“Is everything okay?”
“Well, it’s fine from a station point of view. But Jarrad called in sick for his shift this afternoon, and I haven’t been able to find anyone to fill it.”
“Again?” The guy had already called in sick two other times since returning from his suspension.
“Yep. Something about a stomach bug.”
Yeah fucking right.
Avery sat on Sadie’s lap, his eight-year-old talking at a million miles a minute while Sadie stared as if she could listen all day.
“Give me five minutes to see if I can find someone to look after Ave and I’ll get back to you.”
“You got it, boss.”
Avery was skimming the chocolate off Sadie’s drink when he stepped up to her table.
“Is everything okay?” Sadie asked, the brown specks in her eyes playing with the black.
“That was the station. We’re down an officer for tonight’s shift. Any chance you could watch Avery?”
Avery’s eyes widened and she grabbed Sadie’s arms. “Oh, please say yes!”
Sadie smiled affectionately at his daughter. “I’d love to.”
Eastern dipped his head. “Thanks.” Now he just had to control himself when he got home that night. Not touch her. Definitely not think about kissing her.
Easier said than done.
CHAPTER 7
Eastern pulled into his drive and turned off the car before leaning his head back. It had been a long-ass night of house calls and drunken idiots…so the usual for a Saturday night. There’d even been one guy who’d decided to get drunk, leave Cody’s bar, then try to break into the grocery store a few doors down. Of course, he’d claimed he wasn’t trying to break in, justget in,only he hadn’t realized they were closed.
You’d think the blaring alarm once he’d started shaking the door would have been a dead giveaway.
Eastern massaged his temple as he climbed out. It was late. A hell of a lot later than he’d intended to come home. He’d texted Sadie an hour and a half ago, but she hadn’t replied. And that in itself had made the night feel longer, because he’d been looking at his phone for the last ninety minutes,waitingfor a reply.
Once the front door was unlocked, he stepped inside—only to stop at the sight in front of him. All the lights were off and the TV was on, but that wasn’t what had him pausing. It was the sight of Sadie and Avery cuddled on the couch. They both lay on their sides, Sadie’s arm wrapped around Avery’s middle, his daughter in her pajamas.
Had she already gone to bed but come back out to lie with Sadie? Or had they just fallen asleep like that?
Something deep in his chest gave an odd twist. They looked like what a mother and daughter should look like. Sadie looked like the mother Avery deserved.
After dropping his bag by the door, he crossed the room and lowered in front of the couch. They looked so peaceful that he didn’t want to wake them, but he had to. Gently, he slipped his arms around his daughter’s back and legs and lifted her from the couch. Neither of them stirred.
When he reached Avery’s room, he realized his earlier suspicions were right. Her bed was unmade, a dead giveaway she’d started her night there but had escaped. Wasn’t a huge surprise, it had happened before.
Carefully, he laid her on the bed and pulled the covers up.
A small sigh left her lips before she rolled to the side and whispered, “I love you, Sadie.”
He stilled. She hadn’t woken when she’d said the words, but that didn’t matter.
He grazed some hair from her face before whispering, “She loves you too, princess. We both do.” He pressed a light kiss to her cheek before rising and moving out of the room.
Then that twist in his chest turned into a gallop of his heart. Sadie’s eyes were still closed, but it was the peace on her face that had him pausing. The vulnerability.
Damn, she was beautiful. The gentle rise and fall of her chest. The way soft wisps of hair fell onto the delicate skin of her cheeks. She wasn’t the teenager he’d met almost a decade ago anymore…not even close.
