He glances toward the stairs, dropping his voice. “Things are finally on a better track for Oliver. I can’t fuck that up. I just can’t.”
A twinge of sadness rolls through me. Kane is such a good dad. He’s the kind of dad I wish Linc and I had growing up. He deserves to be happy, too.
I get what he’s saying, but he shouldn’t feel the need to put his personal life on hold in order to do what he thinks is best for his son.
“She’s the reason I found both of you staring at the door at the bar the other night. Right?” he asks.
Linc and I share a glance. “Yeah,” we both say at the same time.
He nods, like he already knew the answer to his question. He opens his mouth a few times, but he can’t seem to get the words out.
He runs a frustrated hand over his face.
“I’m not going to tell you to stay away from her. I’m not that much of an asshole, but please be careful. This could all get really messy, and…”
His eyes move to the stairs, leading to Oliver’s room.
“We would never do anything that would hurt him,” Linc says, echoing the thought rolling through my own brain.
“I know you wouldn’t.” His eyes close for a moment, and when they open, they’re filled with more emotion than I can name.
“You really like her.” I say it as a statement, not a question.
He just shrugs, but I can see the answer in his eyes. He obviously does.
Linc and I look at each other again. An entire silent conversation passes between us without a single word being spoken aloud.
“Oliver comes first,” Linc says.
I don’t know how any of this will pan out, but I know that will always be our priority.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Abby
“Didyou have shooting pains that came out of your ass?” Cole asks as soon as I answer the call. He doesn’t even give me a chance to say hello.
“Good morning to you, too.”
“Hi… yes. Good morning. Did your ass have shooting pains?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I ask as I start laughing.
“Fucking listen, Abs.”
I stay silent.
“Oh, you’re actually going to do what I said?”
“Mmhmm…”
“Wow… okay.”
“Cole…”
“Right… When you were pregnant with Mav, did you have sharp pains that started in your ass and shot down your legs?”
I cringe because, yes, I definitely had that. “Yeah, I did. It’s called sciatica, and it fucking sucks.”
