His Tattooed Virgin(Divine Creek Ranch 12)(99)
Julián’s tanned cheeks darkened a bit. He didn’t argue with her but neither did he agree. “Maybe so, ma’am.” To Jayne, Julián seemed a bit like a tumbleweed.
Kate hugged and patted all three of them then backed away from the truck as the other citizens of Lusty bid them farewell and went about the rest of their evening. With Toby settled in his car seat and the handy, hefty diaper bag at her feet, Jayne sat back carefully to avoid jostling her injuries and said, “I’m ready to go home.”
“Me too,” Seth murmured. As if in agreement, Toby sighed heavily, his eyes already drooping.
* * * *
Late October…
Seth placed Toby on the floor near Jayne, who sat reading a book on the couch, and went to answer the doorbell. The man at the door towered over him by at least three inches. While the family resemblance was a little harder to spot, Seth recognized the stare of a father about to have a come-to-Jesus-meeting with the man who was interested in his daughter.
“Seth Carter?”
“Yes, sir.” Best to be up front, honest, and sincere. And hope the man wasn’t packing a handgun.
“Robert Sheridan.” Jayne’s father stuck out his big hand and Seth shook it firmly without hesitation, holding back the wince at the sensation of bones in his hand bending.
“Daddy?” Jayne moved to stand beside Seth, with Toby on her hip. “I didn’t know you were coming. Supper will be ready in a little while. Are you staying?”
The man’s demeanor changed when he shifted his focus to his daughter, no longer looking like he ate nails for breakfast. “Hey, angel bud!” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “This must be little Toby.” Seth’s son stared up at him with wide eyes and an open mouth, but grinned at him when the man gave him a smile. “Yes, I’ll stay for supper but right now I need to borrow your fiancé.”
Jayne’s eyebrows shot up. “Huh?”
All business once again, Robert Sheridan leveled his stare at Seth again. “Let’s go get a beer, Carter.”
Seth nodded and grabbed his truck keys from the table by the door. Robert held up his keys. “I’ll drive.” To his daughter he said, “We’ll be back in an hour.”
Jayne pursed her lips. “Daddy—”
“Don’t worry. I’ll bring him back in one piece.”
Mr. Sheridan was mostly quiet on the drive to The Dancing Pony, allowing Seth to direct him to the nightclub where happy hour was well underway.
Seated at the bar with beers in hand, which Jayne’s dad had allowed Seth to purchase, Mr. Sheridan peered at him and said, “Carter, I’ve got several things to say to you.”
Seth nodded, figuring this was the part where he just shut up and listened. He respected what the man was doing and knew if he had a daughter, he’d be doing the same thing—putting the fear of God into his future son-in-law.
“First. Thank you for saving Jayne’s life. If it wasn’t for your quick thinking we might never have seen our only baby girl ever again.”
Robert paused, giving Seth the chance to speak. “Your daughter means everything to me. I’d have taken that bullet for her if I could’ve outrun it.”
Robert nodded. “Second. I understand that you’re a tattoo artist. I have mixed feelings about the fact that you’ve tattooed my daughter, rather extensively, so I hear.” The man appeared to grit his teeth for a few seconds before taking a sip from his beer. “I’m the minority opinion in my family about tattoos, so I’m going to suspend sharing my thoughts.” He turned and squinted at Seth. “Although I’m sure you already know how I feel about my baby having tattoos.”
“Loud and clear, sir.”
“She’s a grown-up and she can make her own choices. It’s clear she’s chosen you. I love her, I want her to be happy, and it’s obvious you make her happy. I’m honestly impressed that you took on the care of your little son there, with no notice at all. You sucked it up and took responsibility. That says a lot about your character in my book.”
“Thank you, sir. I have full custody of him if that’s a concern for you.” He was thankful he was finally able to say that, with all the familial loose ends tied up, thanks to Ace Webster’s and Kemp Whittier’s private investigation services.
“Good. Jayne’s been through an awful lot and we want her to have stability and happiness in her life. Seems like you and Toby fit the bill. But I want you to know…if you hurt her, I’ll hide your body so good they’ll never find it.”