by Kaylee Ryan
“What’s up, sweetheart?”
“Is that her daddy?” She drops her hands and points to Everly and Ridge.
I swallow hard, hoping to dislodge the lump that sits in my throat, but it’s still there. I don’t know where this conversation is going to go, but I don’t want to lie to her. I also promised Delaney I would wait for the results, and I vowed to myself to never lie to her again. “Yes, that’s her daddy.”
“Oh, my daddy isn’t here.”
You hear that? That’s the sound of my heart cracking wide open. “Everyone has a daddy.”
“But he’s not here.”
There’s a knock at the door. Kendall calls out that she’ll get it, and a minute later, I hear her voice. Delaney is here. I exhale, not realizing that I was holding my breath, worried about this conversation.
“Looks like everyone is nice and relaxed.” She steps into the room, taking the seat next to me.
I might look relaxed on the outside, but inside, I’m shaking. I’m a wreck over the words of my daughter. My daddy isn’t here.
“Did you have fun making cookies?” she asks Kendrix.
“I did. They haft to cool down.”
Her eyes find mine. “You okay?” I ask her.
“Yeah.” She leans her shoulder into mine. “I’m okay.”
There’s something different about her. She almost seems… lighter, as if the load she’s been carrying on her shoulders has been lifted.
“Uncle Kent,” Everly says, pulling me out of my thoughts. She’s standing in front of me, holding a book. “Read story?” she asks, handing it to me.
“Sure, climb on up.” I offer her my hand, but she doesn’t take it. Instead, she pulls herself up on the couch and burrows into my side. I shift Kendrix so that I have one hand free, and open the book. I read them every page of Today I’ll Be A Princess and they give me their undivided attention.
“All right, Ev.” Ridge stands as I close the book. “It’s time for you to get your bath and get in bed.”
“You too, sweetie,” Delaney tells our daughter.
“I don’t wanna go.” She juts out her bottom lip in a pout, and I’m ready to ask Ridge if the three of us can camp out here on his couch just to see her smile.
“Well, it’s time for bed. How about we have Everly and Knox over to our house for a playdate?”
“Now?” she asks, her voice low and pitiful, as if she can’t fathom the thought of leaving.
“Not now,” Delaney tells her. “How about this weekend?” She looks up at Kendall. “Saturday afternoon?”
“Sounds good to us,” Kendall says brightly.
“All right, kiddo. Let me slide you over to Mommy so I can go start our cars.”
“No.” She throws her arms around my neck and refuses to let go.
“Hey.” I rub her back soothingly. “I’ll be right back. I promise. How about you walk to the door with me, and you can watch me out the window? It’s too cold outside, so we have to start our cars so we can stay warm.” She doesn’t reply, so I look over at Delaney for help. She has tears in her eyes, but there is a small smile playing at her lips. I mouth, “Help,” and her grin grows wider.
“How about I go start the cars?” Delaney offers. She stands, not giving me a chance to object. “Keys in it?” she asks.
“Yes.”
She nods, gives my leg a gentle squeeze, and disappears out of the room. It’s then that I notice that Ridge, Kendall, and Everly have left the room. I hear them talking upstairs.
“Kendrix, are you excited about your playdate this weekend?”
She pulls away and looks up at me. Her blue eyes are big and beautiful, just like her mother’s. “Will you come too? Can we show them how to hammer nails?”
“Is that what you want?”
“Uh-huh. We can show them how you teached me.”
“How I taught you,” I correct her.
“Yeah, that,” she agrees and I chuckle.
How is it that this little angel already has my heart in the palm of her hand? “Okay, sweetheart. I’ll stock up and we can show them. Although, their daddy might have already shown them.”
“Oh.”
“We can still play and have fun. There are lots of things that we can do.”
“I wish my daddy was here.”
I can’t speak. If I do, I’ll tell her that I’m right here and that I’m never leaving her again. Never. She goes to college, I’m going too. She gets married, make sure you have a room for Dad, because never again will I ever leave my little girl. I hug her to my chest, trying to comfort her the best that I can.
“Sweetie, time to get your coat.” Delaney’s voice pulls us out of our cuddle session.
“O-kay.” She sighs and climbs off my lap.
I watch them together—mother and daughter. Their routine’s so familiar, their language—nonverbal—speaks volumes as they work to get Kendrix into her coat and shoes. I envy the relationship they have.
“You ladies ready to go?” I ask, standing from the couch.
“Mr. Kent, are you coming home with us?” Kendrix looks up at me, her eyes wide with excitement.
I crouch down to her level. “No, I have to go home, but remember about my test tomorrow? You’re still going to do it with me, right?”
“Yes! Can we have ice cweam after? My mommy always lets me have it when I go to the doctor.” She looks up at Delaney. “Mommy, we have to get ice cweam.”
Delaney smiles down at us. “We can definitely make that happen.”
“You heading out?” Ridge appears beside us.
“Yeah. Thank you for having us.”
“I had lots of fun making cookies,” Kendrix says.
“Good. We’ll have to do it again sometime.”
“Mr. Kent is going to teached us to build with hammers and nails.”
“He is?” Ridge feigns excitement. “That sounds like a good time.”
“Do they know how to do that?”
“They do, but you want to know a secret?” he asks her.
“I’m good at those,” she replies, making him chuckle.
“Even if you already know, practicing is very important.”
She looks at me, where I’m still crouched down in front of her. “Hear that? We have to pwactice.”
“I heard him.” I tap my finger to the end of her nose and stand. “I’ll see you in the morning,” I tell Ridge.
“Sounds good.” He waves, and we turn to leave.
Delaney opens the door, and Kendrix turns to me with her hands held up in the air. “Carry me.”
I don’t waste any time bending and scooping her up in my arms and settle her on my hip. She throws her arms around my neck and we’re off. I help her into her seat in the back of the Durango. “I’ll see you in the morning for our test. And if Mommy says it’s okay, we can go to the store tomorrow night and get more building sets.”
“Yay. Bye.” She waves.
I force myself to pull away from her and shut the door.
“You spoil her, you know. She’s going to have you carrying her all over the place.”
“I’m good with that. I owe her a few.”
“No.” She rests her palm against my cheek and steps into me. I snake my arm around her waist, holding her close. “You don’t owe us anything, Kenton. You didn’t do anything wrong. You made a mistake, one you tried to correct, but my mother, she conspired against you.”
“How did it go?”
“She didn’t deny it. I told her to leave. I can’t stand to look at her right now.”
“I’m sorry, Laney.”
“Don’t be. I’m sorry. She kept us from you, and you missed out on things that you will never get back. I can’t tell you how sorry I am for that.”
“We look toward to the future.”
“Yeah, what does that look like?”
“I’m not exactly sure, but I do know that it’s the three of us together.”
“Yeah?”
I nod
. “Drive safe, babe. Call me when you get home?”
“I will. You too.” Her hand falls away and she retreats, forcing me to release my hold on her. I step back and wait for her to get behind the wheel and drive away. I don’t notice the cold, or the snow that starts to fall—just her taillights disappearing into the night. I hate that they’re driving away from me. I look forward to the day that we’re both headed in the same direction. To the same house. To the same bed. The odds of our past are against us, but our hearts and our future are front and center.
My phone rings just as I’m walking through the door. A quick glance at the screen tells me it’s Delaney. “Hey, you,” I greet her.
“Hey. We’re home.” I can hear the irritation in her voice.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She sighs.
“Delaney.”
“Fine. She’s still here. Apparently, she thought I didn’t mean what I said. I just… hate the thought of being around her right now. I hate that Kendrix is around her. She stole so much from us.”
“Come here. Or I can come there and make her leave. Call the cops, something.”
“Don’t tempt me, but I can’t call the cops on her. No matter how much I wish that I could.”
“Then come here. Pack a bag for you and Kendrix and come and stay with me.”
“The renovations, and then the tests are tomorrow.”
“Ridge and the guys can handle themselves, trust me. I’ll take the day off, and the three of us can spend it together.”
“What about the tests?” She didn’t toss out my spending the day together. Not yet.
“I have the number for the tech who’s coming in the morning. I can call him and tell him to come here. It’s not an issue.”
“It’s so soon, and I don’t know. I just… I don’t want to be here with her.”
“I have a spare room. The two of you can sleep there, or better yet, take my room and my king-size bed. I’ll take the spare. I want you here, Laney. Both of you. Please. I hate that you’re there and miserable. Please come and stay with me.” I’m not above begging her to get them here. I hated leaving them, and this is the answer to that.
“Thank you, Kent.” She shortens my name, and although small, it means that she feels more comfortable with me. I’ll take all the small victories I can get. “We’re not in danger. I just can’t stand looking at her. I appreciate your offer, but right now, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I believe you when you say she’s yours. I see it, but until we know, until we tell her, I don’t think it’s a good idea that she and I stay with you.”
My shoulders deflate, and the hope I had of spending more time with them, of having them here with me where they belong, collapses. “I understand. Doesn’t mean I like it.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Hey.” I soften my voice. “There is nothing for you to be sorry for. You’re innocent in all of this. Can you promise me something?”
“Yes.” There is zero hesitation in her reply.
“Will you come to me? If things get bad there, if you and Kendrix need to get away, you come to me. Let me be the place you run to.”
“My mother doesn’t fight. She’s the silent-treatment type. But I promise you, if we need you, if anything changes, it will be you I call.”
“Good. Now kiss our daughter goodnight for me, and get some rest.”
“Goodnight, Kent.”
Turning off the lights, and making sure the door is locked, I head to my room. Stripping down, I slide under the covers and let my mind wander to what it would be like if she were here in my arms. Kendrix sleeping just down the hall. Hell, she could be in this bed with us for that matter. I know they say not to let kids do that because they get used to it, but that’s babies, right? I just want them both close to me all the time. Eventually, exhaustion takes over as I drift off to sleep, dreaming of my angels.
Chapter 13
Delaney
It’s Saturday early afternoon, and I don’t think I’ve stopped smiling since Kent called me this morning. Even after the shitshow of a day yesterday, I can’t keep the smile off my face.
My mother was here when the tech came for the test, and she threw a fit. Stomping around saying I was ridiculous to trust a stranger. Kendrix had a meltdown, because Gram was upset and didn’t want her to take the test. I was on the verge of a breakdown when Mara showed up. Apparently, she was delivering a tool the guys left at the shop, but as soon as I saw her, she could tell something was up. Call it women’s intuition or hell, call it pure luck, but she rushed to me, wrapped her arms around my shoulders, and told me it was all going to be okay.
A stranger, a woman I’ve met once, could see what the day was doing to me and offered me words of encouragement and comfort. I gave her a quick rundown of the morning and apologized for her seeing me distraught, and she laughed, telling me that was life, and I had nothing to be sorry for. The next thing I know, she’s got my mother in the kitchen, yammering on about her dress, and California. I went off to look for Kendrix and found her just where she needed to be.
With her daddy.
Kent was sitting on the bed with her in his arms, explaining that sometimes adults say things they don’t mean, and that Grammy loved her and was having a bad day. The man is a damn saint.
Anyway, the tech did the test on Kent first as Kendrix watched. He made a big deal out of it, saying it tickled, making her laugh. Like the superstar she is, our little girl opened wide and let the tech swab her cheek and just like that, the crisis was averted.
Mother was pissed. I’m not even sure that’s an accurate description, but the outcome was one we all needed. She flew home yesterday afternoon with the promise that as soon as I came to my senses, she would be back.
Yesterday was crazy and stressful, but then this morning, Kent called first thing asking if he could invite the other kids over for the playdate. Of course I said yes, and that leads us to now. My house is filled with Kent’s inner circle and their children. The wives brought in Crock-Pots of soup, and meatballs, and I’m not sure what else is in the kitchen. I made brownies and was just going to order pizza. This is so much better than that. I need to get this kitchen stocked if we’re going to be doing more of this.
I hope we do more of this.
“You okay?” Kent asks, stepping up beside me. His hand settles on the small of my back, his body angled toward me. My entire being tingles with his touch as the warmth of his skin heats my back.
“Yes.” I smile at him. “I’m more than okay. This is…. I love it for her. We don’t have this back home in California.” I turn my attention to the room filled with people who are here getting to know one of their own’s daughter. When Kent called me this morning and asked if everyone could come, he followed it up with “I want my people to meet my daughter and the incredible woman who brought her to me.” How was I supposed to say no to that?
“She’s having a good time. They all are. Thank you for letting us invade your house.”
“We have the space, and how could I deny you this?”
“You having fun?”
“Yes. Your friends are great.”
“They’re my family, Laney. I know you don’t remember, but I never introduced you to them. That first night at the bar, you met them, but after that, I kept you locked up. Just for me. I don’t know why I did it, but I did. I can’t tell you how sorry I am for that.”
I shrug. “I don’t remember it. Any of it. You could lie and tell me we were all the best of friends.”
“I vowed to never lie to you again. I told you I would meet you, and I did, but I was hours late, and you left. I never saw you again, you had our baby and I didn’t know. Never again will I ever break a promise to you, lie to you, and you can damn sure bet you’ll never be a secret again.”
“You’re talking like this is a sure thing. Me and you.”
“A man can dream. Besides, regardless of what happens between us, I’m her father. We’re going to
be in each other’s lives and that vow, those promises, they still exist. No matter our relationship, you can count on that.”
“I wish I could remember,” I say softly.
“I know, baby. Me too,” he says, his voice just as soft.
His eyes sparkle as the endearment slips from his lips, and my heart swells. Kenton Baldwin in an incredible man. I hope with everything in me that he is indeed the father of my daughter. I pray we’re both right and that my little girl will have the presence of this man in her life.
“Momma!” Kendrix climbs to her feet and rushes toward us. Kent drops his hand from the small of my back, our moment lost but not forgotten. “Can we stay here forever and ever?” she asks, smiling up at me. Her blue eyes are shining with delight that only a child can carry, unaware of the hatred in the world.
“That’s a long time.” I chuckle.
Her little head bobs up and down while she bounces on her toes, unable to stand still. “It’s so fun, and so many friends.” She stops bouncing and looks at Kent. “Come on, Mr. Kent, we have to hammer.” She grabs his hand and begins to tug.
He follows along with her easily, letting her pull him wherever her little heart desires. He looks back at me and winks. “Forever and ever.” He grins before turning his attention back to our daughter.
“You’re good for him.”
Turning, I see Reagan standing next to me. “It’s messy.”
She laughs. “Life is messy.” She goes on to tell me about Knox’s mother, the heart condition of one of her twins, how Dawn and Mark ended up adopting Daisy, and Seth and Mara’s story, the loss of their beloved friend, and baby Ryder. I listen to everything this group of friends has gone through, and I understand even more why Kent refers to them as his family. “So you see,” Reagan says, “we get messy. It’s not something you can avoid, but love, love is something you can’t avoid, and that man, he’s done everything in his power to look the other way.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s never been serious with anyone. Never. Hell, the last few years, he’s not even dated that I’m aware of. We’re all pretty tight. The guys always have been, but after Knox was born and Kendall was brought into the fold, and my sweet baby nephew, that group expanded. It’s no longer just the guys, but the wives and kids as well. They’ve all fallen, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure Kent ever would.”