I peer over my mother’s shoulder to where the girls are perched on her couch with a giant bowl of popcorn between them. They’re totally engrossed in the movie she put on for them and not paying any attention to us.
Maddox is too busy being mad at me to even look in my direction. She thinks I overreacted about her trip down the street to the local bar, while I think I handled it well, barely raising my voice.
“You almost lost your cool today with the girls, and I know that’s not you, Wylder. You’re the best dad I’ve ever known, but they almost pushed you over the edge. What they did was bad, but they’re okay and safe.”
I run my fingers through my hair, trying not to chastise myself too harshly for being a second away from losing my temper.
I wasn’t even mad until Maddy stepped foot on the porch and didn’t look the least bit guilty about the panic she’d caused by disappearing into thin air without us having any way to find them.
For a year now, she’s begged for a cell phone, and I’ve been vehement in my response that it isn’t happening until she is at least sixteen. But today, when we didn’t know where they were, a cell phone would’ve made things a lot easier.
“Maybe I need to get Maddy a phone,” I whisper to my mom, because although they don’t look like they’re listening, I know those girls hear everything.
“That would be smart. You can’t keep her a little girl forever, Wylder. She’s going to need a way to call for help if she’s stranded or wanders away again.”
“She better not wander away again.”
My mom gently wraps her hand around my wrist, giving me a light squeeze. “Things aren’t going to get easier. She’s growing up quickly and will test her boundaries daily.”
“Fuckin’ great,” I mutter, remembering doing the same thing without putting any thought into how it made my parents feel.
Ma laughs again, loving that I’m about to be paid back for all my antics when I was younger.
Hazel’s the one who follows all the rules, always worried about doing what’s right.
But Maddy…she’s all me, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that I have a very rocky decade in front of me without a partner to lean on.
“Now, go. Get a good night’s sleep and come by for breakfast and to get the girls.”
“Are you sure, Ma? That’s a lot for you.”
Her eyes narrow as she peers up at me. “I may be older, honey, but I’m not dead. I can still cook a meal for my family with this old body.”
I lift my hands, hating that I made her feel bad. “I know, Ma, but it was a stressful day.”
“There’s no better way for me to unwind than to hang out with my grandkids. You, on the other hand, need something a little different.”
I raise an eyebrow, and she chuckles in response.
“You’re young and single. Go out and act like it.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to block out the fact that my mother is implying I need to get laid. “The last thing I need is a woman in my life.”
“I didn’t say you should run out and get married. Also, not every woman is like Katie either. You’re going to have to take a chance on someone someday, baby. You’re too young to spend the rest of your life alone.”
“It’s too soon for the girls.”
She makes a noise in the back of their throat. “Stop making excuses. The girls could use a woman in their life every day too. It would be good for all three of you.”
I grumble under my breath because that’s the last thing we need.
“Granny, come watch the movie with us,” Hazel says, her mouth full of popcorn and in the process of grabbing another handful.
“I’m coming, sweetie. Just saying goodbye to your dad.”
“Bye, Daddy,” Hazel calls out, giving me a little wave with her popcorn-filled fist.
I stalk across the room, dropping a kiss on top of Hazel’s head. “Sweet dreams tonight, baby.”
