“I was going to. But I decided I want to marry her.”
He fixed a hard look on Wolf. “Do you love her?”
He couldn’t lie to this man. Not staring him down, straight in the eye. But he could sidestep.
“I don’t know her all that well. Just being honest. She doesn’t know me all that well, either. But this is something that she wants. And I told her... I told her that I would do the right thing by her. That I would talk to you because...you know, you’re the most important person to her. She wants your approval. And if I’m going to ever have Violet’s approval, I know I need to have yours right along with it.”
“I’m not sure that I can give approval to a man who doesn’t know my daughter all that well but managed to get her pregnant, anyway,” he said, that gaze never wavering.
Wolf did wonder, briefly, if his life was in danger.
“It’s fair that you don’t have a lot of respect for me. I don’t have a lot of respect for myself. Violet is too good for me. And so I’m going to have to figure out how to be someone who deserves her even a little bit. She came to my house and cleaned it and cooked me dinner. She decorated for Christmas. No one’s ever done that for me before. I might not be great at feelings, but I have land. And I keep my word. I’ll stay with her as long as she wants to stay with me. As long as she will have me. I’ll never hurt her. I’ll never betray her. I’ll be a good father to our child. At least, I’ll do my best to figure out what that looks like. I can’t say that I had a great example. But I know enough to know that the example I had was bad. I don’t expect to impress you, Mr. Donnelly,” he said, theMr.strange, all things considered, but he figured he had to work overtime to show this man the kind of old-fashioned respect he wanted, since Wolf had kind of failed at one of the key aspects of it. Namely, getting his daughter pregnant before marriage.
“Violet said it’s what she wanted,” Wolf said.
Because in the end, it was the only real compelling truth.
“You’re sure about that?” Cain asked.
“She told me last night. So the first thing I did today was come to ask you.”
“You were waiting for her to say it?”
He nodded. “And in the grand scheme of things, I wouldn’t, probably. I would do it when I knew it was right. But all things considered, I thought I should wait until she felt comfortable.”
He didn’t offer his hand. He didn’t smile. He rocked back on his heels, his glare hard. “You have my permission. If you hurt her...”
“Six-foot hole,” Wolf said. “Bag of lime. I believe it.”
“Do.”
Then he turned and walked away from him. Alison showed him the door.
She put her hand on Wolf’s forearm, her manner infinitely softer than her husband’s. But he saw a light burning behind her eyes just then that let him know she was made of steel.
“You listen to me, Wolf Garrett,” she said. “I myself am a fan of a hardheaded cowboy. I married one of my own. I’m also a woman who knows how cruel men can be. Cain’s not my first husband. I managed to get myself safe. And I did it without being a vigilante. But that was me. If you ever lay a hand on my stepdaughter in anger, it may not be her father you have to worry about.”
“I’ve never hurt a woman,” Wolf said, making eye contact with her. Offering her all the sincerity that he had in his being. “Not like that. And I would never hurt Violet. I’d hand you the shotgun if I did.”
“I’ll take that.”
“Also, best believe, Eli Garrett would help you get away with that murder.”
“Oh, I do,” Alison said. “Eli was pretty instrumental in helping me. And so was his wife, Sadie. I respect your family a great deal. Without them, I don’t know that I would be where I am today. And it’s because of that respect that I believe you’re probably a good man. I hope you dig in and figure out how to be the best one for Violet. Because she is very dear to me.”
“I can promise you that.”
He tipped his hat and went back to the truck. And then he started driving toward the Gold Valley. He’d seen there was a store there that sold jewelry. It was a little place on Main Street, occupied by a friendly-looking woman with blond hair that looked like a halo, and a white dress that added to the angelic effect. “What can I help you with?”
“I’m looking for an engagement ring,” he said.
“Okay,” she said. “I have a few things that can work with that. I’m Sammy.”
“Wolf,” he said.
“What’s your fiancée’s name?” she asked, fixing her clear blue gaze on him.
“She’s not my fiancée yet,” he said.