"Dad," I whispered. It had only been a few minutes, and already, he was interrogating my boyfriend.
"She's the most important thing in my life. I'll take care of her until the end of time."
My dad nodded, and they seemed to have an understanding. "As it should be."
Landon wrapped his arm back around my shoulders and kissed my forehead as my dad moved us to a table.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"Meant every word. You are and always will be the most important thing in my life. Don't ever forget that."
As we turned to go and sit with my dad for the first time in six years, I knew that I wouldn't forget that. Not ever.
Because, when you found a love that was inescapable, you held on and never let go.
Epilogue
Landon
Two Years Later
I stared down the green in shock. I had just hit the last ball in my very first tournament back in the world I'd thought I lost forever. And, even better, it was on the Wright Golf Club course. The course I had helped design and run for the last two years. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and getting it added to the PGA docket for the upcoming year was an even sweeter victory.
Not that I had come back with a bang or anything. I'd ended this tournament in the middle of the pack. My recovery had been long and arduous, but it had happened. And my physical therapist, Anjee, continually reminded me that it would have been quicker if I hadn't been such a shit about pushing myself.
My old friend and caddy, Jake Gibson, had come in for the tournament to play with me again.
He picked up the ball I'd hit and passed it to me. "Congrats, man. It's good to have you back."
"Yeah, it's good to be back."
"And probably not to have Ryan hounding you."
I laughed. "True. That part was annoying."
"Start full-time training next week for the PGA Qualifiers?"
"You bet," I agreed.
Then, I walked off the course and found my beautiful fiancée waiting for me. Heidi's face split as I approached, and she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet.
"You did so well!" she cried, throwing her arms around me.
I kissed the top of her head and tugged her in close. "I kind of sucked, love."
"Well, whatever. You're golfing again!"
"Dreams do come true."
"Do you have any other obligations today?"
I looped my arm around her waist as we walked back up to the clubhouse.
"Nothing else today. Why?"
"I might or might not have planned a surprise party."
"No. No way," I said. "And, anyway, it's not a surprise if I know."
"Oh, you'll be surprised."
"Do we have to go now?"
She nodded her head in excitement and bounced around some more. "I'm really, really excited."
"I can tell that," I said, grabbing her for another kiss. "Let me just clean up and change. Then, we can head out."
"Great!"
"You can always surprise me with a blow job if you want."
"Landon Wright!" she snapped.
I just laughed. "Later then?"
Then, she gave me a mysterious look. "Probably … yeah."
I grinned devilishly, and she smacked my arm as I passed. I loved her to pieces, and our sex life was unimaginable. I never thought that I could be this happy.
After six months together, I'd popped the question and asked her to move in and marry me, all in one fell swoop.
She'd turned me down.
I should have seen it coming. Heidi was her own incredible woman, and she did things her own way.
After a week, she'd conceded that she had only said no on principle and that she wanted to be with me forever anyway. But, from there, we'd been taking things slow, and we still hadn't set a date for the wedding. I was waiting for her to tell me when she was ready. If she was in no rush and she was in my arms and my bed every day, then I could wait for her. I thought a part of her was waiting to see if her dad would get out on parole to be there for the wedding. So, I didn't push her.
We'd gotten rid of my tree house and her apartment, and we'd bought a house by the golf course. Emery had moved in with Jensen the same weekend.
Best friends and brothers. Who would have guessed?
Once I was changed, I found Heidi leaning back against the Jeep I'd gotten after taking over my new position at Wright Golf Club. It'd felt more permanent once I had my own car here. No more borrowing Jensen's Mercedes. She was in cutoff jean shorts and a cropped tank top with sandals, and I wanted to eat her right up. Damn surprise.