Cocky Secrets (Cocker Brothers #29)

119. Sofia Sol

ONE HUNDRED NINETEEN

Sofia Sol

T he ring fit my middle finger only, but he bought it anyway, saying I could give people the bird with style. I laughed and as we head out of the store now, he stashes the receipt in his pocket and says with pride, “This is a stand-in for the real deal. Didn’t plan to be rushed like that, but my Mom spilled the beans.”

“Give me the phone now, Luke.”

We pause on the sidewalk, his lips going grim. “Here we go.”

There are so many missed calls and texts, if I wanted to see them all I’d have to scroll the lock screen. Instead I just call back the first one who called. “Hi Dad.”

Ciphers are shouting in the background, throwing every question they can at my silent father. “You been with Luke this whole time?”

I take a deep breath. “Pretty much, yeah.”

“When you wouldn’t take my calls, Honey Badger told me what went down. About Tyler, and Melodi plotting.”

“Luke wanted to be the one to propose first, before you guys told me he was going to.”

Under his breath, Dad says, “Word travels fast here. But not fast enough when it should, huh, Mel?”

In the background Melodi firmly tells him with all the attitude she’s known for, “Someone had to be sensible and give the kids their shot!”

“Dad,” I interrupt, bringing his focus back.

“No, Sofia, let me talk,” he mutters before calling out, “Alright, all of you shut up a second. Sunshine, come listen in.”

Mom’s voice comes through, “We’re holding up the phone between us, honey.”

Honey?

Encouraged, I rest my hand on Luke’s chest, pull him by his t-shirt closer to me, and tuck my head in his neck so he can listen, too. If we’re a team, then I want him in on this.

“Luke’s listening, too.”

Dad clears his throat, “Good. Luke, I hope this isn’t a knee-jerk reaction to prove something.”

“No, sir. I’m in love with Soph, have been for years. Just didn’t think…well, you know.”

“Sofia, you love him?”

“You think I’d latch a ball and chain to my ankle if I wasn’t crazy about him?”

Dad laughs.

Mom’s quiet, but I know she’s smiling. I can feel it.

“He asked me to marry him, and I said yes. We can live somewhere else if you want, or…”

“That’s ridiculous,” Mom mutters, “You’ll stay here. We’ll find some way to have a new bedroom even if we have to build onto the house. We’ll move Sage into Celia’s room. Denita’s girls are growing fast and three in a room is too much now.

I hear Sage balk, “Now? How about five years ago?!”

They ignore her.

“When are you coming home, Sofia?”

Gazing at my fiancé as the sun dances on his copper skin and shiny black mane, I whisper, “I think we need another week.”

Dad barks, “Don’t you dare elope!”

With patience Mom reminds him, “We did, Jett.”

“ And now I know how my family must have felt. No fuckin’ way.” His voice changes to tell us with authority, “You better not rob me of walking my only child down the aisle, Luke Martinez, or I will kick your ass until you beg for mercy.”

Laughing, Luke reassures him, “No need for threats. I wouldn’t do that to you. And sir?”

“What the fuck is this calling me sir ,” Dad grumbles, but I can tell he likes it. “Go on, what?”

“I’d like your blessing to marry your daughter.”

Dad sniffs loudly, covering his emotion. “You have it, Luke.” After a beat of silence, “Good luck reining her in, because it’s never gonna happen.”

Luke grins, “I love her just as crazy as she is, sir.”

“Okay, that’s enough,” I laugh, pushing him away and having the phone all to myself. “Can you put Celia on?”

“She’s not here. We sent her, Atlas and Sean two towns over to check on a spousal abuse tip we got. The rookie is going to watch them, learn.”

“Have her give me a call?”

“You got it, baby. Talk to you soon.”

Mom quickly asks, “Sofia?”

“Yeah?”

“You can thank the moms, including me, for Tyler bringing you there.”

“What?!” I cry out, locking onto Luke. “The moms set this up!”

Dad growls, “Sunshine!”

“Jett, you don’t know everything I do. Some secrets are healthy. Sofia Sol, we’ll talk to you soon. Your father is about to lose his shit.”

“Mom, I want to hear more about this later!” The phone dies as I’m talking. “She hung up.”

“They did this?” He pulls me close, hands giving my ass a slow squeeze.

“I guess they were watching out for you even when you thought they weren’t.”

He laughs, “Just watching over me, huh? Seems they had a plan for you, too.”

Brushing my lips against his I murmur, “It’s done. We did it. They’ve accepted us and we get our own room.”

In the warmth of this beautiful sunny day, Luke rains kisses all over my face, then takes my hand and says, “It’s gonna be really fuckin’ weird.”