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CHAPTER 28
Zoey and Paul slept most of the plane ride to get her dad. When their plane landed Zoey and Paul caught a taxi to the hospital where her dad was at. After finding out what room he was in Paul told Zoey to go up and talk to him and he would wait in the lobby until she was ready for him to come up. Zoey rode the elevator up to her dads floor and went to his room. She knocked on the door and heard her dads voice tell her to come in and she opened the door and walked inside.
"Daddy," she said and looked over at the man that was sitting up in the bed watching TV. His hair was a little longer than normal reaching almost to his shoulders.
"Zoey," he smiled and Zoey ran over and threw her arms around him.
"I've been so worried about you," she told him as her eyes filled with tears.
"I know, I got your messages, all of them," he told her and she pulled away and looked at him. "I'm sorry I worried you."
"You look good daddy," she said and he smiled.
"You expected much worse when Billy told you I had a heart attack," he said and she nodded.
"I'm here to bring you home," she told him.
"To La Push," he sighed.
"Its not the worst place in the world dad and you need to take it easy for a while," she told him.
"I know," he sighed. "So one of your messages said you met some wonderful guy," he said.
"Paul," she smiled. "Yes dad. He's amazing and the most wonderful guy I've ever met in my life."
"You love him," her dad said and she nodded. "Well then I want to meet him when we get back to La Push."
"Well you don't actually have to wait until we get back to La Push to meet him." she said.
"What do you mean?"
"He's here with me," she said. "He came with me to get you."
"Oh so where is he?" her dad asked looking around.
"Downstairs, he wanted to give us a few minutes together before he met you." she told him. "Don't go looking for something wrong with him ok, he's a great guy."
"Billy and Jacob approve of him?" he asked.
"Yes dad Billy and Jake approve of him." she told him. "He's one of Jake's best friends." she added.
"Well them go get him and bring him up, I want to meet this guy my only daughter thinks is so wonderful and is obviously in love with."
"Daddy," she said. "You know I'll always love you," she said and kissed his cheek and she saw him smile.
"Go get this Paul guy and let me meet him and then the three of us can get the hell out of here."
Zoey made her way downstairs to where Paul was waiting in the lobby. When she got to the lobby she saw Paul sitting in the corner chair staring up at whatever was on the TV. She also saw that there were a couple of girls sitting around staring at him and trying to decide if they should go over and say something to him. Zoey walked over to him as one girl stood up and smiled at Paul, who happened to look up at the same time and see Zoey and he smiled at her and stood up as Zoey made her way over to him walking right past the girl who looked shocked as Paul slid his arms around Zoey's waist.
"How's your dad?" he asked.
"Ready to get out of here," she told him. "He said to bring you up so he could meet you."
"Ok," he said. "Lets go," he said and took her hand in his and let Zoey lead him to the elevator. They rode silently all the way up to the floor her dad was on and Zoey led him to her dad's room and stopped in front of the door.
"I'll go inside and let him know you're out here ok," Zoey said.
"Ok Z," Paul said softly. "Don't worry, I'll behave, I promise." he assured her.
"I'll be right back to get you," she said and knocked on her dads door before going inside.
"I thought you were going to get your boyfriend," he said.
"He's right outside, I was just making sure you were ok to meet him." she told him.
"I'm ready," her dad sighed and Zoey nodded and walked back over to the door and told Paul to come on in.
"Dad, this is Paul," she said. "Paul, my dad,"
'Its nice to meet you Mr. Black," Paul said and held out his hand. Paul took a second to look at him. he looked a lot like Billy except his hair was shorter and he had a little stubble on his chin.
"You to," her dad said. "Zoey's been telling me about you."
"Good things?" Paul asked.
"Nothing but good things," her dad said and Paul smiled as a nurse walked in.
"Well Mr. Black are you ready to get out of here," she said.
"I've been ready," he told her.
"You're his daughter," she said turning to Zoey.
"Yes I'll be taking him home to La Push." she told her.
"How will he traveling?"
"His car," she answered. "By the way daddy, where is your car?"
"Back at my hotel," he answered.
"I guess I should go get it and get everything from your room," she told him.
"I guess so," her dad sighed and he grabbed his wallet and handed her a hotel key card and a credit card.
"I'll grab a cab and get everything and be back soon." she told him and walked over and kissed his cheek.
"Z, I can go and do it, if you want me to." Paul told her.
"No Paul, you stay here and keep an eye on my dad for me ok," she said softly.
"Anything you want," Paul said and walked with Zoey over to the door.
"Be nice," she smiled and Paul leaned down and touched his lips to her.
"Be careful Z," he said softly. "I love you."
"I love you to Paul," she said. "Be back soon," she said and walked out the door leaving her dad and Paul alone.
The nurse left after Zoey's dad signed some papers so he would be ready to leave when Zoey got back.
"So Paul," her dad said. "You're dating my daughter."
"Yes I am," Paul said.
"And what if I said I didn't want you dating my daughter?" he asked. "That you're not good enough for her?"
"Well I would say I already know I'm not good enough for Zoey," he began. "But I do love Zoey and she loves me and I'll always take care of her and keep her safe," he told her.
"But I know I'm not exactly good enough for Zoey but she seems to think I am." he said.
"Ok," her dad said and looked at Paul. "What if I told you to break up with Zoey?" he asked. "What would you do?"
"I wouldn't do it," he told him and he saw the shocked look on her dads face, apparently he'd had this conversation with other boyfriends of Zoeys and it never went this way.
"The only way I would leave Zoey is if she told me to, if she didn't want me anymore. If Zoey didn't want me anymore I would leave her alone," he told him. "It would hurt like hell but I never want to be the reason Zoey is hurt or unhappy."
"Well I can honestly say I've never gotten that answer before," her dad said and Paul nodded. "You really do love her," he said surprised.
"Yeah, it was kind of surprising for everyone," he told him.
"So, you've lived in La Push all your life?"
"Yes sir," Paul answered.
"And your parents grew up in La Push."
"Yes," Paul answered.
"I don't believe I got a last name from you?"
"Its Lahote," Paul answered.
"So your dad would be Mark then."
"Yes sir," Paul said quietly.
"Call me Luke," her dad said.
"Of course Luke," Paul said.
"I knew your dad from growing up in La Push," he told him. "We were friends in school, got in a lot of trouble together."
"Oh," Paul said.
"Yeah, I knew your mom to, I was there when your parents got married," Luke sighed. "Right before we moved." he told him. "I never imagined our kids would meet each other much less be dating."
"I don't think many people thought I'd be dating Zoey." he said.
"How many guys did she date before you?" he asked.
"Just two," Paul said. "But that was my fault because I was being stubborn and refused to ask her out even though it was what I wanted." Paul told him and sat in a chair next to
the bed. "Zoey's almost as stubborn as I am and her temper is just as bad as mine," he added. "She punched both guys before me in the nose on her dates with them," Paul told him and he saw her dad smiled.
"She gets her temper from me," her dad sighed. "I'm going to have to learn to control that now."
"Its not as difficult as you might think," Paul told him. "My temper has been better since I met Zoey, she keeps me calm."
"Zoeys mom was always able to do that for me to," he told him and Paul smiled as he began to realize he had a lot in common with Zoey's dad.
"Ok," her dad said.
"What?" Paul asked.
"I'll never think any guy is good enough for my daughter but you'll do," he said and Paul smiled.
"Thanks."
When Zoey got back to the hospital, Paul helped get her dad in the car.
"Want me to drive?" Paul asked.
"Sure," Zoey smiled and gave Paul the keys and he opened the passenger side door for her and she got in and he closed it behind her and went around and got in. "Lets go home," Zoey sighed as she buckled her seat belt and Paul drove off and the three of them were on their way home.
"So how long have you two been dating?" her dad asked and Zoey turned to her dad.
"Well officially dating a couple of weeks but we'd been hanging out and spending a lot of time together before we started dating officially." Zoey told him and Paul reached over and covered her hand with his.
"How did you two meet?"
"On the beach in La Push, when Jake was introducing me to everyone, well Paul was out of town so we didn't meat until the day after I met everyone else but it was still on the beach."
"So you two just started hanging out then?" her dad asked.
"Yes," Zoey said. "It wasn't until a few weeks ago that we both admitted we wanted to be more than friends."
"You two seem to really care about each other," her dad said.
"We do daddy," Zoey smiled. "I love Paul, more than I though it was possible to love any guy."
"And I love Zoey to," Paul said. "I would do anything for her," Paul said and Zoey smiled and leaned back in her seat.
"I'm glad you're happy Zoey," Her dad said. "And that you like it in La Push."
"I love it in La Push, now you're the one that needs to learn to love it again."
"I know," he said as he sat back in the seat. "I'm going to try."
"That's all we're asking for daddy," Zoey told him. "Now why don't you relax we won't be stopping for a few hours."
"Alright," her dad sighed and leaned back in the seat and when Zoey looked back a few minutes later he was asleep.
"He's asleep," Zoey said and let out a sigh. "I'm glad you're with me."
"Your dad and my dad were friends in school," Paul told Zoey.
"Really?" she asked shocked.
"Yeah we were talking turns out I'm not good enough to date you but I'll do," he told her and Zoey smiled. "Anyway he knew my dad when they were teenagers, he was at my parents wedding."
"Wow!" Zoey said shocked. "So my dad and your dad must have gotten into all kinds of trouble together as kids."
"I bet they did," Paul sighed and Zoey looked back at her dad sleeping in the backseat. "He looks good to have just had a heart attack."
"I know he does," Zoey said quietly.
"I know you're still worried," Paul told her. "But we're going to take care of your dad. He'll be ok."
"I hope so," Zoey said and looked over at Paul. "I still worry though my dad's never been good at listening and doing what he's supposed to do, even if its for his own good."
"Z," Paul said. "You've got a whole La Push family to help you get through to him," he added. "Stubbornness and not listening is a Black family trait," Paul said and Zoey smiled and shook her head.
"Don't remind me Paul," she sighed. "Because my dad is probably the worst one of all of us," she sighed. "I'm just hoping he'll do what he's supposed to do."
"Me to Z," Paul sighed.
"I know I said it already but I'm just so glad that you were able to come with me." Zoey told him.
"I'm glad you wanted me here, I'm glad your dad seems to like me."
"Me to Paul, me to." she sighed and leaned back in her seat.
"Why don't you get some rest Z, you look a little tired."
"I'm fine Paul," she told him.
"Don't argue with me," he told her and Zoey let out a sigh and looked out the window. When Paul looked over at her a few minutes later she had fallen asleep.
