Free Brett's Little Headaches by Jordan Silver

me, or the way she looked up at me like I’d lost my damn mind.
    “Dad, this is Brett, Brett, my father Alan Payne.” Shit, no wonder he was laughing at me, he probably did that shit on purpose.
    “Sir, pleased to meet you.” We shook hands and he walked over to say hello to his grandsons.
    “Why don’t you join us for dinner dad? Brett brought enough food to feed an army.”
    “If you’re sure you don’t mind.” He addressed this question to me and I was quick to assure him that it was fine by me. I got the impression the night before that he might not be too averse to his daughter dating someone, and who better than me? Maybe I could enlist his help if she proved to be too ornery.
    “So Cantone, what brought you to my daughter’s neck of the woods? I don’t believe this is your playing field is it.”
    “No, but the park where we met is between here and my place so...” He sat down across from me and fixed a plate.
    The boys were talking his ear off, in fact they were telling him about Gunther and me from what little I could piece together.
    He was studying me discretely, which was fine by me; he wouldn’t be any kind of a cop if he didn’t and an even worst father.
    “So what’s the verdict?” I asked him as soon as Laurie left the room to make coffee.
    “I have one question then I’ll let you know. What are your intentions?”
    “I want to marry her.”
    “What about the boys?”
    “They’re mine.” He gave me a very searching look, like I imagine he would a suspect in the interrogation room, but I didn’t care, this shit was important, he could strip search me if it would get me closer to my goal.
    “I think you should know, I already bought a house, she doesn’t know yet though so don’t mention it.”
    “Damn son, that’s kinda fast isn’t it? Though I can’t say I’m surprised. I ran you of course, found out quite a lot. Everyone seems to like you, except those who oppose you in business. They say you’re fair and just in your dealings until it comes to your enemies, then you’re vicious.
    I think you should know that if you do anything to harm my daughter or my grandkids I’ll bury you. Money or not!”
    “Fair enough, so does that mean that I have your blessing?”
    “Not that I think you need it, but sure. Might I suggest you keep moving fast, if you give her time to think she’ll make you both crazy, just overwhelm her if you will, trust me it’s the only way.”
    “I kinda figured that.”
    “So I see.”
    She came back into the room then so we had to table our little discussion so I made a note to myself to contact him at a more opportune time.
    She gave us a look of suspicion but didn’t say anything as she retook her seat. We kept the conversation light after that and she was none the wiser.
    Alan hung around playing with the boys for a while and I helped her clean up in the kitchen. I could hear the three of them laughing and whispering in the other room, and even that felt right.
    “Did you think about what we talked about?” I passed her the dish to dry and kept the fact that there was barely enough room for both of us to myself.
    I was walking a very tightrope here. On the one hand, I wanted to point out all that was missing in her life, to make myself look like a better prospect. And on the other, I didn’t want her to think that she wasn’t doing a good job.
    If I took our relationship out and looked at it realistically, I knew it didn’t make sense. No woman in her right mind, especially one with two little hearts to protect, would ever just jump right in.
    But I didn’t want to wait, couldn’t stand the thought of waiting. “What would you say if I told you I wanted you and the boys to come home with me?”
    She stopped wiping the dish and stared at me. “I know you have to be practical, I know this all seems crazy, but think about it from my point of view.
    I met this amazing woman with two beautiful little tykes who stole my heart in one day. I