Epilogue Micah
A spen is laughing out loud as she watches me eye the boy standing at our door. He flushes and looks at his toes in his dress shoes. “Ummm. Is Fiona here?”
My brows lift and I eye him critically. This little shit thinks he deserves to take my baby girl out. Thinks he’s going to touch her.
I snort.
Aspen sneaks in front of me at the door. “She’s upstairs finishing getting ready, Richard. Why don’t you come in and sit down for a few minutes?”
I glare at her and she giggles at me. Fiona is our oldest at sixteen. Our two younger boys, twins, Jasper and Court are five years younger than her and thankfully, they haven’t decided that girls are worth looking at yet. My nerves can’t take anymore right now.
Fiona is looking at colleges and now she’s got a boyfriend. Her driver’s license is next and then she’s gonna get in a car with her boyfriend and drive away from me one of these days.
Fiona chats with Richard but my eyes are still on the stairs and so I see her as soon as she hits the top of the stairs. My heart swells with pride.
She’s beaming. Gorgeous. She looks just like her mother and my heart couldn’t be more full right now.
“Princess…my god, you look beautiful.” Her dark green dress fluffs out around her feet in a silken bell. Her dainty feet in silver sandals delicately tread down the steps as her emerald eyes lock on Richard.
I wish I’d killed him as soon as I opened the door. The smile on his face makes me want to do more than that to him.
“Oh, Fiona. You look gorgeous, honey!” Aspen smiles and grabs her phone. “I need photos. Go stand over by Richard, baby. Smile!” Both Fiona and Richard give her awkward smiles and hold hands for a barrage of photos.
I just stand there and growl.
When Aspen is finally done, I walk over and glare down at Richard. “Don’t be late and you better not do anything but dance.”
Fiona coughs and glares at me. “Dad! Behave!”
She drags him over to the door and waves at us, shutting the door behind them and leaving me growling.
Aspen comes over and lays her hand on my chest. “He’s a good kid. Behave yourself.”
“He’s not good enough for our girl.”
“Nobody is. Just leave it be. They are good kids. He likes her. He won’t hurt her.”
“I still don’t like it.”
She giggles and her green eyes sparkle with happiness. I love to see that look on her face. “You’re never going to be happy with any boy around your baby girl. She’s got a good head on her shoulders. She’s also stubborn as the day is long. She gets that from her daddy.”
I snort. “Hah! We both know you’re more stubborn than me.”
But just having her near me, touching me, calms me down and makes me see reason.
Our little girl is growing up and I have to learn to live with it. Doesn’t mean I have to like it!
But I’d do anything for my family. They are the world to me. So I’ll watch and wait and make sure nobody ever hurts my babies and my wife.
And lord help them if they do!