"Sadie?" His voice was cautious when he answered, probably wondering why I was calling so soon after our fight.
"The kids at school know," I said without preamble. "Casey knows. Whatever happened at that sporting goods store yesterday, it's all over town."
There was a beat of silence, then a muttered curse. "Is she okay?" His voice shifted immediately, concern overriding everything else. "How did she take it?"
My chest tightened at the question. Despite everything between us, his first thought was for Casey.
"She's… she's actually excited," I admitted. "She said she always wanted a dad, especially one who plays hockey."
I heard him exhale, a sound caught between relief and something else. Maybe hope.
"I'm coming over," he said, his voice firm with determination. "We need to handle this together. For Casey."
"For Casey," I agreed before ending the call.
I knew that despite everything, the shared love for our daughter had created an unbreakable connection between Easton and me.
Whatever happened next, Casey's wellbeing had to come first.
And for the first time in two days, I felt like maybe we could actually do this.
Together.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Easton
The fifteen-minute drive to Palisade's house stretched on, the silence punctuated only by the hum of the engine and my racing thoughts. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. We were going to sit Casey down together and explain things carefully, making sure she understood that none of this was her fault.
Instead, she'd found out from playground gossip.
I gripped the steering wheel tighter, the hockey stick secured in the back seat a constant reminder of my impulsive decision at the sporting goods store. I'd been so tired of secrets, so ready to claim Casey as mine that I hadn't thought aboutthe consequences. I hadn't considered how quickly news would spread in a town like Amber Falls.
When I pulled into Palisade's driveway, I grabbed Casey's hockey stick from the back seat and took a deep breath before approaching the front door.
Before I could knock, it swung open to reveal Palisade, her expression a complex mixture of worry and resignation.
"She's in her room," Palisade said softly, stepping aside to let me in. "I told her you were coming over. She's… taking it better than I expected."
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak yet. The stick in my hands was like a peace offering and a statement of intent.
I'm here to be Casey's father, no matter what happened between Palisade and me.
"I'm sorry about the sporting goods store," I said, following Palisade into the living room. "I wasn't thinking about how quickly news would spread."
"What exactly happened?" she asked, arms crossed over her chest.
I explained ordering the custom hockey stick, the clerk's question, and my impulsive response. "I was so tired of secrets," I finished, running a hand through my hair. "After I saw Dr. Reyes, I felt… I don't know, maybe proud to claim her as mine. I wasn't thinking about the consequences."
Palisade's expression softened slightly. "You went to see your therapist?"
"Yeah. I needed to process everything before seeing Casey again." I gestured toward her bedroom door. "How did she find out?"
"Kids at school. Apparently, their parents overheard something at the store, and it spread like wildfire." Palisade sighed, sinking onto the couch. "She came home from school upset and confused. I had to tell her the truth."
I sat across from her, the hockey stick balanced across my knees. "And?"
"And she's processing it. She has questions, obviously." A small, sad smile crossed her face. "Her primary concern was whether you actually wanted to be her father."
