Rules

Chapter Ten

Axel had been around Joey’s parents many times in the past few months. He liked Marshall. Yes, the man had shown him his shotgun collection, as well as his hunting knives, and he didn’t feel nervous. Not as nervous as he did right now.

There was a little panic. A little fear.

Alice had opened the door to him with a big smile. She pulled him into the house, kissed his cheek, and offered to make him coffee. He was thankful for the coffee. He had blown a lunchtime with Joey to be able to sneak to her parents’ house. Alice had told him Marshall was in his study.

He got to the doorway and knocked on the wooden door.

“Come in.”

Axel couldn’t believe how nervous he was, and his hands were clammy.

He tried not to let it show, but he stepped across the threshold into Marshall’s study.

He was sitting in the corner, reading a thick-looking book that seemed to be a murder-mystery novel.

This wasn’t good. He couldn’t help but wonder if he had done this on purpose.

Marhsall was trying to tell him he knew how to kill, and how to dispose of the bodies.

There were those nerves. It didn’t feel good. Not even for a second.

“Hey, son, what can I do for you? We didn’t arrange to meet or anything and I forgot, did I?”

“No, sir, nothing like that.”

Marshall frowned. “Are you okay? You’re not looking so good.”

Alice came in and brought the coffees. He thanked her, but he wanted her to stick around, only she immediately left.

Axel needed a lifeline.

“Are you wanting to tell me something?” Marshall asked.

“Actually, I’m wanting to ask you something and it’s about Joey,” he said.

He watched as Marshall tensed up.

“It’s nothing bad. At least, I don’t think it is anything bad, and you don’t have anything to worry about.” He was not handling this well.

He had never gone to a father’s house and asked for a daughter’s hand in marriage. He had gone to his Uncle Rick and told him he realized Joey was the love of his life, and he wanted both Joey and Adeline. He wanted to make this real.

He wanted to be Adeline’s father, and Joey’s husband. He wanted to be there for them. At first, his Uncle Rick had been shocked. More than shocked. Then, that shock had turned to joy, and his uncle had slapped him on the back and offered him congratulations, which he had thanked him for.

But they had also agreed that the only way to do this was for him to come and ask Marshall’s permission.

It was old-fashioned. Right now, he was assuming Joey would even want to be married to him.

He had never cared about his reputation, until this very freaking moment. Now he cared, and now it mattered.

“I ... I know I’ve not had a very good track record with women, and that to many fathers I might not be the most ideal person to have dating your daughter, but what I wanted to say to you is that I love your daughter.

I love her more than anything in the world.

I know it has only been a couple of months, but there is no one else I want.

I want to wake up with her in the morning and go to bed with her at night.

Throughout the day, I can’t stop thinking about her.

I want to be a father to Adeline, and I want to be there for both of them.

I’d love for Joey to have my children, and I want to settle down.

I want to be with her. I love her so much.

Her smile, and the way she nibbles her lip when she’s concentrating.

Her love of coffee, and how it has to be the perfect drink.

I love it all, and I love Adeline. She is a great freaking kid.

She makes me laugh, and I just want to protect her and tell her that not all men are assholes.

She’s amazing.” He looked toward Marshall.

“But to do all of that, I need to know you’re happy with me taking care of your daughter, and your granddaughter.

I will not hurt them. I know Joey and I will probably argue.

I mean, we haven’t yet, but there is always something, right? ”

Marshall nodded. “Yes, there is.”

“May I ask your daughter to marry me?” he asked.

There was silence.

He had a feeling this was going to be tough. After talking to his Uncle Rick, he got in touch with Ashley and asked what the best course of action would be—to ask Joey to marry him, and then go to her dad’s. Ashley had advised going to her father’s first, then going to Joey.

“You know, when I found out Joey was dating you, I wasn’t happy. I thought my daughter was making a giant mistake. I know about your reputation and what you’re like. I’ve met men like you over the years.”

This was where he told him no. Axel didn’t know what he was going to do.

“However, I’ve seen the way you are with Joey and Adeline.

I’ve heard people talking, and you have shocked the whole town with the way you are with my girls.

You’re a good man, and I’m assuming up until now, you’ve never known what it means to be in love, but that has all changed.

You’re in love, and I will not get in the way of your and Joey’s happiness.

You love my daughter, then you can be with her. No questions asked.”

Axel was in shock.

At first, it didn’t quite register what he had said, and when it did, he couldn’t hold back. He closed the distance between them and threw his arms around him. “You won’t regret this. I promise. You won’t regret it.”

Alice rushed in and hugged them as well. She had been listening outside the door.

“I owe her a spa day,” Marshall said.

“A spa day?” he asked.

“Oh, I bet him that you had come to ask for Joey’s hand in marriage.”

He looked toward Alice. “You knew?”

“Of course I knew. I am her mother, and there is no way you’re going to be able to keep that kind of secret from me.”

She winked at him. “But now, you’ve got to go and propose to Joey.”

He had thought that was going to be the easy part, but in fact, that might be the hardest part of all.

Axel didn’t stay behind and talk with Marshall and Alice. He had their blessing, and now it was about getting everything in motion.

Pulling out his cell phone, he dialed Ashley’s number.

“I need to know if Joey would like elaborate or private?” Axel asked.

This was real freaking important.

****

“So, I’ve, um, got something I want to show you,” Axel said.

Joey was nervous. She had stored the pregnancy test in her bag and sworn Ashley to secrecy, but she knew there would come a time she was going to need to tell Axel.

He had picked them up at the coffee shop, and rather than go to her place, they had come to Axel’s. Dinner was already cooking in a Crock-Pot, and Axel had wanted to take them upstairs to show them something.

Joey didn’t have a clue what could possibly be upstairs, but she followed behind Adeline and Axel.

They turned to the right and took a few steps toward one of the spare bedrooms, and when he opened the first door and flicked on the light, Joey was shocked.

It was a bedroom that looked so much like Adeline’s room at her house.

Adeline gasped.

“I wanted you to know that you’re welcome to stay here whenever you want. My house is your house.”

Adeline rushed toward the bed, threw herself on it, then she started to jump up and down on the bed.

“Sweetheart, be careful.”

“Mom, this is amazing.”

She smiled at Adeline. It was so sweet of him, that she couldn’t deny it. Axel did think of everything.

He smiled at Adeline.

He moved toward the far door and opened it. “I also took the liberty of hanging up a few of your ... treasures.”

“They’re beautiful,” she said, rushing toward the closet.

With them dividing their time between her place and his, some of their clothes had been left behind. She knew Adeline missed her home, but she also loved staying in Axel’s place as well.

“You really did think of everything,” Joey said.

“So, I am going to leave you to, you know, enjoy your room. Dinner will be soon, and I’ll call you,” Axel asked.

Joey was pretty sure her daughter and Axel were sharing a knowing look. She wasn’t quite sure how she knew this, but it was the way they looked at one another.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing, Mom, I’m just really happy that I’ve got my own room.”

Adeline was not looking at her, and she couldn’t help but frown. She didn’t get a chance to ask another question, as Axel was already leading her out of the bedroom and taking her downstairs.

They made their way through to the kitchen, and the smells that were coming from the Crock-Pot were making her mouth water. She was so hungry. And she even said so.

“So, uh, Joey, how was work?” Axel asked.

“It was good, you know, I couldn’t complain.”

He nodded.

There was silence between them. She wanted to tell him she was pregnant, but right now she couldn’t get a read on him, and she didn’t know if this was going to be news he wanted to hear.

There was no way she was going to be able to keep her pregnancy a secret for long.

She was going to get bigger. Not to mention he was probably getting suspicious with the morning sickness that had decided to kick in.

It was the one part of pregnancy she wasn’t a fan of.

“How was work?” Joey asked, following his lead.

“It was good. You know, late deliveries and stuff like that. I also wasn’t on site for a short time.”

“You weren’t?” Joey asked.

Axel spun around to look at her. “Yeah, I, uh, I had to go and see your parents.”

This made her frown. “My parents? Why?”

And then Axel sunk to one knee before her. “Because I know that it is only polite to go to a woman’s parents and ask for their permission to marry her.” He frowned. “That sounded a lot better in my head.”

“Axel, what is happening right now?”

“I love you, Joey. I seriously, one hundred percent, love you. I know this is going to come as some kind of shock, and for that I apologize, because I don’t know how to do this exactly.

I’m not good with the finesse, anyway, that doesn’t matter.

What matters is that I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.

I want to be your husband, and if I have your permission, I want to be Adeline’s father.

I want to be there for you both, and share everything.

I want to be there for every single birthday and Christmas, and I want to go out trick-or-treating on Halloween, and come back and pig on candy as we watch movies, and not even horror ones.

Lame ones that send us to sleep, because we keep watching the same ones, but we also love it.

I want to have children with you and grow old with you.

I want you to get angry at me, and be happy, and I want to make you happy.

Please, Joey Sinclair, will you marry me? ”

She was not expecting this. It was a total shock.

Axel Rules had just asked her to marry him, and he wanted to be a father to Adeline.

She knew Adeline adored him.

He didn’t hold a ring, and then it all came together, as Adeline suddenly appeared and placed the velvet box into his palm.

“You knew?” Joey asked.

“Auntie Ashley said he should get me involved. He’s marrying me as well.” Adeline smiled.

Joey chuckled, as did Axel.

“Ashley?”

“Yes, I called her and asked her for help. I needed to know if you would want a big event or a private one. She told me all you needed was me and Adeline, and then she mentioned a beef stew.”

Joey laughed. “I always said I didn’t need much. Just a man who loved me for me, and the simple pleasures in life. My daughter, and good food. Beef stew is pretty damn good.”

Tears filled her eyes.

“Well, what do you say?” Axel asked. “You’re kind of leaving me hanging.”

“Mom?” Adeline asked.

Joey smiled. “Yes, I want to marry you, but there is something I’ve got to tell you.” She nibbled her lip. Crap, how did she just blurt out and say she was pregnant? It didn’t seem right to just come out and say it, yet that was exactly what she did. She told him she was pregnant.

Joey didn’t know what she expected, but Axel threw his arms around her, pulled her in close, and kissed her.

He had broken all his rules for her, but it was funny, because she had broken her only rule for Axel. Her one rule had been simple—to not fall in love with Axel Rules.

She had broken that one right from the start.