“Relax,” I winked. “You just stand here and listen.”
I wrapped my hand around the microphone, giving Mark the sign to tap a fork to his glass to get everyone’s attention. The hum of the mingling quests faded as they all stopped and turned to face me.
“Good evening everyone,” I started off, trying to hide how nervous I was. I had always been a good public speaker, but this was different. This was one of the biggest moments of our lives, and I had never done anything quite like it before. Hopefully, I would never have a reason to do it again.
“Thank you all for coming tonight.” I continued on for a moment with all the things everyone wanted to hear, everything they expected to hear. I went over our numbers and projected growth and profit and all of those good things. But all of that was just the opening act, and didn’t compare to what I really got up there to say.
“But on another note,” I concluded. “Before I stop boring you all to death, there’s one more very important matter I need to address. You see, one year ago today wasn’t just when we became the official new owners of Heartstring.” I smiled at Cat. “One year ago today was when I found out the woman I loved was going to have a baby, and it was also the day this kind gentleman over here,” I tipped my glass to Mark. “My partner and best friend did something most men could never bring themselves to do. He gave me permission to be with his daughter, the love of his life.”
“I’m having second thoughts,” Mark joked, sparking laughter around the room.
“I’m afraid that’s too bad,” I played along. “Because I intend on marking this occasion with yet another milestone to remember.”
Cat’s face wrinkled with curiosity, but she kept watching and listening.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small velvet box I had been carrying around for weeks—just waiting for that night, for that moment.
She gasped and threw her hands over her face as I dropped down to one knee. She realized all at once what I was doing.
“Catherine Whitaker,” I said lovingly. “If a guy like me gets the father’s blessing to be with a woman like you, he’d be an idiot to let that go to waste. I may have made my fair share of mistakes with you, and maybe I’m not a genius in all departments…but I know one thing for certain. You are the love of my life, and if you’ll take an old man like me…I want you to be my wife. Will you do me that honor?”
She dropped her head in happy laughter. “You’re not that old, Jordan.”
“It’s kind of a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question, my love,” I winked at her again.
She drew the moment out, just to torture me—like I knew she would.
“Yes,” she said finally.
I couldn’t help let out a little sigh of relief. Cat had always been an unpredictable firecracker after all, and there was some small part of me that was worried she might actually surprise us all and turn me down. But thankfully, I was able to take the ring out of the cushioned box and slide it onto her finger.
“It’s official,” I whispered, standing up to kiss her forehead. “You belong to me now.”
“I don’t belong to anyone,” she teased, narrowing her eyes.
“Come on, baby. Give just a little,” I jokingly begged.
“Okay,” she sighed, wrapping her arms around me. “I guess I can belong to you. Just you.”
I looked around the room and caught Mark toasting to us once again. His eyes were filled with so much love and pride. I realized Cat would never just be mine. She would always be daddy’s little girl. I was just glad he was willing to let me into their family and take care of her the way I wanted to. I realized, not for the first time, that I had to be the luckiest man alive.
Everyone applauded and cheered for us as the music picked back up, prompting me to take Cat into my arms and dance her around the room. We kept drinking and mingling and dancing for hours, until the crowd slowly started to dwindle.
Very late into the evening, we were some of the only guests left. Cat had gone out to make sure the car and driver were ready for us, and then came back in to make sure I didn’t get trapped talking to anyone else. She was exhausted and ready to go home to Charles.
As she crossed the room, she noticed I had gotten pulled into one last conversation—this time with Lucas Meadows.
He was asking me all sorts of questions about Cat and my relationship and how we met. After a while, I was deathly curious as to why he wanted to know.
“It’s funny,” he explained. “I started this company because my father passed away and didn’t leave a penny behind. What little he did have left was seized by debt collectors. I built this place from the ground up out of spite, and I guess I always resented him for not leaving us with anything.”
“But just look at what you accomplished,” I encouraged him.
A big smile spread across his face. “I’m beginning to realize…I don’t think our dad left us with nothing. I think the day we started this company, he was watching down on us from somewhere…helping to ensure everything played out the way it did.”
“It was the least he could do I guess.”
“No,” he shook his head. “You don’t get it. He didn’t just make sure this was a successful company with big profits. He turned it into something more than that.”
“Oh?” Cat asked, spreading her arm around my back.
Lucas hung his head a little, smiling wider still. “This place gives you love.
