Provoke

Chapter Thirty-Three

Mace

I can't believe I'm doing this.

If nothing else had scared her off, meeting my family was probably going to.

I looked at Leeta beside me. She smiled and squeezed my hand.

“Nervous?” I asked.

“Nope.” She shrugged. “How bad can it be, right?”

Famous last words…

We walked through the visitors’ area hand in hand. I spotted Dad and Cash sitting at a table over in the corner. I groaned as Dad stood up and waved. Never had my father looked so pleased to see me. Ever. Since I told him I was bringing Leet in to meet him, he had gone all…soft on me. It freaked me out.

Oh God, he’s even brushed his hair.

“Hi, Dad.” I nodded at Cash. “This is Leeta. Leet, this is my Dad, Ronald, and my brother, Cash.”

She put out her hand. Dad took it. Raising it to his mouth, he kissed it.

What the hell is he doing? Leet giggled as Cash shot me a horrified look. Both of us were thinking the same thing; what the fuck was up with Dad.

“It’s lovely to finally meet you. I was beginning to think my boy was ashamed of us,” he laughed. We sat down. This was so awkward. Leet made small talk with Dad while Cash and I sat there silently, wishing this visit would end.

I’d wanted to bring Leet to show her how serious I was about her. This was the best way I could think to do that. I wasn’t sure how she was doing it, but my rough as guts father was captivated by her. Not that I blamed him.

Under the table, I reached over and put my hand on her thigh, giving it a squeeze.

“So,” I said, turning to my brother. “Up for parole soon, huh?”

“Yeah, in a couple of months. Probably won't be approved, though.” He said it so casually, like it was no big deal. I guess when you’re used to being imprisoned; you get to a point where you lose hope. In Cash’s case, he’d fucked up chance after chance.

“You know,” I sighed; knowing what I was about to say would make Leet happy. “When you get out, I can give you a hand with the job. Help you find somewhere to stay. If you actually want to make a go of it this time, that is.”

He shrugged. “Yeah. I mean, that would be good.”

“Also,” Leet cut in, leaning across the table, “If you’re willing to do an addiction program in the lead-up to your parole, I could have a word to someone on the board. It might help.”

Cash erupted into laughter, stopping when he saw my expression.

“Yep, sure. Whatever I need to do,” he muttered. Fuck, he was acting like a child.

“Good,” said Leet, a smile spreading across her lips. “I’ll set it up on Monday.”

We hung around for another half hour, making small talk to avoid the awkward silences. It was a short visit, but a step in the right direction. Considering that my relationship with my family had been less that great for the last twenty-six years of my life, it had gone well.

“Are you okay?” Leet asked. She smiled at me as we walked to her car.

“Yeah. I don’t know. I don’t want our kids to have the kind of relationship that my father and I have, you know?”

“Our kids,” Leet teased, her cheeks pink.

I flushed. “You know what I mean. Of course I see myself having kids with you. And marrying you. I see all that stuff.” I cringed. I was making such a fool of myself.

She bit her lip and smiled at me, the same way she looked at that damn cat when he did something she thought was cute.

“Come here,” I muttered. She wrapped her arms around my neck. I leaned down and kissed her, my fingers sneaking under her jacket and trailing over her warm skin. I kissed her again, my mouth searching hers.

I could stand here all day and kiss those fucking lips.

“Mace, I can’t wait to have your kids. I think—.” She stopped. “No, I know you will be an amazing father. We don’t always follow in our parents’ footsteps. You’re proof of that. Sometimes we learn from their mistakes and that makes us better, stronger.”

I grinned and kissed her again. She always knew just what to say.

“You’re pretty fucking special, Leet.”

“Yeah?” she chuckled, her mouth on mine. “Then I guess that makes you one lucky guy.”

THE END.