by Erika Kelly
She flew her doll closer to the boy. “Well, you can’t play with me. If you do, I’m going to make Ollie chase you until you fall down and pee in your pants. And then we’re all going to laugh at you and call you Peepee Boy.”
Posie didn’t watch much TV, and the movies she did get to see were animated, so he didn’t think this scenario came from media. “Hey, Posie, is there a boy named Jessie at your school?”
Pulled from her fantasy world, she cut a wary glance at him. “Yes.”
“Is he giving you trouble?”
She shrugged, clearly uneasy.
Maybe he’d take the focus off her. “I remember Charlie Monroe from kindergarten. Mean as a snake.”
“Did he make you feel bad?”
“He made lots of people feel bad. He used to yank on my backpack strap so hard I’d fall down. He tore up people’s pictures.” Whatever happened to that kid? He’d have to look him up. “Does Jessie make you feel bad?”
She shot him a wounded look. “He hurts my feelings.”
“What kinds of things does he say?”
“He says fairies aren’t real. He says I look dumb flying around because people can’t fly. He says I’m stupid if I think I can fly.”
“Ah, okay, so he’s one of those people with no imagination. Got it.”
Her bottom lip wobbled. “He broke my fairy bracelets that you gave me.”
“What? How did that happen?”
“I was flying around the room, and he chased me, and he pulled really hard, and I fell down, and it hurt. But I didn’t want to cry, so I got back up even though my hands hurt really bad.” She shoved her palm in his face. “He hurt me.”
He could see the faint rug-burn on the heel. “What he did is not okay, Posie. Did you tell the teacher?”
“No. I went to the bathroom and cried because he pulled the ribbons off, and now I can’t wear them ‘cause the magic’s gone.”
“I can get you new ones.”
“But you got them from far away. From someplace special. I don’t want you to go back there.”
“I don’t mind going back there if it’ll make you happy.”
She shook her head.
“You want the bracelets, though.”
“But I don’t want you to leave.”
Ah. Damn. And here he’d thought she hadn’t needed him.
She’s not Ari. She’s not Ruby.
Will was exactly right. He needed the time to get to know her. “Tell you what, my dad can get the bracelets.” Beckett had bought them at the Denver airport. “I’ll have him go to the special place and he can bring them when he comes for a visit. How about that?”
“Okay.” She nodded. “Is he coming tomorrow?”
“No, not tomorrow. But we really need to talk about Jessie, because he doesn’t get to make school difficult for you. First of all, his opinion about fairies doesn’t matter, and secondly, he doesn’t get to tell you whether you can fly. He just doesn’t have that power over you or anyone else. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
She nodded, but there was a vagueness in her eyes that led him to believe she didn’t get it at all. “Can I tell your mom about this?”
“Don’t tell Mommy.” She looked down at her doll, making it do the splits.
“Why not?”
“Because she’ll get mad.”
“At you?”
“No, at Jessie.”
“Well, aren’t you angry at Jessie?”
“Yes.”
He needed to be careful here. He didn’t want to give the wrong advice. “So, what can we do to make sure Jessie understands he doesn’t have any power over you? That you get to wear your fairy clothes and fly around the room?”
She hunched a shoulder.
“Seems to me, if we don’t do anything about it, he’ll think it’s okay. And it’s not, Posie. None of this is okay. Not calling you names, not chasing you, and definitely not yanking your ribbons. Have you told him to knock it off?”
“I have.” Anger glinted in her eyes. “I told him I can fly if I want to. But he just goes like this.” She got up on her knees, put her nose right in his face, and started chanting, “Na na na na na na na na.”
“That would make me really angry. What did you do?”
“I pushed him away.”
“Okay.” He got up. “Come here.”
“Why?” But she got to her feet anyway.
“Jessie’s a bully, and that’s not okay. And if you’re not willing to tell your mom or your teacher, then we’re going to have to figure out some new ways to handle him.” He reached for one of her headbands. It barely fit his head, but he made a big show of brushing the ribbons off his shoulders.
She giggled and tried to grab it.
“Nope. I’m Posie.”
“You’re not Posie. I am.” Laughter glittered in her eyes.
“I’m pretending to be you. And you pretend to be Jessie.”
“What do I do?”
“I’m going to fly around the room, and you’re going to be Jessie. Ready?” Beckett flapped his arms but stayed in place. “Wait. I need wings.”
She pulled off her wings and gave them to him. The elastic didn’t stretch far enough to fit across his shoulders, so he let it dangle off one. Then, he went prancing around the room, waving his arms.
Posie covered her giggle with a hand.
“So, that’s what Jessie does? He watches you and laughs?” he asked in a teasing tone.
Laughing, she darted out to him, but he skirted around her.
“Come on, be Jessie. What would he say to me right now?”
After a moment, she got a mean expression. “You can’t fly, stupid head. Fairies aren’t real. You look stupid running around like that.”
Beckett stopped flying and sat back down. “Okay, I think I have an idea. Who are your closest friends in school?”
“Margot and Olivia and Samuel and Brie and Lyla.”
“What if we made all of them bracelets with ribbons? Would they want to fly around the room with you?”
“Yes. Everyone wants my bracelets.”
“Then, let’s do that. Let’s go to the store and buy elastic and ribbons and lace and make them for your friends. I don’t think Jessie will bother you if half the class is doing it.”
“Can we go right now?”
“Let’s wait for your mom to get home. We can tell her what we want to do. Okay?”
She nodded.
“Cool. So, that’s one thing we can try. If that doesn’t work, we’ll come up with some other ideas.” He pulled off the wings and the headband.
“Can you read to me now?”
“Sure thing.”
She skipped off to her bookcase and scrutinized the spines, setting the books she wanted in a pile next to her. Finished, she gathered them up in her arms and dumped them on the mattress. After scrambling onto her bed, she leaned against the headboard like a little princess.
He collapsed next to her, and she slapped a book onto his lap. “Read.”
As soon as he started, she cuddled up against him. It was a book about an elephant family, and they seemed to be British, so he used an accent, lowering his voice for the dad and raising it for the kid.
She grinned up at him, her arm going across his stomach for a hug. “I like you, Beckett. I really, really like you.”
Oh, shit.
Oh, hell.
Emotion reared up and towered over him. He could smell the baby shampoo in her hair, feel the heat of her body tucked up against him. That little hand pressed flat to his stomach was so delicate, the nails painted a sparkly pink.
She seemed so fragile. And with fuckers like Jessie in the world she needed protection. She needed….
She needs a father.
No, she’s got one of those.
She needs a dad.
She needs me.
He stroked her hair. “I like you, too.”
But he was lying.
Because he loved he
r.
He’d fallen in love with his daughter.
“Anybody home?” Coco shut the door, dropped her purse on the dining room table, and listened. That familiar deep voice coming from upstairs sent a rush of pleasure through her.
Ooh, she liked this too much. Coming home to Beckett and Posie. It almost felt like a real family. As she climbed the stairs, smiling when she heard the different voices he used to read a story, her sister’s comment lingered in her mind.
If he’s The One, then you’ve got to give it everything you have. You just have to.
She had to reach for the banister and stop for a minute to get her bearings. Because he was. She’d known it all along. Her sister was right about something else. Coco had fallen for Beckett, and that meant she had to let him be everything he was. Adjusting to a new normal was part of the deal when two people came together.
Nothing made her happier than seeing his sleep-softened face at the breakfast table, his big hands lathering the shampoo in Posie’s hair… And the evenings, when she had her tea, she really, really liked sharing that quiet time with him. Loved those moments when he’d show her images Jimmy had uploaded or tell her a story about that day’s coaching.
Posie’s giggle lured her the rest of the way up the stairs. Reaching her daughter’s bedroom, she came to an abrupt stop when she saw them cuddled in bed together. Posie had her arm slung across his waist, her hand gently patting him, and Ollie lay stretched out across the foot of the bed, his legs straight out in front of him like was flying.
She got hit with that same tug of fear—of growing attached to a man who’d leave. He might be her person, but that didn’t mean he’d stay.
Leaning against the doorway, she watched them, but the moment Ollie noticed her, his tail started thumping on the duvet, nabbing Posie’s attention.
“Mommy.” She scrambled off the bed and made a run for her. Coco had just enough time to drop to a crouch to catch her daughter in her arms.
Ollie leapt off the bed, barely able to contain his enthusiasm, licking both their faces.
“Hi, baby.” She hugged her. Catching Beckett watching, she smiled and mouthed, Thank you.
He closed the book and got off the bed. “You have a nice time?”
“Yep.” As much as she loved seeing her sister, she would have loved to be part of this family moment. “Who’s hungry for dinner?”
“I am. Beckett made lasna, but he said I couldn’t eat it until you got home.”
“You made lasagna?” she asked him.
He gave a little shrug. “Figured you wouldn’t want to come home and start cooking.”
“I’m starving, Mommy.” Posie tore out of her arms and raced out of the room.
“You wouldn’t be so hungry if you ate your lunch at school.” They headed down the hall and down the stairs, Ollie keeping pace with them.
“How did you know I didn’t eat my lunch?”
Like she’d ever reveal her daughter’s tells. If Posie had eaten her sandwich, she left the crusts in a baggie in the lunch box. If she didn’t, she tossed the bag in the garbage.
Once in the kitchen, Beckett gestured to the counter. “I made a salad, too. You guys can get started on that while I let Ollie out.”
“I’ll do it.” Posie charged toward the mud room. “I want to do it, Beckett. Can I take him out?”
“You can, but you know what that means right?” he asked.
“If he makes a poopy I have to pick it up. I don’t care. I want to take him outside. Can I throw the ball to him?”
“He’d like that.”
While Coco got plates out of the cabinet and silverware from the drawer, Beckett opened the back door, and the dog scampered out. He handed Posie a new tennis ball, and she gazed up at him as if he’d given her real fairy wings.
It was such a simple moment, and yet it filled Coco with so much happiness. She’d given up on finding Beckett years ago, along with the dream of a father figure for Posie after Ethan had moved away.
So, to see the two of them together…him, tall and easy-going, her, tiny and spirited…it just made her so damn happy.
As soon as Posie hit the lawn, Beckett left the door open so they could keep an eye on her in the fenced yard and met Coco at the sink. He leaned in, tipped her chin, and kissed her. “Missed you.”
Setting the plates down, she wound her arms around his neck. “Missed you, too.” She gazed into his eyes.
Is this real?
Do you feel this, too?
He broke into a little smile. Yeah. And then he tilted his head and opened his mouth over hers. And damn this man could kiss. Slow, lazy swirls of his tongue, the easy caress of his palms on her back, sliding lower…and lower….
The anticipation killed her, and she jerked her hips forward, pressing hard against him. She deepened the kiss, wanting so much more of him.
He grabbed her ass, giving her a good squeeze. “You’re gonna get it tonight.”
“Promises, promises.” She pulled away from him, glancing out the door to see her daughter sitting cross-legged on the lawn, petting Ollie’s head as he chomped on a dog toy.
Grabbing her, Beckett lifted her onto the counter. Pushing her legs open, he stepped between them and gave her a deep, wild kiss, one she’d remember the rest of her life. Her body went hot, and her hands wanted all of him at once.
But just as she pulled up his shirt, he batted her hand away. “That was the teaser. You’re going to have to wait for the good stuff.” Picking up the plates, he set them on the table. “Is lasagna okay?”
“You want me to talk about dinner right now?” She fanned herself. “Fine. It’s perfect.” She brought the silverware over and set it down. “It’s a real treat not to have to cook. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I was going to make my famous quinoa dish, but I wasn’t sure she’d eat it.”
“Spoiler alert: she won’t.”
“The way I make it? She’ll love it. I’ll even put my money where my mouth is.”
“Oh, no, no. You leave that mouth alone. I’ve got plans for it. But if you’re looking for a wager….hm, what should we put on the line?” As she got the salad dressing out of the fridge, she remembered what Gigi had said about self-reliance. If she had a hope in hell of developing something real with Beckett, she had to do this. “Babysitting. You pick her up from school, and instead of taking her to my mom’s, you hang out with her.”
He straightened as if he’d been goosed. “You’d trust me with her for a whole day?”
She set the food on the counter and faced him. “Yeah. I do.” He’d been nothing but good with Posie, through all her moods. “And, even though I hired an event organizer, I’m feeling a little overwhelmed with the festival, so I could use a little extra time.”
Looking troubled, his fingers tapped on the counter, and he swung a look at the backyard. “I have to tell you something.”
Her heart started pounding. “Did something happen while I was gone?”
He watched out the back door, where they could see Posie flying around the lawn, Ollie chasing and leaping after her. “She told me something. She asked me not to tell you, but she’s five, and I think you should know.”
“I promise not to let her know you said anything, but you should always tell me. What did she say?”
“There’s some boy in her class, Jessie, who’s messing with her.”
Damn that kid. “I know him. Messing how?”
Grinning, he came closer to her, cupping her chin and looking at her with affection. “Coco Cavanaugh in warrior mode is hot.”
“Thank you. Now, tell me what that fucker’s doing to my daughter.”
“He’s telling her she’s not a fairy, that people can’t fly. And then, sometime this week, he chased her, yanked on the ribbons from those bracelets I bought her, and ripped them.”
“What? She loves those bracelets. Why didn’t she tell me?”
“She said you’d get mad.”
“I
am mad. That’s the same kid who blew out the candles on her birthday cake before she finished making her wish.”
As he pulled the lasagna out of the oven, she reached for a trivet and set it on the table. “This looks great.” And it smelled good, too.
“So, what’re we going to do about Jessie?”
Her heart missed a beat, and she looked away.
He grasped her wrist and turned her toward him. “What did I say?”
With tears clouding her vision, she blinked. “You said we.”
He cocked his head. Huh?
“This is the first time you’ve included yourself in our little family unit. It’s silly, and I’m being dumb, but she’s never had a father, you know? It just…it’s nice that you’re here for her.”
“I love her.” His voice cracked. This confident, powerful man had never looked so vulnerable. He swallowed, biting his bottom lip. Color spread across his cheeks. “I do. I love her.” He sounded like he couldn’t believe it.
“I’m so glad. I’ve always wanted that for her.”
“You say it like you’re outside of it, that it’s about me and Posie, but you’re not. You’re the center of everything, Coco. It’s about us, this family. I’m not just falling for Posie. I’m falling for you, too.”
For him to say something like that…God. Is this happening? Is this real? She quickly turned away from him. “You’re the worst.” She flipped on the faucet and rinsed her hands.
He tugged on her shoulder, forcing her to turn around and face him. “What’d I do?”
Winding her arms around his waist, she hugged him. “I just really needed to hear that.”
“So…you’re in this with me?”
You have no idea. But when she glanced up, she saw how much he needed to hear it. “I’m in this with you.” Her whisper hung suspended, caught in the thick tension between them. He was going to kiss her. She just knew it.
But then Ollie came bounding back into the kitchen, followed by a sweaty little girl. “I’m hungry, Mommy.”
Coco pulled away from Beckett, discretely wiping her eyes on a dish towel. “Okay, let’s eat.”
“Can I have some milk?” Posie asked Beckett.
“Sure.” He went right into action, so eager to meet his daughter’s needs.