Chapter 39

KNOX

3W Construction, Inc.

The sign is basic, big, and I can feel the tension coming off of Willow.

She’s scared. Really scared.

I should be the one scared.

I have to face her father.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know how Willow got pregnant.

A part of me wants to ask Willow if her father is a decent guy or not.

But then I think about it…

Willow is showing up with some guy he’s never met. She’s going to tell her father, hey, this is Knox. We hooked up. I’m pregnant.

“The business name,” I whisper to Willow.

“That’s for us,” she says. “Willow. Ward. And my father’s name is William. He had another construction company when I was much younger but something happened with the partner so he went out on his own.”

“He did that all alone?”

“Single father? Yes.”

I nod.

We walk toward the main office door.

“Does he know you’re coming?” I ask.

“I told him I was in town. Wanted to see him.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Preferably wait outside but I know you won’t listen.”

“Well, hey, to be fair, this is different now, Willow. This is you and your father. I’m going to safely assume he took care of you. That he’s not an asshole dirtbag.”

“He’s the best,” she says. “Honestly. Everything he’s ever done has been for myself and my brother.”

“Okay.”

We enter the office.

A woman at a desk jumps up and lets out a playful yell.

“Willow! Look at you! You get more and more beautiful each time I see you!”

She runs around from behind the desk and hugs Willow.

“And who is this fine, young man?”

“This is Knox,” Willow says. “He’s… you know…”

“Oh, I bet I know,” the woman says.

“Knox, this is Beverly,” Willow says. “She’s been around forever.”

“Don’t say that,” Beverly says. “That makes me sound so old.”

“How long is forever?” I ask Beverly.

“Too long,” Beverly says. Then she points at me. “Are you taking good care of her? Huh? You pay for all the meals? You hold the door? You better be buying her flowers. And not just once in a while. You buy those flowers every day. You got that?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I say to Beverly.

“Where’s my father?” Willow asks.

“His office as always. He slept there last night. You believe that?”

“He works too hard,” Willow says.

“I keep telling him that,” Beverly says. Then she looks at me again. “Flowers. Lots of flowers.”

“I’m going to buy her a garden,” I say.

“Now we’re talking,” Beverly says.

We walk to the office door and Willow knocks.

From inside the office door, someone yells, “Who is it?”

“Housekeeping,” Willow says.

“Is that my beautiful daughter out there?”

Willow looks at me.

I nod.

She opens the door.

I’m taken aback by how messy the office is.

Filing cabinets with piles of papers all over them.

Papers and boxes and folders on the floor.

Willow’s father stands behind a desk, looking over a pair of glasses.

He has a thick, rough face.

His shoulders are massive, along with his rugged hands.

The second he sees me he stands tall and takes his glasses off.

Wearing a flannel shirt with the company logo on the left breast, Willow’s father puts his hands to his waist. His shirt is tucked into a dirty pair of jeans.

He scowls.

“Dad,” Willow says. “I want you to meet someone.”

“What is this?” Her father blinks fast. “You’re nervous, Willow. Why do I fear something is wrong with Ward again?” He sighs. Then he points at me. “You have something to do with this?”

“Actually, yes,” I admit without hesitation.

“What did my son do now?”

“Dad,” Willow says.

“No, Willow,” her father says. “Did something happen to the truck? Did he tell you I gave him a company truck? Just to get around town. I told him… I trusted him…”

“Dad,” Willow says. “It’s not Ward. It’s… it’s me.”

Her father tilts his head a little. “You?”

“Dad, this is Knox,” Willow says, moving toward a more formal introduction.

I hurry to walk toward the desk, hoping to shake the man’s hand before he finds out his daughter is still in college and carrying my baby.

“Knox, this is my father,” Willow says. “William.”

“Bill is fine,” her father says. “Depending on what is said next here…”

“Dad, please. I’ve never been a burden to you, have I?”

Her father scoffs. “What’s happening here, Willow? You two aren’t engaged or anything, huh? You didn’t run off and get married?”

I swallow hard.

This guy might wish that were the case in a few seconds…

I look at Willow and she looks at me.

“Ah, jeez, someone just spit it out,” her father says.

“Sir, your daughter and I,” I start to say.

He puts a hand out. “Sir? Are you asking me to marry her?”

“I’m pregnant!” Willow blurts out.

All the air is instantly sucked out of the office.

Her father’s eyes slowly grow wide.

His nostrils flare.

His lips part.

His eyes stare at his daughter. Then he looks at me.

Then back to Willow.

“It obviously wasn’t something planned,” Willow says. “It just kind of happened…”

“Oh, I know what happened,” her father says.

That’s when he starts his walk around the desk.

The man is built like a construction worker.

He’s big. He’s not weight room big either. He’s I’ve worked fucking hard my entire life big.

“You tell me,” he says to me. “Knox? Right?”

I nod. “Yes, sir.”

“Forget the sir. Be a man.”

“I got your daughter pregnant, Bill,” I say, not sure if my life is about to end.

He folds his arms and leans against his desk.

“Dad…”

“Are you two dating? Happily in love?”

I swallow hard again.

No, sir… I mean… Bill… I just fucked your daughter for fun…

“Oh, Willow,” he says. Then he looks at me again. “Okay, Knox. Man to man again. What’s the plan?”

“Knox is a star goalie,” Willow says. “He’s going to be drafted, signed, get a contract. It’ll be okay.”

“She talk for you?” Willow’s father asks.

“No,” I say. “She’s scared. That’s why I’m standing here next to her. To be by her side. Which is what I intend to do throughout this entire pregnancy. And beyond, of course.”

“Okay. You’re going to use money to make this right? What about my daughter’s feelings?”

“I won’t lie to you, Bill,” I say. “We haven’t figured everything out yet. But one thing I won’t do is ever let Willow feel alone.”

Her father makes a hmm sound.

“I have ultrasound pictures, Dad,” Willow says.

“Let’s see,” he says to her.

Willow’s hands shake as she reaches for her bag.

I can’t help myself as I touch her hands.

She looks at me.

I take a deep breath, hinting at her to do the same.

She does.

She calms a little.

When she gives her father the ultrasound pictures, he stares in disbelief.

“You know the kind of position this puts me in, right? How this feels?”

“You did tell me many times that life is like this…”

“Using my advice against me,” Willow’s father says.

She shrugs her shoulders.

“See, a part of me wants to celebrate right now,” he says. “The reality here is that I’m going to be a grandfather. That’s pretty surreal. Another part of me wants to take this good-looking hockey player and hold him face down in a cement mixer…”

“Rightfully so,” I say.

“And you agree with me,” he says. “Are you being honest or kissing my ass?”

“Can’t it be both?”

That gets her father to laugh for a second.

He extends his hand back to Willow.

“You should keep one, Dad,” Willow says.

“Now you’re the one kissing up to me,” her father says.

“Yes, I am,” Willow says. “I know this is crazy, but it’s… real.”

She touches her stomach.

“Mind if I have a moment alone with my daughter?”

“Of course not,” I say.

Her father offers his hand.

I take it.

He sure as hell squeezes with way more force than needed.

And fucking hell is the guy the strongest person I’ve ever met.

He’s trying to break my hand or make me cry.

I shake his hand back just as hard.

I get it.

It’s one thing for his daughter to fall in love or want to get married.

But to be pregnant?

It’s a whole other thing.

I have to believe he respects my honesty.

Willow will never be alone.

Our baby will never live a day without both parents in his or her life.

What does that mean for Willow and me as a couple or something like that?

I’m not sure.

But the more I get to know her… and see her life…

I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t admit that I might be catching some feelings.