By comparison, her answer would make her sound rash. “Not three years.”
“Not even three months. I know your generation has a ‘hookup’ mentality, but—”
“It’s not like that.”
“All right,” he conceded. “But the fact that I haven’t met him—that he hasn’t done me the courtesy or you the honor of even showing his face here—concerns me.”
Of course Daddy would see it that way. “I didn’t think I needed your permission to date someone. I’m an adult.”
“You are, but I’m concerned. You haven’t acted like yourself in weeks. You’ve been quiet. Secretive. Sometimes even evasive. I’ve been worried something was troubling you. So I asked Cutter. He expressed concern about your attachment to this fellow operative, whom he categorized as savage and unprincipled. Dangerous. Not good enough for you.”
She wasn’t sure what to think about Pierce right now, but she couldn’t not defend him. “You don’t know him, Daddy. Cutter is biased after they argued during a mission.”
“Maybe. But do you know what this man does for a living?”
Her father was gentle. He condemned violence. Though Cutter and Pierce worked on the same team, her friend got a pass because he rescued hostages and often provided first-response medical attention to people in need. He protected those afflicted by war.
Pierce just killed.
“Yes.”
And how would Daddy react if he ever found out Pierce not only executed others but had killed his own father?
“Then you understand why, in my eyes, he seems like a taker of virtue and lives. Brea, you falling for someone like this… It’s not you.”
“He’s more than his job. And he saved Cutter’s life.”
“I’m grateful for that, but I fear he’s twisted your naive heart to his advantage.” He squeezed her hand. “Sweetheart, I’m not blaming you. I’m not surprised you weren’t worldly or strong enough to resist. I just want you to open your eyes.”
Brea reared back. Not worldly enough was fair. But strong? “I’ve taken care of you through two major surgeries while keeping your church activities rolling, handling your parishioners, and still doing my own job. I’ve always tried to make you proud. But if he’s a mistake, Daddy, he’s mine to make. I’ll handle it.”
“I know you’ve had a lot on your plate. And of course I’m proud of you. Like I said, I’ve been blessed with the best daughter I could have asked for. But this man—”
“Stop. I’ve resisted every other temptation. Maybe I didn’t resist him because I’m not meant to.”
He pressed his hands together, almost as if he prayed for her. “Has he ever discussed marriage?”
“No.”
He’d talked about moving in… Something she couldn’t do without bringing shame to her father, her church, and her upbringing.
Brea knew these were antiquated concepts to most people her age. Nearly everyone she’d met in cosmetology school thought she was nuts. They’d shunned her because she didn’t want to drink at bars, swipe right, or spend her Saturday nights in bed with a stranger. She’d been okay with that—mostly because she’d never been tempted.
Pierce had changed everything.
If he had asked her yesterday to move in, she would have been hard-pressed not to say yes—even knowing she would have had to ask her father for forgiveness and her community for understanding. But for a man she really believed in, she would have risked everything.
Now she didn’t know if Pierce was truly that man.
Despite her doubts, her heart didn’t want to let him go. Most of her drive home, she’d tried to negotiate with herself and rationalize some way in which him killing his own father was okay. Other than self-defense, Brea couldn’t think of a scenario.
“Is that why you were crying?”
It was tempting to tell Daddy what he wanted to hear, but compounding a sin with a lie wasn’t right. “No. I was crying because I don’t know if he and I can work it out.”
“I’m sorry if he breaks your heart. Anything that hurts you hurts me. But I hope you’ll make the best choice for your future.” He took her shoulders in his grip. “If that’s not with him, I promise you will heal. And someday, you’ll find a man who loves you and wants to honor you with vows and his ring.”
She understood what he was trying to say. But Pierce hadn’t grown up a preacher’s kid or steeped in a church. For most people her age, without her upbringing, moving in together was a vast commitment. He probably thought he’d shown her his devotion.
“I want to get married someday. Right now, I’m just trying to figure things out.”
His face softened. “I know. And we all make mistakes. It’s God’s way of teaching us what we need to know. Your red eyes tell me this lesson has been hard for you.”
“I hear the cautions you and Cutter are giving me, but my heart wants to believe he’s the one.”
His smile was full of understanding. “First love is like a fever. It sweeps through your whole body, and you feel so weak in the face of something so strong.” He hesitated. “When I was seventeen, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I’d already heard God’s calling. But…so many of my friends had girlfriends. And they were having sex. It was fine, I told myself. Resisting temptation was a trial from God, so I stayed strong. Until I met a girl while working my summer job. We had a lot of fun dating in May. By the end of June, I suspected I was in love. Then things got heated. Over Fourth of July, her parents went on vacation and left her behind.” He shrugged. “I was weak, and it wasn’t my finest moment. I wasn’t her first lover, but that didn’t matter to me. I loved her. My parents found out what I’d done and they did something amazing for me.”
“What?”
“They challenged me not to see her for a month.”
Brea frowned. “Why?”
“My father
