“My son really loves you.” He turned his gaze on me, his dark brown eyes identical to Diesel’s. “The whole time we were in the waiting room, he could barely talk. He was a mess. I’ve never seen my son so scared in his life. Losing his mother was hard for him, but this was of a whole new caliber.”
I knew how much Diesel had been hurting. I didn’t need to see him suffer to understand. All I had to do was imagine the situation reversed, and I understood completely. “I know he does…”
He turned back to the TV.
“Things seem to be going well with the two of you.”
“Yeah, they are,” he said. “I’m grateful. I’m glad I got to sit there in the waiting room with him. I’m grateful I had the privilege to comfort him, to be there for him when he needed someone most. I’m grateful I got to be a father to him…after all the time I lost.”
“I am too.”
“Thanks to you,” he said quietly. “Perhaps my wife won’t be as angry with me when I see her again…”
She’d been gone for nearly ten years, but he still worshiped her like their love hadn’t dwindled in their separation. “She won’t be angry with you, Vincent. You’ve more than made up for everything.”
He wore a small smile, but it only lasted an instant. “I hope you’re right, Tatum.” He changed his position on the couch and faced me, one leg crossed. It was five in the evening, and Diesel wouldn’t be back until much later. “So, do you have any ideas for the wedding?”
“I haven’t given it much thought.”
“How about you give it some thought now?”
“Well…I know I want something small. Just us and a few other people.”
He nodded.
“Somewhere that we won’t be photographed like crazy. Maybe in France.”
“France is beautiful.”
“All I want is to wear a wedding dress. Everything else doesn’t matter to me.”
“You’ll be a beautiful bride, Tatum—no matter what you wear.”
“Thanks, Vincent.”
“I look forward to it. When do you think this is going to happen?”
“As soon as possible.”
“Yeah?” he asked in surprise.
I hadn’t even asked Diesel, but I knew he wanted the same thing I did. “As soon as I’m back on my feet, I want to be husband and wife. I don’t want to wait around, not knowing what’s going to happen. My day was completely ordinary when I got shot. We think we have an entire lifetime, but we really don’t know how much time we have.”
“Very true,” he said. “It was an ordinary day when my wife was taken from me. I continue to replay that day over and over in my mind. If I’d just asked her to stay, it never would have happened. She would be here now. She would see her son get married to a wonderful woman.” Whenever he spoke of his wife, it was always full of sorrow, but it also lacked emotion at the same time. He accepted her death, but he didn’t accept his life without her. “Just the way Diesel feels about you. If he’d been there…maybe things would have been different. I’m glad the outcome for him was much different than it was for me.”
“I’m so sorry, Vincent…”
“I know you are, Titan.” He sat perfectly straight in his chair, his broad shoulders still carrying the power of someone in their youth. Despite his obvious power, he couldn’t protect himself from the painful sting of loss.
“You know, you’re still very young, Vincent.”
The corner of his mouth rose in a smile. “Thank you, Titan. I certainly don’t feel like a man in his late fifties.”
“You could live another forty years.”
“I hope I do. Grandchildren are something I’m looking forward to.”
I smiled. “But there could be a lot more to look forward to…if you had someone to share your life with.” I didn’t want to push Vincent to do anything he didn’t want to do, but he was a handsome man who still had a lot to offer. He had another chance at happiness—if he wanted it. “I’m not trying to offend you—”
“You never offend me, sweetheart.”
My train of thought immediately seized when he used the endearment. My father used to call me that every single day. Thorn called me that from time to time, but it felt different coming from Vincent, a man I viewed as a father figure. “I just wonder if you could be happy again if you gave it another chance. I’m sure your wife would want you to find someone else.”
“I know she would,” he said simply. “But I don’t know…”
I didn’t want to push him, not when it wasn’t my place. If I lost Diesel, I probably wouldn’t be interested in love again either. It took me nearly ten years just to give a man a chance in the first place. “You don’t have to force it, but maybe keep the door open.” He spent time with women my age, women who probably only wanted him for his money. If he started dating someone closer in age, he might find a genuine connection.
“I’ll think about it. But I’ve been alone for so long that I’m not even sure how to be with someone. My flings only last a few months at a time…and I always tell them it’s just a fling and nothing more.”
“Just keep an open mind…and maybe look for someone your age.”
“Most of the women my age are married.”
“Not all.”
He turned his gaze back to the TV. “Can I ask you something personal?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t have to answer it if you don’t want to.”
“I know.” I felt comfortable with Vincent quickly. Even if he weren’t Diesel’s father, I’d feel some kind of affection for him. He was a gentleman, a strong man with a sensitive soul. He didn’t need to be ruthless all the time to command respect.
“How did it feel…to be shot?” He watched me with his strong gaze, but his
