He swallowed the last of his misgivings and clasped Franklin’s hand with his own. The man’s shoulders relaxed, and at the end of the handshake, he clapped Leo on the back. “So tell me how you’re liking life at Digham.”
Twenty minutes later, two pairs of footsteps tapped their way into the room, and when Leo turned to the doorway, time seemed to stop.
Faith waseverything.Her hair was curled and piled on top of her head, all blond tonight. She’d explained that she used temporary dye, but the way it could go from bright blue to moonlight blond still seemed like magic to him. Her lips were natural too, a soft pink rather than the scarlet he’d been expecting. Not that it mattered; she had the most gorgeous mouth he’d ever seen no matter the shade.
And then there was her dress. The black fabric swooped dramatically over one shoulder, exposing her round arms and shoulders and curving over her breasts. It gathered at her waist, and the skirt…
He audibly gulped. The skirt had a slit that ran all the way up one side of the front, exposing a sliver of leg up to her thigh.
He was dazzled. And then he was alarmed when Faith’s expression twisted into a grimace.
“No!” She stalked forward, pointing accusatorially. “No no no nono. You will not ruin this for me again, Dad.”
As she charged toward them, the slit parted to show more of her leg than Leo was comfortable with in her parents’ living room.
“What are you two talking about?” she asked suspiciously, stepping between him and Franklin.
Leo rested a hand on her waist, slightly nervous to touch her in front of her father but unable to keep his hands off her for another second.
“We were discussing whiskey.” Franklin raised his glass in proof. “Your young man is trying to convince me to try it mixed with coconut water.”
“Because it’s delicious. You won’t regret it,” Leo said, circling his thumb against Faith’s back in an attempt to assure her that things were going fine.
Franklin bobbed his head. “All right. The next time you’re over.”
The next time.
Leo nodded, a little dazed, then turned to Faith’s mom. “I can also ask my mother to set aside a little extra coquito when she and my aunts start making it for Christmas. It’s a Puerto Rican tradition, kind of like eggnog. Plenty of rum.”
“Oh.” Betsy blinked, then smiled. “That would be lovely. Thank you.”
When he looked at Faith, her eyes were wide as they darted from her mother to her father and back to him, like she was an audience member at a play.
He gave her waist a squeeze and leaned close to murmur, “You look incredible.”
As he hoped, she blushed.
“And you should always wear a tux.” She stepped in front of him and brushed her hands over the shoulders of his black jacket, then adjusted his bow tie a fraction of an inch.
“Even when we’re hiking?”
She tossed her head back in a laugh. “Especially when we’re hiking.”
“Done.” They grinned at each other, and if they’d been alone, he’d have kissed her until they were both breathless. “We should get moving, right?” William had shoved him out the door in plenty of time to pick Faith up, but it didn’t hurt to check.
“Yep.” She patted his lapels one last time and scooped up a tiny black purse and furry wrap that she’d dropped on a table near the door. “Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad! Don’t wait up,” she called as she headed out, her heels clicking over the marble tile in the entryway.
Leo hesitated, wanting to saysomethingto celebrate surviving an encounter with Franklin and Betsy Fox. But he heard the front door open and didn’t want to keep Faith waiting in the cold.
“I should…” He pointed over his shoulder. “Thank you.”
Oh hell, what was he thanking them for? But the elder Foxes had moved to stand side by side and were smiling at him.
Smiling. At him.
“Thankyou,” Franklin said gruffly. “Have a good time tonight.”
“We will.”
