“We don’t even know what this is?” She gestures between the two of us.
“No. We know what it is. We know how we feel, pixie,because we’ve always felt it. We just don’t know where it’s going or how to maneuver it yet. It’s not the same as before, is it? Our lives are not in the same places they were. You may decide the last thing you want is to be part of my crazy life. Because itiscrazy. Much more now than it was before.”
“You’re right. We have a lot to think about. You might not want to give up your—”
“That’snota problem, Heaven. It never was where you’re concerned.”
“Hmm.” She doesn’t sound convinced. “Maybe. You know I’m not judging though, right?”
“You never did, except to think I just wanted to fuck and dump you.” I remind her of how wrong she was back then. Hopefully, reminding her that with her, Iwouldn’t begiving up anything. I’dgaining everything.
Her cheeks stain an adorable shade of pink as she flushes with embarrassment. She was wrong about me then, and she knows it.
“I’ll have him back in the morning,” I tell her with a wink.
“Ready?” I ask, looking at Matt then at my son through the rearview mirror.
His grin spreads wide, and that warm feeling takes over again. But it’s his words that crack me open.
“For my whole life. Let’s go, Dad.”
Ryder
Part That’s Holding On
“Watch this!” Tyler yells out, taking off at light speed toward the pool. I snatch him by his waist for the millionth time, to stop his flight because it took me about twenty minutes to figure out that ‘watch this’ means he’s about to take a flying leap from something.
Everyone welcomed Tyler with open arms. Not that I believed for a second they wouldn’t. It’s just different seeing it. They welcome Matt as well. He’s enjoyed time watching ball games on TV and playing cards with Angel and Dane.
Tyler has been everywhere in the few hours he’s been here. The first thing he did that nearly gave me a heart attack was ride his skateboard down the stairs. I knew for sure he was going to break his neck.
A little while later, I watched as he did a front flip from the top of the monkey bars that Maddox had put in for the kids before they got here. Then he was quiet for a couple of hours. It seemed suspicious. I went to check on him, unable to find him anywhere. My chest squeezed and breathing stopped as I searched the house for him. I had no idea how I would explain to Heaven that I lost him the first few hours he was here.
When I finally found him, I was relieved, pissed, and completely dumbfounded. I still don’t know where he found the material or tools, but somehow the kid had managed to make a ramp for his bicycle out of some crates and two pieces of plywood. I was so shocked, I forgot to admonish him for sneaking off.
Matt laughed. “He’s always into something,” he told me. “If you blink, he’s gone. Heaven stays in a panic almost every day.”
“Donotrun around the pool, Tyler. You could fall and get hurt.” I tell him as I set him back on his feet. He scowls at me, which was cute the first half dozen times, but now it’s just trying my patience. “I’m serious, Tyler. You could get hurt or hurt someone else.”
Jake stands next to me,chuckling under his breath. “Kind of sucks when you can’t be the fun one, doesn’t it?”
“Shut the hell up.” I give him a middle finger while I turn up my beer. “You’re chasing a three-foot-tall princess. I’m chasing an eighty-five-pound version of me.”
“That’s how you were when you were a kid?”
I watch Tyler cannon ball into the pool, splashing Lyra who gives him the cutest look of absolute disdain. When I told him there was an indoor pool, I thought I was going to have to tie him down. He absolutely loved the idea of swimming while it’s snowing outside.
“I was when I was away at school.” I don’t elaborate. The rest of the guys don’t know all the details, but they know enough.
“He’s a handful. Going to be fun reining that in.” He laughs when Tyler jumps again.
I shake my head and watch him as he cuts across the pool. He’s like a fish in the water. Another thing I’m proud of. I may not have contributed to his ability, but I know he gets his love from me. I can’t wait to take him surfing.
“That’s mine!” a sharp, little voice cuts through a little while later. “Give it.” She crosses her arms, her bottom lip jutting out and quivering.
“Fucking hell,” Jake groans. “She’s about to blow.”
He doesn’t need to tell me. The size of a pint-sized princess' temper tantrums has been the same since she came into this world.
