by Kaylee Ryan
“Are we sleeping here?” Kendrix asks when Delaney tells her it’s time to get her jammies on.
“We are. Is that all right with you?” Delaney questions.
“Where?”
“I have a spare bedroom,” I explain.
“Can I see it?”
“Sure.” I hold out my hand and we walk down the hall. I stop at the spare bedroom and push open the door.
“Is this where you sleep?” She peers up at me.
“No. My room is the next one.”
“Can I see that one?” she asks, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
“Of course.” We take a few more steps until I’m pushing open my bedroom door. I try to look at it through their eyes. King-size bed, with a dark gray comforter tossed haphazardly over it. Two dressers and a nightstand on either side. The walls are white, as I’ve never taken the time to paint.
“That’s a huge bed,” Kendrix says, her eyes wide. “Can we sleep in here, Daddy?” The way she says daddy so easily has me agreeing before I even consult Delaney.
“You can.”
“All three of us? Yay, we’re having a slumber party.” She turns and rushes to the living room.
“What’s she doing?” I ask Delaney.
“My guess would be she’s getting her jammies.”
“Sorry. I couldn’t tell her no.”
She smiles. “You’re going to have to one day, you know that, right? You’re going to have to learn to tell her no.”
“Really? I was hoping you could be the bad guy, and I’d be the one who makes it all better.”
She throws her head back in laughter. “Not a chance, buddy. This parenting gig is hard.” Her laughter fades, and her face grows serious. “It’s going to be nice to have someone to share it with.”
In two long strides, I’m standing in front of her. “That man is me.” I bend to kiss her just as the pitter-patter of little feet comes barreling down the hall. Kendrix skids to a stop, her jammies on backward, with a book in her hand. “You ready for bed?” I ask, barely containing my laughter.
“Yep.” She squeezes past our legs and tosses the book on the bed. She begins to try and climb, but the bed is too tall. “Daddy! I need help.”
“I love you,” I say softly to Delaney before going to rescue our daughter. “Come here, munchkin.” I grab her and lightly toss her on the bed, making her giggle.
“That was fun. Do it again.”
“We better not. It’s time for a story and then bed.”
“O-kay,” she concedes and wiggles her little self under the covers right in the middle of the bed. “Come on, guys. I need my story.”
I look over my shoulder at Delaney. “You heard the girl. Get moving.”
“We need to change. Hold that thought, sweetie.” Delaney disappears down the hall.
“I’ll be right back. Can you keep the bed warm for us?” I ask, leaning over the bed, my hands pressed to the mattress.
“Yep.”
“Daddy loves you, Kendrix.” I’m never going to let a day go by that I don’t tell them both what they mean to me.
Her eyes light up. “You love me?”
“I do, so very much.”
“I love you too, Daddy, and Mommy too.”
I bop her nose with my index finger. “We love you more. Be right back.” I grab some pajama pants and head to the bathroom to change. It’s not the night I was hoping for—holding Delaney in my arms—but it’s better. I get both of my girls, and nothing is better than that.
Chapter 17
Delaney
All day long yesterday the only thing Kendrix talked about was going back to Kent’s parents’ house today. She asked me no less than twenty times what kind of cookies they were going to make, and if she could take her pink hammer with her. Something else, she’s been thrilled about, is staying at her daddy’s house. The last two nights we’ve stayed at his place, the three of us snuggled into his big bed. I told her no, but Kent said yes. I’m going to have to talk to him about that. She’s going to expect it. She’s going to get used to it, and we’re never going to get her to sleep alone again.
He’s spoiling her, and while I understand it, I still feel like we need to keep her grounded, as in, she doesn’t get everything she wants. I know he feels guilty, but at the same time, he doesn’t want to be a pushover parent. I’m going to have to broach the subject lightly. He’s new to this parenting thing, and while I want him to feel comfortable, I also don’t want her to be a spoiled brat.
“You ready?” Kent asks as he enters the bedroom, his bedroom.
“Yes. Where’s Kendrix?”
“She’s in the living room, bag in hand ready to roll.” He smiles at me and it warms my heart.
“She’s excited.”
“She is, and what about you? Are you excited for us to spend the day together?”
“I would be more excited if you told me what we were doing.”
“It’s a surprise.”
I shake my head and smile. I’ve never been one for surprises. But coming from this man, I’ll take what I can get.
“I’m weady!” Kendrix yells for us.
“We better get moving.”
“Kent, you know you have to stop giving in to her demands, right? And we need to make her sleep in her own bed.”
“I know, but her room isn’t set up here, and I need to do that. I’ll get started on making her the room deserving of a princess this week.”
“She doesn’t need that. She just needs you to love her, spend time with her, and to know that she can’t get anything she wants so easily.”
“I know, but I think about all that I missed, and when she bats those long eyelashes at me, I’m toast.”
“Suck it up, buttercup. Trust me, you’re going to thank me in the end. She’s smart, and she’s already figured out that she can get her way when it comes to you. And before you say it, and if you’re not going to say it, I know you’re thinking it. She’s going to love you no matter what. She might say otherwise in anger or trying to get her way—believe me, I’ve been there—but she will love you unconditionally. I promise you that.”
“Just like I love her, and her momma.” He bends to kiss me, and I accept his lips against mine eagerly. “Now, let’s get moving, woman.” He swats my ass and saunters out of the bedroom yelling out to Kendrix, letting her know the train is leaving.
Twenty minutes later, we’re pulling into his parents’ driveway. Knowing Kent is going to be carrying Kendrix, I reach around the seat and grab her small backpack before climbing out of the truck. I meet them in front, where he laces his hand with mine as we make our way to the front door.
“I’m hewear!” Kendrix yells as soon as we’re through the front door.
“I’ve been waiting on you forever,” Gordon says, taking her from Kent’s arms.
“I know. My mommy and daddy tooked fowever.”
“Took,” Kent corrects her.
“There’s my sweet girl.” Georgia joins us. “We’re getting ready to make lunch and then we’ll make cookies.”
“I gets to make lunch?” Kendrix asks, eyes wide.
“Of course you can.”
“Yay.”
“Kendrix,” I say her name, and she turns to look at me. “You be good, okay?”
“I’m always good.”
What can I say to that? She’s right. She’s such a good kid, and her sassiness has no limits. “Can Mommy have a kiss?” I step forward, and she leans out of Gordon’s arms to give me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“Daddy too,” she says, pulling away and leaning toward Kent. His dark eyes sparkle every single time she calls him daddy. I think she notices too, because she’s stepped up her game. It’s Daddy this and Daddy that. Then again, this is all new to her as well. I’ve been Mommy for almost five years. She’s new to the Daddy gig, just like Kent. To see her so happy, to see them both happy warms my heart.
“Call us if you need anything,” Kent tells h
is parents. “We’re going to be around.”
“What are the two of you getting into?” his mom asks. She looks at me and smiles, and it’s a mix between “thank you for bringing us this precious gift of a girl,” and “I have a secret.” I wonder if she thinks we’re going to run back to his place and hop in bed. I look at my feet to ward off the blush I feel coming on. I don’t want his parents to think that of me.
He looks down at me and finds me watching him. “It’s a surprise.” He winks.
“Well, you kids have a good time. We’ve got this one.” His dad smiles at Kendrix, and my heart swells at the love this family is so easily willing to give.
Don’t get me wrong. My family was loving. I know they loved me, but what they did to me… I don’t know that I will ever be able to forgive my parents. And my father, did he know about what she did? That’s still a huge unanswered question. Did he go along with her plan? Was it his idea? Will she ever tell me? Do I really want to know?
“Laney?” I break out of my mental fog to find Kent and his parents watching me intently.
“Sorry. I was lost in thought.” I offer them the brightest smile I can come up with. “Kendrix, Mommy loves you.”
“I loves you too. Bye.” She waves, her smile big.
“We’ll be back in a few hours,” Kent informs them.
“Take your time,” his mom tells us again.
Hand in hand, we head back to his truck and are on our way back out of the driveway. “Where to?” I ask, hoping he’s willing to give me a little bit of a hint.
“I’m taking you on a day date.”
“And that would be where?” I ask again, trying to get it out of him.
“You’ll see.” He pulls out of the driveway and drives a few hundred feet before turning into the same road we took the day he brought us to the meadow. We bounce through the field, and the fresh layer of snow we got yesterday causes the truck to slip and slide.
“Are we going to get stuck?”
“No. I have four-wheel drive.”
“Why are we sliding?”
“It’s not good on ice.”
“So, we’re going to get stuck?”
“Relax, beautiful. We’re fine.” He grins over at me and quickly turns his attention back to the path in front of us. Instead of going to the open meadow, he makes a turn toward the right.
I fight the urge to ask again what we’re doing, but this frustrating man next to me won’t budge. Of that, I’m certain. Instead, I take in the view. The trees are covered with snow, and they glisten and shine as the sun hits them. The sun is deceiving though. It’s been well under freezing since I arrived in Jackson. It’s a far cry from what I’m used to in California, but I’m enjoying the season immensely. Just another notch in the “pro” column when it comes to Tennessee.
I’m so lost in the scenery it takes me a few seconds to realize we’ve stopped moving. “Not to seem ungrateful, but uh, what are we doing?”
He laughs. It’s a profound rumble from somewhere deep in his chest. “I’d never think that, and we’re going ice skating.”
“Really?” I ask, sitting up a little straighter in the seat.
“Yep. We’ve done this a few times, back then. When you were on winter break. This pond—can’t even really be called that—is shallow. My dad dug it for my mom when they first bought the property before I was even born. She loved to ice skate. It’s barely two feet deep, so it doesn’t take much for it to freeze over.”
“Do we have skates?”
“Yeah, we’ve got skates. We’ve also got blankets and a heavier coat and gloves for you. I even managed to sneak in some homemade hot chocolate. My mom’s recipe.”
“When did you manage to do all of that?”
“While you were in the shower. Kendrix was watching cartoons, and I snuck it all out to the truck.”
“Is the hot chocolate still hot?”
“Yes. I have it in a Yeti bottle. It’s going to be perfect. Now, you ready to do this?”
“I don’t know how.” I hate that insecurity washes over me. It’s not only that, but I don’t want to disappoint him.
“Yes, you do. I taught you. Right here in this very spot.”
“Really?” There have been so many times I wished my memories from those years would appear, but never more since my time here in Tennessee. Not remembering this man is a tragedy.
He nods. “Yes, and it’s just like riding a bike. It will come right back to you.”
“I don’t remember any of that, Kenton. You might have to teach me all over again.”
He shrugs. “If I do, then I do. Just gives me more of a reason to hold onto you.”
“Okay.” I grin at him. “Let’s do it.”
“Be right back.” After pushing open his door and getting out, he jogs around to the back of the truck. I turn in my seat and watch him out the back window as he opens the tailgate and pulls out two pairs of ice skates. He jogs to my door and I roll down the window. “Move your seat all the way back to give yourself some room, and lace up.” He hands them through to me, then leans in for a kiss, before jogging back behind the truck, while I get to work putting on my skates.
“Here’s the hot chocolate,” he says, setting what looks like a gallon jug with Yeti spelled out on the side, and two small travel mugs that have the Beckett Construction logo on them on the center console.
I watch him move the steering wheel and begin to put his skates on. “Why don’t you move your seat back?”
“Tall guy problems.” He laughs. “I’m good. You ready?”
“No.” I bend back over and lace up each skate. “I don’t think I can walk in these.”
“Sure you can, and if not, that’s what I’m here for.”
“What? To carry me?”
“You know it.” He winks. “You good?”
“As good as I can be, I guess.”
“You need another coat?”
“No, this one is warm.” I dig my gloves out of my coat pocket and pull them on. I grab my hat from the dash, pull it down over my ears, and turn to look at him. “Ready.” He nods, and before I can say anything else, he’s out of the truck and at my door. “How did you do that so fast in these things?” He lifts me from the truck and sets me on my feet. “Wow.” I wobble and hold onto him.
“I’ve got you. I’m not going to let you fall. Just take one small step at a time.”
Slowly we make our way to the ice. “I’m not so sure about this, Kent.”
He moves to stand behind me. His hands settle on my hips, and his hot breath caresses my ear. “I’ve got you, baby. Nothing is going to happen. If you fall, I fall, and I’m not a fan of falling.”
My skin prickles from his closeness. Then again, it could be that deep timbre of his voice as he calls me baby. I never thought I’d be one for terms of endearment, but coming from Kent, they’re sexy as hell.
“I’ve got you. We’re going to put one foot in front of the other. Slow and steady.”
My hands land over his where they grip my waist. “I don’t know.” I can hear the wobble of uncertainty in my voice.
“Trust me.”
I do trust him. “Okay,” I concede. Slowly, I take one small step and then another until we’re standing on the ice.
“Good. Now, glide one foot forward at a time. Just small glides. I’m right here with you. I won’t let you fall.”
I do as he says. My legs tremble, but before I know it, we’ve made a full lap around the pond. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
“Want to try it on your own?”
“No.”
“How about you try it holding my hand instead of me behind you?” he suggests.
“I don’t know.”
I feel his body move closer as his warmth seeps into my back. His lips press against my neck, and I shiver—not from being cold, but from the contact. “You can do this, Laney,” he says softly.
Something flashes in my mind, and I freeze, almost causing us
both to tumble to the ice.
“Laney?” he questions.
I close my eyes and try to see it. The flash. It was so quick, I don’t even know what it was, but it was familiar. As if we’ve been in this very spot, and he’s kissed my neck before.
“Delaney, are you all right? Answer me,” he demands.
I turn in his arms and stare up at him. “I had a flash. I think it was a memory. We were here. I couldn’t see you, but I could feel you, and you kissed my neck. I don’t know for sure, but it feels like I’ve been here before. Like we’ve been here before.”
“We have. And I’ve said those exact words to you the first time I brought you here.”
“You remember that?”
“Beautiful, Laney. I remember it all. Every moment I had with you. I remember it.”
“I’m jealous,” I admit.
“I’ll retell you every detail. In fact, I can write it down. You can read it whenever you want.”
“I just want them back, Kent. I want to remember my time with you. I want to remember creating our daughter. I want to remember it all.”
“I want that too, but you have to promise me something.”
“Anything.”
“When your memory returns and I have faith that it will, don’t leave me. I was an asshole to not show up that night, and I regret it. I will always regret it. So when you remember and you’re mad at me, I deserve your anger, but please don’t leave me. I need you, and I need Kendrix in my life.”
“We just got here,” I say stupidly. His words, they make me weak in the knees, and I want to tell him that I love him too. But it’s still too soon. I need more time. I feel it deep in my soul, but I need more time.
“No. You’ve always been here.” He places our joined hands over his heart. “I just got Kendrix, but I won’t let her go. I won’t let either of you go.”
Inch by torturous inch, his head lowers until finally, his lips press against mine. The kiss is slow as he takes his time, parting my lips and exploring my mouth. Leisurely, he kisses me as if we have all the time in the world. That’s when it hits me—that we could have. I don’t have to leave him or this town. My job as a graphic designer allows me to work from anywhere, and with my inheritance, I don’t have to worry about a salary that will support me and Kendrix. We’re covered.