“You look fantastic,” she says over her shoulder. “How long has itbeen?”
“Too long,” Iadmit.
“I know we’ve kept in touch over the past year, but it’s not the same as seeing you in person.” She sighs. “Well, you’re here now. Jax is sitting on the patio. I think he’s trying to escape Sophie, who runs all over the house like ademon.”
I glance at the tiny person in question, her face all innocence. “We can’t let him get away, can we?” I hoist her up, grunting as I shift her against my side. She laughs, delighted, as I head for the doubledoors.
“Want a beer?” Haley calls after me. “Or abourbon?”
“I’m good. Thanks,Haley.”
From the expression on her face, she knows I mean thanks for so much more than the drink offer. It’s a thank-you for everything—for working with me back at Wicked, for letting me into her house two years ago, for letting me remain in their lives after the chaos Icaused.
“You’re family,” she says before nodding at Sophie. “Go getDaddy.”
“Get Daddy,” Sophie repeats, and Igrin.
We find Jax sitting in a patio chair by the glisteningwater.
“Daddy!” Sophie squeals, holding out herarms.
She scrambles out of my arms as I take a seat, but instead of climbing into her dad’s lap, she runs circles around his chair andmine.
“When she was a baby, I thought, ‘It’ll be easier when she gets older,’” my mentor says in lieu of a greeting. “But they change. They don’t geteasier.”
“Never?”
Jax meets my gaze for the first time. “Not when they start high school. Learn to drive. Or when they start a good college across the country. You ever think about her?” heasks.
The knot in my gut twists tighter. “All thetime.”
I wanted Annie to tell her dad for her own sake but also because of this eventuality—that I have to lie to her dad’sface.
I’d do anything for her, but I hate this, especially when he goeson.
“It’s hard not to have her around the house. When she first moved in, it surprised me every time I saw her or heard her. But the last couple years, I took for granted she was under myroof.
“When she was seven and still living with my sister, I learned Grace was getting bruises from her husband. I told her to leave him. She said it was undercontrol.
“I tried to get out of my touring contract so I could get my kid—couldn’t bring her on the road with me—but the head of my label wouldn’t let me. I was already a big deal, and he threatened to sue my ass if I didn’t finishup.
“It was the first time in my life I trashed a hotel room. Broke all the furniture. I left the tour for three days to go see Annie and Grace. Grace promised me her husband never touched Annie. I hired someone to watch the house when I couldn’t be there. Check on her at school, make sure she wasokay.”
“You didn’t believeGrace.”
“I believed her. But I wouldn’t risk anyone, even my own sister, being wrong about the most precious thing in mylife.”
Jax’s admissions swirl in my head. The year I went without Annie in my life sucked, but I didn’t realize how much of the same Jax had endured—in the back of a tour bus, wanting nothing more than to get his kid, to make her safe, to make herhis.
“I didn’t know,” I say atlast.
He nods. “Before I met Haley, Annie was my entire fucking world. This industry tried to keep me away from her. I will always care what she’s doing, and I will always want her to have the kind of freedom Ididn’t.”
I turn that over. I get why he’s protective, just like I get why she calls himoverbearing.
I wish I could reconcile those because I care about both of them, but Ican’t.
“So, why’re you here?” Jax prodsfinally.