“Sure, no problem. Where?”

I rattle off the address and work my way through mid-morning traffic. There is a lot to do today, and not nearly enough time.

I pull up outside the small recording studio near Sam’s apartment and cut the engine. Will pulls up behind me less than five minutes later.

“Hey, man, thanks for meeting with me.” He shakes my hand and glances at the building. “Where are we?”

“Studio.” I grin at him. “I’m working today.”

“Cool, I won’t keep you.”

“We can talk inside.” I lead him inside to find Skip near the entrance. “Can I use your office for a minute, man?”

“Sure, you know the way. This time, don’t wrinkle my papers.” He smirks as I flip him the bird and lead Will to the office, close the door behind us, and lean back against the desk.

“What’s up?”

For the first time since I met him, Will looks nervous.

Ah, hell, this can’t be good.

“So, Meg and I have been together for a while.”

“Not a long while,” I remind him and purse my lips so I don’t smile. He frowns and begins to pace.

“She is just…” He stops and pushes his hand through his hair and I cross my arms over my chest, enjoying his discomfort.

The man is fucking my sister. He should be damn uncomfortable.

“She’s everything,” he finally says. “She makes me happy and stupid and so fucking angry I could just smack her ass.”

“Dude,” I interrupt and he smiles over at me.

“Sorry. Anyway.” He paces some more. “I love her. I refuse to ever live a day without her. She is the best part of my life.”

“I figured this out already, man, what are you getting at?”

“I want to marry her.” He exhales deeply and scrubs his hands over his face.

“So ask her.”

“No, you don’t get it.” He shakes his head and faces me. “That’s why I’m here. I’m asking for your permission to ask her.”

I’m stunned. “Why do you need my permission?”

“Because she’s yours,” he answers simply. “You’re her family. You’re the one she’s depended on the majority of her life, and she loves you. Your opinion matters. I may be an arrogant ass a lot of the time, but I was raised right.” He swallows and shoves his hands in his pockets. “It’s right that I ask you for your blessing before I propose to her. I give you my word, Leo, I will protect her, respect her and love her until the day I die.”

“I know,” I respond automatically.

“You do?”

“Of course I do. Meg isn’t stupid. She wouldn’t be with you if it were any other way.” I stay here, leaning and watching Will for a moment and remember Meg as a young girl, wide-eyed and freckled and all red-hair and long limbs, and then I think of her when we were all together for game night and how vibrant and happy, how secure and lovely she is.

Will is to thank for some of that.

“You can marry her on one condition,” I tell him, my voice low and steady, eyes on his.

“Name it,” he immediately responds.

“You have to name your first kid after me.” He sighs, his shoulders slump like he’s been carrying the weight of the world, and he grins from ear to ear.

“What if it’s a girl?” He asks.

“I don’t give a fuck.”

“Done.” He agrees and offers me his hand, which I take and pull him in for a guy hug, slapping him hard on the back.

“She deserves to me happy.” His face sobers.

“More than anyone I know.”

“How are you going to do it?”

“Well, that’s the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. Are you guys still doing the show at Key Arena in a few weeks?”

“That’s the plan.” I nod.

“So, here’s my idea…”

***

~Samantha~

“This is gonna be fun!” I’m practically bouncing in the front seat of Leo’s hot Camaro, excited that he asked me to go house shopping with him.  He was gone all day yesterday, taking care of whatever business he had on his plate, and today has been laid back, enjoying each others company.

“You’re like a kid.” He grins over at me and chuckles.

“I like to shop.” I shrug. “Where are we going first?”

“Well, we’re only going to see one today.”

“Okay, where?” I ask again.

“It’s not too far from Luke and Nat’s place.”

“I love that neighborhood,” I smile happily at the hot tattooed man next to me.

“Well, let’s see what we think of the house.” He drives through a gate and down a short driveway to a beautiful, white and blue traditional-style home. The view of the Sound is breathtaking. There is a red Toyota parked in the driveway and a short, round young woman with dishwater-blonde hair is standing on the porch consulting her phone.

“I like the outside,” I comment, taking in the rose bushes and cherry-blossom trees that will be blooming in a couple of months.

“Okay, let’s go in,” he grins at me and we both hop out of the car and walk toward the front porch.

“Hi there! I’m Melody Jenkins, the agent sent out to help you today.” Melody has a pretty, friendly smile and oozes youth. She’s clearly still new to the real estate business.