Vote Then Read: Volume I

by Carly Phillips

  “That, yes, I was sleeping with someone. Then I lied completely because I’m an idiot and said it was someone they didn’t know and that the person wasn’t important.” She spoke quickly so he didn’t have a chance to get a word in. “I knew it was the worst thing to say as soon as I said it because you’re nothing but important to me, but I was stupid, and I’m so sorry I called you that. I know we’re walking on eggshells as we figure out exactly what this is, and I shouldn’t have called you unimportant like you were nothing. I’m so damn sorry. Oh, and Shea knows about us, by the way. Totally guessed it and got on my case for calling you what I did, but she promises not to tell Shep.” She stopped talking, her breath coming in gulps of air as she realized she’d blurted out everything without actually taking a breath.

  “Babe.”

  “Yeah?”

  “That was a lot.”

  “I know.”

  “First, I get why you said it. Hell, I probably would have said the same thing and rambled to you right after. I know you think I’m important just as I hope you know that I think you’re damn important to me. As for Shea? I figured someone would figure out one day since the two of us are constantly eye-fucking each other. Don’t get me wrong, I love imagining you bent over various pieces of furniture at the shop, but if we want to keep this between us, then we might need to hold back from doing that. As for not telling Shep?” He paused. “Well, when we’re ready to tell people what we’re doing—once we figure it out, that is—I’ll deal with whatever he has to say when it comes to it.”

  She rested her head on her steering wheel, aware that she needed to get inside at some point. “This is getting complicated.”

  He was silent for so long that she was afraid she’d lost him.

  “Yeah, it is, but we were complicated already.”

  “True. I just…I can’t lose you as my friend, Mace.”

  “You’ll never lose me, Addi. Even if we find ourselves just friends again, you’ll never lose me.”

  At that odd statement, she sat up again, wondering what the hell she was doing.

  “Goodnight, Mace.”

  He sighed. “Night, Addi girl.”

  Then there was silence again as the line cut off and she stared at her phone, wondering if their beginning was close to their ending…and if her best friend in all the world had just lied to her.

  8

  Mace couldn’t help but grin as Daisy ran into his parents’ arms, her words running into one another as she told them about her day. Everybody said kids were resilient, but the way Daisy had bounced back from that first day at his house to now was remarkable. She still talked to her mom every day on the phone and Skyped three times a week, but she’d settled into Mace’s life and routine far easier than he would have expected.

  “Hey, big brother.”

  Mace turned as Sienna made her way up the walkway, their other sister Violet right behind her. Both of the girls lived and worked up in Denver and didn’t make the drive down to the Springs as much as they used to. Their monthly family dinners, however, weren’t something anyone could get out of. And now that he had Daisy with him, he didn’t really mind.

  “Hey there.” He wrapped one arm around her shoulder, the other around Violet’s, and squeezed. “Missed you brats.”

  Violet pinched his side, and he winced. Her fingers were damn strong, and she’d had years of practice when it came to pinching him so the parents wouldn’t notice. That’s what siblings did, after all. And since they were in his arms, he gave each a gentle headlock, eliciting screeches from both of his sisters and a stern look from his mother.

  He quickly let his siblings go, but not before giving them another squeeze. They were all well into their adult years, yet there was nothing more satisfying than playing around with Sienna and Violet like they had when they were kids. He wasn’t ever the jerk big brother who picked on his sisters, rather he played back just as hard as they did to him, and their relationship worked. He’d hated when they’d gone off to college in Denver, and though it was only a little over an hour away, it had felt like farther since he didn’t get to see them daily like he used to.

  He followed the girls into the house and watched as his parents doted on his kid. They hadn’t been happy with his ex when they realized what she’d done, but the fact that they had unfettered access to their grandchild now had largely made up for their ire.

  “You’re growing up so fast,” Jeff, his father, said to Daisy, his laugh deep. “One minute, you can fit in the palm of my hand; the next, you’re as tall as I am.”

  Daisy bounced from foot to foot, her grin from ear to ear. “I’m not that big, Grandpa. I still have lots of growed to do.”

  “Growing,” Mace corrected and crossed his eyes at both of his sisters when their lips quirked. He didn’t get to act like a dad around them often. Until recently, he hadn’t had the time with Daisy that he wanted, so his family would just have to deal with this not-so-new side of him now. After all, he was getting used to his role in Daisy’s life.

  “Growing,” Daisy repeated, beaming at Mace before turning back to her grandpa. “I’m a big girl now, though. Big, big, big.”

  Mace was lucky that she wasn’t looking at him then because he was pretty sure his face had gone pale at the thought of how many years had already passed in her life. She still had years to go before she was making those new milestones as a teenager and beyond, but the fact that he might now be the sole person dealing with it all was beyond overwhelming. He had no idea what Jeaniene’s next step was when it came to her job, or what would happen when she got back to the country in a few months, but he knew that, no matter what, he wouldn’t let Daisy go without a fight. He’d been unable to do what was right the first time because he’d been out of his depth, and Jeaniene had been the one with all the power. But after what she’d done this time, his lawyer had assured him things would be different. He’d have to roll with whatever came when everything fell around him, but he wouldn’t let his and Daisy’s relationship go back to how it had been before this.

  His mom, Dani, came up then and hugged each of them close. “There’s my babies.” He leaned down so she could kiss his cheek, and she patted his face. “Your beard is getting so long. I’m always afraid it’s going to scratch me when I kiss your cheek, but it’s so soft.” She patted him again before glaring at his sisters, who rolled their eyes at him.

  “He has a beard care routine,” Sienna said with a grin. “All the lumbersexuals do.”

  “What’s a lumbersex?” Daisy asked, and Mace glared at his sister, who had the grace to wince.

  Mace reached down and picked up Daisy, setting her on his hip. She was almost too big to do this now, but he’d take her wanting him to hold her as long as he could.

  “It’s lumbersexual, and that’s a made-up word from people who don’t understand beards.” He shot a look at his other sister when she went to say something, probably countering his point with real facts, but he wasn’t in the mood.

  Daisy put her tiny hands on his face and gave him a solemn look that went straight to his heart. “I love your beard, Daddy. So if you don’t want to be a lumbersex, don’t be.”

  This time, neither Sienna nor Violet could keep their laughter at bay, and both of his parents joined in. He gave them all a mock scowl before blowing a raspberry on Daisy’s neck. His little girl squealed before wiggling out of his arms.

  “Don’t use that word, okay, Daisy-cakes? It’s a grown-up word.”

  “Okay. Like shit and damn, right? Mommy said those are bad words, but Aunt Adrienne said that once I’m the biggest girl, I can use them if they help my meaning. Or something like that.”

  “Daisy,” he said sharply, and she looked down at her feet.

  “Sorry.”

  He was going to have to strangle his best friend. And bite her. Yeah, biting would be good. And then he promptly shoved those thoughts from his mind since he didn’t want to have a hard-on in front of his entire family.

&
nbsp; “When you’re a grown-up like me, you can use those words. How’s that?”

  She nodded, and Mace pointedly ignored the curious looks his sisters gave him at the mention of Adrienne. Neither of them had ever believed that he and Addi hadn’t slept together before now, and since he was actually semi-seeing her currently, he knew he had to walk a fine line to keep that secret at bay.

  “And now that that’s taken care of,” his mother cut in, “let’s finish taking off our coats and go into the living room. I made those mushrooms you all like.”

  Daisy bounced on the balls of her feet, and Mace bent down to take off her little hat, scarf, and jacket. She’d been standing in the foyer with her outdoor stuff on for far too long as it was, and he didn’t want her to get overheated. A cold front had rolled in overnight, and he had a feeling the winter was going to be a long one. His sisters took off their jackets, and he did the same, hanging his on the rack that had been on the same wall ever since he was a little kid and had his mother taking off his jacket for him. He loved the fact that no matter what changed in his life, this house and his parents were a constant. The idea that his parents were getting up there in years since they’d waited a bit to have him, and even longer to have Sienna and Violet, was always in the back of his mind, but he did his best to ignore it. He wanted this time with his family, and he would be forever grateful that they were able to spend as much time as they did with Daisy.

  Now, if only Sienna and Violet would settle down and have kids, then maybe his parents would get off his back about him being a single father. Of course, the idea of either of his perfect sisters finding a man for themselves made his big-brother radar ping, but he knew it was ridiculous. He wanted them to be happy, but he’d definitely play the overprotective brother when it was needed. That was what he was there for.

  “The mushrooms with the cheese?” Sienna asked. “Those are my favorites.” She reached out, and Daisy grasped her hand before the two of them skipped into the living room behind his parents.

  Mace just shook his head, a smile playing on his face.

  “I thought Sienna was the cool and composed one,” Violet said, openly laughing. “Look at her skip in those shoes.”

  Mace had noticed the stilettos and couldn’t help but look down at Violet’s similar footwear. “You can’t skip in yours?”

  She elbowed him in the stomach, and he winced.

  “You’re getting violent in your advanced years, Violent Violet.”

  “You’re an idiot, and sometimes, it’s really hard to see why I love you. As for skipping? I value my ankles enough not to try it. Sienna is a braver soul than I am. Though, really, I think I would pay money to see you skip in heels like she just did.”

  “I don’t think they make heels big enough for my feet.”

  “Drag Queens can find them, I’m sure you can, too. Now, let’s get in there before we miss out on all the mushrooms and find Daisy hoarding them all. That little girl is a riot.”

  He smiled widely. “Yeah, she is. Reminds me of you as a kid, actually.”

  Violet smiled sweetly. “That’s the best thing you could have said. And that also means she will be a total terror when she’s a teenager. I cannot wait to see that.”

  “You’re mean. And because you said that, your kid will end up being three-times as bad as you were.”

  She shuddered. “Okay, that was just cruel.”

  He kissed the top of her head then took a seat by Sienna since Daisy was kneeling in front of her, studying the mushrooms with a look of deep concentration on her face. She tapped her little lips like she’d been doing more often than not lately—a habit he had a feeling she’d picked up from Adrienne—before pointing to one.

  “I think that one is for Aunt Sienna. And this one is for Aunt Violet. And this one, for Grandpa. Then this one…Grandma. And one for me, too.”

  He leaned down, brushing her hair from her face. “And what about me? Don’t I get one?”

  She looked over her shoulder and smiled. “Of course, Daddy.” She turned back and pointed to the largest mushroom in the dish. “This one’s for you. Aunt Adrienne said you were a growing boy and that’s why you always eat the rest of her food so she doesn’t have to finish it.”

  Once again, he ignored the laughs and knowing looks from his family as each of them reached for the mushroom Daisy had assigned to them.

  “Thank you, Daisy-cakes, this one’s perfect.” He took a bite of his and blessed the gods for his mother’s ability to cook. If he didn’t work out as much as he did, these monthly dinners would easily make him gain twenty pounds if he weren’t careful.

  They finished their mushrooms before heading into the dining room for the rest of the meal, their topics of conversations going from work, to personal, to politics, to…everything. All of them did pretty well with being open about their lives—at least he thought so, but as he was hiding something pretty big, he really had no idea what the others hid. That thought made him pause and look at his sisters, who were very careful about what they told him about their personal lives. However, if he wanted to keep them out of his, he had to be the better man and keep his nose out of their business, as well—for now.

  When Daisy nodded off for an afternoon nap on the couch in the den, he tucked her in with the soft throw his mother had knitted and kissed the top of her head before going back into the living room where he figured his family would start to grill him.

  He hadn’t been wrong.

  “What are you going to do, Mace?” his mom asked, wringing her hands. “We can’t give her back to that woman.”

  He sighed, hating the way she called Jeaniene “that woman.”

  “I don’t know, Mom. Right now, legally, I have custody since she’s out of the country. However, my lawyer is making sure we get papers filed on our end to set that in stone. We want to make sure we have grounds to get full custody or even complete shared custody where we each get fifty percent when she gets back.”

  “You’d give her that much?” his mom asked with narrowed eyes.

  “She’s Daisy’s mom,” Sienna put in. “Yeah, she’s made horrid decisions when it comes to how she treats Mace’s relationship with Daisy, but in the end, she’s that little girl’s mother, and the courts will not only have something to say about that, but so will Daisy.”

  Mace nodded, his thoughts aligning with Sienna’s, but before he could say anything, Violet waded in.

  “So, what? She left Daisy here with no notice. She doesn’t deserve a single moment with that child.”

  Mace held up his hand because their voices were starting to rise and he didn’t want to wake his daughter. “First, we don’t know what will happen in the next few months or even years. We’ll get through it. But in the end, it’s not about what works perfectly for me, but what my daughter needs. And while the way everything happened was not in her best interests, Daisy still needs her mom. I’m not going to let her have full custody, though. No matter what happens, I’m going to fight to make sure I get more time in her life than I had before this.”

  The others started talking over each other as they voiced their opinions, but Mace just leaned back and met his father’s gaze. His dad had been silent through it all, but that was because the two of them had already talked in private numerous times about what would need to be done legally. Because, no matter how much any of them wanted to ensure that Daisy was all Mace’s, the courts were the ones who ruled, and Jeaniene’s family had money and friends in high places. Mace would fight, but in the end, he’d have to wait and see if he even had a chance to continue being the father he wanted—needed—to be.

  By the time they had finished dessert and Mace buckled a wide-awake Daisy into her car seat, he was emotionally and physically exhausted. He’d worked a half-shift that morning, and had brought Daisy into the shop where Shea had taken her for a girls’ morning. He knew he couldn’t do that often, though. Somehow, he was not only going to have to find a full-time babysitter or nanny, but he was
also going to have to budget for one. He’d been paying child support up until now, and he was waiting for the final paperwork to come in to see what would happen on his ex’s end. Everything was so fucking backwards, it wasn’t even funny, but no matter what, he had to make sure that everything seemed normal to Daisy. That would always be the most important thing.

  “Can we watch a movie?”

  He looked down at Daisy and nodded. “Yeah, we have time before bed. Why don’t we both get in our jammies first though, and brush our teeth? That way, if we fall asleep, we don’t have to wake up to do it.”

  “Okay!” She skipped off to her bedroom to change, and he just shook his head. He’d give her thirty minutes of the movie—tops—before she passed out. She might have taken a nap and was currently hyper, but it wouldn’t last. She usually had an odd amount of high energy right before bed until she zoned out. It had taken him a while to get used to that.

  He went to put on his own sleep pants and shirt, though he didn’t usually sleep in either. However, he wasn’t about to walk around in his boxers with his daughter in the room. His routine had changed dramatically, and he was just going with the flow as much as possible.

  They both made it to the living room at the same time, and he tucked her to his side under a shared blanket as they went through their queue for a movie they were both interested in. In other words, he was going to have to sit through another viewing of the Disney movie with the princess with the long hair in the tower. Since he liked the hero, Flynn, and Adrienne liked him, as well, he didn’t mind this one as much as some of the others.

  Speaking of Adrienne, he’d missed a text from her asking how he was doing, so he quickly shot her a reply back as the movie started.

  Mace: Sorry I missed your text. Just got home from the parents’. We’re sitting down to watch your favorite movie.

  Addi: Kiss Flynn for me.

  “Is that Aunt Adrienne?” Daisy asked, looking down at his phone.