“Daddy,” she screams.
Her cry fills the kitchen as her body collides with me.
I sweep her off her feet and wrap my armsaround her.
“You’re here,” she breathes as I suck in a deep hit of my girl.
“Surprise,” I chuckle as my emotions threaten to get the better of me.
Long minutes pass as we stand there just holding each other, making up for all the cuddles we’ve missed while I’ve been away.
“Would you like some breakfast?” Mom asks after I’ve carried Sutton back and placed her on her stool.
My stomach growls right on cue.
“Yes, please.”
But she doesn’t immediately move. Instead, she studies me closely.
My heart jumps into my throat. What can she see?
“You need to ice your face,” she finally says.
“Does it hurt, Daddy?” Sutton asks, dragging my attention back to her.
“Nah, it’s fine.”
“I can’t believe Nash did that. What was wrong with him last night? His cross-checks were brutal. He should have been in the box long before you were. It was a joke.”
“Forget Nash. What have you been up to, Peanut? Tell me everything,” I say as Mom begins frying more bacon.
Usually, I’d tell her no and do it myself. She’s already done more than enough these past two weeks. But I’m starving and exhausted, and I’m in desperate need of some Sutton time.
And that does it; she sucks in a breath and then unleashes the last two weeks of her life on me.
All the information makes my sleep-deprived head spin, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
54
KODIE
“It’s good to have you home,” Mom muses as I pull her in for a hug when Sutton runs upstairs to finish getting ready for school.
“It’s good to be home,” I confess as we part. “How has everything been?” I ask, aware that no matter how bad things get while I’m on the road, she’ll lie and tell me it’s all good.
I appreciate the fuck out of her for it, even if it drives me crazy, not really knowing what’s going on with my own family.
I get it—she’s trying to protect me and ensure I’m fully focused on the task at hand, but also, I just want to know.
She stares at me. “I think you and I have bigger things to discuss right now, don’t we?” One of her brows lifts, and I instantly feel like a little boy who’s been caught stealing food from the kitchen.
“Uh…do we?” I ask, wracking my brain for clues.
“We do.”
Our stare holds as she stands there with her hands on her hips, trying to glare a confession from my lips.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I finally say, utterly confused.
