“Yeah, this time, you fuckin’ do.”
“Look at her. She’s obviously yours.”
Studying the baby in the car seat carrier at Elaine’s feet, I couldn’t deny the resemblance, but that didn’t change a damn thing. “If she’s mine, why the hell are you just now telling me? Because you need me to babysit while you do a job?”
“It’s not babysitting. She’s your child! I thought you’d be happy to spend time with her. Why are you being such an asshole about this?”
Shocked, I glared at the bitch. She had to be certifiable if she expected me to handle this differently. “I’ll take a paternity test.”
“Good. But I have to go, so you figure that shit out while I’m gone.”
Then she turned and sprinted back to her car, leaving the baby behind.
Too shocked to chase after her, I stared at the little girl with my eyes and my lips. I didn’t know if she was mine, but I couldn’t leave her alone on the porch. I picked up her carrier and took her into the house. Then we called Mama.
“She just left Hailey on your doorstep?” Sasha asked.
“Yeah. She said she’d be back in three weeks top, but that was the last time I saw her.”
Sasha’s eyebrows rose. “But can she find you? I mean you told me you’re good at hiding.”
“Babe, she’s the one who trained me. After two years with no contact—not even to check up on Hailey—she’s either dead, a prisoner of war, or has one hell of a case of amnesia. Regardless, she’s dead to me and Hailey. Hailey is definitely mine, and I have the paternity test to prove it now. If Elaine ever shows back up to take her, she’s gonna have one hell of a fight on her hands.”
Sasha smiled and tapped me on the chest. “Good. You would have liked my dad. He was protective and funny and when he was around, everything was better. He just… handled everything. He died while I was in middle school, and I hated that he wasn’t around to give me advice on guys. He would have been like those protective dads on TV… sitting on the front porch cleaning his shotgun when my dates arrived to pick me up. I wanted that; someone to care about me enough to possibly do jail time to protect my honor. I bet you’re gonna be that kind of dad.”
“Fuck that! My girl’s not dating until she’s thirty and out of grad school,” I said.
Sasha laughed. “You’re a good dad, Tap. Hailey is one lucky little girl.”
Her praise meant far more to me than it should have. “Thanks.”
She kissed my chest. “Now close your eyes and go to sleep. You have to get up in a few hours to rescue a bunch of daughters who don’t have dads nearly as awesome as you. You need to be well-rested.”
She snuggled against my side and I wrapped my arms around her and closed my eyes. And surprisingly enough, I slept until my alarm went off the next morning.
Tap
MY FIRST ALARM went off at 2:15 a.m. With Sasha splayed across me, I was so damn comfortable I didn’t want to move, but I managed to roll over and turn it off. I tried to slide out from under Sasha without waking her, but her eyes popped open the instant my feet hit the floor.
“It’s time?” she asked.
“Yeah, babe. You should relax and try to get some more sleep.”
She leveled a stare at me. “You’re kidding, right?”
“More like wishful thinking.”
The second and third alarms blared, so I turned them both off.
“You’re risking your life to do my job. The least I can do is guzzle pots of coffee and pace circles into your living room floor while you’re gone.” She scooted off the bed, and I tried not to notice the way her tits bounced with the movement. We didn’t have time for morning sex, and I needed to focus.
I chuckled and tugged her against me for a quick kiss. “If it makes you feel better.”
“It won’t. Going with you would make me feel better, but I understand why I can’t. I hate it and I want to throw a toddler-sized fit about it, but I understand.”
I grabbed the solid black clothes I’d set aside last night and started dressing. “I’ll tell Link. He’ll be relieved. He’s worried that you hate him.”
She snorted. “Right. That man doesn’t give a single fuck what anyone thinks of him.”
