When Our Worlds Stand Still (Our Worlds #3)(81)

“We’re doing this, then? The whole white picket fence, two dogs, and hundreds of children?” Kennedy asks.

“We’re doing this, if you say yes.” I eagerly nod, pulling her flush against me.

“Yes, of course, I’ll marry you.” Kennedy pulls me close, her hands on the sides of my face. Her fingers ruffle my hair.

Her mouth slams against mine. I skim my tongue over her bottom lip as she jumps into my arms. My hands roam up the back of her shirt until I hear someone’s throat clearing. We are slow to break the kiss. Ben is pointing at the door with an amused smirk on his face.

“Did we interrupt something?” Mr. Conrad’s familiar voice has us twisting around. “You might want to cover up, son.” He aims his attention to the back of my hospital gown. Ben’s giggle has the rest of us smirking.

Kennedy squeals, jumps down, and wraps her parents in a hug. Mrs. Conrad ducks out from her daughter and husband, and wraps her arms around me.

“Is my mom with you?” I ask.

“Of course, I came with them. My only son, the idiot who runs into burning buildings.” She waltzes into the room, her big personality swallowing up most of the space. Since my father’s incarceration, she’s gotten her groove back, for lack of a better word.

“They’re getting married,” Ben’s sweet, tender voice breaks the second of silence, unaware of the bomb he had dropped on our parents.

I turn to him and whisper, “Thanks a lot, little man.”

He shrugs unapologetically.

“What?” my mom screeches, pulling Kennedy’s hand to her face. She runs her finger over Kennedy’s bare finger. “It’s usually customary to give a ring, son.” She shoots me a disapproving glare. “Where’s the ring?”

“Mr. Conrad, do you have a second to talk?” Their gazes settle on me. “In the hallway, alone.” Passing Kennedy, I whisper, “I love you,” and wink to damper her worries as I follow her dad into the empty hallway.

“I know what you’re thinking, and before you kick my ass, let me explain to you why I love your daughter.”

“I’m listening,” he offers, leaning against the wall. His eyes scream he’s smiling, but his face hasn’t exactly caught up.

“You probably already know this, but your daughter is the most selfless, compassionate person on this planet. Somehow she’s complicated and predictable, all at the same time.” I take a long deep breath. My eyes burn when Mr. Conrad lays a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Mr. Conrad, your daughter has this ability to make me want to be a better man, and I know it’s because you and Mrs. Conrad raised her right. So thank you for creating this person who has the capacity to love someone like me.”

“If you could watch yourself through her eyes, you’d know that it has nothing to do with the capacity of her heart, Graham.” He pokes me in the chest. “It does, though, have everything to do with what’s in here. If you’re asking for permission to marry my daughter, you don’t need to. You had my permission the minute you allowed her to heal, even when it tore you apart to step away.”

“Thank you, sir.” I turn to walk back into the room.

“Graham,” Mr. Conrad calls out. I turn, my hand on the door knob. “You’ve grown to be quite the man. None of this has been easy, but I need you to know my wife and I would be honored to have you as our son.” He wraps his arms around me and pulls me in for a hug. In his embrace, my mind tries to remember the last time my own father hugged me.

Ben’s hospital room door swings open. Mrs. Conrad walks out and replaces her husband’s arms around me with her own. “Are you positive you want to marry our daughter? She can be a pain in the ass.”

“Mom,” Kennedy shrieks from behind us.

I release my hold on her mom and wrap an arm around Kennedy’s waist. “I’ve grown immune to her pain-in-the-ass-ness.” She smiles when my lips graze her temple. Her nose scrunches up, and she playfully smacks my stomach.

“We should probably get you back to your room. I’m sure the nurses are losing their mind right now,” Kennedy explains.

The parents leave to eat dinner, and Kennedy and I duck back into Ben’s room.

“Will I be able to be at the wedding?” He bounces up and down on the bed.

“We wouldn’t get married without you,” she whispers. Ben notices the tears fighting for their escape.

“Why are you crying?” Ben looks to me for an answer, and I shrug.

She kisses him on the forehead. “I just need some air is all. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” I see the struggle she’s having to hold her emotions inside. “Ben, I love you.” And then she runs from the room.

“Why is she so sad?” Ben asks. I sit down on the mattress beside him. “Did I do something?”

“You didn’t do anything, buddy. A lot has happened tonight, and I think it’s all hitting her right now,” I explain.

“Like you guys getting married?”

“Yeah, that, and some other things, but it’s nothing you need to worry about right now.” I pat his leg.

“It was weird that she said I love you to me.” He crinkles his nose.

“You thought it was weird?”

“You’ve said it to me before.” Ben finds my hand and squeezes.