Page 55 of Pretty Little Scars

“I’ll do it tomorrow,” I reply tersely and feel my jaw tighten. “Fuck.”

“I know. He’s a piece of shit. But, Darby can file a restraining order, and so can you for the ranch.”

“I’ll do that tomorrow too,” I reply, that anger running through my blood again. “He won’t be back out on my property.”

We walk through the door, and it’s already chaos inside, even though it’s only four people. Six, including Easton and me.

“It’s about time,” Harper says, already shoving bread in her mouth.

“Dude, I left as soon as the texts came in,” I reply and ruffle her hair. “Are you supposed to eat that much bread?”

Her eyes narrow menacingly. “Did you just call mefat?”

Easton laughs.

Dad shakes his head.

Ava and Chad share a look.

I simply cross my arms over my chest and smile at the woman who’s my sister in every way that counts.

“No. I asked if you should be eating a shit ton of bread. You usually avoid gluten, remember? It’s literally part of your personality.”

Her eyes are still narrowed, but she simply watches me as she takes another bite and chews.

“The baby wants bread, Tucker. Are you going to tell your niece no?”

I hold my hands up in surrender and bend down to kiss her cheek.

“Eat all the bread in the land, I don’t care. You look great.”

“I look like I ate a basketball.”

“Didyou eat a basketball?” Easton asks, and now her glare is turned his way, letting me off the hook.

He smirks at me, and I walk into the kitchen, eyeing the spread of Italian food, and then my father, who shouldn’t be eating pasta.

“I’m not eating much of it,” he assures me. “And my numbers are good, my medication is handled, and Dr. Son-in-Law assures me that I’m fine to eat this in moderation.”

“Great.”

I clap him on the back, and we all settle in around the dining room table with plates heaping with steaming pasta and sauce. This is the table we used my whole life. Dad took it with him when he moved out, and I bought something new for the farmhouse.

“So, Chad, how’s the legal system these days?”

Chad shrugs a shoulder at Harper’s question. “It keeps going.”

The man dating my baby sister is always polite, but he’s quiet. And he always gives nonanswers, which is suspicious to me.

“I’d planned to do this at the restaurant,” Chad says, clearing his throat as he turns in the chair so he’s facing Ava. He reaches in his pocket and pulls out a motherfucking ring.

My eyes go to Dad, who’s stopped chewing. He looks confused, which tells me that Chad the Douche didn’t ask our father for his blessing.

What an ass.He can’t even be bothered to get down on one knee?

“Ava, I enjoy you so much. Getting to know you over the past year has been some of the best moments in my life. I would love it if you’d take the next step with me and agree to marry me.”

Ava blinks.