Ivy laughed. “Daddy said I can be both. Can we go swimming now?”
“Now?” I looked around for backup and found Decoy bearing down on us, chasing his kid across the yard. “If it’s okay with your dad.”
Ivy lowered her voice to a stage whisper. “He didn’t sayno.”
“That’s a start, I guess. But he might have other plans for you.”
Decoy reached us in time to overhear. He swept a searching gaze over me before he focused on Ivy. “We don’t have other plans, but you don’t get to boss Folk around.”
“Why not?”
I intervened before Decoy could act on the irritation tensing his tall frame. “I don’t mind. A swim sounds good. And I’ll bring the right clothes this time.”
Heat flared in Decoy’s honey-brown eyes, brief and addictive, before he dampened it down with adadfrown for Ivy. “All right. If it’s okay with Folk. But don’t pester him when we get there. And when I say it’s time to go home, no funny business.”
“Yes, Daddy.” Ivy jumped out of my arms and scorched across the yard, disappearing into the clubhouse.
Decoy kept half an eye on her and shot me an apology with the other. “You know she’s going to invite Liliana, don’t you? Your legend has spread.”
I gave him an easy shrug. “I already told you that’s fine. I like teaching kids to swim. You might have to help me, though. Mateo can’t get in the water today.”
Decoy snorted. “He wouldn’t anyway. Swimming’s not his favourite thing.”
“Ain’t my fault there’s no beaches in Finsbury Park.” Mateo came up behind us, flexing his injured arm. “But I’ll bring Lili if you don’t mind having two limpets to watch over. She’s got to swim at school next year and I don’t want her worrying about being shit at it.”
“It’s fine. Bring her. But don’t punch me if she doesn’t like getting water in her eyes. It’s part of the process.”
Mateo held my gaze. “I trust you, brother.”
18
DECOY
Liliana couldn’t swim. And she hated the sensation of sinking. Leaning her into it took up most of Folk’s attention, but Ivy didn’t mind. One session with him had turned her into a literal fish. It was all I could do to keep track of her as she zoomed around beneath the surface.
“Fucking hell.” Mateo sat on the edge of the pool, dangling his feet into the water while he oscillated between watching Liliana and scowling at anyone who even thought about coming close to us. “It’sworsewhen they can swim?”
Ivy flashed through my legs and popped up ten feet away. I blew out a stressed breath. “It’s definitely worse. I thought she was over there.”
Real alarm crept into Mateo’s scarred features and I felt bad. He’d spent enough time being scared he’d lose his daughter.
Watching Ivy, I swam to where he sat. “It’s not really worse. I’m glad she can swim so well. It’s a life skill, man.”
“Folk taught her?”
“No, I did. But he made it better.”
Mateo gave me a melancholy smile. “Em was gonna teach Lili, but he ain’t had the energy.”
“He’ll get it back.”
“I hope so. For his sake. But I miss him.”
I pressed a wet fist to Mateo’s thigh. “I know. But look at her go. She’s swimming.”
Folk chose that moment to take his hands from Liliana and set her loose in the water, coaching her through the kicks and strokes. One metre. Two metres. Three.
Then he caught her before she could sink, and the sun came out in Mateo’s sad grin. “Hey. You did it!”
