“That sounds like a whole bunch of fun. What if I want to tag along?”
I smirk at that. “Next time. Today, soak up this weather with a good book. Besides, I can’t have the first date I take you on be to an indoor playground followed by a happy meal.” And I’m not teasing. I’m one hundred percent determined to take Austen on a date—when she’s ready, of course.
“Isn’t that puttin’ the horse before the cart, Golden Boy?” she jests.
God, I love it when she calls me that. And I love that when she’s being sassy, her Southern drawl really comes out.
“I could see how you might think that. But I’m a very patient man, and I’m quite certain a first date is in our near future.” With that, I wink at her before scooping Cadence in my arms and leaving Dakota sitting in the same spot, her mouth now agape.
Yeah, I’m quite certain, indeed.
Everything about the funcle date had been going swimmingly until some scum bag with a big camera started following Cadence and me around.
At first, I wasn’t sure what his deal was. I thought maybe he was a photographer hired by the company that owns the indoor playground, and he was taking photos for marketing materials. But then I noticed he left the playground at the same time as us before ending up at the same diner. Cadence’s favorite thing to eat is any breakfast item, so it was a no-brainer to bring her somewhere that serves all-day breakfast. It’s only now, after paying the check and buckling Cadence into her car seat, that I regret not just going home and cooking for her myself.
The same photographer from the indoor playground is outside the diner, taking photos of me buckling her into my truck. Do these guys have no fucking decency? Kids should be one hundred percent off-limits when it comes to paparazzi.
“Hey!” I call out to the guy after I shut the rear passenger door and round the tailgate of my truck. “Leave me alone and go find a real job, would you? She’s a kid, man.”
He lowers the lens of his camera, but with his black sunglasses and backward hat, it’s hard to make out details of his face. “What is a young rookie like you doing with a baby, Wilder?”
I nearly growl at his questioning, my composure hanging by a thread. “I really don’t see how that is any of your business, or anyone else’s for that matter. I will only say this once more before I call the police: leave us alone.”
The fucker just chuckles as he walks backward a few steps before turning around the side of the building.
God, I really don’t understand how anyone could think I’m important or interesting enough to justify following me around. And where are the boundaries—the fucking morals—with these people?
Rounding the rest of my truck, I get into the driver’s seat and press the ignition button. It’s a colder spring afternoon with the light drizzle that’s still coming down, so I turn up the heat in the rear of the truck to keep Cadence comfortable. If anything, I need the AC; I’m still fired up from dealing with that asshat. “Sorry about that, Cadey Cat. Uncle Car Car didn’t mean to keep my princess waiting. Should we get Kota some ice cream on our way home?” Cadence calls Dakota ‘Kota,’ and it’s the cutest damn thing.
“Yay! Ice cream for Kota!”
And that’s all the confirmation I need as I back out of the parking spot.
We’re stopped at a red light, and I’ve only just turned on Gracie’s Corner’s “Wheels on the Bus” when a vehicle rear-ends us, causing my truck to lurch forward into the intersection. Another vehicle slams its brakes but crashes into the front passenger side of my truck. The airbags deploy, but all I can think about is getting to my Cadey Cat and ensuring she’s okay.
A startled cry breaks through the ringing in my ears before I hear someone shout that they’ve called 9-1-1. I get out of my truck and am nearly struck by the car that rear-ended us as it peels away from the scene, but not before I notice the guy who was photographing us behind the wheel. And, of course, he doesn’t have any license plates on his black SUV.
I don’t waste another second before opening the rear door to check on Cadence. Not wanting to move her in case something is broken, I choke on a sob when I realize she doesn’t have any scrapes or cuts. The front passenger window is cracked, but thankfully, it didn’t shatter.
“Shhh. You’re going to be okay, Cadey Cat. Uncle Carson is right here. We’re going to take a ride in a big vehicle that makes the ‘wee-woo’ sounds you love so much.” As the words leave my lips, I hear the faint siren sounds of an ambulance approaching. “You’re going to be okay,” I repeat. And she will be.
She’s got to be okay.
I shoot out of my chair in the hospital’s waiting room when McKenna and Griffin walk in. Dakota stands alongside me. She arrived about a half hour ago after I called and told her everything that had happened.
“Fuck, McKenna. I’m so fucking sorry. I swear I don’t know where the photographer came from. One minute, we were stopped at the red light, and the next thing I know, he rear-ended us.”
“Carson, why are you apologizing? You and Cadence are both thankfully okay. We know you would never do anything to put her in harm’s way. This isn’t your fault,” Mack tries to put me at ease, but there’s nothing that will take away this gut-wrenching feeling inside of me.
I could’ve lost her. I was the reason one of the best parts of my life was put in danger. Shaking my head, I collapse back down into my chair and hold my head in my hands.
“Please, please tell me she’s okay,” I plead.
I feel a large hand on my shoulder before Griff’s deep voice says, “Cadence is okay, Carse. She’s okay, and you’re okay. Katie and my mom would never let anything happen to her, and nothing did. After a full work-up, the doctors have reassured us that everything is okay. I had the hospital send her chart, along with all of her imaging, to my dad. He just got off the phone with us and confirmed everything the staff here had already determined. Now, I’d really like you to get checked out to make sure you’re in the clear.”
That makes me shoot my head up to look at him. “What are you talking about? I’m fine.”
I had a minor cut above my left temple because of the impact of the second vehicle, but the paramedic was able to stitch me up. When we got to the hospital, I refused any further medical attention for fear they’d help me instead of focusing all of their efforts on Cadence.
