Folding my arms across my chest, I lift my brows. “I found nothing.” Which is both reassuring and mildly disappointing from a risk-assessment standpoint.
Relief floods her face before suspicion returns.
“Please don’t tell me you threatened his family.”
I bite my bottom lip. “…Oops.”
“Augusto!” Erin snaps.
“I haven’t approached any member of his family. I promise.”
“But you did background checks on them too, didn’t you?” Paige says.
I huff. “Of course I did.”
She regards me for a moment then positively flips out. “Augie, you can’t run a background check on every boy I like!”
I lift a shoulder. “Sure I can. I can also veto anyone your mother and I do not approve of.”
Her mouth falls open, aghast. “What?”
“But I’ll make you a deal,” I continue, ignoring the fact her face is now burning up with rage.
She growls at me. “You want to make adeal?”
Erin’s gaze bats back and forth between us like she’s watching a game of tennis.
“Yeah. I will let you date this boy…”
“Huh,” she grunts. “Yes?”
“If you let me marry your mother.”
The room stills. Even the air doesn’t shift. Erin’s face pans from her daughter to me and the pink hairbrush clatters to the floor.
Paige looks at her mom then back to me. “Have you asked her?”
I look at Erin for exactly one second before returning my attention to Paige.
“Not yet,” I admit. “I wanted your blessing first.”
Because she’s not just Erin’s daughter—she’s part of my life now.
Her eyes flick between us again.
“I just want my mom to be happy,” she says in a quiet voice. “If she thinks you’ll do that for her… then, yes. You have all the blessings.”
I let her permission settle into my chest. The space that was entirely responsible for mebeggingErin to lease her house and move her and her daughter into my home for the foreseeable.
“Thank you Paige.”
She brightens instantly. “Cool. So I can date Ethan?”
I glance at Erin. “Only if your mother says so.”
She huffs impatiently. “Mom?”
Erin looks stunned. “Yeah. I guess.”
