His hand squeezed my leg from under the table. He looked at me and smiled, then looked back at them.
“You’re welcome. I’m the one that’s grateful for it because I may not have ever met her.” He looked at me again and winked.
His words and the way he looked at me sent heat coursing through my body.
“Aww.” Angie and Kayla cooed at the same time.
“You make her happy, and that’s all we want,” Kayla added.
“But I do have a question.” Angie leaned forward and put her arms on the table. “We were told that you have a daughter. Will there be any issues with her mother?”
I felt Onyx tense for a quick second, then he relaxed. I hadn’t gotten around to asking about Turquoise’s mother, but his reaction told me it was a touchy subject.
“No. Maverick doesn’t have to worry about anyone when it comes to me.”
Angie’s eyes darted between Onyx and me, until she settled on Onyx. “Good to know.” It looked like she wanted to say more, but she left it alone.
“As I’ve told Maverick, I’m not one to play games with anyone’s time or feelings. If I’m fucking with you, then that’s what it is.”
“Okay then, sir.” Angie laughed, and the rest of us joined in.
Once that was out of the way, the rest of the night went well. Onyx talked about his daughter and told us about some of the calls he’d gotten at the firehouse.
Nobody else asked any other uncomfortable questions, and for that, I was thankful.
“You got any friends?” Angie asked. “Or any brothers?”
Onyx chuckled and shook his head. “Nah. If I’m not working, I’m with my daughter, and my father and stepmom. If not with them, then I’m spending time with Miss Maverick.” He leaned over and kissed my temple. “I like to keep to myself. Always been like that.”
“I feel you. If it weren’t for these two, I wouldn’t have friends either,” Angie said as she pointed at Kayla and me. “Sometimes it’s better that way.”
Onyx nodded his head. “You are right about that.”
The conversation moved on to sports, and I chimed in whenever I could. Angie was way more into sports than Kayla and I were, except for when it came to video games. I was the only one that played out of the three of us.
My girls stayed for a couple of hours, then they headed out to do whatever they had planned for the night. Kayla probably would go home and watch television or something. Knowing Angie, she probably had a dick appointment scheduled.
After the way Onyx put it down before they came, I didn’t need more dick, but I wouldn’t turn it down.
The night turned out well, and after Onyx and I cleaned up, we retreated to my bedroom. Turquoise stayed the night with her grandparents, so I stayed the night in Onyx’s arms.
Meeting Maverick’sfriends went the way I expected it to go. I was an honest guy and didn’t like to bullshit people. Plus, I could already tell they liked me when I met them in the hospital. They didn’t look at me sexually; it was more so in admiration for saving their friend. I wasn’t surprised I was asked about Turquoise’s mom. I was surprised that Maverick hadn’t asked.
“I’m kinda nervous,” Maverick said from the passenger seat of my truck.
Maverick told me she would drive to my dad’s, but I insisted on picking her up. I wanted to have a private conversation with her before we went over there because if I knew my dad or stepmom, one of them would say something about it.
“You don’t have to be nervous. They know all about you, and you know the little lady likes you. My stepmom is the most excited, though. Before we go, though, I wanted to talk to you about something.”
She twisted in the seat to face me. I put my free hand on her leg while the other gripped the wheel.
“I’m sure you noticed the quick uncomfortableness I got the night your friend asked about Turquoise’s mom.” Maverick was observant, and since we were constantly touching each other, I was sure she felt me tense up when the question was asked. “Anyway. Bria, Turquoise’s mom, died during childbirth.”
Maverick’s breath hitched, and she reached over the console and rubbed my arm.
“Aw, Onyx. I’m sorry. We don’t have to talk about it.” She continued to rub my arm.
“It’s okay. It’s something we would have to talk about at some point. Bria and I were together for five years, before she got pregnant. She was good for the first few hours, then later that night, she suffered a stroke and died. Before she died, she got to see Turquoise, and she was the one that named her. Since then, it’s just been me and my baby. My father and stepmom help a lot, but that’s it. You already saw how her maternal grandmother flaked on me, and that wasn’t the first time. I haven’t really dated, because I wasn’t trying to bring a random woman around my daughter, and that’s how I ended up with the married chick.”
