The Girl Worth Fighting for (The Girl #2)

by Julia Goda

  Rainey’s eyes grew big. “Your mom?” She seemed confused.

  “Yeah, baby. My mom is on her way to Jay’s right now. She’s all fired up to kick his ass for you.”

  “She is?”

  He pulled her on top of his chest and held her close. “Yeah.”

  “For me?”

  “Of course, baby. You’re mine, which means you’re hers. Where do you think I learned to be so protective?” That earned me a grin and a soft lip touch. I liked this soft version of my little firecracker. Just like I loved every other version of her.

  “I think I love your mom already.”

  “There’s lots to love.”

  “We need to get our moms together. They would definitely hit it off.”

  Logan smiled. “Well, my mom’s ahead of you there. She’s gonna invite Sarah and Ben over tomorrow night.”

  “Wow. She’s fast.”

  “You have no idea. She’s hell on wheels when she’s on a mission, especially when someone she cares about needs her help and support. You might not know it or you might not like it, but you and your mom are her new mission.”

  “I like it. I don’t really know what to do with it, but I like it.”

  “Good, baby.” He pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

  “Now, as much as I would like to be naked in bed with you all day, I’ve got to get to work.”

  “That’s a shame,” he murmured as his eyes stayed glued to her lips.

  “Logan.” Her voice was amused but firm. “We don’t have time.”

  “Not even for a quickie?”

  She scrunched her face in contemplation. It was cute and deserved a kiss on the nose, so he delivered.

  “We’ve never really had a quickie, so I can’t answer that question.”

  “Challenge accepted.” He rolled her so he was on top, then he commenced in proving to her that there was always enough time for a quickie.

  In the end, she was running only ten minutes late.

  ***

  The dinner had been nothing short of a family affair. From the moment they had walked through the door, his mom had literally welcomed his girl and her family with open arms, just like he knew she would.

  “Rainey, dear, it’s so nice to see you again.” Rainey was in his mom’s arms, and this time, she was less awkward around her and hugged her back. Could be because she was dressed in more than underwear and his tee and didn’t have sex hair.

  “Thank you, Rita. It’s nice to see you too.”

  “How are you doing?” She scrutinized her with mom eyes, which softened and grew understanding when she said, “Don’t you worry, honey. We’ve got this.” Then she gave her one more squeeze before she moved on to introduce herself to and hug Sarah and then Ben. They took it in stride and seemed amused by his mother’s enthusiasm and touched by her open affection and support.

  Rainey was somewhat quiet at first and didn’t quite seem to know how to behave around his mother. Logan knew she was embarrassed by their first encounter. He understood why, but she would soon learn that there was no need.

  After drinks were handed out, she and Sarah helped his mom in the kitchen with final preparations, and after about two minutes, he could tell Sarah and his mom had struck up a conversation as if they’d known each other for years, which in return made Rainey relax as well.

  “It’s quite fun to watch.” This came from Ben, who was sitting in the chair across from him in the living room.

  “What is?”

  “Rainey being all timid and a little awkward. I’m enjoying myself.”

  Logan chuckled. He loved the relationship Ben had with Rainey. He really was like a father for her, caring for her, worrying about her, making sure she was all right. Add the teasing and loving ribbing they had constantly going on, and their relationship was something out of a movie. Logan was glad and grateful Rainey had had him when she’d needed a father figure. She couldn’t have asked for better. He just hoped that relationship wouldn’t change now that Jay was back in the picture.

  “How are you dealing with all of this?” He didn’t know the guy that well yet, but he felt like he had to ask. Both for him and for Rainey.

  Ben studied him for a second and read his question for what it was. “If you mean the Jay situation, then you don’t need to worry. All I want is for my girls to be happy. Sarah and I have always been clear that if Rainey’s father ever entered her life again, we would support her any way we could. We both have always known that this was really what she needed, even if she herself wouldn’t admit it or even entertain the idea of ever speaking to him again. Sarah has tried to talk to her about her father over the years, but she always shut her down. I’m not happy about how it came about, but I am happy she is finally dealing with all the anger and hurt she kept locked up inside of her for all these years. Her and my relationship will not change because her father has come back and wants to be a part of her life. I love her as if she were my own. As far as I’m concerned, she is my daughter. And it’s a delight to see her happy and in love now that she’s finally dealing with things and starting to put them to rest. And I think we’ve got you to thank for that.”

  And there it was. Ben knew exactly what Logan was getting at and had gotten straight to the point. He was a good man and loved his girls, no doubt about it. It felt good to hear Ben and Sarah felt grateful toward him for taking care of Rainey, but it was unnecessary. It’s what he was put on this earth to do. So he ignored that part and addressed the rest.

  “Thanks, man. I had a feeling you wouldn’t treat her any differently, but I had to make sure.”

  “Of course, you did.”

  They understood each other.

  Over dinner, the three women had started to bond. Sarah and his mom made lunch plans for the next day and asked Rainey to join as well.

  “No can do, Mom. Lunches are mine,” Logan intervened before Rainey could answer.

  He had to bite back a smile when Rainey’s head whipped around and he saw her raised eyebrows. “Lunches are yours?”

  “They are.”

  “I don’t remember discussing this.”

  “Nothing to discuss.”

  “Huh,” she said, but he knew she was holding back. He bit his tongue so as not to burst out laughing. God, she was cute when she was pissed. Not that he would ever tell her that.

  He heard Ben’s low chuckle and saw Sarah’s amused smile. He also saw Rainey glaring at them both, which had him biting his tongue even harder.

  “Ignore him, Rainey,” his mother stated.

  “Oh, I am,” she replied.

  Logan moved his hand on Rainey’s thigh a little higher and squeezed as he leaned over to whisper in her ear, “Keep it up, firecracker. It’ll make tonight more interesting.” He saw her shudder and smiled. She pretended to ignore him and said, “Where are we going for lunch?” addressing their moms.

  Game on, baby.

  And so last week had gone on with a couple of lunch dates and dinner get-togethers while the women were bonding. Logan couldn’t be happier about Rainey and Sarah getting close to his mother. It didn’t matter that Rainey and he had only been together for such a short time. Everyone in their circle knew what lay in their future, so they wasted no time in becoming a family.

  Which also included Jay.

  Jay was already close to his mother, even though, she wasn’t too happy with him right now and let him feel it. There’d always been playful bickering going on between those two, but after she reamed his ass, things had become a little intense. He couldn’t say he liked the looks he’d caught, neither the ones Jay threw his mother when he thought nobody was looking, nor the other way around, but he had too much going on right now to worry about it. They were adults; they’d figure it out.

  Logan had to give it to Jay. He was making a solid effort to get to know his daughter and be a part of her life. Not only did he text her and call her daily since the day he came back into her life, he also gave her time when she got a worko
ut in at the gym, either by herself or with Logan. She still went on her runs, but instead of doing that every morning, she switched it up and alternated her days between running and hitting the bag or sparring. Logan was proud of Rainey. Even though the confrontation with her father had worked out better than anyone could have imagined, things between her and Jay were still strained. Yes, she understood now that Jay had never stopped loving her and regretted acting stupidly, even if he thought he was doing it in their best interest. But understanding and forgiving were two different things, so she was still holding back big chunks of herself from her father, though she was trying.

  The first time she had given up her morning run in favor of a workout with him had been three days after the big blowout, which had also been the first time she’d seen her father since then. They’d walked in together hand in hand when she’d spotted her father and her hand had tensed in his.

  Her gave her a squeeze in return and said in a low voice, “You okay?”

  “Yeah,” she said. “It’s just… It’s still weird to see him.”

  He stopped her and pulled her close so they stood in a close huddle and nobody could hear what they were saying.

  “I know this is hard for you, baby. I can’t even imagine. If it’s too much—”

  She sighed. “No, I can handle it. It’s just awkward, you know? Tense. I don’t know how to be around him.”

  “It’ll take time. Give yourself that time. Nobody expects you to pretend like nothing happened. There’s a lot for you guys to work through.”

  “I…Logan, I don’t know if I can ever trust him again. I’m trying to show compassion, but it’s really hard.”

  “Of course, it is. He hurt you. Badly. So badly it fundamentally changed how you lived your life. Trust is something that is earned. And once it’s lost, it’s even harder to win back. Jay knows this. Don’t stress yourself out. This is all on Jay. He’s the one who’ll have to work for it, not you. You just be you, the little firecracker I know and love. Okay?”

  “Okay.” She didn’t sound convinced, but it’s all he could expect. He wouldn’t push it. She was doing her best and that was all anyone could ask of her. Hell, even if she didn’t, she’d be in her right.

  He led them over to the warm up area, where they started on the skipping ropes. She even skipped rope like a boxer. She kept up with him for the first two rounds of five minutes, but then had to give up after three minutes into the third round. Still, he was impressed. She’d even been able to keep up not just with the basic two feet jump, but also with the side to side and even the criss-cross hand jump, though she couldn’t do as many before she went back to the basic one. Jay had come over and watched as they started hitting the heavy bag side by side. At first, he had just watched, but after about five minutes, he started to calmly correct Rainey’s positioning. Logan saw her tense at first. Jay saw it too but didn’t comment on or react to it. Then Rainey relaxed and took her father’s words in and adjusted accordingly while she kept hitting the bag.

  When it was time for Logan to head over to the ring, Jay said, “Today is slip rope training day. You up for it, Rainey?”

  Her eyes slid to her father while she was taking a drink from her water bottle. She kept studying him quietly but intensely after she was done. Jay waited patiently and held her eyes. Logan could see that something was communicated between the two, so he didn’t intervene. As much as he wanted to jump in and rescue his girl when she was having a hard time, he knew he had to hold back and let them work it out. But he stayed standing next to Rainey, giving her his silent support while at the same time reminding Jay of his priorities. Then she made up her mind and lifted her chin.

  “All right,” she said.

  Jay looked relieved and grateful; and proud. Yes, something had been communicated between the two. Something important. Something Logan understood when Rainey stepped into the ring with him and they started shadowing each other, something he remembered from her first visit to the gym. She was good, really good. A little rusty, but still very quick and agile on her feet. She was actually giving him a run for his money. Her smaller body size gave her an advantage, but he wouldn’t use that as an excuse.

  “Fuck, baby. Is there anything you’re not good at?”

  She smirked and moved underneath the rope again, never taking her eyes off him, keeping her focus during her one-two punch before she moved again. She was incredible.

  “She’s always been good at this. Even gave me a run for my money back in the day.”

  Logan stopped and straightened. “No shit?”

  “No shit.”

  “You? She gave The Rapid a run for his money?”

  “At the slip rope, she did.” There was pride in his voice. Pride and love. And there it was. The reason behind their silent communication.

  Logan looked back at Rainey and raised an eyebrow. “You holding out on me?”

  She shrugged. “Some women like to be mysterious.”

  He laughed and went back into position, relieved she felt relaxed and comfortable enough to crack jokes. “Bring it on, my mysterious little firecracker.”

  After that day, Rainey had relaxed somewhat when she was around Jay, though like he said, she was still holding back from him. But with every text, every phone call, every time her father gave her his attention, those parts she was holding back began to shrink. The progress was slow, but at least there was progress.

  ***

  “Rainey, come sit down,” Logan calmly repeated his request.

  When she got close, he reached out and took her hand, pulling her into his lap and holding her close.

  This waiting game was hard for her.

  “Not long now, baby. It’s almost over.”

  Rainey nodded into his neck but didn’t respond.

  The doctor had told them the surgery would take somewhere between sixty to ninety minutes, and they’d been waiting for about an hour, so they should be done soon.

  Logan scanned the waiting room. Everyone was here. Ben’s eyes were warm and concerned on Rainey most of the time. On the outside, he exuded confidence and reassurance, though Logan could see the worry at the back of his eyes. But he stayed strong for his girls, just like Logan knew he would.

  Jay was here as well, sitting in a chair against the other wall. Things between him and Sarah weren’t entirely easy, but it seemed like his ex-wife had forgiven him for the most part. She had moved on and was happy with Ben. She was such a kind-hearted and compassionate woman, she wanted everyone around her to be happy too, including Jay, so she didn’t give him a hard time and pretty much welcomed him back into her life, just in a different role than he held before. Logan knew Jay was still in love with her, but he also knew that he would never make a move on her, out of respect for Sarah as well as his daughter. He wouldn’t risk losing them ever again. Logan studied him. Apart from being worried, he seemed reflective. Logan could only imagine what must be going through his head. He knew it couldn’t be easy for him to be here, but he’d insisted on coming and supporting them, which Logan knew Rainey had been grateful for, even if she didn’t fully communicate that to her father.

  And last, Logan’s mom was sitting next to him, giving moral support to his woman as well as her new best friend.

  If all went well, Sarah would be released after the weekend. Her recovery would be slow and painful and would take up to six weeks. Since Ben worked from home, she wouldn’t be alone, and during the times he had to take client meetings, Rainey or his mom would stay at their house to make sure Sarah had everything she needed and was looked after.

  Logan soothingly ran his hand up and down Rainey’s back when the door to the waiting room opened and the doctor walked in. The next moment, both Rainey and Ben were up and walking toward him, with Logan following close behind. The doctor didn’t make them wait and gave them the news.

  “Ms. Miller’s surgery went well. Very well. We didn’t come across any complications. Everything went smoothly and she is now in
recovery.” Logan stood behind Rainey when she sagged in relief. He stepped beside her and pulled her into him when the doctor continued. “She’ll need about twenty minutes to wake up before she can be moved to her room. Then she’ll need her rest. Like I told you before the surgery, she’ll be in a fair amount of pain once the anaesthesia wears off, but I’ll let you visit with her for a little while.”

  “Thank you, doctor,” Ben said when the doctor was done.

  “My pleasure,” he replied on a chin lift and a smile. “I’ll send a nurse to get you when you can go in.” Then he turned around and walked out of the waiting room.

  Rainey leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He pressed his lips to the side of her head and kissed her softly.

  “She’s okay,” she whispered.

  “Yeah, baby.”

  She tipped her head back and looked at him with tears in her eyes. “It went well. She’ll be okay.”

  Logan pulled her to his front and tightened his hold on her. “Yeah,” he repeated. Then his eyes went over her shoulder and he turned her in his arms and into Ben’s, who was standing close.

  “Ben,” he heard Rainey whisper as they hugged each other tightly. Ben closed his eyes as he held her, relief clear on his face.

  “It’s over, Princess. It’s over.”

  Logan gave them their moment and turned to his mother and Jay, who stood arm in arm and looked equally relieved.

  ***

  That night when they lay in bed, Rainey snuggled into his side, her hand resting on his chest, where she was drawing mindless circles, and said, “The self-defense class starts this Saturday.

  “It does,” Logan replied. He was staring at the dark ceiling while he enjoyed holding his woman.

  There’d been a lot of interest once they had shared with the girls at the shelter. They’d have a full first session.

  “Do you think Ashley will come?”

  He gave her a small squeeze. “I hope so, baby. But if she doesn’t, we’ll try to get her in the next one. She’s still a little banged up.”

  Rainey had checked in with Ashley almost daily since she moved in with Jesse and Chloe’s foster mom. She was doing okay, better than he had anticipated, to be honest, though she was still shy and timid around him and any other man. Jesse was great with her. Gentle and caring; and protective, of course. He’d tried to talk her into coming to the class with Chloe, but hadn’t been successful. He’d even brought her to the gym one afternoon when Rainey was there as well, to watch him train and introduce her to the guys so she could get familiar with them and the environment, but she’d been uncomfortable and had stuck close to Rainey the whole time. Logan didn’t blame her. She’d been violated less than two weeks ago, so having big and strong men she didn’t know touch her would still frighten her, even if it was in a safe and controlled environment and served the purpose of teaching her how to defend herself. Her trauma was still fresh. And he hadn’t been lying. She was still banged up. One side of her face was still slightly blue, though the swelling was completely gone, and her ribs still seemed to give her problems from time to time. He could tell by the way she moved. So he didn’t blame her at all for needing more time. She trusted Jesse, but it was too early for her to go there.