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“We were both young and foolish.” Leonard took another sip of coffee and set the mug aside.

For just an instant, Linc feared the other man was about to walk out. Fortunately, though, Leonard sat back, crossing his arms over his chest.

“That conversation made me understand why Leonard and I started off on the wrong foot.” Linc reached between the two chairs to link hands with Lori. “Leonard worked hard to prove himself to your family, didn’t he, Kate?”

“He did,” she agreed begrudgingly.

“How many years did it take?”

“A few… I’ve forgotten now.”

Linc would bet that Kate knew, right down to the day.

“Five,” Bellamy supplied. “Five long years.”

“Lori and I didn’t wait,” Linc said. “We each saw what we wanted and went for it. That was a mistake, and one I’ve regretted ever since.”

“You regret marrying me?” Lori asked, wide-eyed with shock.

Linc squeezed her hand. “Not for one second.”

“Give yourself time,” her mother interjected. “The regrets will come.”

“Kate,” Leonard said in a sharp voice. “Can’t you see how much in love these two are? Don’t disillusion them.”

“What I regret, Lori,” Linc said to clarify his statement, “is that I didn’t go to your parents and give them an opportunity to meet me first.”

“I didn’t want you to meet them,” Lori insisted.

“I know,” Linc said, “but I shouldn’t have listened. I should’ve followed my instincts.”

“You didn’t want him to meet us?” Kate asked, staring at her daughter, her expression aghast.

“No, I didn’t,” Lori said again. “I was afraid you’d tell me what bad judgment I’d shown with Geoff and that you couldn’t trust me to find a good man and…and I didn’t want you to try to talk me out of marrying Linc.”

“In other words, you didn’t care what we thought,” Leonard said. His arms remained crossed.

“I did but…” Lori didn’t finish.

“None of that’s important now,” Linc continued. “Lori and I are married, and while Leonard and I still have some way to go in building a relationship, I believe we’ve come to terms.”

“Have we, now?” Bellamy arched his brows.

“I believe we have,” Linc returned calmly. “We just got off to a rocky start.”

“You mean you’re willing to forgive and forget everything my husband—my soon-to-be-ex-husband—did to sabotage you and your business?” Kate asked aggressively.

Linc met his father-in-law’s look head-on. “I’m willing to forget it because when I stopped to analyze Leonard’s reasoning I could see his point.”

Leonard uncrossed his arms and leaned forward.

“This was a man who loved his daughter enough to put an upstart like me to the test. Hopefully I passed.”

“Frankly, I don’t see why he felt it was necessary to test you at all,” Kate said. “All he had to do was read the investigator’s report to know you’re a good man. But he wouldn’t believe that. Oh, no, he was prepared to risk our relationship with our daughter just to prove he was right. He was absolutely convinced you’d turn out to be underhanded.”

“What investigator’s report?” Lori blurted.

Leonard ignored her question. “That was before—”

“Before the two of us talked this week,” Linc finished for him.

Leonard nodded.

“Now, while I was talking to Leonard in his office, there was something else I learned. Something that struck me as profound.”

Leonard leaned forward again. Kate, too, seemed interested.

“I discovered how much Leonard loves his wife and family. He’s an example of the kind of husband and father I want to be to Lori and our children.” While that was a stretch, it was close enough to the truth. The essential part of his remark was genuine. Leonard might be arrogant and controlling but at heart he wanted the best for his family. His intense desire to protect them sometimes made him oblivious to their desires and to their ability to make independent decisions about their own lives.

Kate glanced at her husband and Leonard met her eyes. “It’s true,” he whispered. “I love my wife and my children.” As though he couldn’t stay seated any longer, he jumped to