“And?”
He pauses for a second. “It’s nothing. Can you blame me for being protective? How are your first days as husband and wife? Wait…” He recoils when he realizes what he asked. “Don’t answer that.”
I chuckle and hold his arm tighter. “You know I think I’ve been lucky. You gave me the best life, kind of a breeze. The only thing that was a surprise was when you met Mom. I guess what I’m saying is I finally threw the unexpected at us. Surprise!” I splay my hands out.
He attempts to smile, but it slips, and he dips his gaze down. “Nearly gave me a heart attack too, and I’m not even fifty, so thanks for that.”
“I’m your favorite daughter, you’ll forgive me,” I tease.
“You’re my only daughter,” he reminds me.
In the corner of my eye, I see Connor approaching us. I had mentioned via text that I was going to grab a bite with my dad today.
I offer him a curt wave to let him know that I see him. His eyes land on my father, and like every man who sees my father when they ever tried to enter my life, his eyes fill with a humorous fear.
My father stands to greet my husband. “Connor,” he states.
“Spencer.”
Lines furrow on my face because these two together are far too much testosterone, even for them. Connor kisses my cheek, and I swear my father is still adjusting to the scene, and truthfully, so am I, considering this time last week I would have swatted Connor away with a growly comment.
“You two should maybe go do a gym session or something together,” I suggest to them. “You used to do that. One trip to Vegas and it feels like I need to lock you two in a room or something. I know, what about golf?”
“Golf isn’t a sport,” they both say in unison.
My hands fly up to calm them. “Okay, well, at least you both agree on something.”
Both men stand taller, and my dad puffs his shoulders out. “We agree on a lot of things, Hadley. Like we both agree that you are something special and deserve only the best.” He slaps a hand on Connor’s shoulder. “Don’t we,son.”
Connor is amused by my father’s expression. “Absolutely.”
“I think I’ll leave you two love birds alone. I need to pick up your brother from a friend’s house.” My dad steps to me and offers me his arm for a hug. “Let him take care of you,” he mumbles. Our embrace breaks, and I see the sincerity in his eyes that throws me off. I realize that he and Connor are more alike than I ever thought; they are kings of mixed messages.
He gives a nod to Connor who returns the gesture. A secret code that only they seem to know.
I watch the man who was always my number one walk away as I stand next to the man who takes that spot in a different way. The profoundness of this moment stings my heart. I guess this is what growing up feels like. Because we never stop, even when we’re in our twenties. We constantly evolve and change…
Even the ones who broke your heart the first time around.
They may not be the same, which is why another layer falls to the ground as far as Connor is concerned. Because what if he really was right the other day? If I let down a wall or two, he could be everything.
No better time than now to discover if he’s right, especially since he’s already my husband…
13
CONNOR
I’m not used to eating this late, but Hadley mentioned earlier that she would be finished at eight tonight, and after meeting her at the park earlier, she seemed a bit more distant than normal. Not frosty around me per usual but lost in thought.
I was in town, running an errand, when I texted to ask if she wanted to grab a bite, and she mentioned she was already at the park. I took it as an invite, but arriving, I saw that I was interrupting a moment between her and Spencer, and I have no clue what. She didn’t say much after, and I accepted the silence when I walked her back to her studio.
Glancing down at the stove, I can see the vegetables and chicken are tender for the curry that I’ve made. I grab the small bowl of cashew nuts and toss them in when I hear the door to the garage open, and a minute later, Hadley enters.
“Wow.” Hadley’s voice sounds different. She walks slowly to the other side of the kitchen island and sets her giant water bottle down; the lines on the bottle indicate she is right on track for her hydration scheme. “You cook?” Her brows raise.
I smirk to myself because I aim to impress. “I do. Need to ensure I’m eating good macros during game season. I figured you might have skipped dinner.”
Her brows stay fixed in an arch as she seems taken aback. “You waited for me?”
