“Trey.” He loses his balance and grabs a chair. “So, you’re back sniffing around my daughter.”
“We’re getting married.” My entire body tenses. I’m not above knocking a drunk man out if necessary. He comes around Natalie, he’s got another thing coming.
“Humph. You didn’t ask for my permission,” he smirks. “I might not give it.”
“Dad.” Natalie inches forward.
I instinctively cut her off by stepping between them. There’s no way he’s touching her.
She glances up. “Stop. I can handle this.”
“He touches you, and his face is going to hit the floor.” My jaw tics as the words fill the air around us.
“Motherfucker, I’ll kick your ass,” Clive trips as he lets go of the back of the chair.
“Shit, Clive. You’d fall flat on your ass before you could get your hand into a fist.” An old man wearing dingy jeans and wrinkled grey t-shirt snickers from the bar.
“Kiss my ass, Jedd.” Spit flies out of Clive’s mouth as he glares at the man butting into our beautiful family get together.
“Get a life.”
“I’m dying,” he mutters.
“From cirrhosis of the liver,” Jedd snorts.
“From cancer, you asshole.” Clive’s eyes narrow into tiny slits.
“Bullshit. You’ve been fake dying from cancer since I met you ten years ago. You’ve pulled that shit so many times ain’t nobody believing it anymore.”
Natalie’s eyes spark with anger. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Shit.” He rolls his eye. “Like you fucking care.”
“For the love of God, you lied about dying to get me to come back.” She shakes her head, but then she smiles. “Thank you.”
“What?” Clive’s face scrunches as if he doesn’t understand what she’s saying.
“Thank you for lying and getting me to come back. I could almost love you for it, but all I feel for you is pity.” She moves to me and I place my arm around her back.
Thank God. Some of my tension eases when she’s near me. I need her by my side to make sure she and the baby are safe.
“If you wouldn’t have come up with this pathetic story, I wouldn’t be here, right now. With my family. Marrying the man, I’ve loved since I was a teen, and having his baby.”
“Oh, my Gawd.” Tears fill Lillian’s eyes, and she grabs Natalie into her arms while jumping up and down. “I’m so excited. I can’t wait to meet my little niece or nephew.”
Natalie grins, and givers her sister a bear hug. “I’m so happy.”
“Congratulations.” Aaron and Travis slap me on the back, and everyone starts talking at once. Within seconds, rounds of shots are being brought in by th
e waitress, and we toast to wonderful things to come.
From the corner of my eye, I catch Clive slinking out the door. I’ll never like the man. He’s a total prick, but he’s the father of my fiancé. Without the cocksucker, she wouldn’t exist. I guess I should appreciate the universe for his existence. Nah, he’s still an assbag.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Natalie
“I’m so excited.” Leah places her arm around my shoulders and squeezes me. “My two sisters having babies. Now, I won’t be the only one with sagging tits.”