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“I did, little girl. He almost got his head knocked off when he told me that he spoke with you last night. You should have told me. He caught me by surprise,” I say sternly.
“I’m sorry, I had so much on my mind I barely remembered speaking to him,” she explains.
“I’m a possessive man and I don’t take well to other men speaking to my woman, especially after the remark that he made last week, but he apologized for what he did so I’m willing to let it go. Now, you on the other hand. You should have told me. I guess the next time I spank you, it’s going to have to be extra hard,” I grin and she relaxes.
“You’re right as usual, daddy. I was bad and you’re going to need to punish me,” she winks.
I tap my pocket and take her by the hand. She’s right about the drive. We have to get to the other side of town and lunch traffic can be a bear.
There aren’t many people at the pier in the middle of a weekday, so it’s just a short walk to the promenade from the car. There’s a light wind blowing and Skylar burrows under my arm to stay warm. We stop at the first concession stand, and I buy us each a corn dog. She laughs and asks, “How do you eat like this and stay so fit?”
“This kind of food is reserved for special occasions,” I tell her.
“And what’s so special about this occasion?”
“You don’t think this is a special time?”
“I’m here with the man who saved my father and he happens to be the sexiest, smartest, most talented man that I’ve ever met, so I suppose that’s pretty special for me. Why is it special for you?”
“Several reasons. Your father is alive and well and has given us his blessing. I have you by my side, which is always special, and this,” I turn to her and drop to one knee. She looks down at me, astounded.
“Skylar, I never believed in love at first sight until the moment that I saw you. Since then, all I’ve thought about is how I would make you mine. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I want to love and care for you forever. So, now that we have your father’s approval, will you marry me?”
I open the little black box that holds the ring that I purchased this morning. It’s a platinum band with a three-carat round-cut diamond and several tiny satellites. The sunlight hits it, and it casts a colorful prism of light onto her jacket and face.
“It’s beautiful,” she says and covers her mouth with both hands. Eyes wide and legs shaking, she pulls her hands away from her face and shouts, “Yes! I’ll marry you. You make me so happy.”
I slide the ring onto her finger and rise to my feet. I take her hands and kiss them. “I love you. I’ll always love you.”
She looks deeply into my eyes and replies, “And I will always love you.”
We embrace and kiss passionately, and I never want to let her go. I plan to spend the rest of my life protecting her. She’s my perfect little girl.
EPILOGUE
SCOTT
Two Years Later
Skylar dotes over Samantha as I man the grill. If someone had told me two years ago that I would be having a barbecue for my daughter’s first birthday today, I would have laughed in their faces. If they added the fact that Director Presley would be on my patio playing the role of loving grandfather to my child, I would recommend that they seek therapy.
He arrived carrying a huge pink teddy bear with a plastic stethoscope around its neck. He said that a future in medicine was likely for a girl with two parents who are doctors.
Skylar hands him the baby and comes out to the grill.
“How’s it going, daddy?” She puts her arm around my waist and I pull her in tight.
“Almost there. Your dad looks like he’s in good spirits.”
“He is. You know how much he loves Sammy.”
“Just think, it wasn’t that long ago that he would rather fire me from the hospital than see you and me together.”
“True, but then you saved his life, so you got a pass.”
“I didn’t do anything that another surgeon couldn’t have done.”
“Scott, I know what you did.” She looks up at me and smiles with tears in her eyes.
