Chapter Thirty Six
Ω Bronx Ω
After making sure Blakely and Charlotte were off on their day, I made my way to Alex’s shop. He texted me this morning that he was able to start working on it.
I’m not even surprised when I walk into bay one and see Chief Knight with his arms crossed in front of the car.
“So, your recommendation is I junk the thing.”
Alex chuckles. “My recommendation is I wouldn’t feel comfortable with my daughter driving this car. But it’s up to you. The work I’d have to do to it to make it not junk is going to cost more than what the vehicle is worth.”
“I thought you were going to wait to talk about the car until I got here?” I taunt Alex.
Alex smirks at me. “Us dads know how it is. He came in here to check on the inspections of the rigs anyway, so we just started talking about this dump.” Alexander taps the hood. “I can’t believe you let your girl drive this thing around.”
I groan. “Whenever we went anywhere, we always took my car.”
If I had known it was as bad as it apparently is. I would’ve had her take my car to work.
“So you get a fancy 4runner, and your girl gets this…” He motions to the car before looking at Chief Knight. “Can you believe this, Mason? He’d let your daughter drive a junk car while he drove a Toyota.”
Chief Knight cracks a smile. “Sounds about right. I couldn’t imagine he’d be able to put anyone before himself.”
I know he’s just busting my balls, but it still stings.
Blakely is my entire world. I’ve always put her first even when I stopped talking to her.
I thought it was for the best. She deserved more than what I could’ve given her at that moment.
I lost who I was. Funny enough, right when I was losing myself again, she came into the picture to save me.
“Hmm… I haven’t been dating her that long. Seems like her dad should’ve been checking on her car to make sure his princess was safe.” I smirk.
Chief Knight is quiet for a moment. He’s staring at me with such a blank expression, I can’t tell if he’s trying not to laugh or trying not to kill me. Either or is possible.
Alexander takes a few steps away from us. “I don’t want to be hurt in this knockout fight.”
Chief Knight finally chuckles. “That’s a good one. I’m going to take care of it now, though. I thought it was just a battery issue.” Chief Knight glares at Alex.
“I told you, from here on out, I will be the only one who works on your daughter's car. Scouts honor. I spoke with the guy who worked on it before, and he thought he diagnosed and fixed the issue. It won’t happen again.”
I laugh. “At least I’m not the only person he likes to yell at.”
“At least I can call him by his first name,” Alex shoots back.
Chief Knight smirks. “I’ll be very surprised if there ever comes a day where Miller is able to call me by my first name.”
“What about the day I propose to your daughter?”
Alexander grabs his phone and pretends to answer a phone call so he can get out of this conversation. I’m going to marry Blakely. I know I need to talk to him about it to try and get his blessing. Better now than later…Right?
“Who says you’re going to propose to my daughter?”
“I love her, Chief Knight. I know you don’t like me… I know the reasons why you don’t like me. I don’t blame you for that. I know how much you mean to Blakely, and she would love it a lot more when I propose to her if she knows you gave me your blessing to be with her.”
My heart starts beating faster. Chief Knight looks down at me, and I feel like I did when I was a teenager looking up to him. He was his class’ star quarterback. My dad was never in the picture, so he was the closest thing I had to a father figure. He helped me get on the team.
Chief Knight sighs. “I’ll think about it.
I want to see more from you regarding you being able to take care of my daughter.
It’s a plus that you’re coming to me before you propose to her to ask, though.
Shows that you’ll put what Blakely wants before your own wants.
I like it,” he tells me without a smile.
“I’ll always put what she wants and needs before my own… She matters more to me than anything else in the entire world. I don’t know how to show that to you…”
Chief Knight clasps my shoulder and squeezes. “My job as her dad is to protect her. Your job, if you want it to be as her husband, is to make sure you do the same.”
I nod. I know he’s right. “I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life protecting Blakely and making sure she’s happy and loved and safe.
” It’s everything I want to do. I lost her once because of my own stupidity.
I won’t do it again. “I still need to come into the station and fill out some paperwork… I need to extend my leave for just a bit longer.”
I’ll have to talk to Blakely about it before I sign anything, but I think having a slightly longer break is going to be good for me.
Chief Knight nods. “Alright. How about tomorrow? You can let me know when you’re on your way in, and I’ll have everything set up. I want to be out of the station before Blakely’s event, though. That way she doesn’t have to go there alone.”
“Sounds like a plan. Blakely is looking forward to going car shopping with you,” I tell him before we walk out of the bay towards the parking lot.
Charlotte and Alex have done a really good job at expanding the business together. It’s busier now than I’ve ever seen it.
“Of course she is. She loves spending time with me. I’m surprised you wouldn’t want to take her car shopping instead of me.”
“What Blakely wants is what Blakely gets. It’s something special for you two to do together. I’m not taking that away from her.” I head over to where my Supra is parked and get in.
I’ll stop at nothing to make sure he approves of me. I’m not sure what I’m going to have to do but I have to figure it out.
My future with Blakely depends on it.