Unexpected Eva (Triple Trouble #3)(116)

I want him to travel and forge his own path. He assures me he loves the hotel, but I want him to take some time out to see the world. I know he’ll come back to me.

But I need to let him explore his own options, too.

“I’ve been an asshole, Knox. I am genuinely sorry about everything. I don’t know what came over me the night of the ball.” He sighs.

“Stupidity. That’s what it was,” Edith states firmly. “Keep going, Charlie Wallace.”

He clears his throat. “It was wrong of me to believe the things Tabitha said. I think, combined with her lies about you still fresh in mind on that night and then her announcement of you two secretly seeing each other behind my back, in front of everyone and the way she said it.” He cringes. “I put two and two together and got one hundred. I thought you had taken advantage of her. I know that’s not what happened.” He shakes his head.

“And you’d had one too many whiskies,” Edith mutters.

Charlie keeps going. “It was not a good combination and I take full responsibility for my actions. My reaction was uncalled for and I am deeply ashamed of myself for my behavior. I should have welcomed you into the family, Knox. I know you. I know what an incredible father you are, and I know you will take care of my grandsons and my daughter. I feel terrible about the things I said. I see the sacrifices you made for Lincoln and I never appreciated it until recently. You’re a selfless man. Will you ever forgive me? For the sake of my daughter?”

Wow, this is not what I was expecting. I thought this would be a one-way street where I would have to do all the apologizing.

“I forgive you.”

“Oh, thank God.” He reaches for his chest.

“But only on one condition.”

His eyes search mine.

“What’s that?”

“You forgive me too. I wasn’t honest and upfront with you either. I could have handled this better myself. Been a good friend and told you how I felt about Eva from the start. I genuinely thought it would be better if you didn’t know, until me and Eva knew ourselves where we were headed as a couple. I never made any previous advances on her, and I never bought her like a prostitute.”

“That was an awful thing for me to say.” He breaks eye contact with me. “She told me you didn’t. She also told me you learned to dance to impress her.”

I can’t look at him. Fuck, that’s embarrassing. “Yeah.”

“You’re a big old romantic fool at heart.”

“Less of the old, thank you.” I chuckle, then go all in. “I think I have loved Eva for longer than I have allowed myself to admit. I can’t explain it.”

“I know what you mean.” He takes Edith’s hand in his. “I forgive you, Knox. What you and Eva have is not sordid or forbidden; it’s just different. We’re the same.” He points to Edith and himself.

“It’s never felt more perfect.”

“You have my full blessing, Knox. My grandsons idolize you. They love Lincoln. Hunter and Fraser and my girls think you are an upstanding guy. We think you are too. And our daughter loves you.”

“That’s all that matters.” Edith smiles across the table at me.

Charlie has made me feel incredibly emotional with his kind words. Hearing things like that about yourself and about what others think of you, especially Eva’s family, is a lot to take in. They accept me. He stopped my heart in its tracks for a brief moment.

Charlie rises from the table and open his arms wide. “Can we hug it out? My girls inform me it makes everything better.”

I stand up and embrace my friend and if I have anything to do with it, my father-in-law. He pats me on the back and we sit back down.

“I’m sorry about your nose,” he says sheepishly.

“Hurt like hell.”

“I’ve got good swing.”

“It’s all the golf.”

We all laugh.

“Can I ask you two something?” I wipe the palm of my hands down the fabric of my swim shorts. I’m so nervous.

“Yes, anything.” Edith nods and takes a sip of her water.

“If I was to ask Eva to marry me, once her divorce and everything is settled, not now, but in the future, would I have your permission?”

Charlie gives an outright. “No!”

Shit. They don’t want her to get hurt again. I slip my sunglasses back on. Yeah, thought as much.

Then he says, “I’m not ready to have a grandson almost the same age as my daughter.” He and Edith burst out laughing.

“He’s joking,” Edith says. “It’ll be wonderful having another grandson. Six grandsons? Where are all the girls?”

“When the time comes, you have my permission, Knox. You don’t have to ask me. Welcome to the family.” Charlie holds his hand out for me to shake.

What a rush.

Those divorce papers can’t come quick enough.

For the next few hours, I play in the pool with Hamish and Archie and we come out like wrinkly piglets.

That’s what Archie called us.

“Did you sort everything out?” Eva looks nervous.

I pull her into my arms and give her a soft kiss.

“Yeah. We are good.”

“I don’t know how long it’s going to take for me to get used to seeing you kiss my daughter,” Charlie pipes up from his shady spot under the canopy. I chuckle against Eva’s lips.