Free Room for Just a Little Bit More by Beth Ehemann Page B

be.
    “Fred?” I tried to speak past the golf ball-sized lump in my throat. “I’m so sorry for what I said the day I got his first letter… about wanting to finally have a relationship with my dad.”
    “It’s okay, kiddo.” He reached out and patted my knee. “I know how bad you’ve wanted a dad your whole life.”
    I stared deep into the beautiful sky blue eyes of the man who’d taken me to the hospital for stitches in my chin when I was twelve and rode my bike straight into a tree. The eyes of the man whose silhouette had stood in the front window when Zach dropped me off from our first date. The eyes of the man who’d cried in front of me for the first time the day I brought the girls home from the hospital and he held one in each arm. The eyes of a man who didn’t share one drop of blood with me, but loved me unconditionally regardless, when another man decided I wasn’t worth it.
    “That’s just my point—I already had one. You’re the best dad I could’ve ever asked for.” Tears stung my eyes again, but these were happy tears. “We may not share blood, but we share more memories in one day than I had in ten years with him. You’ve been by my side as far back as I can remember, Fred, and it’s just fitting that you be by my side on my wedding day. Would you please walk me down the aisle?”
    “Wow.” Fred swallowed and cleared his throat. “I’m sure glad that you feel that way about me, Kacie, because that’s exactly how I feel about you. I would love to escort you down the aisle, right into the arms of the man who loves your girls the way I love you.”
    I threw my arms around his shoulders and squeezed as hard as I could. “I love you too… dad.”

I liked to think of myself as a pretty even-keeled guy. Dealing with a lot of trash talk and bullshit on the ice had really numbed me to the dickheads of the real world. But one thing that sent me into attack mode was seeing someone I loved get hurt. Especially if that someone happened to be my fiancé.

    “That sucks. What a prick.” Andy sat in amazement as I told him the story of Kacie’s meeting with her dad.
    “Dude, she was so upset when she told me all of this last week. I wanted to find him right then and ring his fucking neck with my bare hands.”
    “I can imagine. Nothing worse than when someone makes your girl cry.” He stood up, walked over to his printer, and removed the paper. “You really think this is gonna work?”
    “It has to.” I shrugged. “I know how people like him work. They only see one thing.”

    Andy made small talk for the next half hour while I eyed my watch and paced nervously around his office.
    “Calm down.” He laughed, sitting relaxed as ever at his desk.
    “I just want to get this over with.” I stretched my arms up high in the air, trying to relax myself any way I could. “Does nothing ever rattle you? You’re the same person all the time.”
    “Sure, things get to me,” he said nonchalantly, “but not dealing with scum like this.”
    Ellie’s voice rang out in the room. “Mr. Shaw, your eleven o’clock is here.”
    Andy’s eyes locked on mine. “Ready?”
    “Fuck yes.”
    He pushed a button on his phone. “Thanks, El. Send him in.”
    A minute later, his office door opened and Ellie ushered in Don Jensen. I sat against Andy’s desk, gripping the wooden end so tight I thought I might break it off. Andy sensed my tension and walked over to shake his hand first. “Hi, Don. Come on in.”
    Don finished with Andy and walked over to me, holding his hand out eagerly, completely oblivious when I ignored it. “So, this is the man engaged to my little girl. Congratulations, she’s quite the catch.”
    How the fuck would you know?
    “Hold my calls for a bit please, Ellie,” Andy called out. Ellie nodded and shut the door behind her.
    “Have a seat, Mr. Jensen.” Andy waved toward his seating area.
    “Please, call me Don.” He grinned as he sat down, looking back and forth between