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“Well. It’s a lot to take in. Being a parent is good, important work.”

“Yeah,” I agreed.

“Haven’t known you long, but you seem like a man who understands his responsibilities.”

“I like to think so.”

“Is it a little boy?”

“It’s a little girl.”

“Oh, I love a big, strong, scary guy turning into putty for a little girl. She’s going to decorate your beard. And ask you to have tea parties.”

“I’m game. I missed so much already.”

“I’m confused. If you are glad to have a little girl, why are you so tense?”

“I’m just worried about what her mom might have gone through recently. There are a lot of bruises.”

Maud’s face tightened at that. “I had a sister who had a husband that used to put his hands on her. Of course, back in my day, that wasn’t unheard of. Some men are so small that they need to beat everyone around them down to feel big.”

“Yeah. I hate the idea that my daughter seems to have seen that.”

“That’s hard. Kids are resilient, though. And you have the chance to show your daughter what a good man is.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, exhaling hard. “That’s true. Thanks for the talk, Maud.”

“Thanks for showing me how to live again,” she said, getting to her feet. “I’m going to go drag my husband into the shooting range for a quickie.”

Thanks for that visual.

“Have fun.”

“Be gentle with your daughter’s mom. It sounds like she’s been through a lot. Don’t try to bully the information out of her, either.”

That was some solid advice.

I had to let Runa open up to me in her time.

I just hoped it was soon.

Not knowing was going to drive me crazy.

CHAPTER NINE

Runa

“Mommy,” Denali called as I moved the clothes from the washing machine to the dryer, a smile on my face at the simplicity of it. It was so easy to just throw a load in first thing in the morning, then switch it over between other tasks. No sitting around and wasting hours at a laundromat.

“What’s up?” I asked, turning the dryer on and turning to find Denali watching me from her doorway.

“When can we see Daddy again?”

Every time she called him that, I got this strange fluttering sensation in my stomach. A good feeling, a… rightness I hadn’t expected.

“That’s a good question. I guess you can call him and ask if you want.”

“Really?”