I hold up my left hand and show Mama the ring on my finger.
She’s momentarily stumped. I wait, and wait, and wait.
Nothing.
I’ve reduced my mother to utter silence.
“That’s right,” Logan finally offers. “We’re engaged.”
Riley, Ben, and Free all start laughing and shouting, and then Mama lets out the loudest scream I’ve ever heard in my life, followed by a two-armed hug around Logan and me.
“Engaged?!” She turns to Logan. “You’re a miracle worker! Macey swore she’d never marry! Again,” she adds with a glance at me.
I glare at her. “Can we just be happy for me and let it go?”
Mama pretends to zip her lips. Then, she continues to talk. “Oh, what wonderful news! Isn’t it, honey?”
Daddy comes over to give me a kiss and shake Logan’s hand.
“Happy for you both.” He nods at Logan. “You’re the only man I’ve ever thought was good enough for my baby. I’m glad she agreed with me on this one.”
Oh, Daddy, you have no idea how good a man he is, and what he did for you and our family.
I take my father’s arm. “Come with me for a minute.”
Logan gives me a warning look, but I whisper to him, “He won’t say anything.”
I bring my father into the garage. “Daddy, I have something to tell you. Nobody can know. I need your word.”
My father’s eyes get big as he puts his hand on the safe that holds his gun. “You have it, darlin’. Tell me what’s going on.”
By the time I’ve finished explaining the truth about Logan and Gigi, Daddy’s slumped in a lawn chair with his chin in one hand as he stares up at me.
Over two minutes of silence pass between us.
“Gigi’s mother reminded me how we’d met,” he says finally. “At Brick’s. I nearly bolted straight out the front door. But she told me that was her husband walking through it in that moment, and I just wanted to disappear. Married? I didn’t know she was married. I swear to you, I didn’t know.”
“But you cheated on your own wife all the time,” I say, surprised how angry my words sound. “Don’t you get it, Daddy? Your actions have repercussions for more than just whatever the hell you feel like doing in that moment!”
Daddy bows his head under the chastisement. “I know. I’ve been a slow learner. I swear, Macey, I’m changing. I know you shouldn’t believe me after all these years of letting you down, but I’m going to make you proud someday. And I’m going to do right by your mother, finally.”
I kneel down and put my hand on his arm. “I know you’re trying, Daddy. And I won’t tell Mama what happened. Logan’s parents will keep it between themselves.”
“That’s not right. Logan shouldn’t take the hit for something I did. He’s a hero, and he deserves to be treated as one. I’m the screw-up. All he was doing was trying to save the family of the woman he loves.” He shakes his head. “I’ve always admired him, always loved the way he treated you. But now—now I owe him.”
“He doesn’t want anyone to know,” I say. “He didn’t even want me to tell you.”
But my father stands up. “One of the things they teach you in the twelve-step program is to take responsibility for your actions. I’m starting with this.”
I chase him out of the garage and into the yard. “Daddy! Wait! You gave me your word!”
My father turns back to me. “That was when I thought I’d be protecting you by staying quiet. Now that I know the truth, I’ll protect you and my future son-in-law by speaking up. It’s the right thing to do, darlin’. You know it is.”
When Daddy reaches Logan and throws his arms around him in a big hug, Mama looks over at me.
“What did you say to him?” she asks me.
Logan wrestles himself out of my father’s grasp and immediately tries to tell me I shouldn’t have said anything. But my father shushes him.
