“When can we meet her?” War asks.
I smirk, knowing my next words will earn me a smack to the back of my head. “You have met her.”
He frowns. “I have?”
“She’s a friend of Josie’s,” Daniel says with a shit-eating grin.
“She’s what?” War’s blue eyes sharpen as he looks from me to Daniel and back again. “Like, she’s Josie’s age?”
“I’d like to remind you that we’re not as old as you,” Daniel says.
Fucker may irritate the shit out of me some days, but he’s got my back. No one in my life, other than Cora, has been as good to me as he has.
War’s muscles tense, his jaw hardening. “Yeah, but you’ve known my daughter since she was a kid, so?—”
Daniel chuckles. “Yeah? And Gavin married his best friend’s kid. What’s the issue?”
Eyes closed, I pinch the bridge of my nose. Dammit. Yeah, I’ve known Josie most of her life. I still think of her as a kid. And while Savannah is close to the same age, there’s no fucking way?—
“Who the fuck is the girl?” War grits out.
I inhale through my nose and straighten. “Savannah.”
War’s expression contorts into one of pain. “Josie’s best friend Savannah? As in the girl who has spent the last handful of Christmases at my house Savannah?”
I shrug. Didn’t know any of that, but I don’t doubt the truth of it. They’re clearly close.
He runs a tattooed hand through his dark hair and shakes his head. “Fuck, I can kind of see it.”
I practically stagger back. This time I’m the one in shock. “You can?”
With a shake of his head, he huffs out a dark laugh. “Yeah, she’s sarcastic as shit, an old soul for sure, and a really good friend to Josie.” He sighs. “Girl’s had a tough life. Doesn’t have a relationship with her parents. Hence the reason she spends the holidays with us.” He eyes the rink, where the last of the players are filtering out, including his son. “I kind of hoped Bray would ask her out, if I’m honest.”
The way my hands ball into fists isn’t rational. Neither is the urge to growl afuck no. So it’s a good thing War drops an arm around my shoulders and laughs. “Don’t worry, Bray only has eyes for hockey, which is good. I’m not ready to be a grandpa yet.”
Daniel makes a choking sound and stumbles back. I almost do too. Because I’m talking about dating a girl who’s his daughter’s age, and he’s talking about grandkids.
Fuck, life is strange.
TWENTY
SAVANNAH
Calliope’s Column
It’s Not Him, It’s You (Kind Of)
Rule Number 4: Don’t Talk About Your Past Sexual Partners…or Compare Him to Them…(Or do and Pay the Price.)
When Josie readsthe tagline of this week’s article out loud, there’s no holding back the fit of giggles that takes over.
“Wait, what price did you pay?” Addie holds up a red sweater dress, eyeing it, then us, in silent question.
“Go sluttier,” Josie says from her spot beside me on Addie’s bed. “Your body is literally what dreams are made of. Wet ones. Give the guys a little preview of what they’re missing.” She drops her phone onto the bed, thankfully pausing her reading of my article, and darts up and disappears into Addie’s closet.
“I’m not trying to give them a preview of anything. I’ll be their coach next year. Professional, remember? That’s what we’re keeping this.” She widens her eyes at me, looking for backup.
All she’ll get from me is a shrug. “I’ve recently discovered that I getoff on being spanked, so I’m the wrong person to look to for moral support.”
