Page 237 of Revenge Reads Better

“Deadliest Catch,” Dad replies.

“Wonderful,” I mutter sarcastically.

Well, this certainly isn’t how I envisioned spending my Sunday evening.

“I hope you two are being careful,” Dad announces without taking his eyes off the television screen. “I’m not looking to have grandbabies running around this house anytime soon.”

“Dad!”

I stand corrected. This is infinitely worse.

“We’ve been very careful, Mr. Morgan. I promise you that,” Milo replies with such sincerity that I briefly consider smothering myself with one of the couch cushions.

“We are absolutely not having this conversation,” I demand with a nervous laugh.

“Actually, I think we should.” Dad reaches for the remote, switches off the television, and turns his full attention toward us. “Now, Milo, I’ve always thought you were a good kid. But what exactly makes you deserving of my daughter?”

Oh, for the love of God!

I slap a hand over my forehead. “This cannot be happening right now.” I turn toward Milo. “I told you we should’ve stayed in my room.”

He merely smiles, taking my hand and pressing a kiss to my fingers before turning his attention back to my father.

“Honestly, Mr. Morgan, I’m not sure anyone could ever deserve Max.” He pauses, glancing at me with such tenderness that my heart skips a beat. “She’s the most amazing girl I’ve ever met. There’s nobody like her. Nobody.”

I swallow hard, caught completely off guard by the intensity in his eyes.

“But I can promise you one thing,” he continues, looking back at Dad. “I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure she knows just how special she is.”

For a moment, I forget all about my embarrassment, too busy trying to remember how to breathe.

My father, however, doesn’t look nearly as impressed as I think he should.

Which is strange, considering I’ve always been under the impression that he likes Milo.

Then again, I suppose there’s a difference between liking the boy next door and realizing that same boy is now sleeping with your daughter. Apparently, the latter comes with an entirely different set of rules and expectations.

“I’d feel a lot better if you two weren’t sleeping together,” Dad says, folding his arms across his chest. “There are plenty of boys out there who’d love nothing more than to tie down a girl with Max’s potential by getting her pregnant. One kid turns into two, and before you know it, all those dreams she had for herself get pushed aside.”

“Nope.” I sit forward, pointing an accusing finger between the two of them. “We are not having this conversation. Not now. Not ever. My sex life is officially off-limits, and I would very much appreciate it if the two most important men in my life stopped discussing it as if I weren’t here.”

“I agree with you, but I also think this conversation is long overdue,” Milo says before I can protest any further. “I promise you, Mr. Morgan, that we’re taking every precaution when it comes to sex. I would never jeopardize Max’s future by getting her pregnant before she’s ready. And I can promise you something else. When she goes off to college in the fall, I won’t be that needy boyfriend who pulls her away from her studies just because I miss her. I won’t be the distraction that keeps her from achieving her dreams. I’ll be the person standing beside her, making sure she never gives up on them.”

I turn to look at him, my heart giving a little squeeze.

“Now, I’m not nearly as ambitious as Max when it comes to my future,” he continues. “I love football, but I’m realistic enough to know it can only take me so far. So I’m going to work hard, get my degree, and find a job that allows me to build a life with her. I’ve been thinking about becoming a coach or maybe a gym teacher. Something I can do pretty much anywhere, because wherever Max’s dreams take her, that’s where I want to be. If she needs to move to a big city to become a bestselling author, then that’s where we’ll go. Honestly, I don’t care where we end up, as long as we’re together.”

My throat tightens, and I find myself staring at him, barely able to believe what I’m hearing.

“And when the time is right, I’ll come back to Fairhope and ask for your blessing to marry her.” He pauses, his fingers tightening around mine. “But I want to be clear about something, sir. Even if you don’t give me your blessing, I’m still going to ask her to marry me. Because Max is the love of my life, and I can’t imagine a future that doesn’t have her in it.”

Oh, my God.

“As for grandchildren, that’s entirely up to Max. If she wants kids someday, I’ll be the happiest man alive. And if she doesn’t, that’s perfectly fine too. I don’t need children to feel like I’ve got everything I could ever want. I just need her.”

I’m not sure when my mouth fell open, but judging by how dry it is, it must have been somewhere around the part where he started discussing marriage.

Holy shit. He’s thought about all of it.