Killer Results

His Blessing

POV David

When Lauren and her mother entered the room I was relieved to see two completely different women entering the room, then the two that originally left for the kitchen. Lauren had a smile on her face and I heard her laughing as she entered the room. I couldn't take my eyes off her when she walked in. 

"I hope you boys were alright while we were busy, took a little longer than expected" Mrs. Franklin smiled as she laid plates of coffee cake out in front of us and Lauren proceeded to pour coffee. Without prompting, Lauren prepared my coffee the way I liked and handed it to me before making her own. Then she took the seat next to her mother on the couch. 

"Are you two living together?" Lauren almost spit her coffee out when her father asked the question. I calmly sipped my perfectly prepared coffee, noting that Mr. Franklin, no doubt noticed Lauren making it for me. 

"Of course we are." Savoring another long swallow. " wonderful coffee ladies." I managed a smile from Mrs. Franklin and a blush from Lauren.

"Lauren shouldn't be living with a man that isn't her husband." Mr. Franklin's voice was firm but not aggressive, almost as if he was afraid of picking a fight with someone he didn't know.   

"You're quite correct, Sir. In fact, if she had been living with her parents, I would've been inclined to come here first to speak with you before seeing your daughter, but that wasn't the case. The situation is quite different, Lauren is residing with me because she wasn't living with her family when I met her. Now I'm here to speak to you directly, because I have a very important question to ask you." I stood and walked over to Lauren who was happily chatting with her mother.

"Sweetheart, visit with your mother, I want to speak privately with your father." I kissed her forehead and then followed Mr. Franklin out of the living room.

We walked into his study, and settled into a matching pair of stationary lounge chairs. 

"What can I do for you Mr. Collins?" Lauren's father got straight to the point as he leaned forward in the chair towards me.

"David." I rocked back in the chair, crossing my leg. "I might as well be on a first name basis with the man I plan to have as my father-in-law."

"Is that your intention, to marry my daughter?" The concern on his face was evident as he spoke. 

"That's the plan." I patiently waited. Calmly watching for the moment when Lauren's father would show his cards.

He rubbed his hands back and forth before standing up quickly and shoving them into his pockets. He began to speak as he started to pace slowly across the room.

"Here's the thing David. You should know my daughter, she has a past."

"You don't say?"

"Well, yes. She made some poor choices and ended up pregnant. She lost her job and we had to send her away to have her child and to put it up for adoption."

"That must have been really difficult for your family to do."

"It was. My wife and I almost lost our jobs, but Mr. Randal made sure Lauren's indiscretions were kept quiet." He sat back down across from me looking relieved now that he said what he had been holding back. "I just thought you should know before you made any big decisions."

"Well thank you, Mr. Franklin."

"Samuel, since you're going to be my son-in-law." He smiled at me, like we were father and son. If he only knew how I felt about my father.

"Samuel, I want to tell you about your daughter." 

I stood up and stepped towards him. Then placing one hand on each arm of his chair I leaned forward until he was forced against the back of the seat. 

"When you turned her out for the shame that Mr. Randal brought upon her, that beautiful smart woman was put through a living hell. The fact that she came out in one piece on the other side is a testament of her will to survive. You cast your child to the wolves and you will beg for her forgiveness, from this day forward I will make you pay for every tear you make her shed, any pain you cause her, if she so much as feels she has disappointed you, I will make you pay. I will protect her till my dying breath. Do we have an understanding?"

"Yes." The words came out shaken and whispered, but I stood up giving him room to breathe.

"Wonderful. Does this mean I have your blessing?" I pushed my hand forward towards Samuel.

"My blessing?" He looked at my hand, then face, confused.

"To marry Lauren." I grinned.

He nodded and shook my hand. "Wonderful, let's go back out with the ladies, they must be missing us by now." I held the door for Samuel while he led the way back to the living room.