She blinks up and furrows her brows as she grabs his hair and gives it a tug. As soon as I see a grin split across this giant of a man’s face, I feel at ease.
“Sorry, kiddo, the hair stays. Your auntie would be pretty upset if I cut it.” He grabs one of her teething rings off the counter and hands it to her. “Back to the family. If Nalani has claimed you all, and I have claimed her as the woman I will love until all the lights go out, that means I’m claiming you, too.”
Something about that causes my eyes to heat up. He glances at me and clearly sees it. “You have a brother?”
I’ve had a dozen,I think, but don't say. That's the thing about being a kid in this system, nothing sticks,but memories don't fade.
He looks back at Savannah and continues talking to me and to her. “You do now. Claiming doesn’t mean own. It means your problems become mine. If you need something, you call me. If a boy ever steps out of line, I will make damn sure he can’t ever do it again.”
She babbles something in response, but I feel it, the meaning, promise of sorts.
“Exactly.” He chuckles, and then, without warning, she slaps him right across the face.
I gasp, “Oh my goodness, I’m so so?—”
“Nah, she’s just showing me how strong she is.” He chuckles. “Got it, Savv?—”
“Can I ask that you don’t call her that?”
“Of course, you can—she’s your child.”
It's petty, and I know it. Hell, I had always planned on calling her that as a nickname, but nowhehas ruined that for me. “It’s just … that’s what he?—”
“You never have to give me an explanation.”
“I don’t want to come off as rude.”
He winks at Savannah and responds, “Asking for what you need and expect is never rude.”
“Thank you.” I look down at the cutting board and continue because if I look up at him and see the care he is giving my daughter, old feelings begin to brew.
Clearly, I have respect for single mothers; I am one, but I remember father-daughter dances. I remember wanting to know that just one person, one stronger than me, not my mother, I’ve been stronger than her since birth, and yes, I know that makes me sound cold, so fucking cold, but her mental health does not invalidate my feelings. Does not take away all the times when she chose drugs or alcohol or men over her own daughter's safety. So yes, I've got daddy issues,so does half the fucking world, and this is my soft spot, my one weakness, seeing fathers with the daughters they adore, knowing,or maybe just imagining, that he would protect her from every person who wished to do her wrong.
“I heard your mom is becoming a part of a new family—the hockey family, the Brooklyn Bears. They’re part of my family, too, and as family takes care of family, they also take care of each other. That being said, any one of the Bears family gives you issues, you tell me, and I’ll take care of that, too.”
“Would you like some?” I push the plated fruit across the counter.
“Actually, I have a whole routine on game day, and if I break it …” he shakes his head, and Savannah takes the opportunity to grab two fistfuls of his hair.
“Oh, my goodness, little one, no, thank you.” I gasp.
Koa? He laughs as we both try to disentangle her grabby little hands from his hair.
“What is going on out here?” comes right before a bubble of laughter bursts from Nalani.
“We’re bonding.” Koa chuckles.
Once I have my curious little critter back in my arms, he invites us to breakfast at his place.
From what I gathered, Deacon also lives at the Puck Pad; my instinct is to decline the invitation to put distance between us because when we are even in the same room, there is an energy,a chemistry, that I cannot deny. But sadly, the attention whore in me wins this internal debate. Hey, I never said I was perfect.
Imaginemy surprise when we pull into the garage of a massive estate.
Nalani laughs as she gets out of his vehicle. “I was not expecting the Puck Pad to be more of a freaking palace.”
Koa punches in the code to the door leading to the house. “Ladies first.”
“Holy shit.” Nalani laughs as she leaves the little entryway and walks to the first living room.
