“Of course,” I say quickly.
“And Hawke?”
“Yes, sir,” Brayden says, sounding tired.
“I’m really fucking disappointed in you.”
“I’m sorry, sir.”
“A lot of good that does me,” he snaps. “Stay away from my daughter. She’s twenty-one. And how old are you? Thirty-three? Thirty-four?” He doesn’t give Brayden a chance to answer. “She’s off limits. Do you understand?”
Brayden nods like Gavin can see him. “Of course.”
When the line goes dead, I stare at him. “That was so not good.”
He shakes his head. “Just make sure she takes the pain reliever I left beside her bed. And, uh, I’ll call Josie. See if she can come over and help with the kids before you have to leave.”
I blow out a breath. “Thanks, man. You better tell Bobby he owes you.”
“Yeah, he fucking does.” Grumbling, he slips his phone into his pocket. “Uber’s here. I’ll see you later.”
Three hours later, Vivi is cuddled up on the couch with all the monsters watching a movie. She looks like shit, and she winces every time the music gets loud. More than once, she’s muttered, “Fucking A, Uncle Beckett just had to spring for the best surround system.”
Chuckling, I drop my suitcase by my feet. Then I hold out my arms. “Come on, Avey girl. I gotta head out.”
My little girl runs toward me, throwing her arms around my neck and hugging me tight. “You’re going to call before bed, right?” Her sweet voice is insistent as she snuggles into me.
I pull back and look her in the eye. “Every night. And you’re going to be extra good for your aunties, right?”
She nods aggressively, making her blond hair float around her head.
Before I can ask her what she wants me to bring home—it’s a trick question because I bring her a key chain from every place I go; every airport, every arena, every city, if I see a keychain I bring it to her, the sparklier the better— my girl squeals in my ear and shoves away from me.
“Addie! You’re going with Daddy too?”
Adeline appears at the bottom of the stairs, suitcase in hand. Today’s red suit makes my tongue feel heavy. It’s form fitting and dips low between her breasts. It’s sexy yet classy. Her chestnut hair is down and wavy against her shoulders and her lips are the same color as that suit. Sinful red. Fuck me.
“I am, Avey girl.” She crouches to Avery’s level.
She’s wearing black heels with the red bottoms. The same shoes she wore that night at the restaurant. Shit. I cannot have visions of those shoes on either side of my head right now, while my four-year-old grins up at her.
I’ll save those thoughts for later.
“Kick some hockey player butt like always.”
Avery launches herself into Adeline’s arms and hugs her just as tight as she did me. I have to look away. It’s painful, seeing what we could have had. What we could have been. If only Tabitha hadn’t been Avery’s mother. If only Adeline was.
Then again, Adeline didn’t want kids. Just the thought makes my chest burn.
“And you promise to call me every night?” Avery asks.
Head snapping up, I step forward, ready to explain to my daughter why she can’t ask for stuff like that. But before I can, Adeline nods, that soft smile she only gives my daughter on her lips. “Of course I will.”
“You can call with my dad.” She beams up at me like we’re in on a secret. If I’d thought of it, I’d have helped with the scheme, but this is all Avery.
Adeline peers at me over my little girl’s head wearing a wary look. “You can call me on my phone,” she says.
“I’ll call you with Daddy. I like it when you sleep in the same bed. Then my daddy isn’t lonely.”
