“Don’t go getting excited, woman. The bet was a ring on her finger,” Dad reminded her. “No ring means I win.”

“Shut up, Jet,” she scolded. “I don’t care if you won or not. Our baby just said she’s getting married. That’s something to celebrate.”

“We knew they would get married one day anyway, Felicity. It was just a matter of when the boy would pull his head out of his ass and tell the girl how he felt.” Dad glared at Ryan over my head. “He’s lucky he smartened up sooner rather than later, or I would have had to find somewhere to bury his rotting corpse.”

Ryan didn’t even flinch under the unrelenting deadly gaze of the biker. A million years ago, before Dad got his own head out of his ass and told Mom how he felt about her, he’d been the Angel’s Halo MC president. Then a fellow brother had attacked Mom, causing her to miscarry their baby. Dad had gone to prison for manslaughter after he’d killed the man, and Mom had left to heal her heart. It wasn’t until a few years later that Dad was even able to chase after her, and he’d dragged Mom home.

I was sure there was more to the story, but that was all either of them had ever told me. Every time I would ask Mom about it in the past, she would get this haunted look in her eyes that tore at my heart. She always changed the subject quickly, and eventually, I’d stopped asking.

“Mr. and Mrs. Hannigan.” Ryan cleared his throat, his fingers flexing on my hip. “I humbly ask for your blessing to marry your daughter.”

“Blessing, not permission?” Dad asked with a lift of his brow.

“Yes,” Ryan confirmed in a steady voice. “Your blessing. I love your daughter more than any other person in the world. I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure she only knows happiness. I don’t need your permission to do that. But we would both appreciate your blessing.”

Respect flared in Dad’s eyes, and he thrust out his hand. “Time and time again, you have proven to me that you will protect her, at the expense of your own life, if needed. When she’s with you, I never have to worry whether she’s safe or happy. You are the only man I would ever give my blessing to, son. No one else deserves her more than you.”

I heard Ryan swallow hard. Grasping Dad’s hand, he gave it a firm shake. “Thank you,” he choked out.

Mom sniffled loudly, and I tore my gaze away from Dad to find her smiling as tears spilled down her face in rivers. Tears stung my own eyes. “Mom, don’t cry!”

She waved her hands in front of her face. “Sorry, sweetheart. I can’t help it. I’m just so happy for you right now. I’ve known you two were supposed to be together practically from the time you were both babies. It’s a blessing that you get to spend your entire life with your soul mate.” Dad wiped her cheek with the back of his index finger, and she leaned into his touch as she looked up at him. “I know she’s only seventeen, but that makes it even more special in my eyes. That means she gets to be with him longer, love him longer.”