We order a pepperoni to share and water to drink. I wait for the waitress to leave before I lighten the mood. “So how are things in the studio?”
“It’s going really well. I’m beyond thrilled with my clientele. Word of mouth seems to be the best advertisement.”
“You do good work; that speaks volumes.” I’m not just blowing smoke up her ass. She really is phenomenal at what she does. A slight blush tints her cheeks and I know I’ve distracted her from our earlier conversation.
The rest of dinner is easygoing. We’re both relaxed and talk about our week so far. Lexi wakes and I feed her a bottle while I listen to Kinley talk about getting her website up and running.
“Thanks for today, for letting me pull you from your work to go to her appointment with me, and for dinner. It was nice to get out, and Miss Lexi did great.”
“You’re welcome. It’s not a hardship to spend time with either of you,” she says.
I want to pull her across this seat and kiss the hell out of her. I want her to come home with me and curl up beside me in my bed, on her side of the bed. Yes, I still refer to it as her side. I’m truly fucked when it comes to this girl. My attraction only grows stronger each day. How am I going to continue to fight this?
“I’ll let you two get home.” She climbs out of the truck and opens the back door. The truck is so tall she has to climb into the backseat, but she does it without complaint. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Miss Lexi. You be good for Daddy.” I watch in the rearview as she kisses two fingers and places them on Lexi’s cheek.
Like I said, truly fucked!
Once I get home, I get Lexi settled on the floor on a blanket underneath her baby gym—that’s what Kinley calls it—while I sit on the couch and go through my mail. When I get to the envelope from an attorney in Tennessee, I’m confused. Ripping it open, I read the words three times just to make sure I’m comprehending what this lone piece of paper is saying.
They want my daughter.
What. The. Fuck!
Lexi coo’s on her blanket and I have to fight back the tears threatening to fall—tears of anger and worry because they want to take my baby girl. Reaching for my phone, I swipe the screen and hit the first number on my favorites list.
“Yo, what’s up, bro? You were just here, you should have come in to say hello,” Aaron says.
“They want to take her.” My voice is hoarse.
“What? Wants to take who? What the hell’s going on, man?” he asks. I can tell he’s worried, as he should be. He can hear the pain in my voice.
“Lexington,” I whisper her name.
“Are you home?” he barks into the phone.
“Yeah.”
“I’m on my way.” The line goes dead. I drop my phone and fall to my knees. I scoop my baby girl up in my arms and hold her close. She coos, making her sweet baby noises, and the emotion that’s been threatening to bubble to the surface since I read that fucking letter the first time, falls from my eyes.
“Evan!” I hear Kinley yell.
Kinley!
Turning at the sound of her voice, I watch her run into the living room. She stops when she sees me, and tears begin to fall from her eyes, matching mine. I stand to greet her. She loves my little girl as much as I do. “Evan,” she breathes my name. I have Lexi cradled in one arm, and I hold the other one out to Kinley, an open invitation to come to me.
I need her.
She wraps her arms around my waist and I do the same, holding her tight against my chest—my girls, both of them.
“Fuck, bro, what the hell is going on?” Aaron asks.
Kinley steps back, and I want to stop her, but I don’t. “Got home today and was going through the mail, got that letter.” I point to the letter now lying on the floor.
Aaron bends to pick it up, and I watch his face as he reads the words. “Holy shit. Can they do that? Misty’s gone?”
“Apparently.”
“Can who do what? What do you mean Misty’s gone?” Kinley looks up to me, searching for answers.