“We didn’t get a chance really. Her dad threatened her. He reminded her to stay away from me. Then, she kicked me out, and here I am.”

Dane’s brows pulled together. “Her dad threatened her? How?”

This was one thing I had no qualms about sharing, so I filled him in on everything I’d overheard from the closet. Dane’s expression turned as shocked as I was sure mine had been before it changed again into something unreadable.

“And you’re sure you didn’t hear him wrong, misinterpret this somehow?”

“I’m sure.”

His eyes darted around the room as his head shook in what had to be disbelief. “Wow. I think he might hate you more than your dad hates her.”

“I don’t think there’s any comparison, to be honest. My dad’s never said anything even remotely close to the things her dad said to her.”

“Who would disown their own kid? That’s severely messed up.”

Dane started to shift uncomfortably, and I felt his pain. I knew it well. I’d been living it for as long as I could remember.

“I know, but”—I paused and wrung my hands together—“what do I do about it?”

He instantly straightened. “What do you want to do about it?”

“I want the girl,” I said without thinking, but it was the truth, so I didn’t take it back.

“Then, let’s get her,” he said with a big-ass smile, and I found myself almost believing that it was truly possible.

“How?” I asked because we needed a plan.

“Good question.” He started tapping a finger against his chin while he thought. “You can show up with a ring and propose.”

“Uh …” I craned my neck and looked at him like he was insane. Because, clearly, he was.

“I’m just saying that you could skip all the stuff in between and get right to the good part,” he offered with a shrug.

“Yeah, that’s not even remotely a good plan, let alone a sane one.”

“I’m just trying to help,” he said all innocent-like, and I groaned, hoping for a new idea. “Okay. Make her jealous then.”

My interest suddenly kicked up a few dozen notches, my ego obviously a fan of this kind of idea. “Go on.”

“Ask Jeanine out,” he suggested, and I shot him a look that said I’d rather die than cross that line. “Fine. Ask out every other woman in town and make sure she hears about it. It will drive her so crazy that she’ll come running over here with open arms and hop in your lap.”