“Drew! Drew, stop ... let him be. He didn’t do anything to you.”
I felt a hand on my shoulder and released my grip.
“Drew,” she whispered in my ear. “Come on, leave him.”
I stood and shook my hand out. “Sorry, dude, but don’t ever disrespect my daughter or me. I wasn’t there then but I’m here now ... and I’m not going anywhere.”
I had to give it to the guy. He stood there with his cheek red and swollen, and stared me down.
“Then don’t ever disrespect Claire again, you hear me? If you hurt her, you’ll deal with me. Feel me?”
“You don’t have to worry about that. Just mind your own business when it comes to my daughter.” I was part caveman, part papa bear. Some innate instinct I didn’t even know I possessed reared its head.
“I’m taking you home,” I growled. “Claire ... fuck it. Jules, let’s go.”
Her tie had come undone, and her eyes were wary. She looked mad and ... damn it, hot as hell. Fuck, I knew better than to let my mind go in that direction.
She stomped out of the main restaurant and practically raced for her car. When she reached for the car door, I grabbed her by the waist and hauled her toward me. Turning us until my ass was leaning on her car and she was wedged against me, I kept a tight hold on her waist.
“I don’t know what I need to do,” I told her, “but understand this. I’m not going anywhere. I know I have to take it slow with Darla, but let me be clear ... I’m only going so slow for so long. I didn’t know I had a family, but now that I do, I’m getting it back. For good.”
When she eyed me like I was the devil, I said, “Now, come on. I’d rather you didn’t work in this job, but you do, so I’m driving you home.” I took her wrist gently and led her to my car.
“Drew, this is absurd. I’ve been doing this for six years. I don’t need you to protect me, and what about my car?”
“We’ll get it tomorrow when you wake up and after I go to the gym. Then we can take Darla out for pancakes.”
“What about me? My life? My job? Everything I’ve built?”
“Life as you know it, babe, is over. What you’ve built on your own is awesome, but what we’re going to build together is going to be even better.”
It was like a fantasy, one I’d never even imagined. Yeah, I’d dreamed of fast cars and even faster women, but never a daughter.
Yet there I was, satiated like a man post-coital after I’d spent most of Saturday with the girls. I’d carried Darla on my shoulders on our way for pancakes, even though my knee was screaming at me. My heart didn’t let my stupid joint win out; I was carrying my girl around. It was a high I’d never dreamed of.
My spirits soared. I was a bird, a plane, no ... I was ... who even cares. My life had transcended to something epic. It didn’t even bother me when I tried to pull Jules close and she whispered, “No touching,”as we made our way into the diner for breakfast.
I was there. With Darla. With Jules. I’d touch later.
Except Jules insisted on going to work, and someone named Molly came to watch my daughter. I’d never been so torn.
I wanted to go with Jules, but I also wanted to stay and watch this Molly character. Maybe I could run a background check, or have Sully call in a favor down at the police station.
I also couldn’t allow Jules to go to work without me being there. There was that cock—her boss—and then all the men leering at her. I’d seen enough of that shit the few times I’d been there.
In the end, I went with Jules, because I knew staying with Darla would be a battle I wouldn’t win.
Until next time.
Sunday morning, I worked out like I’d just won the Olympics. If you looked uppussy-whipped pansyin the dictionary, you’d find me with all my oversized dreams and comparisons. One minute, I was Superman, and the next I was in the Olympics.
Truth was, I’d just found out I was a dad, and was scared shitless about doing it all right.
Or wrong.
Today was the day Darla and I would start our lessons. Jules and Darla were scheduled to meet me at the club after my workout. I had a group of eight- and nine-year-old boys at ten o’clock that Darla could keep up with.
Of course she could. She was my freaking flesh and blood.
