I chuckled. Damn, I loved this guy. Not just because he was Cece’s father, but because he’d filled an important role in my life after I lost my dad. I knew if I ever needed to talk, Chee was only a phone call away.
“So, you ready for surgery tomorrow?” I knew no one could ever be ready for open heart surgery, but Chee had never run scared to my knowledge.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” He stroked his beard. “But I thought you and I should talk about a few things before I went under the knife.” His lingering stare would have made me squirm if I didn’t know him better. “You know, get things squared away.”
“Sure.” I waited for him to continue, trying to imagine what he was going to hurl at me. The only thing I couldn’t handle? Being told to stay the hell away from his daughter. But based on our last conversation I didn’t think that’s where he was going with this.
“So, I hear you finally manned up and told my baby girl how you feel about her.”
I tried to keep a straight face. No one could dress me down the way this old bastard could. And I respected him more because of it. He didn’t give a shit about my platinum records or millions, he’d call it like he saw it whether I liked it or not. I needed more people like Chee in my life.
“I did. You got a problem with that?” He didn’t expect me to take his shit lying down and I wouldn’t.
“My only problem is that it took you so long to grow a pair.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Point taken. Now that we’re clear about me being in love with your daughter, and her feeling the same way about me, is there anything else?”
“There’s plenty more.” He smirked. “What kind of father would I be if I didn’t ask your intentions, right?”
Shit just got real. I cleared my throat as I curled my hand into a fist. I hadn’t come here expecting this, but I knew it was the right thing to do. “Chee, I want to marry your daughter, if she’ll have me. But I sure would like your blessing.” Before he could respond, I added, “You know I’ll take good care of her—”
He raised a hand. “You know I don’t give a shit about the money and neither does Cece. I want your word that you’ll never hurt her.” He looked me in the eye. “That you’ll always do right by her.”
He was asking for my word that I’d never cheat and I had no problem giving it. “I swear to you.”
He nodded. “That’s good enough for me. You have my blessing, Knox.”
“Thank you.” I had no idea how much I’d needed to hear those words. If something had happened to Chee and I’d never been able to ask, I would have had a hard time living with that.
“Now, about you ponying up for medical expenses—”
It was my turn to cut him off with a flash of the palm. “Not up for discussion and I don’t need your thanks. You’re family to me. You were even before Cece and I became a couple, so of course I’m gonna do this.”
He shook his head, swallowing repeatedly, as he stared straight ahead. “I used to wish for a son. Glad I’m finally gettin’ one.”
Son of a bitch. Now it was my turn to get all choked up.
“I want to talk to you about somethin’ else,” Chee said, running a hand over his inked forearm.
“Anything.” I wanted to believe there was nothing we couldn’t say to each other. Unlike my own father, Chee never judged me or laughed at my dreams. “You know that.”
“Aidy tells me my girls have some crazy idea in their heads about movin’ home to look after the old man.”
“Uh yeah, Cece mentioned something about that.” I knew I was side-stepping landmines with this conversation. My girl wouldn’t want me making decisions for her, and she’d be pissed if she thought I was siding with her old man, when she was only trying to do right by him.
“Yeah well, that ain’t happenin.”
“Chee, I think they’re just worried their mama won’t be able to handle—”
“I know that!” And it obviously pissed him off to think of himself as a burden when he’d always been the caretaker in the family. “That’s why I need your help.”
“Of course.” There was nothing I wouldn’t do for these people. “Name it.”
“So it seems Charli’s got some fool idea in her head about goin’ to work for your buddy. What do you know about that?”
I’d talked to Dade after his visit to the hospital and he’d been dazed and confused after meeting Charli. He offered his card on the spur of the moment. His gut told him it would be a mistake to offer her the job, but he felt he’d already put it out there and couldn’t rescind the offer if she wanted to take him up on it.
“Dade needs an assistant,” I said, not wanting to reveal too much. “And Charli’s good at what she does.”
“Quit pussyfootin’ around,” Chee snapped. “What’s really goin’ on here? Is this dumbass after my baby girl, or what? He thinks he’s gonna make her the next unlucky lady, or what?”
“It’s not like that. He just—”
“He’s just been married twice and engaged once. Don’t tell me he’s not lookin’ for a candidate for wife number three. And I sure as hell don’t want it to be my girl.”
I understood why Chee was so adamant, but he didn’t know Dade. I did. And I wouldn’t be much of a friend if I didn’t go to bat for him. “Look, the guy’s made some bad decisions with women, I’ll give you that, but the women he was with were—”
“Gold diggers, I know. Star chasers, whatever the hell you wanna call ‘em. But how the hell can a man be stupid enough to choose a woman like that three times?” he asked, holding three beefy fingers in the air. “That’s what I wanna know.”
When it came to our business Dade was one of the smartest guys I knew. Hell, he had half a dozen lucrative business investments that had nothing to do with music. In the next ten years he’d probably be one of a few artists joining the billionaire club because of those investments, but when it came to women… my friend was clueless.
“I wanna know that too,” I said, smirking. “I suspect Dade does too. He’s not a dumb guy, Chee. I can promise you that. And I know he’s doin’ a lot of self-reflection right now. He has no interest getting into another relationship right now, so if Charli does go to work for him, I don’t think you have to worry about those two hookin’ up.”
He pursed his lips and crossed his arms over his massive chest. That’s when I realized ‘hookin’ up’ might have been the wrong choice of words.
“Fine,” he bit out. “I trust you. And because I trust you…” He pointed a finger at me. “I know that Charli will be in good hands if she takes this job with your friend.” He paused. “You get me? I’m tellin’ you, you vouched for this character, and if he does a number on my baby girl, that’s on you.”
Great. Like I could control Dade’s actions. Or Charli’s for that matter. But if it made her father feel better to believe I was looking out for her, I’d concede. “Understood.”
Chee nodded. “There’s something else.”
“Okay.” He’d clearly been thinking about this awhile, probably while stuck in his hospital bed. Trying to figure out how to help his family if something happened to him. Truth be told, I was honoured he thought I was the man to step up.
“Columbia’s always been home,” Chee said, stroking his beard. “And I love it. But it’s just a place. If it comes down to it, I’d rather have more time with my family, than be a stubborn old goat rooted to one spot.”
I nodded, trying to process what he was telling me.
“I don’t want my girls to sacrifice anything to take care of me. That’s not right, Knox.”
“But—”
“Just hear me out,” he said, raising his hand. “This heart attack made me realize something. Life is fragile.” He chuckled. “Always thought of myself as invincible. But clearly I’m not,” he said, gesturing to the bed he was lying on. “The good Lord could take me out tomorrow, but if he spares me, I want to spend the time he grants me with my family.”
&nbs
p; I knew my own father would have felt the same way. If he’d been spared after that car accident, that’s probably the one thing he would have asked for, more time with his family, to make up for the years he was working long hours to support us.
“That’s understandable.” I wanted to know how I could help him, because whatever he asked, I was game. “So, what are you thinking?”
“Well, if Charli takes this job with your friend, both of my girls are going to be in Nashville. I know they’ll be on the road a lot, but Nashville will be their home base.” He smiled. “And I know there’s nowhere either of ‘em would want to be. Music’s running through their veins, always has been. Deep down, I know this would be Charli’s dream job, workin’ in the music biz.”
“And I know she’d be an asset to Dade’s team.” Providing my friend had the willpower to keep his hands off her.
“And if something does happen to me…” He closed his eyes briefly, shifting in the bed. “I know Aidy would want to be closer to the girls. She’d need them.”
“So, you’re thinking about moving to Nashville?” I’d been praying Cece and I would find a way to work this out, but I had no idea Chee would be the one to offer our solution.
“That’s exactly what I’ve been thinkin’ about.” He grinned. “My girls aren’t the only ones who love country music, son. Who do you think got them hooked on it all those years ago? Music City’s always been one of my favorite places, so why the hell not start the next chapter of my life there, right?”
I could picture Chee hanging out on Music Row, knocking a few back with Aidy while listening to live music. They weren’t the type to go RVing or escape to a Caribbean beach in their retirement. Chee was definitely part of the loud music, crowded bar, fast car, motorcycle set, and so was Aidy, so I couldn’t think of a better place for them to settle.
“I love it.” I grinned. “Seriously. I think Nashville would be perfect for you guys. So, what can I do to help make it happen?”
His smile spread before he said, “Well, I kinda wanna surprise my girls with this after my surgery. Aidy already knows about my plans, obviously, and she’s on board, but I was wonderin’ if you might help find us a house there? You know what we like. Small. Simple. Like the place we got here. I wouldn’t want to put that kind of burden on Aidy, when she’s got me to worry about.” He chuckled. “Not that you’re not a busy guy, but I figured you might have someone on your team, an assistant maybe, who—”
“I know the perfect place,” I said, snapping my fingers. “A lighting tech on my crew is getting her parents place ready to go on the market ‘cause their moving into a retirement center. She’s having the place painted, new flooring, even new kitchens and baths, I think, so it’ll be move-in ready.” I knew the neighbourhood well. The homes were older, but well maintained, and it was smack dab between Cece’s apartment and my house, which I hoped would be her house too, before long. “I can have her send me some pics, see what you and Aidy think.” The house even had a wheelchair ramp, which Chee would probably need for a while, but I knew that wouldn’t be a selling feature to him, so I left that part out.
“Sounds great.” He grinned. “I can’t thank you enough.”
Little did he know he was helping me a hell of a lot more than I was helping him. He was giving my girl a way to have everything she wanted: a relationship with me, her career, and her family nearby.
“It’s my pleasure. You need me to put in a call to a Realtor while I’m here?” I asked Chee. “Get the ball rolling on selling your place?”
“That’d be great, but I think we’ll have to hire someone to clean it out first.” He chuckled. “We’ve accumulated a lot of shit over the years. Stuff we don’t need to be haulin’ with us.”
“No problem, I’ll make a couple of calls, get that lined up too.” I made a couple of notes on my phone before looking up at Chee. “Anything else you need me to do?”
“You’re doin’ it,” Chee said, reaching over to clasp my shoulder. “You’re doin’ more for me than you know, just being here, knowing that I can count on you, in case—”
“Don’t say it,” I warned. “You’re as strong as an ox, old man. You’re gonna make it out of the surgery, no problem. And when you do, you’re gonna have a whole new life to look forward to.” I smiled. “Lots of old bikers and classic car enthusiasts in Nashville, so you’ll fit right in.”
The emotion filling his eyes was raw and honest, the first time I’d ever seen Chee emotional, and it was hard not to feel it too. If something happened to him, it would cut as deep as when I’d lost my own father.
“You give me hope.” He cleared his throat. “Make me wanna fight. Not just for my family, but for myself. Gotta admit, I was feelin’ a little lost since I retired, and I know Aidy has too. This move will be the best thing for both of us.”
“Damn right it will, Chee.” I stood, squeezing his shoulder. “We just gotta get you through this surgery tomorrow and you’ll be well on your way to that new life you want.”
Chapter 19
Cece
We were on our way to the hospital when Mama opened the door and… Knox was standing on the other side.
I squealed before hurling myself at him.
He stumbled back, but caught me as he chuckled. “I guess you’re happy to see me?”
My legs were wrapped around his waist, my arms clinging to his neck, as I asked, “What the hell are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in Chicago tonight!”
“Change of plans.” He kissed me before setting me down and giving both my mama and sister a hug. “Your dad wanted to see me, so I re-scheduled a few dates.” He shrugged. “No big deal. We’ll make them up at the end of the tour.”
He made it sound like no big deal, it was a huge deal, and I couldn’t believe he’d dropped everything just because my daddy summoned him. He was one man in a million, as if I didn’t already know that.
I gave Mama the side-eye when she squeezed Knox’s arm and thanked him for coming on such short notice.
“You knew he was coming?” I asked Mama, propping a fist on my hip. “Why didn’t you say anything?” Had I known he was coming I would have been counting down the hours.
Knox wrapped his arm around my waist, drawing me into his side. “I asked her not to.” He kissed my cheek. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“How long can you stay?” I asked, looking up at him as I prayed he’d be there to hold my hand through the surgery. I didn’t realize how much I needed him to lean on until I felt his strong arms around me again.
“Until after the surgery, for sure.”
It felt like a huge weight had been lifted, knowing he would be there to support me. I finally understood, for the first time in my life, what it felt like to be part of a solid couple. To have someone to share your burdens with, as well as celebrate your successes.
“Well, you two stay and catch up,” Mama said. “We’re gonna head to the hospital. You can meet up with us later.”
I nodded, knowing I needed this time with Knox. He’d been so patient and understanding with me. I needed to show him how much I appreciated it.
We waited for them to leave before I kissed him again. I couldn’t stop kissing him, but I finally managed to tear myself away to ask, “What did Daddy want to talk to you about?”
“I was sworn to secrecy.”
He gave me that sexy lop-sided grin that made my heart skip a beat as I curled my hands into his t-shirt and tried, unsuccessfully, to shake him. “Keeping secrets from me already, huh?”
“These aren’t my secrets, beautiful.” His lips trailed down my neck as he cupped my ass. The man was a master at distraction. “Chee will tell you all about it after his surgery, don’t worry.”
I loved that my dad felt comfortable enough to confide in Knox and I knew if our relationship culminated with a trip down the aisle we’d have his blessing, but I still didn’t like being kept in the dark at a time like this.
“You sure I
can’t convince you to share?” I guided him down the hall to the guest bedroom I’d been sleeping in. “I’ve been told I can be pretty persuasive.” My hands slipped under his t-shirt, gliding over his defined abs as he sucked in a breath.
He seized my wrists. “Uh, babe. What’re we doin’ here? Shouldn’t we get back to the hospital?”
I reached for his belt buckle, my eyes on his. “Soon. But first I want to show you how much I’ve missed you.”
“Cec, I know how stressed you are about your dad’s surgery…” His head tipped back while his hands closed around my hips. “We don’t have to do this now.”
“I can’t think of a better stress reliever, can you?” Ever since I got that call, I’d been tied up in knots, scared to death and feeling helpless. I needed a distraction. I needed to get lost in Knox’s arms for a while and just pretend everything was normal.
I yanked his t-shirt over his head before pushing him back on the mattress. “I need you.”
“You got me, baby. Always. Whatever you need…”
We were shedding clothes, sharing kisses, confessing how much we loved and missed each other and I was slipping into that bubble I’d hoped to escape to, where Knox and I were the only two people on Earth.
He pulled the covers over us and it felt like we were in our little cocoon as he began to explore my body. Tracing my skin with his lips before swirling his tongue around my nipple, drawing the taut bud into his mouth.
I was lost. Sinking into this river of sensation and shade, as night slowly descended on us, cloaking the small room in a whisper of dusk. His hands were plumping my breasts as his mouth drew whimpers from me, making me plead for more.
His fingers filled me, rhythmically plunging and stroking, until I was digging my nails into his shoulder and capturing my mouth with his. The kiss was hungry and demanding as his hand become more insistent, drawing me closer to the edge until I finally erupted, whispering his name.
“So beautiful,” he said, skimming my cheek with his lips. “I live for this now, watching you fall apart for me.”
Bad Habits (Nashville Outlaws #1) Page 18