d totally take advantage of the situation. Dax, Emily is right there watching him. What could he do?”
Sophie chimed in, “Boys, be serious. Barringtons marry for life. I don’t want to be breaking up brawls between you in front of my grandchildren. Are we good?”
Asher shook Dax’s hand again. “We’re good, as long as you’re good to Kenzi.”
Dax said, “Understood.”
Ian shook his hand, followed by Lance and Grant. Dale gave him a brief hug, as did Emily. Sophie hugged him longer, but he wasn’t about to complain. There was a time when Sophie’s affection would have made him uncomfortable; now it was comforting. The meeting had worked out better than any scenario he’d imagined.
He thought he was in the clear until Emily asked, “So, have you planned your proposal? Asher asked me in front of everyone at an auction.” Her eyes shone with emotion, and Asher kissed her on the top of her head. “He donated half a town in the name of my museum as a place where all kinds of artists could learn their craft.”
The look Asher shot him was an amused, Beat that.
Shit.
Then an idea came to him, one that built off what Lance had said earlier about taking advantage of the opportunities at hand. He’d never been one to pass one up. He turned his most charming smile on Sophie. “Would you help me plan the perfect proposal? Imagine how happy Kenzi would be if she knew you were part of it somehow.” Dax shot a smug smile at Asher. “All of you.”
Sophie was beaming. “We would love that. You could do it here. And you’re right, if she knew we all helped to plan it, she’d know we accept you. That would mean more to her than anything else.”
Asher narrowed his eyes at Dax, but in a similar fashion to how he’d looked at Ian. Dax took it as a sign that he could indeed become one of them. Until then Dax would have said he had no desire to be part of a family, outside of the one he would build with Kenzi. As he tossed around ideas with Kenzi’s parents and brothers, he couldn’t deny that he wanted to belong there with them. He respected Dale, and Sophie was loving in a way he’d once yearned for his own mother to be. Kenzi’s brothers were—well, he was far from perfect himself.
Chapter Twenty
Kenzi hated leaving Dax behind, but she told herself there was no other option. When her mother had called and told her they were gathering for a game night, something that had been unofficially suspended since Dax had returned, Kenzi hadn’t wanted to say no. She had spent every night with Dax, so although she’d seen her parents, she hadn’t seen some of her brothers in over a month.
Kenzi felt even worse because Dax had asked about hosting a game night together, and she had refused him. Now here I am heading off to one without him.
She didn’t want Dax to feel excluded, but she also remembered the first time she’d taken him home all too well. She loved her family, and she loved Dax. She wasn’t willing to cut either out of her life, nor was she ready to risk losing Dax again.
Dax wants to try again with my family. Doesn’t he deserve the chance to?
Kenzi pulled into her parents’ driveway and sat in her car thinking. This is wrong. Dax wouldn’t do this to me. She took out her phone and called Dax.
“Kenzi?”
“Dax, I feel like an ass. I should have brought you with me tonight. I’m so sorry I didn’t. I—”
“Kenzi, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. You would never leave me home. I can’t do that to you. We’ll come on another night together. We’ll figure this out together, Dax.”
Dax was quiet for a moment, and Kenzi almost burst into tears. “Go see your family, Kenzi. I want you to. I’m working on something I’ve already put off too long. Go. Enjoy tonight. I’ll see you later.”
He didn’t sound upset. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. Kenzi, I know you’ve missed them. I’m happy you’re there tonight.”
Kenzi felt better and worse all at the same time. She would have said she loved him just then, but she held it back because he already knew how she felt. He never pressured her; she vowed to never pressure him. “I won’t be late.”
“I may be.”
“Okay. Bye, Dax.”
After they hung up Kenzi squared her shoulders and headed into her parents’ home. She kissed her father in greeting. When he asked her how she was, she answered hon
estly, “Miserable.”
Dale looked concerned. “What happened?”
Sophie came up beside her husband. “Kenzi? Are you upset?”
Kenzi wiped away a tear. “I told myself I could come here without Dax and enjoy myself. He told me he was okay with it, but now that I’m here I realize that I can’t be. I love him so much. Mom, you would never go anywhere Dad wasn’t welcome, would you?”
Sophie shook her head. “I wouldn’t.”
Kenzi wiped away another tear. “Dad, I know Dax isn’t perfect, but he’s perfect for me.”
Dale looked at Sophie; she shook her head. He put his arm around Kenzi and guided her inside. “It’ll all work out. Have a little faith, Kenzi.”
Sophie flanked her other side as they walked into the house. “Your father is right. You’re already here. Don’t leave. You might be surprised how much you enjoy yourself.”
Kenzi wanted to agree, but she’d vowed not to lie to her parents again. When she walked into the living room and saw her brothers there, laughing and joking, she wanted to smack every one of them.
Emily came over and hugged her. She searched her face then asked, “Are you okay, Kenzi?”
