Maverick turned back to Cal.
“He told me out there that worrying about what I thought… what the business thought… cost him you once,” Maverick said, his voice hard. “He said he’s not letting it happen again.”
Maverick stepped closer, looking Cal dead in the eye.
“And looking back, I saw what that cost him. I watched him walk around like a hollow shell for nearly a decade. So I’m telling you now: You don’t let the noise get between you two again. I don’t care what the business says. You don’t walk away. Because I’m not watching my son go through that kind of hell twice. Are we clear?”
Cal met his gaze head on. He didn’t waver. He didn’t look scared. “Crystal clear, sir. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Probably smart on your part,” Maverick pressed. “Because apparently, according to him, the only way out of this is marriage or body bags.”
I turned bright red. Cal looked at me, a slow smirk spreading across his face.
“Yeah,” Cal said, his eyes dancing with amusement. “I know. The mental instability is part of his charm. Keeps things interesting.”
Maverick actually laughed. A short, bark of a laugh. “You got that right.”
Then Maverick’s face grew serious again. The humor faded.
“What do you really want, son?” Maverick asked Cal. “Long term. With him. Be honest with me.”
I tried to intervene. “Dad, come on—”
“No,” Cal said, he looked at Maverick, then he looked at me. The look in his eyes was so open, so raw, it took my breath away.
“We lost seven years,” Cal said quietly. “Seven years where we were miserable because we were too scared to do this. If we hadn’t broken up back then… we’d probably be standing here married already. I know that.”
Cal took a breath.
“I don’t know what the future holds for us. But I know I’ve only ever been in love with one person. And that’s Silas. I intend to spend my life with him. Building a life here, or wherever he wants. Because there’s no going back now. That was solidified in January when he showed up at my hotel and was brave enough to fix what we broke.”
Cal looked back at Maverick. “He’s a good man, sir. Better than me. And I’m honored he lets me love him.”
The silence on the porch was heavy, but it wasn’t bad. It was thick with emotion.
Scott shook his head, looking at the ground like he was trying not to cry again. Maverick let out a long breath, looking between us.
“Well,” Maverick said, his voice rough. “I’m glad you found him. I really am.”
He looked at Cal, a thoughtful expression on his face.
“You know,” Maverick said, scratching his chin. “Back then… I had an inclination. Watching you two. The way you were so protective of him. I thought maybe… maybe you were more than friends. But I would have never dared ask it. I figured I was just seeing things.”
He chuckled. “Turns out my dad instincts, even though they were always shitty, were actually really spot on.”
My jaw dropped. “What? How did you possibly get that vibe?”
“Oh please,” Scott chimed in, laughing. “Silas, back then, anytime you sent a picture and you two were together? Or if you FaceTimed and Cal popped in to say hi? You both had hickeys. Even if you covered them with makeup, we saw them.”
Scott smirked, leaning back. “Honestly? I figured either you two were sharing women like rockstars and into some really weird shit, or you weremaybegiving them to each other. I’m glad to know my second guess was right.”
“Jesus,” I groaned, burying my face in my hands as the realization hit me. “We thought we were so slick.”
“Slick as sandpaper, kid,” Scott laughed. “And there was never a peep about a woman. That’s why I was so shocked when Amanda became a thing. I thought, ‘Huh. Maybe I waswrong.’”
I groaned again. “Do not. Do not get Cal started.”
Cal’s head snapped up. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
