Free Owned by Scott Hildreth Page B

stood from his chair as soon as I stood.
    Generally speaking, I’m a good judge of character. Once you got past the razor’s edge that this boy walked on with his confidence, he was respectful. He teetered toward arrogance, and I didn’t like nor dislike that. Time would tell if he was able, or if he just thought he was. One thing was certain; he damned sure thought he was. I liked the way he stood when I stood, and how he always made eye contact.
    I walked toward him, my hand extended. He reached out and shook my hand firmly. His face couldn’t hide all of the surprise that his mind contained.
    “I appreciate you defending the honor of my daughter, Ead. First time that’s happened, as far as I know. Ambulance, huh?” I asked, smiling.
    He nodded his head, his lips pursed in a shallow smile.
    “We ain’t done, if that’s what you’re wondering,” I said as I released his hand.
    “Sure you don’t want a coffee?” I asked, still facing him.
    “No, sir. We had one on the way here,” he assured me.
    “Kelli?” I turned to face her.
    “No, Daddy.”
    I stood there for a moment, not really sure why I stood up and walked his direction. Maybe I wanted assurance. Or just to look in his eyes…to see if he stood up again. I looked up and down his long body and up into his eyes. He was an intimidating prick, that’s for sure.
    “So, Ead,” I said as I turned to my chair.
    “What about your parents? What’s your relationship there? You have a well-structured family?” I asked as I sat down.
    “Sir, both my parents are deceased, and I am an only child. My father passed when I was a toddler, and my mother passed back in 2007,” he said calmly, maintaining eye contact the entire time.
    “I’m sorry to hear that. Family is important to making a person feel complete. Without that structure and support life can be challenging at best. I’m truly sorry, son,” I tried to think of what else to say.
    “I struggle with it, sir. I do. But I can’t change it,” he responded, still sitting military erect in the chair.
    I drank the rest of my coffee and put the cup on the table. I considered the situation, my daughter, and this man covered in tattoos sitting in my living room. I looked at him, and turned and looked at Kelli, who was focused on Ead. I’d seen that look of admiration in Kelli’s eyes before. It had been some time, but it was a familiar look. She used to look up at me that way when I walked her to kindergarten.
    “Well, we’ve been talking for a few hours here. Hell, we’ve talked about Columbia, graduate school, motorcycles, tattoos, relationships, dealerships, the future, and the past. We’ve covered about all of it. Like I said at the beginning, I don’t give two shits about your age, Ead. I believe love has no boundaries. Here’s what I want. I want three things,” I stood from my chair.
    Erik stood from his chair as soon as I did. Kelli remained seated and looked back and forth between us. I approached Ead and held my hands in front of me.
    “First, I want Kelli running that dealership, successfully, soon. Not in a matter of months. But within a few years. That’s something we’ll all have to talk about. Second, I want my daughter to feel like she’s exactly what she is, and that’s special. All the time. She hasn’t ever had a boyfriend to speak of. I don’t even know if people use that term anymore, and I don’t care. But, whatever this is, this thing you two have…she’s never brought a boy here to meet me like this. I’m proud and I’m scared, both,” I took a deep breath and held my hand out toward Ead.
    Ead extended his hand and shook mine. As I held his hand in mine, I reached out with my left hand and gripped his elbow.
    “I’ve accepted you, Ead. Today. Right here and now. You’re either an arrogant prick, or you’re the most confident son-of-a-bitch I’ve ever met. I haven’t decided, but time will tell. There’s something about you I like, and I can’t really