“I work out so I look good naked.”
She lets go of my hand and covers her mouth. I can’t get my balance and crash on my ass, making her laugh harder.
I stand up and throw my arm around her shoulders. “Let me walk you home. Get some sleep tonight, ’cause the Cowboys are gonna get their asses handed to them tomorrow, and I can’t wait to see you all pissed off about it.”
“I can’t wait to see José. It’s been years.”
“He’ll be happy to see you. How’s Harper?”
“Good. Maddox is making sure of it. He’s a good kid,” she says, as if to reassure herself.
“But you’re having a hard time not being the one to take care of her, huh?”
She nods. “She’s my baby.”
“Yeah, I get it.”
She looks up into my eyes and smiles.
“What?”
“You’re a good dad, Lucas.”
“Great,” I correct. “I’m a great dad.”
I pull my arm off her shoulder. Why? First, because if she looks at me like that again, I’d probably pin her against the wall and kiss her, and she’s not there yet. I sure as fuck am. Love being married, just not the whole my wife’s cheating on me because of something I said half a dozen years ago out of anger when my kid may have been in danger.
I have to be patient with her and show respect to Collin by not trying to fuck his wife when he’s only been gone two months. Also, because I was just at the gym and haven’t showered yet. I don’t want her to walk away thinking,Damn he stinks. I want her to think,Damn he’s still got it, and now … now he’s the man I knew he could be.
“You really are.” She nods as she fishes her room card out of her bag.
“You always said I would be.”
She doesn’t even look up at me, but she does force out some words. “I’m pretty smart, aren’t I?”
“Sure are.” I take her key and swipe it then open the door. “Get some sleep, and remember I’m still here. You can talk to me. You don’t have to go hide with chocolate. You have a lot of people who are waiting to take care of you for once. Let us.”
She slides in her room, and before shutting the door behind her, she whispers, “Thanks, Lucas.”
?
I look at the clock and see it’s seven in the morning. Bones did some digging, and I found out Sam sticks to his schedule. I know Logan and Ava will sleep until at least ten, so I sneak out.
Bones sent me a text, telling me that it was Sam Hammond and where he’ll be. Also found out he’s an in-law type relation to Senator Robert Robertson. He’s a different kind of weasel, but a weasel just the same.
In the SUV, I double-check the text and set the address in my GPS.
Brunch with the boys in blue every Sunday @ 8:30 am… Bones
Robert, who used to be one of Dad’s attorneys, left Links Construction when I lost it on him after I found out Sam was an in-law. He should have told us yet didn’t.
At the time, I didn’t give a fuck because that’s when Links Construction branched out into NYC and were on the list of top companies contacted when anyone was accepting bids for multimillion dollar projects. I took over that branch of the company while Dad continued managing the largest general contracting firm in New Jersey, a company he built from infancy. I took over the new venture. It was my baby, LL Glazing and Iron. LLGI was making more of a profit than Links Construction, and yeah, that was one hell of a rush. I didn’t have to micromanage everything. I had one job and ten crews that kicked ass, run by men who I trust. Bones oversees it all.
I pulled up in front of the restaurant in Midtown and throw on my sunglasses as I hop out.
“Wait up!”
I stop and look back. “What the hell are you doing here? I left early enough so Tessa’s boys and your dad would stay the hell out of the situation, and now you? Maddox, I want you to turn around and go back.”