“Sometimes looking at someone and seeing trust in their eyes changes everything. You looked at me and saw someone completely different than anyone else saw. I want to be that man. For you. The man you see. The man you care about. That you want.”
“Levi, you are. You always were.”
“No,” he said, the denial rough on his lips. “No, I wasn’t. Because I was too consumed with other things. You are right. To take hold of something as valuable as love there are other things that need to be set down. Because love is too precious to handle without care. It’s far too precious to carry in the same arms as hate, as anger. I couldn’t hate Alicia with the passion that I did and also give you the love you deserve. It would have been like locking you in a prison cell with me, and you don’t deserve that, Faith. You deserve so much more. You deserve everything.” He took a deep breath. “I love you. I gave Alicia money. And it took the past couple of days to get that squared away. But I also drafted some legal documents. And she is not going to ever approach us. She’s not speaking about me in the media. Nothing. If she does, she’s going to have to return what I gave her.”
“Why?” Faith asked. “Why did you...give her money?”
“To make sure she stayed out of our lives. I don’t ever want her touching you.”
“You didn’t have to do that, Levi...”
“I would do anything to protect you,” he said. “And I don’t trust her. I needed to at least hold some kind of card to keep her away from us. And I knew that if she was just out there, desperate and grasping, she could become a problem later.”
“But to give money to a woman you hate...”
He shook his head. “You know, suddenly it didn’t matter as much. Not when there is a woman I love. A woman I would die for. Laying all my anger down was a small thing when I realized I’d lay my life down for you just as easily.”
“Levi...”
“That feeling,thisfeeling,” he said, taking a step toward her and grabbing her hand, placing her palm flat on his chest. “It is so much bigger than hate. That’s what I want. I don’t want to be my father’s son. I don’t want to be my ex-wife’s victim. I want to be your husband.”
“Yes,” Faith said, her heart soaring. Her arms went around his neck and she kissed him. Kissed him like she wasn’t in her parents’ living room. Like he wasn’t absurd, and they weren’t a ridiculous couple.
She kissed him like he was everything.
Because he was.
“What about your plan? I didn’t think you were going to get married until you were at least thirty-five? And to be clear, Faith, I would wait for you. I would. I will. Whatever you need.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to wait. I don’t see why I can’t have all my dreams. I’m an overachiever, after all.”
“Yes, you are.” He laughed and picked her up off the floor. “Yes, you are.”
She heard a throat clear, and she turned, seeing her dad standing in the doorway. “I expected that the man who would ask my daughter to marry him would ask for my permission first.”
Levi squared his shoulders, moved forward and extended his hand. “I’m Levi Tucker,” he said. “I would like to marry your daughter. But, no disrespect, sir, she’s already said yes. And strictly speaking, hers is the answer I need.”
Her father smiled slowly, and shook Levi’s hand. “That is correct. And I think...you just might be the one who can handle her.”
“Handle me?” Faith said, “I’m notthathard to handle.”
“Not hard to handle,” her dad said. “You are precious cargo. And I think he knows that.”
“I do,” Levi said. “She’s the most important thing in my life.”
“I’m not that important,” she said.
“No, you only saved me. That’s all.”
“That’s all,” Faith said, smiling up at him.
“It’s good he proposed,” her father said. “Now I probably won’t have to stop my sons from killing you. Probably.”
Her dad turned and walked back into the dining room, leaving Levi and Faith alone together.
“How badly do I really have to worry about your brothers?”
She waved a hand. “You’re probably fine.”
