by D. Kelly
I crouch down to eye level with the kids. “Do you guys remember when I told you I have a new girlfriend?”
“Yes,” they reply in unison.
“Haddie is my girlfriend.” I pause as Cadence looks between us and Nate looks at Cadence. “Do you guys have any questions?”
“Is she nice?” Nate asks, taking the lead.
Haddie kneels next to me. “I try to always be nice. Being nice is a lot easier than being mean.”
“Do you love her yet?” Cadence locks eyes with me.
“I love her very much. We talked about this before, but if you have feelings you want to discuss, we can talk about anything you’d like.”
Cadence cocks her head to the side and assesses Haddie and me. “Does she make you happy? Grandma Karen said when grownups fall in love, they should always be happy.”
Sawyer’s mom Karen fills these kids with a lot of knowledge about grownups. She’s raised some pretty incredible kids so I think it’s all part of her process.
“Haddie makes me very happy.”
Cadence nods, steps forward, and hugs Haddie. “My dad is sad a lot because he misses my mommy in heaven. Thank you for making him happier.”
Tears fill my eyes, and as soon as Cadence releases Haddie, I swoop her into my arms. “I love you, Cady, so very much.”
She giggles in my arms. “I know, Daddy, I’m your number-one girl.” She looks over her shoulder. “Haddie, do you like ice cream? Daddy said we’re getting ice cream after the movie.”
“I do like ice cream,” Haddie answers with a smile.
“Me too. Me and Cady get the kind that makes our tongues blue!” Nate tells her excitedly, and I put Cadence down.
Before long, the kids bombard Haddie with all kinds of questions about movie snacks, drinks, and her favorite children’s movie.
I’m not sure I realized how worried I was about Cadence accepting Haddie, but my heart feels a lot lighter now that we’ve completed the introductions.
Once we’re all in the car and pull out of the gates, I know we’re in trouble. There are a couple of reporters camped outside of the exits.
“Is that what I think it is?” Haddie asks.
“Just ignore them,” Nate tells her. “We do.”
I grab my phone and call Mac. “What’s going on, Darren?”
“We just left the house to take the kids to the movies and I think we’ve got a few tails.”
“All right, you know the drill. Same theater as usual, right?”
“Yup, see you soon.”
After I hang up, I make another call. “Sawyer, hi.”
“Hey, I thought you were going to the movies.”
“We are, and we’ve got friends. Any idea why they were hanging outside the house?”
Sawyer groans. “Eli is back in town. I’m sure they think he’s coming out here. Do you want me to meet you guys?”
“Nah, Mac’s on his way.”
“What about Haddie?”
I flash her an encouraging smile. “She’s with us.”
“Hi, Dad!” Nate yells.
“Hi, Uncle Sawyer!” Cady screams.
Sawyer laughs. “Hello, everyone, have fun at the movies. Haddie, I know it’s hard, but try to breathe. It won’t be horrible if you don’t freak out.”
“I told her to ignore them, Dad.”
“Good job, Nate. Okay, have fun and call if you need anything.”
After Sawyer hangs up, I reach over and squeeze Haddie’s thigh. She flashes me a forced smile.
Mac meets us in the parking structure of the theater with Ryan in tow. Three reporters may have followed us, but when we leave the theater, there’s going to be a lot more once they figure out I have a new woman in my life.
We’re not even out of the structure before the camera flashes start going off.
“Is this your new girlfriend, Darren?”
“Is it true the last eligible member of Bastards and Dangerous is off the market?”
“Would Belle be supportive of this?”
The last one makes me want to fuck a reporter up, but Mac clamps his hand down on my shoulder. Even Haddie gasps, but Ryan is doing a great job of keeping the kids occupied. These motherfuckers …
Mac already called ahead to the theater and talked to their security team about keeping the reporters out. None of them will be getting into the theater while we’re here. Haddie takes the kids to the snack bar with Ryan and loads them up with junk.
“Give me your keys,” Mac orders. “Ryan can take your car after the movie while the rest of you ride with me.”
What else can I do?
“We promised the kids ice cream. Can you send Ryan to pick up all their favorites and extra toppings? If this is anything like it was when Mel and Sawyer started dating, I don’t want the kids exposed to it any longer than necessary.”
“Sure thing,” he says, pocketing my keys. “What about school tomorrow? Want me to go too?”
“You don’t think—” I check myself when as he raises a brow. “Yes, to be on the safe side. I know it’s going to be boring.”
“It’s my job, Darren, and protecting these kids is my number-one priority these days.”
I clap him on the shoulder. “Thanks, Mac.”
We meet up with Haddie and the kids and take our seats. Mac and Ryan flank each kid and Haddie and I sit next to each other. I reach for her hand and bring it to my lips. “I’m sorry,” I whisper in her ear. “This is going to get worse before it gets better, but my promises still stand. I love you.”
She leans over and kisses my cheek. “And I love you.”
Her words help take the edge off the lingering anger from that reporter. No matter how hard I try to focus on the movie, I can’t. I’m terrified once we step outside, Haddie is going to decide she can’t do this—I wouldn’t blame her either.
Mac leaves the second the movie ends to pull the car around, but the rest of us stay put until the theater is empty. The kids talk about the film excitedly and do a good job of bringing Haddie into the conversation.
My phone and Ryan’s go off at the same time.
Mac: 25 to 30 paps
It’s not as horrible as it could be but that probably means they’re camped out at home too. Fuck.
“Ryan, carry Nate. I’ll take Cady.”
“You got it.”
“I’m not a baby, Daddy,” Cady pouts.
“I know you aren’t, but there are a lot of reporters outside and they sometimes forget their boundaries. Remember when we talked to you guys about boundaries?”
They both nod.
“Good. Pretend we’re superheroes flying you to your car, okay?”
“Okay, but we still get ice cream, right?” she asks.
“Yes, but Uncle Ryan is going to pick it up and bring it home so we can have an ice cream party with Noelle, Uncle Sawyer, and Auntie Mel.”
Both kids cheer. I know they’ve got a good life overall, but it fucking blows not to be able to take the kids for ice cream when I want to.
I reach for Haddie’s hand and hold it tightly as we exit the theater. Mac is at the curb, door open, and we make a mad dash for the car. Ryan gets Nate inside then grabs Cadence from me. The flashes from the cameras and the reporters screaming their questions is insane. I could pull Haddie into my arms and kiss her now—tell them about us and get it over with—but I can’t without talking to her first. I know it won’t be more than an hour before her name is splashed everywhere—if it isn’t already.
When I was with Belle, this was easy. She was the media; she made the announcements. I let my publicist go years ago, but maybe I need to hire a new one. I stand behind Haddie as she climbs into the car. Ryan closes the door as soon as I jump in behind her, and Mac takes off the moment the kids are snapped into their seats.
“Daddy, that was crazy! Why were there so many of them?”
I take a deep breath. “People are curious about Haddie. When someone famous starts dating someone new, the f
ans want to know all about it. Until they learn everything they want to know, we might have to deal with that a lot more than usual.”
“Haddie,” Cadence says, “are you famous too?”
Haddie turns and faces her. “No, sweetie, I’m just a normal person with a normal job.”
“Okay, good,” she replies on an exhale.
I look at my daughter and raise a brow. “Cady bear, why did you want to know?”
“Because that was a lot of people. If Haddie’s not famous too, they’ll go away like they always do.”
“Remember when we went to Disneyland?” Nate pipes up, and I groan.
“Those were fans.” Cady points out matter of factly.
“Doesn’t matter, they were crazy!” Nate’s animated tone cracks me up.
Haddie smiles. “Care to share?”
“Sawyer, Wyatt, and I thought it would be fun to take the kids to Disneyland on a rainy day when it wasn’t so busy. It turned out they had some kind of sorority and fraternity day event. For the most part, everyone was cool, but at least fifty kids followed us around all day with their cell phones.”
“How did you get them to stop?”
Cadence and Nate laugh and shout in unison, “Balloons, churros, ice cream, free tickets!” The two of them break into a giggle fit with the memory.
“Seriously?” Haddie asks, sounding amused.
I shrug. “We bribed them with food and told them we’d give them free tickets for both parks if they left us alone until the end of the day. In order to collect, they had to meet us at a specific time and place. Worked like a charm, and it was totally something Noah would have done. It felt like he was there with us in spirit.”
“Daddy Noah liked making people happy,” Nate says proudly.
“He sure did, buddy. Your dad was one of the best people I ever knew. You’re pretty awesome all because of him.”
Nate shakes his head. “And because of Mommy and my dad.”
Cadence looks at Haddie. “Haddie, are you going to marry my dad now?”
Haddie’s eyes widen as she looks at me for guidance.
I shrug. “Answer her.”
“When your dad and I get to know each other better, we might talk about it in the future. If we stay in love a long time and he asked me to marry him, we would talk about it then.”
Cady huffs. “But would you say yes?”
“I can’t see why I wouldn’t.”
“Okay.” Cady turns to Nate and begins babbling about the movie again.
I lean close to Haddie and speak softly, “Couldn’t help but notice that wasn’t a no.”
She whispers, “You seem happy about that.”
“I’d be lucky to have that honor one day. Besides, after today …”
Haddie leans her head against mine. “I’m a little scared, but I’m trusting that we’re stronger than whatever comes next.”
As Mac pulls up to the house, reporters hover around the gates like vultures. There must be just as many here as there were at the theater. This is ridiculous.
“I’m going to go through the studio entrance so I can pull around back and avoid them,” Mac says as he turns into the drive.
“Sounds like a good plan.”
Sawyer is walking to the studio when we pull in. The kids and Mac hop out and follow Sawyer inside while I stay in the car with Haddie.
I reach behind her head and pull her mouth to mine. Her lips part and our tongues meet. She whimpers as we kiss and I feel it straight in my soul. After today, the two of us desperately need to connect on a deeper level. As we part, she sighs.
“It’s like you knew how much I needed that.”
With a grin, I reply, “Only because I did too. There’s something else I need from you, and please don’t argue with me.”
“Why would I argue with you?”
I pull a tendril of her hair between my fingers. “I’d do anything to protect you, Haddie. I don’t want anything to happen to even a single strand of hair on your head.”
She tilts her head and narrows her eyes. “Okay …”
“I can get a security team to your house tomorrow, but for tonight you need to stay here.”
She leans back in her seat. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting? Surely, no one knows who I am.”
I release a sigh and pull out my phone. “I’d be willing to bet you a thousand dollars that if I type your name into the search bar right now, photos of the two of us will pop up. Even if we don’t, the people who are here will follow you home if and when you try to leave.”
She blinks rapidly. “I-I’m … fuck, I don’t know what to say.”
“I think we need to call Sam.”
Haddie looks at me quizzically. “Remind me again who that is?”
“Sam Owen Stevenson, he owns SOS Media and Slammed Magazine. We need to give a statement, tell our story. It will be personable and relatable if it comes from us. This will die down, and things will go back to normal sooner rather than later.”
She pulls her phone from her purse as it starts sounding off alerts. “Messages from my mom and Marina. We’ve gone viral. Oh God … my parents didn’t know I was dating again. Now they want to know why I didn’t tell them.”
“Why didn’t you?”
She sighs loudly. “They’re beyond overprotective since my accident. I wasn’t ready to let them in yet, not until we talked about the kid situation and I knew we’d be okay.”
“I understand. Stay tonight so we can talk about this. Would you like to invite your parents over for dinner?”
“You’d do that? Let them come here and grill you?”
I open the door, hop out of the car, and hold out my hand for her. “For the girl I’m going to marry one day? Absolutely. We can invite my parents too.”
“You’re not going to let me live down that marriage thing, are you?”
I chuckle. “Cady was looking out for her old man. Remind me to buy her something special.”
Hand in hand, we walk toward the house.
“I like the parent idea, but let’s wait a few weeks and let things die down a bit. My parents will need to get used to the idea that I’m dating a rock star.”
“Will it be a problem?”
“No, they know they can’t control who I date. If they could, I’d be married to Jeremy Goldstein. He’s a dentist and very attractive—according to my mother—and he has a nice nest egg.”
I laugh as we step into the house. “And your opinion of Jeremy?”
“He’s all of the above, but he’s also condescending, a big know it all, loves to talk about aliens, and he’s gay. His parents have no clue. They think he’s going to bring home a nice girl one day. Either that or they’re in denial.”
“Hey, what’s wrong with aliens? Have you ever been to Roswell?”
Haddie’s eyes grow wide and she backs away from me. “Oh God, is this your fatal flaw? The one thing I can’t get past?”
I laugh so hard I’m nearly crying. “I’m joking, Haddie.”
“You’re a jerk!” She shoves me, and I pull her close.
“Maybe, but I’m your jerk.”
“Hm, I definitely love the sound of that.”
17
Darren
It’s been almost a week since the news broke about Haddie and me. As she feared, there are quite a few websites slamming the hell out of her because she’s plus-size. They’re slamming me too, but I couldn’t care less what they say about me. Sam is coming over today to interview us and set the record straight about all of this.
We were able to install the security system at Haddie’s house, but she’s been staying here because the paps haven’t left her street. Thankfully, they stay away from the school. Between the police patrols and our increased security, not to mention the risk of being accused of something inappropriate with a minor, I think they realize it’s better to stay away.
“Haddie, can you help me brush my hair?”
I stand and head to the bathr
oom. “I’ll do your hair, Cady.”
“No, I want Haddie to do it. Please?”
Haddie has been watching me with Cadence all week. She has our routines down to a T, but still, she’s not Haddie’s responsibility.
Haddie nods at me. “Sure, give me just a second.”
Cadence flashes her a beaming smile. “Thank you!”
“You don’t have to do this.”
Haddie kisses me on the cheek. “It’s not a big deal. She wants some girl time. Relax, this is a good thing. She wants to bond with me.”
“Okay, have fun.”
Cadence has been bonding with Haddie this week. She’s read stories to her, helped cook dinner, even asked her to give her a bath. I know how much Cady adores Mel, but if this past week is any indication, she’s needed a woman in her life more than I ever realized.
I’m sad I didn’t acknowledge her needs sooner but also excited that she’s so accepting of her.
For now, Haddie’s school principal is monitoring the situation, but she doesn’t see any reason why they would need to reassign her.
The doorbell rings, and when I open the door, Mel and Sam are on the porch.
“Come on in. Where’s Warren?”
Sam gives me a quick hug. “In the studio with Sawyer. He said he’d missed his roots.”
“That sounds about right.”
Mel looks around as we step into the living room. “Where’s Cady?”
“She asked Haddie to do her hair today.”
Her eyes light up as she smiles. “That’s awesome.”
“Grandpa Sam!” Cadence squeals and runs to Sam so fast she practically knocks him off his feet.
He scoops her up and spins her in a circle. “If it isn’t my beautiful princess. We’ve missed you. When are you coming to visit?”
“Whenever you want, except for tonight. We’re spending the night with Grandma Karen and Grandpa Owen. Tomorrow, we’re going to the zoo!”
Sam carefully lowers her to the floor. “That sounds exciting. We should plan a trip to Sea World.”
“Yes! I’m so down!”
We all laugh at her enthusiasm.
I crouch down to her level. “Give me a hug. Be good for your grandparents and tell them thank you.”